A Spy and His SEAL Read online

  Chapter 2

  Liam

  I grabbed my bag off the belt in O’Hare’s baggage claim area. I couldn't believe I agreed to come home for an entire month, but I was due to either re-up or go to the reserves for 2 more years. I loved my SEAL team, don't get me wrong, but countless missions with the last one going completely FUBAR I felt done. The CIA offered me a job too but I wasn't sure if that's what I wanted. Thankfully I was able to get leave which was hard to do as a SEAL, I was always being flown off to some secret mission here or there. Last year I had found myself waist-deep in mud in some undisclosed location in South America for the holiday.

  I almost preferred that than facing him for the day. Thankfully I had another 2 hours’ drive to my parents’ house and maybe 30 minutes with them before we drove over to Uncle Trey's house. While Trey wasn't really my uncle our families were tight as could be. He was my dad's best friend and executive chef at Staked Steaks. Ever since I was a kid I and my dads would go to Uncle Trey's house for Sunday and holiday dinners as neither of my dads cooked. I know my dad owns a restaurant but can't cook.

  But when Linda, Danny's mom moved back to town 15 years ago, Trey invited her to join as they were best friends in high school. Eventually, Trey met Darius, his husband. Darius then brought Andre who married Linda. So now Sunday dinners are a madhouse. But isn't that life? Growing and expanding your family?

  Anyway, it’s been 6 years. Hopefully, he had moved on with his life and I wouldn't have to worry about anything. Man and did that make my gut turn into knots. Fuck! Apparently the thought of him with another man, Jesus.

  His letters the first year I was away always made me cry. It opened the wounds every time all over again, but it also made me feel loved. I would write him back but I never got the courage to actually mail the letters. Eventually, the letters stopped and I wasn't sure if I was thankful or not.

  Either way, he left me and I was going to stick to my guns if he tried anything. I couldn't, no I wouldn't go down that road again.

  “Earth to Liam,” the feminine voice said snapping her fingers in front of my face bringing me out of my internal musings.

  Ah, yes. Rebecca, my beard, well kinda. See I don't care what parts my partners have as long as they look and feel sexy as hell. I don't even care about their personality most of the time. He did that to me, he made me cynical. Plus being Special Forces I could get just about anyone anytime no matter the sex. I hated using Rebecca this way, but she knew my heart was never in it, she used me too.

  We were teammates, she was the only female SEAL currently enlisted and while she was tiny, she was very butch, she was as tough as the rest of the team. She had my back and I had hers and when needed we could pound out the frustration that needed to be released. She was the closest thing to a best friend I had.

  The rest of the team thought we were an item so it worked well enough. I didn't really care if the team knew I was bi but I didn't go around advertising it and there was no reason too since I hadn't had a man since him.

  “Sorry,” I said grabbing my luggage. We heard towards the rental car terminal. “Thanks again for coming. I don't know what I would have done if you said no.”

  She sighed and ran her fingers through her short hair. Being a female she didn't have to keep the standard military cut but she did anyway. She said that it was easier because when she was all geared up she looked like one of the guys and she didn't have to worry about standing out. Her green eyes looked sad. “You know I don't have anywhere else to be, you're the closest thing I have to family, so I'm happy to be here.”

  She gave a weak smile but I knew what she was thinking her mother had died 6 months ago so this was her first major holiday without any relatives at all. She had no one left.

  “It's going to be great. I'll show you around our little piece of paradise and you can relax for a whole month. Starting tomorrow, of course, because today--”

  “I know, I know you don't have to say it. I know why you really invited me here Liam. If I wasn't cool with the causal relationship that we do have I wouldn't have come to support you. So you can show jackass that you have moved on.”

  “He's not a jackass,” I mumbled. I hated it when she referred to him like that.

  She rolled her eyes at me but turned around and kept walking.

  “I mean he was just, well I don't know what he was. But he is one of the nicest persons. I mean he has sent us care packages for the last 6 years. He always sends enough for the whole team too. Who does that?” I asked.

