Starting the Investigation
1864 Words
JACE WATCHED as the casket was taken out of the church to the hearse. He sighed, again, for the thousandth time in an hour.
A hand scrubbed over his face.
He had never expected to be in Argent again. Certainly not after all these years.
He really hadn’t expected to see Riley again – all these years later – let alone get a phone call from her.
Yet, when he got the call, and heard her voice over the line, his heart seized in his chest. A wonderful sense of joy flooded through him at the thought of her needing him. Wanting him.
He hadn’t mistaken that look in her eyes. That look of happiness and relief. Happy he was there.
Riley. Sweet, beautiful, strong Riley. The one woman that had made his life bearable all those years ago.
His high school sweetheart.
The love of his life.
The one he’d never, ever forgotten. Hell! He still carried her picture in his wallet, carried it with him during his tours of duty. That photo kept him sane through the worst parts of being in the Middle East. Whenever he felt like he was going to lose it, all he had to do was think of her or look at that photo.
When he and Jordan decided not to re-up, decided to retire from the Marines, he had thought about finding her, but he had stopped himself. He worried Riley might not want him back in her life. So, he kept his distance. That was three years ago.
Now, that call, that look in her eyes…. They gave him a spark of hope.
He thought of her appearance, her new look. She had cut her long auburn tresses. Now a short, pixie-style haircut with a pretty side-sweep of bangs, opened up her gorgeous, heart-shaped face, opened up her eyes, framed her cheek bones.
He felt his arousal stir. s**t! Down, man!
Technically, this was not the sort of case SKULL – Search Korps Utilizing Last Location – took on. They usually took on jobs that required them to find missing persons or to retrieve the remains of missing persons. SKULL was formed when he and Jordan returned home, and helped a fellow Marine find his daughter. Now, Colt Banks was a member of SKULL. Along with Gabrielle Armijo and four others, they all made up SKULL.
No, this was not the type of case SKULL usually took, but for Riley, he would do this. He would help her. Try for her.
A hand went onto his shoulder. “Hey, bro,” Jordan said, voice breaking into Jace’s thoughts. “Don’t get your c**k in a twist. She’s grieving.”
Jace’s shoulders tightened. “I know.” He’d seen her eyes, knew she was full of questions, full of hope. And he’d been ready to answer anything she would ask.
He also noticed how she felt in his arms. To be honest, he wanted to kiss her. He rubbed a hand through his close cropped hair. No. Down, man. You are here to figure out how Mia really died. So ignore your damn d**k!
“I mean it, bro,” Jordan was saying. “Let’s do the mission, but don’t get involved with her unless you intend to stay with her. Don’t lead her on and then leave.”
Jace turned to his twin. “Since when did you get so f*****g wise?” he grinned. “Besides, I just made up my mind not to leave her again.”
“Good.” Jordan patted Jace’s back as they walked out of the church.
“HE STILL loves you,” Gemma said quietly as the limo followed the hearse to the cemetery.
Riley let go of the breath she had been holding. Did he? She wanted it to be so. She looked at her cousin. “You think?”
Gemma raised an eyebrow. “I know what I saw. And I saw it in his eyes and on his face. He still loves you.”
Riley looked down at her hand, which had been fisting the hem of her dress. She knew Gemma was right, just like she knew that when she saw Jace, her heart leapt into her throat.
Jace. He was so far from that boy she’d known in high school. Back then his body was fit, athletic, still growing into the man he’d become. But, now, he was hard lines, sculpted muscles that were rock-solid. The black Henley shirt he was wearing was stretched to near bursting over those broad shoulders, the chest… That Stetson cowboy hat...
Down, girl!
He still smelled of patchouli, sandalwood and spice. That scent enveloped her when he’d pulled her into his embrace. Those arms made the tingles ripple through her body, and she didn’t want to let him go.
Easy… just calm yourself.
“Maybe he’ll want to stay?” Gemma looked at her again. “Yes?”
Riley narrowed her eyes. “Oh, wouldn’t that be great? To have him,” She eyed Gemma pointedly. “And Jordan back in our lives?” She shook her head. “But I doubt he’ll want to stay here again.” She sighed. “His home is in Albuquerque.”
“Oh, fooey!” Gemma pooh-poohed. “I’ll bet you he’ll come to live here, with you.” She shrugged. “I just wish we had been able to tell Uncle James that we were moving back home.”
Riley took Gemma’s hand and kissed it. “I know, Gem. But he’ll know we are here, and he’ll be watching over us.”
Gemma lay her head on Riley’s shoulder. “Ida is going to be furious with all of this!” she snickered.
She giggled . “Don’t I know it!” Riley let out a sigh. “I doubt Jace would want to be here any longer than he has to be. Argent has too many bad memories for him. And for Jordan.”
She saw a smile tug at Gemma’s mouth when she sat up. “Oh?” Gemma raised her eyebrows. “Then, tell me, why did he drop everything to be here when you called?” She winked at her cousin.
