Jack (Eidolon Black Ops #8) - Maddie Wade Page 0,48
which lodged in his heart. He was in the second car with Liam and Gunner. Waggs, Mitch, and Decker were ahead of them. Lopez would monitor the feeds from the base. Will had tapped into the traffic cameras and kept an eye out, looking for any unusual activity. Zack and his team had gone ahead to the school to make sure all was clear.
Liam side-eyed him as he drove. “You and Astrid, then?”
Jack nodded. “Yup.” He didn’t want to get into this with them, not now or ever to be fair, but he knew he wouldn’t get out of it.
“About time.”
Gunner reached forward, and fist-bumped Liam. “Amen to that.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Oh, come on. You two have been dancing around each other for over a year now.”
“No, we haven’t.”
Liam raised his brows at Jack. “Uh, yes, you have. Why do you think we all disappeared when she came over to train with us?”
“I have no idea.”
“Because the sparks you two were throwing out almost set the building on fire.”
“Rubbish.” Jack glanced out of the window at the car ahead of them who held the most precious person in his life right now and wondered if things had been building for longer than he was willing to recognise.
“Whatever, boss man.”
He sighed. “Was it really so obvious to everyone but me?”
Gunner nodded. “Yep.” He slapped Jack on the shoulder and squeezed hard. “It’s okay, boss. It takes some people longer than others to wake up, but you got there in the end.”
Gunner was a blissful newlywed, while Liam and Taamira had just under a year under their belts, and both men had never been happier.
Jack had never considered marriage for himself; his own parents had a difficult one, and it had put him off. At least his mother had a hard time; his father had the life of Riley. He did what he wanted when he wanted, and still came home to a cooked meal and a warm bed. Frederick had never mistreated his mother, but he’d been selfish. He often wondered why his mother had stayed as long as she did but had never asked. Now she’d washed her hands of her husband after finding out the extent of his misdeeds, but Jack thought if he were going to reach out, it would be to her.
He should call her tonight and check in, make sure she was coping okay. His love for his mother was something else that was complex. She’d always tried to put herself between Frederick and her sons, to be the buffer, but he couldn’t understand her staying with him when he’d put so much pressure on them.
He knew if he ever had children he’d encourage them to be whatever they wanted and would always make sure they knew how proud he was of every single accomplishment, no matter how small. That was new too. Kids had never been on his radar, but being with Astrid opened his mind to all the possibilities he’d never considered.
The car stopping pulled Jack from his thoughts as they came upon the school for special needs children. The building the Queen was opening was for a sensory suite that would allow the kids to explore things like touch, light, and sound in a way that was engaging for them.
The men’s vibe changed as they got out and surrounded the Queen’s car and waited for Blake to exit. Astrid came next with the Prince Consort, and lastly, the Queen, who looked calm and regal.
He moved in behind, keeping his distance as Fitz started the introductions to the school leaders just under the canopy. His eyes flitted around on constant alert, his adrenaline pumping enough to keep him focused. He watched Astrid shake hands as if she’d been doing this her entire life. Like she was a real lady in waiting for the Queen, and not an undercover protection officer.
As they made it inside, he watched her crouch in front of a child who was handing out flowers and offer a few words. The shy smile the little girl returned caused his heart to constrict with a feeling he didn’t recognise and certainly wasn’t ready to explore right then.
They walked through the new suite, and he was impressed with the way things worked, giving the children there a chance to interact in a way most people took for granted. His focus stayed on task watching for any movement or threat, but there was none.
They were gathered around the plaque as the Queen