  “Well, I don't care if he was... is nice and the care packages are nice for everyone but he still broke your heart. I can't not call him a jackass.”

  ~~

  T wo hours later, I pulled into my dads' driveway it looked the same, almost as if I never left. The 2 story farmhouse was cream-colored with faded green shutters. My dads lived on a 2-acre property that ended against the river.

  Before I could even get out of the car the front door flew open and my sister came running out. She jumped in my arms as soon as I stood up straight. Her ebony skin looked like milk chocolate, which made her green eyes shine. My dad had her hair in intricate braids as always. But it looked like they added some color, bright pink to be exact.

  “I missed you kiddo,” I said into her hair. She was 10 years my junior. My dads adopted her after her foster mother brought her into my dad's salon. She and my dad instantly hit it off. He learned that her foster mom took her in on an emergency basis and could take her full time. She was due to be sent to a group home 2 towns over in 2 weeks. My dad couldn't bear the thought of her being in a group home. So our little family of 3 dudes became a family of 4. Our little family had finally become whole that day.

  “I missed you too,” she mumbled into my chest.

  I pulled her back and looked at her but kept her in my arms. She had grown a lot in the last 2 years. Geez, it has been that long since I came home.

  “You look great,” I said.

  “Thanks!”

  “How's your first year of high school?”

  She winced before answering, “Good I guess.”

  “It will get better, trust me.”

  “That's easy for you to say, you had a boyfriend. You didn't have to care about what people said behind your back.” I must have tightened my grip on her at her comment caused her eyes turned sad, “I'm sorry I didn't mean to mention him,” she said and pulled away from me.

  “It's alright to talk about him, he was a big part of my life. I just tensed at your assumption that we had it easy because we were together. If anything being openly bi in high school made it hard baby girl.”

  Instead of answering me she turned and looked at Rebecca who now stood next to me. “Aren't you going to introduce me?” my sister asked.

  I turned to Rebecca, “Rebecca this is my sister, Roxie. Roxie, this is my friend and co-worker Rebecca.”

  “Oh just a friend,” Roxie said. “You brought just a friend all the way home after 2 years of hiding?” she demanded and then added, “no offense,” to Rebecca.

  “None taken,” Rebecca said with a smile.

  “Roxie, let your brother come inside so we can get over to Darius and Trey's house!” their father yelled from the front door.

  Roxie rolled her eyes, “come on then.”

  I walked to the back of the blue Charger that we rented and popped the trunk. I grabbed both my luggage and Rebecca's handing it to her.

  We tugged our luggage inside. “I made up the guest room for Rebecca and you can have your old room,” Chad said leaning up and kissed him on the cheek.

  Chad was my step-dad. I was the product of the one and only time my dad slept with a woman. Apparently, the condom broke and here I am. I never knew my mom. My dad and Chad had already met and were dating when my mom came and left me with a note on my dads' doorstep.

  Chad was my dad's exact opposite, he wasn't even 5 ft., 4'9” I think. He was naturally tan with dark brown almost black hair. His eyes were s
imilar in color. Where my dad was just a few inches shorter than my 6'3” he looked exactly like me except my hair was redder and lighter than his.

  “Thanks, Mr. O,” Rebecca said. Rebecca and my parents had met when they came down to see me in Coronado last Christmas when I couldn't come home. They made a week-long trip of it. Roxie hadn't wanted to go because she had a boyfriend at the time.

  Rebecca and I dropped our stuff off in our rooms and we freshened up a bit. I hadn't had time to change out of my fatigues this morning before we made the flight so I took a quick shower and changed into civilian clothes. When I made it back downstairs Rebecca was sitting on the sofa with my parents and my sister. It was the same furniture they had when I was growing up. It was old but well cared for. My dad had patched up the couch a few times from holes we put in it over the years.

  It was also the couch that I spent many..., no I was NOT going to think about that. I looked at my watch, “are we going? Uncle Trey will be pissed if we don't get there before 4. We only got 40 minutes.”