Riley’s mouth opened, then shut. Now what was she supposed to say to that? She gave a playful frown when Gemma laughed. Still…would Jace be happy here? Would he be happy when she told him she had miscarried his baby? She wondered what his reaction would be.
It had been four weeks after Jace and Jordan went to San Diego for basic training, when she found herself being hit with strange bouts of nausea. When it didn’t go away, she went to the doctor. She had fully expected she’d caught a bug of some sort. But, no, that wasn’t it. The doctor informed her she was pregnant.
Pregnant. That one word slapped her hard when she’d heard it.
And she was nineteen at the time.
Jace, of course, was the father. And she was without him. Pregnant.
She’d gone home, cried. Raged, too. Then screamed. When she finally calmed down, she accepted her situation. She was going to keep the baby.
Her baby. Jace’s baby.
Then four months into the pregnancy, she miscarried.
Only to be informed her body was not made for having children.
“You know I’m right.” Gemma’s voice broke into her thoughts “Don’t you?”
Riley faced her cousin, who was looking rather amused. “Oh, shut up, you!” she grinned.
Interlude:
HE WATCHED Riley and Gemma at Mia’s grave, clutching each other. In fact, he’d been watching them all for quite some time.
Mia didn’t remember me.
The disappointment over that made bile rise up into his throat. Made a sour taste in his mouth. He’d wanted Mia to remember him. Wanted her to see him again. After all, they had gone to high school together….
Instead, she ran. So actually it was Mia’s fault she ended up here in Argent Memorial Gardens. If she had just remained calm…
So, now, he watched Riley and Gemma. They had been so nice to him all those years ago.
But, damn it all, there was Jace and Jordan Corvino, interfering, again. As always. He’d seen the way Jace held Riley at the church. Like he owned her.
Well, that’s just unacceptable, Corvino. She’s mine, not yours.
Mia was supposed to have been his too, but unfortunate circumstances kept him from keeping her.
That was okay, though. The others would be his.
Forever….
THE SMALL bell dinged as Jace opened the door. He stepped in and took in the small room; quiet and comfortable. But, then, most funeral homes were about intimacy and comfort. He’d not been in this particular funeral home for years. The last time he stood in this parlor, he was nineteen….
Jordan closed the door behind him. “God, I hate this f*****g place.”
Jace glanced back at his brother, raised an eyebrow. “I told you, you didn’t have to come. You could have gone back with Gemma and Riley.”
Jordan snorted “Maybe I will.” He jammed his hands in his pockets “f**k…” But, he’d made no move to leave.
Jace shook his head. Of the two, Jordan bore the scars of their father’s madness. The scars were both physical and mental. While Jace had his own issues about the past, it was Jordan who carried the most weight of it on his shoulders. Sometimes he was sullen, withdrawn, and angry. He didn’t talk about the incident, not even to him except on rare occasions. And he certainly didn’t let anyone see the hated scar on his back. The scar that was covered by the Marine Corps emblem tattooed over it. Jace loved his brother, was glad he was with him, but sometimes he wished Jordan would let go of the past. It didn’t make them who they were. If anything it strengthened them. Made them better men.
Hell, who am I kidding? I have my problems with the past, too. Better man or not, Lazarus will haunt me forever.
He snapped out of his thoughts when an older gentleman appeared in the doorway from the hallway.
Jordan smiled.
Jace smiled and said, “Hello, Master Guns.”
Aaron Sommers blinked in shock. “Jace? Jace Corvino?”
Jace smiled lopsidedly, and hugged the older man. “Long time, no see, huh?”
Aaron hugged Jordan. “Too long, boys, too long. Last time I saw you, you were heading to San Diego!” He looked them up and down .“And the Marine Corps agreed with you, I see.” He walked around them, like a drill sergeant inspecting his men. “Mmm! Mmm! MMM!” He nodded approvingly. “Very nice. Well, done, boys, well done.” He indicated the chairs in front of his desk. “You two still climbing ranks?”
Jace settled into a chair. “No, sir. We didn’t re-up.”
“We decided it was time to come home.” Jordan sat down.
Aaron pursed his lips, nodded some more. “I see. So, how did you two fare?”
“Staff Sergeant,” Jace replied. “Master Scout Sniper, sir.”
Aaron whistled. “Impressive!” He eyed Jordan .“And you?”
Jace noticed his brother actually beamed. There weren’t many things that Jordan was proud of, but he was proud of his military career. “Sergeant, sir. Ordnance Specialist.”
“Well! Well! Hot damn!” Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Not too shabby, boys! Not too shabby. You two work through your troubles?”
Jace saw his brother avert his gaze from Aaron. He sighed sadly. “Pretty much,” he answered.
“Well, we all do the best we can.” Aaron sat down behind the desk. “Still, this “old issue” is proud of you boys.” He sighed wistfully. “Me? I just wanted to be a doctor. Was never much for killing, even though I did my share.”
Jace chuckled. “Nah, you’re not old, Master Guns. You’re improved with age like a good malt . And you still became that doctor.”
- Writer
