Fiancé by Friday

“I’m taken.”

“Can’t blame a man for trying.” Rick stepped forward. “Rick. A pleasure.”

“I’m so happy you’re well.”

“Me too. Those nurses weren’t even cute. Isn’t there a cute test for nurses?” Rick smiled at the women in the room.

“She’s quite a handful,” Montgomery said.

Neil glanced at his wife. “Yes…yes, she is.”

“We’ll be in touch, Lieutenant.”

“Sir.”

Neil took Gwen’s hand and walked out of the room.

Gwen smiled and took the phone from Piper’s outreached hand. She dialed a number and waited. “It’s busy.”

Everyone tensed.

“Just kidding.”

Neil wanted to laugh. The pain in his stomach from holding it back felt dire.

“Gwen Harrison, I presume?” the colonel asked.

Gwen turned around and offered her hand. “Gwendolyn MacBain,” she corrected. Damn if Neil didn’t love the sound of his name attached to hers.

Before Neil could prepare the colonel for what walked through the door, Gwen was there. He couldn’t help but smile as she stormed the room.

“High powered attorneys, diplomats, law enforcement of all kinds, even actors who know how to play the media like a piano will spin this story so far and wide your precious marines will have to declare a state of emergency just to avoid the scandal. If you’d like to circumvent an international incident, I suggest you let me talk to Neil. In private.”

He leapt down the stairs and saw her.

Alive.

Never in his life did he feel like crying with joy. He did now. He rushed to her side, placing himself between her and Chuck. He reached for the gag in her mouth, noticed the red marks on her face and the bruise forming on her cheek.

He nodded once, dropped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t fucking die.” Tears swam behind his lids.

“Get the hell out of here.”

Neil didn’t have to be told again.

“We’ve been conned and Neil isn’t crazy.” Neil was in danger and Blake had probably led his enemy right to him.

All Neil needed to do was convince the woman he’d been obsessed with for longer than he cared to admit, and who he couldn’t sleep without, to marry him.