  Dad patted Rebecca's leg, “he wasn't always so punctual, the military has changed him.”

  Rebecca smiled, “ha, I hate to break it to you. He is always still running in at the last minute. Sometimes I have to cover his ass. No, he is just anxious.”

  I rolled my eyes pretending she wasn't right, but she knew me too well. She was right and by the look on everyone's face, they knew it too.

  “Alright let's go,” my dad cut in getting to his feet.

  I sat quietly in my parent’s back seat, my knee was bouncing nervously bumping Rebecca's but she didn't say anything. After a while, she placed her hand on my thigh and squeezed. She didn't have to say anything she knew I was sweating bullets and that squeeze was her way of showing me she was here for me no matter what.

  I was glad I wasn't driving tonight. As soon as my dad parked the car I got out and bolted inside. Uncle Trey's house was huge he inherited from his grandfather when I was a teenager. He and Darius had modernized the home before they moved in. I walked straight to the kitchen where I knew Uncle Trey would be slaving over dinner.

  Trey was standing at the stove stirring something. I walked over to the cabinet beside the farmhouse sink and grabbed a glass. I turned around and filled the glass with the wine that he had sitting on his island. The island was huge and covered with stuff for dinner.

  “Hey Uncle Trey,” I said taking in the smells of Thanksgiving dinner. I could smell his infamous apple and pumpkin pies, along with the stuffing and turkey. I was finally home. It felt good even if it was missing something or someone. Would I ever have that again? I had no idea but I had to try.

  “Liam!” he almost squealed. He sat down the spoon he was holding and came around the island to give me a tight hug. “Oh! My! Gawd!” He said pulling back putting his hand to his cheek. “Aren't you handsome, my my. Your dad said you got all muscly but jeez hunk-o-rama.”

  Oh and yeah Trey was the most flamboyant man I have ever met. Well besides my dad, but Chad didn't have anything on Trey. I laughed at his antics and bent over and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

  “How are you uncle?”

  “I'm fine,” he said turning around going back to what he was doing waving me off from any further questions. “Go visit.”

  Chapter 3

  Danny

  I knew he was here the minute I walked into Uncle Trey's house even if I hadn't seen his dad's car sitting out front. I always knew when he was in the building. After 8 years I would have thought that would have gone away but apparently it didn't.

  Last night hadn't done shit to my nerves. It hadn't helped at all, in fact, I think it made it worse and made me feel guilty. Yeah even though it had been 8 fucking years I always felt guilty after fucking someone else. Which is why I usually just used my hand.

  Well, better get this over with. I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen to say hi to my uncle.

  I couldn't smell anything but the wonderful aroma that I was accustomed to coming from this kitchen. It always smelled like something wonderful to eat. Pies, bread, stuffing, etc... Today it smelled like Thanksgiving. I loved helping Uncle Trey cook and usually, I did help on Thanksgiving but I had a little too much to drink last night after I got home from the unknown man from the club.

  Wow, he looks even more amazing then he did the last time I saw him. His beautiful hair was still there but it was shorter, of course, stupid. They wouldn't let him keep it long in the military. He was a lot bulkier than the last time I saw him too.

  I could see his muscles tense up as if he sensed I was in the room before he even turned around. Well good, at least I'm not the only one.

  Before I could say anything Uncle Trey turned around, “Danny boy!” he shouted throwing all eyes on me, which was just Liam and a girl I didn't know. Liam must have brought her. She the same military haircut that Liam did. My heart sunk. I knew I had no business expecting Liam to come back to me one day, but seeing him with someone else really hit home what I did all those years ago.

  I pasted a smile on my face as Uncle Trey threw his arms around me. He leaned up and whispered in my ear, “You should talk to him, privately.” He released me and went back to the stove.

  I swear everyone and I mean everyone, both my parents, Liam's dads, Trey, and Darius all were pushing to get us back together.

