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“Oh my God! Look who’s here. It’s the long-lost member of Hamilton’s Heroes,” a deep voice announced. I looked up and saw Brandon poking his head out his office doorway. I grinned at him, shaking my head as he walked down the hallway towards us.
“That is the most ridiculous name I’ve ever heard,” I said with a laugh.
“Well, you better get used to it. It’s plastered on every newspaper and magazine cover. My boys are famous now,” Mary announced proudly. The phone rang then, and she hurried to answer it.
“Seriously?” I groaned.
“Eh, you’ll get used to it,” Brandon said as he got closer. He grabbed me up in a bear hug, squeezing me tightly.
“Okay, can’t breathe,” I wheezed.
“I can’t help it. You’ve been gone too damn long and I missed you,” he whispered in my ear. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back.
“I missed you too,” I told him. With each of us constantly being sent out on jobs, I didn’t get to see him nearly as much as I’d like to. It would be good to catch up with each other.
We ended our hug and stepped back, still smiling at each other. That’s when I noticed the look on Zane’s face. His arms were crossed, his lips were pressed into a thin line and he was staring at Brandon like he wanted to rip his head off. I fought the urge to pump my fist in the air as I realized he was jealous. Instead, I quickly stepped away from Brandon and moved closer to Zane. Brandon arched an eyebrow at me and then narrowed his eyes at Zane.
“Zane, this is Brandon. Remember, I told you about my best friend?” I said, emphasizing the word friend. Zane took his eyes off of Brandon, long enough to look at me, and I saw him visibly relax. He nodded his head then turned back to Brandon, offering him his hand.
“Nice to meet you,” he said. The two of them shook hands and then Brandon’s eyes widened, and he turned to me.
“Zane? As in the Zane?” he asked, incredulously. Zane’s face flushed red and he stared down at his feet uncomfortably.
“Yeah. Speaking of which, is Micah in today?” I asked. I knew Zane was anxious to get the whole thing over with.
“Yeah, he’s back in his office, but you better knock first. Landon stopped by to have lunch with him,” Brandon said with a smirk.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Micah and Landon had been married for over a year, but they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They never did anything too inappropriate for the workplace, of course. Micah took his job seriously and always acted professionally. Still, his one weakness was his husband and we all loved to razz him about the extra-long lunch breaks he’d take whenever Landon stopped by.
“Thanks for the warning,” I said then I turned to Zane. “You ready?” He swallowed hard but nodded his head.
We walked down to the end of the hallway where Micah’s office was located. My hands clenched into fists at my side. I felt like I was leading Zane to his execution and my protective instincts roared to life, brimming just under the surface of my skin and my body coiled, preparing to defend what was mine. In this case, Zane. Whether he wanted my love or not, he’d earned it and I would make sure he got through whatever was about to happen as safely as possible.
I lifted my hand to knock on the door, but Zane’s hand shot out, grabbing onto my wrist and stopping me. I turned around, giving him a questioning look. His face was pale and sweat dotted his forehead. His body was trembling, and he had a wild look to his eyes. He was starting to panic.
In an instant, I forgot all about the issues between us or the fact that he hadn’t wanted me near and I went to him. His back hit the wall and he slumped forward, trying to draw in a breath. I cupped his face and lifted his head, forcing him to look at me.
“Zane, I’m right here. Just breathe with me, baby,” I whispered.
His hands came up and clutched my wrists tightly as he watched my lips and followed along with my breathing. After a few seconds, his eyes lost their wildness and I could see his focus returning. When he was breathing normally again, he let go of my wrists and gave me a shaky smile.
“Sorry about that. I guess I’m a little more nervous than I thought,” he said sheepishly.
“Baby, you are the bravest person I know. You’re handling all of this remarkably well,” I assured him.
“Uh, did you just miss the panic attack I had a few seconds ago?” he scoffed. Then, seeming to realize where he was, his head jerked back down the hallway to see if anyone had seen.
“Nobody saw, and if they did, they’d understand. Most of us struggled with anxiety and panic attacks while we were serving in the military and right after we got out. A few of the guys still suffer from PTSD. No one would judge you around here. We all know what it’s like when you’re faced with a high stress situation, and that’s what this is for you, baby,” I explained.
Zane’s shoulders relaxed, and he gave me a grateful smile. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here with me,” he admitted quietly.
My heart soared. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I told him.
“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s get this over with,” he said.
“You sure? You can take all the time you need,” I assured him.
Zane nodded his head. “Yes, I’m sure.” I saw the same determination from earlier come back into his eyes and I winked at him. I turned back to the door and rapped my knuckles against it twice.
