Cole: The Wounded Sons by Leah Sharelle (recommended ebook reader .TXT) 📕

“I gave you shit because I know what a secret does, Ghost. It ate Deke up so bad he fucking died, taking it with him,” Kodah tossed out, glaring at me.

“And the other one? Monroe? How is that any different to me with Oaklee?”

“It’s different because I haven’t been there yet. I’m not bedding her and going on with life as if she doesn’t exist, only acknowledging her when we are alone like you are doing. She deserves to be known for her worth, not hidden like a dirty secret.”

“Fucking hell not this shit again,” Bastian groaned, throwing a can of drink across the room.

Moving quickly, I launched myself at Kodah, only to be intercepted by Ammo’s massive frame. His arms banding around me, squeezing the breath from my lungs.

“I fucking told you if you say anything about Oaklee again, I would beat the crap out of you,” I roared, fighting against Bastian’s hold on me. Fury overwhelmed me, my darkness rising to the surface.

“Enough of this shit, Kodah!” Gabe roared. “Cole is aware of what his situation is; what you don’t seem to understand is your continued beef with him is infecting this team. It is time for you to stop dwelling on what Cole is doing and start focusing on what you are going to do.” With a nod to Bastian, Gabe signalled for him to let me go, his eyes narrowing at me in warning to stay put.

For now, I will, but I wasn’t making any promises that Kodah wasn’t going to feel my fists hitting his face. Soon.

“With Monroe, you mean?” Kodah asked with a low growl, his posture guarded as he watched me closely.

“That, yes, and what you are doing to the team. I need to know that when we go out there, all my men have the same level of backup we have come to depend on for years. Second-guessing Cole and questioning his decisions is not going to fly under my command, mate.”

Kodah glared at Gabe, the tension doubling in his body language.

“What are you saying, Tank?” Kodah’s head whipped around to look at Gabe, his look incredulous at what Gabe was suggesting, and honestly, so was I.

“Get right with everything, or I will have no other choice but to relieve you of your dagger beret. This team is on notice; you heard the panel, the Sons are being watched. I will not let something I have worked hard for fail because of some schoolyard bullshit. Is that clear, Corporal?”

I waited for Kodah to answer, hating that Gabe said what he said, but I understood it just the same. Team FIVE’s existence was hanging in the balance, and I feared we were about to implode.

Kodah looked crushed, Gabe’s ultimatum hitting him where it hurt the most. The very thing that he cherished the most.

Our brotherhood.

A wave of understanding washed over me; Kodah didn’t deserve to own all the heat, I was just as guilty as he was. His talking shit about Oaklee landed on him, yes, but I was in a similar position of secrecy as he was.

About to come to his defence, the sound of shrilling beepers going off put a stop to it.

“Fuck!” I bellowed, reaching for my pager at my waistband, Gabe’s mobile going off at the same time, walking off while he answered the call.

“So much for two months off,” Bastian complained, stabbing a thick finger at his device and tossing it on the bed. “Wren is going to crush my balls off if I miss too much of this pregnancy.”

“Tell me about it,” Rafe grumbled, “Peyton will cut me off forever if I don’t make it home before she gives birth.”

“Millie is going through the terrible twos early, and Bunny is not going to be happy,” Grill mumbled worriedly.

I didn’t join in on the complaints; my mind too busy reeling with the news on Deke and leaving Oaklee for the first time. Going on a training exercise was one thing, but deployment was a whole different kettle.

Fuck.

This was not the time to be leaving her with so much up in the air. I promised her that I would be talking to Dad when I got back in nine days. I worried if the unknown timeframe was going to upset Oaklee; she had a hard time when I freaked out with the whole Doc incident. Admittedly, I didn’t handle that as well as I could have, the vision still plagued me, if I was honest. Oaklee on the back of another man’s bike, not something I needed to be focusing on when I was about to deploy, however. I wouldn’t be able to stop worrying about Oaklee in Ballarat with my father, though.

Knowing she loves me helps the nerves of leaving but does nothing to stop the anxiety. On our last night together before I left for Sydney, our lovemaking was the best of my life. Oaklee taking me into her mouth and giving me oral just about blew my mind, as well as blowing my load down her throat. We said goodbye sweetly, just the two of us, dawn breaking around us. Oaklee cried a little, but she held herself together like a trooper, even insisting I take photos for her so she could see what the base looked like compared to Queenscliff. That made me nearly choke on my spit, but I still pulled out my phone when we rolled up to the gates this morning and snapped a few shots and texted them to her.

Fuck, I loved her, fucking miss her so much.

“Right, gear up, boys, we have a flight to catch,” Gabe announced, coming back to the group with his game face firmly in place.

“Where?” I asked immediately.

Please don’t say the jungle, please don’t say the jungle.

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Gabe replied, smirking. “Sorry, Ghost, I know how much the humidity messes with your hair.” Then pissed he himself laughing when I flipped him the bird.

“Seriously, you have half