Page 19 of Gunner

Gunner sank into the chair, shocked to say the very least at the turn of events today had taken. “I need to stay undercover. It’s the only way to find out how far this goes.”

Jack stood and came around the desk and leaned against it as Will took his seat and began to type on the laptop there.

“Agreed. What did they want you to do?”

“Osbourne wants the plans and itinerary for the Royal Tour next year.”

“That’s easy. We can mock that up and send him a fake.”

Gunner shook his head. “No. If he has someone inside the Palace who has seen the originals he’ll know we’re on to him.”

“So, we give him the plans. We can always change it afterwards. I can ask for an audience with Her Majesty and explain what’s happening under the guise of something else. I think it’s way past time to bring her in on this.”

“What about her safety? You can’t trust Osbourne.”

“I have someone I can put in place undercover who can be with her at all times.”

Gunner didn’t ask, and Jack didn’t offer any more information. “It can’t look like I got this information easily. Osbourne told me to wheedle my way back in, and he knows you. Knows you won’t fall for that easily.”

“That’s fine. Stay in Hereford and work the situation with Lacey and make it seem like you’re making friends with the team by showing up here and being seen with a few of the guys out and about.”

“What about Bás?”

Jack glanced at Will, who gave the slightest nod of his head. “Let us handle Bás.”

“Fine. Is there anything else I can do here?” Gunner was still far from sure about his position with Eidolon or his former teammates, but for the first time in two years, he didn’t feel like an outsider.

“No, do what Osbourne asked and report back as he told you to. Tell him it’s taking time. In the meantime, sort out the situation with Lacey and find out if her sicko ex is behind this latest threat.”

“Oh, believe me, protecting Lacey is top of my list.”

Jack cocked his head and groaned. “Not another one? My men are falling like flies. Is there some kind of vaccine I can get from this stupidity?”

Will punched his brother on the arm. “Dick don’t knock it until you try it. Aubrey is the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Jack swiped him back, causing Will to stumble and Gunner to laugh at the antics of these grown men, brothers as close as anyone could be.

“Well, that’s true. If you and Aubrey ever split up, I want to keep her and get rid of you.”

“Bro, there’s no way Aubrey would leave me. She loves me.”

“No accounting for taste hey, brother.”

“Whatever. I have to go see Mum and talk about the wedding. I’m tempted to put it off with everything going on with Dad, but I’ll speak to Aubrey first. I personally don’t want that asshole in my wedding pictures.”

“Don’t tip your hand that you know. He needs to believe that Gunner hasn’t told us and is keeping his cover.”

“This isn’t my first rodeo, Jack.”

Will shook his head and lifted his hand as he left.

“You look a little shell-shocked, Gunner.”

Gunner stroked his chin. “Honestly, I am. I never once considered you would forgive me or that I deserved it.”

Jack motioned for the door, and he followed. “Honestly, neither did I, but I see now how we all made mistakes, and so do the rest of the team. If you can’t forgive family, then there’s not much hope for the world, and you are family, Gunner. I just hope you can forgive us. I don’t say it will go back to how it was, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all grow from this and learn to be better men.”

They stopped at the door to the gym, and he saw Mitch and Alex in the ring sparring. Mitch threw a left hook and Alex blocked and countered with a one-two punch and an arm lock until Mitch tapped out. The two men stopped as he and Jack entered, and Mitch walked to the side of the ropes slowly.

Mitch had reason to hate him. He’d tied him up so he could get away when Mitch had rumbled him as the traitor. Gunner waited for the inevitable hate and only just caught the gloves Jack threw him.

“Time to get back in the ring and see how much fitness you lost while you were on your sabbatical.”

Alex barked out a laugh as Jack got his own gloves on and Gunner did the same. “Sabbatical? Is that what we’re calling it?”

“Calling it a holiday seems a little unfair considering he got beaten up.”

Gunner let the words flow around him, the banter one of the things he’d missed the most. Today hadn’t gone as he’d expected, but it had gone infinitely better. And the one person he couldn’t wait to share that with was Lacey. It should scare him how much he was falling for her, but for perhaps the first time in his life he didn’t let the fear of loving someone win.