Stitch by Jaime Lewis (ebook reader online .txt) 📗

She reached across the table and took his hand.  “Sometimes just having someone to hold us and letting us know that everything will be okay is all we need.”

“Are you sharing your experience?”

She smiled softly and squeezed his hand.  “I don’t think I could’ve made it through my recovery if it weren’t for Ace being my rock. Believe me when I say having the right person by your side makes all the difference.” He thought through her words, and she was right. He’d seen it not just with Alex, but also when Tenley, Autumn, and Bailey all found themselves recovering from their bad experiences. Hell, he’d seen it in combat.

“I understand what you’re saying, but this time around feels so different with Mia.”

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

One hundred percent, he was in love with her.  A day never went by that he didn’t think about her. Even when they were out on missions and had some downtime, he thought of her. Even decisions he’d made within the last year, he’d found himself wondering if Mia would be happy or approve. Like when he was looking for a house after Frost and Autumn moved in together. He found one he liked, but he wasn’t sure if Mia would like it, so he passed on it.  He looked at Alex.  It was no use trying to hide his feelings.

“I am. I told Ace last night.”

Alex raised one of her manicured eyebrows in his direction, completely surprised by his statement, but he didn’t miss the sly smile playing on her lips.

“Maybe I do need that beer after all. This is a major development in the romance saga of Stitch and Mia,” she said with a laugh, also making Stitch chuckle. “And, I am dying to know the reaction of my husband to be.”

Stitch was still laughing. Alex could be such a wise-ass, and he loved her for it too. “He was happy for the both of us, and he’s fine with it.”

She smiled. “Really? It was that easy?”

Now Stitch smiled. “It was. And believe me, it was easier than I thought.”

“Well, I’m sure he is thrilled. You’re a great guy and he knows you’ll take good care of her.”

He studied Alex’s reaction. He thought she would be more surprised.  “Why don’t you seem so surprised?”

“Well….”

“Alex...” He loved his best friend to death, but damn she could sometimes meddle in shit, though her heart had good intentions.

She raised her hands up. “Okay…I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but since you are one of my best friends and Mia means a lot to me, and I want to see you both happy, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  Back when Tenley got in trouble, and you guys were getting ready to deploy, Ace and I had a conversation. Ace had been a little worried about that guy Mia was seeing.”

“The Green Beret?” Nobody knew the guy’s name, but Stitch hated the man for how he had treated Mia. Any man who was unfaithful to his woman was just a douche bag, and clearly the asshole didn’t deserve Mia.

“Yeah, him. Anyway, Ace noticed that Mia hadn’t been her happy-go-lucky self.  He wasn’t sure what to do or how to approach her on the subject.  I suggested that he ask you to see if you had any insights.”

Stitch pointed to himself.  “Me?  Why would you tell him to talk to me?”

She grinned, then took a sip of water.  “Because I knew that even though Mia was dating that guy that you and her had been talking. A lot.”

“How did you know?”

“Because Mia told me. You know us girls like to gossip.” Oh yes, he knew very well how the women liked to gossip. Especially the group of women that included Alex, Tenley, Autumn, Bailey, and now Mia. “And, you want to know what Ace told me?”

“One could only guess,” he said, lifting his beer and taking a swig.

“He said that he wished it was you who was dating his sister.”

Stitch coughed as he choked on his beer, which made Alex giggle.

“Surprised ya, didn’t I?”

All Stitch could do was nod his head because that was a pretty big news flash.

“Ace said that if the both of you were dating, he would at least know she was in good hands. He respects you.”

“And, you never thought to clue me in, knowing that was the main reason why I stood back and didn’t make a move sooner? Especially after that dick cheated on her?”

She gave him a devilish smile. “Hey, I’ve been told not to meddle in other people’s relationships.”

He balled up a napkin and threw it at her, and she laughed. If it weren’t for her meddling, there was no telling if Potter, Frost, or Irish would be happily married now. He could only wonder what she had told Ace.

Chapter Thirteen

Elijah paced the length of his living room in his penthouse. The heels of his Armani dress shoes clicked against the marble floors with every step he took. He was pissed. Two of his employees had fucked up big time, and because of their stupidity, he had some major covering up to do.

“You okay, boss?”

Elijah whipped his head around to see Claus standing in the doorway.  Ignoring his question, he asked, “Did you take care of the situation?”

“It is being done as we speak.”

“Good.  I don’t want anything traced back to me. Where are Oscar and Jules?”

“Down at the docks working on installing those new cages on that cargo ship so everything will ready for the shipment scheduled for next week.”  Claus walked a little more into the room, and Elijah saw him holding a shopping bag.

“What is that?” He asked.

“The items from the girl that were left at the warehouse. Vargas bagged it up. He is also taking care of the clean-up.”

Claus handed over the bag, and Elijah took a peek inside. It was just a pair of socks, running shoes,