  I pretended to ignore Uncle Trey and turned towards the one man I thought I would never have a void with. Hell, he had been best friends than boyfriends since I was adopted by my parents when I was 12 until prom anyways. That's when all went to hell.

  “Hi,” I said quietly not looking into his eyes.

  Liam sat his drink down, reached for the girl’s hand, “Danny,” he said in that sweet sexy voice that was already making my pants uncomfortable. “This is my friend Rebecca.”

  I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding relieved that he said friend and not a girlfriend. But what kind of friend was she. Uncle Trey coughed to bring me back from the daze I didn't know I was in.

  “Sorry,” giving her a soft smile I offered her my hand. She immediately dropped Liam's hand and reached for mine.

  “Nice to meet you, Liam's told me a lot about you,” she said with a genuine smile. Someone he must trust then. So maybe she isn't his girlfriend but still. I had no idea why I felt jealous, he hadn't been mine for 8 years.

  I pasted another smile on my face and said, “Excuse me, I've...” shit what, what did I need to do, “I've gotta...”

  “He needs to go get the boys for me,” Uncle Trey butted in pulling me out of the room after him.

  “Thanks,” I whispered to my uncle before taking off up the stairs.

  I went looking for my cousins for whatever my uncle had imagined up to get me out of there. I heard one of the dogs probably in one of their rooms and headed towards the sound. I peaked in the first room and it was empty so I went to the other room and found both boys playing tug of war with the dog and a toy.

  The room smelled like a wet dog and chlorine. The golden lab wagged his tail as my older cousin pulled on the dog toy that was in his mouth.

  The 2 boys couldn't have been any more different but they were the best of friends. Both had been adopted by my uncles before the age of 2. Rescued and adopted I guess you could say. That is just what my family did. They rescued kids like they were dogs. The dog was a rescue too.

  I was the first human to be rescued. Darius and my dad found me when they were working a case together. I was 12 and out on the streets far from home. My birth parents kicked me out when they found out my sexual preferences... I was on the street for almost a year after that. Most of those days I found myself fending off sexual advances. I did not want to become a rent boy. My final 3 days on the streets were the things of nightmares but my dad and Darius rescued me and the rest is history.

  Jonah, the older of Darius and Trey's kids, my dad had found during a meth raid of all things. The infant was found locked in a bedroom in his crib cryin
g, across the room his dead mother laid on a filthy mattress with a needle in her arm. She had been dead for almost 24 hours at that point.

  Once Jonah got to the hospital they found out that he was born with crack in his system. His mother had literally just gotten him back a few weeks before and apparently fell right back into her old habits. The good news was other than being dehydrated and hungry he seemed to be in good health.

  Darius and Trey had just gotten all their certificates to be a foster family and they fell in love with the ebony-skinned little boy with creamy brown eyes and chubby cheeks. Although he grew out of the chubby cheeks he was still adorable.

  His brother Isiah, light where he was dark. He had pale skin and blue eyes. He was going to be a heartthrob when he was older. Darius had to shoot his mom in front of him to save his life. His mom had gone bat shit crazy and was threatening to kill him than herself. Darius had thought he talked her down she had dropped the gun to her side, Darius had stepped forward to disarm her when she brought it back up to Isiah's temple. Darius didn't think he just pulled the trigger killing the crazy mother.

  Afterward, the little boy refused to let go of Darius's neck. Darius sat in the hospital by his side the whole night until Trey came. When Isiah immediately reached for Trey they knew it was meant to be.

  Looking at them now you would never know they went through something so traumatic. They both had smiles on their faces and were talking to the dog like he was their brother, not their dog.

  Jonah looked up as saw me standing in the doorway, “Danny!” Both he and his brother dropped what they were doing and ran into my arms that I outstretched for them. I picked both of them up and wrapped them tightly hugging them to me. They both peppered me with kisses like they hadn't seen me in months or years not days.

  “Hey kiddos, you guys go swimming?”