The other man’s smile grew even wider. “Damn straight. You think playing the field is great, but I’m here to tell ya…” Affection softened Logan’s hazel eyes. “There’s nothing better than going home at the end of a day, or better yet, coming back from anextended op, and finding the woman you love waiting there for you.”
“Here, here!” The longer locks on top of Archer’s head hair fell to his temple in dark waves as he pretended to lift a glass to Logan’s comment. Like their leader, Archer’s entire face lit up with an unapologetic smile. “Way I see it, Hayes and I are the only smart ones in this room.”
“Because you’re tied down to one woman for the rest of your days?” Lucky arched a goading brow.
Both Archer and Logan shared a look before sliding a pair of damn near identical grins his way.
“Yep.” Logan nodded proudly.
Archer’s eyes gleamed as he gave an agreeable, “Absofuckinglutely.”
“To be fair, Nash hasn’ttechnicallysettled down yet,” Chase pointed out.
“The man’s engaged to be married.” Lucky’s incredulous stare swung Chase’s way. “The wedding’s in like a month. I’m pretty sure Arch has made up his mind about Cassie being The One.”
“He’s right.” Archer shifted in his seat. “At this point, the ceremony’s just a formality. As far as I’m concerned, Cass and I are already married.”
Not wanting this conversation to continue, Lucky attempted to switch to a topic he felt more comfortable discussing. To Logan, he asked, “Where are we with the bachelor party?”
“Same place we were the last time you asked.”
“Seriously?” He shot Archer’s Best Man an exaggerated pout. “So there really aren’t going to be any strippers?”
Lucky didn’t give two shits if there were strippers. Truth be told, watching young women being exploited by a bunch of creepy dudes sitting around a dark room wasn’t his cup oftea. But since these guys all saw him as some sort of playboy Casanova, he figured he’d better play the part.
If he didn’t, if the other men in this room ever discovered the truth about his so-called philandering ways, they’d finally see him for what he really was…
A big, fat, full of shit fraud.
“We here to plan a vanilla bachelor party, or is there actual ENS business to handle?”
The room grew quiet as all eyes went to the man sitting at the other end of the table. Six-six and built like a brick shit house, Van’s dark gaze and perpetually stoic demeanor practically screamedstay the fuck away.
Which, when it came to Braddock, most people did.
“Neither.” Logan glanced at the laptop he’d just placed on the table in front of him. Flipping it open, he clicked a few buttons before picking up a nearby remote and powering up the giant flatscreen on the wall behind him.
“So…if we’re not here to talk business or the party…” Chance let his voice trail off.
“Never said we weren’t discussing business.” Logan turned back to his computer and hit another key. “I said we weren’t discussing Eagle’s Nest Securities business.”
A blanket of understanding seemed to fall over Lucky and the others. The reason their former SEAL brother had called them into the office was solidified the minute another man’s face filled the giant screen.
Lucky’s chest grew tight as a slew of memories shot to the forefront of his mind. Some were good, others not so much. But it was those last ones—his most recent moments involving this man and his fallen quest to keep their team united and active—that sent an uncomfortable wave of emotions rolling through his veins.
Not because he blamed Secretary Webb for their team’s disbandment and subsequent departure from the Navy. Hell, the man had done everything in his power to try to prevent it. But, in the end, all he’d managed to accomplish was to ensure they each received an honorable discharge rather than the dishonorable they’d been threatened with.
It was just hard facing the man who’d been a part of his Navy SEAL days. Seeing Webb’s face on a screen in the Eagle’s Nest war room rather than on a military base or some computer screen half a world away was just another reminder that those days were all in the past.
A stark reminder that Hunter Garrison—one of the best men Lucky had ever had the pleasure of serving with—was gone. And he was never coming back.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Van’s muttered grumble was less than subtle.
The man’s disdain toward Webb was no secret. Because he did blame SECNAV for what happened. To Hunt and to their military careers.
With an unsurprised nod, Webb greeted Lucky’s less-than-impressed teammate. “Nice to see you, too, Braddock,” the powerful man rumbled.
Van’s only response was a twitch of his strong, rugged jaw.