Reckless Hero: Savage Soldiers, #5

Reckless Hero

Savage Soldiers Book Five

By Nicole Elliot

Prologue

What did you get for number three? I asked, peering over his shoulder.

The standard of proof.

Me too. I flashed him a smile.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? he mused. But of course, once you’re in the courtroom, proof suddenly becomes the most complicated thing in the world.

He paused and stared into my eyes. God, he was gorgeous. Why did he have to look so good? How was I supposed to focus?

Ha, yeah I guess, I said, moving my hair out of my face.

He moved closer to me. I mean, so much depends on what everyone is thinking. The other lawyers. The judges. The jury. How can you ever know for certain what’s going through someone’s mind?

I swallowed. Somehow, I didn’t think it was all that difficult to tell what was going through my mind at the moment…

The same could be said for him though, considering the way he licked his lips.

We were supposed to be studying for our law exam, but all I could think about were his lips on mine.

So, tomorrow is the final. I think we should go celebrate afterwards. He winked.

I raised my eyebrows. Oh? Where do you want to go?

Just out. Anywhere. I don’t care as long as it’s with you. He paused and gave a devilish grin. And as long as you wear those jeans you had on last week.

What? I asked, pretending to be shocked. In reality, I knew exactly which jeans he was talking about. After all, there was a strong possibility that I’d worn them to get his attention in the first place...

Because tomorrow, after we pass this class, I am getting my hands into those jeans, Anna Harper, he said just above a whisper.

A simultaneous ache and anticipatory tingle formed low in my body. I wanted Tucker so badly I thought it was going to kill me.

CHAPTER 1

Tucker

I fucking hated October 5th.

The harsh thought bounced through my head and seemed to echo across the empty cemetery. I forced it to stay inside of my head though as my mom and I visited his grave.

We stood in front of his headstone, staring down at the slab of rock that was supposed to represent his life. Instead, it only represented his absence.

A small American flag whipped back and forth in the wind, creating a steady rhythm for our grief.

October 5th arrived too soon every year, and it would always be the worst day of the year.

Five years had passed since my father died, but it still felt like yesterday. This year, however, my mom didn’t cry.

We visited the grave and said our obligatory prayers. Afterwards, I took a short walk so that my mom could speak to him alone. I did this with her every year, but never understood why. Part of me knew it was just a way to make her feel better. It helped her feel closer to him. Yet, a bigger part of me thought it was a waste of time.

What was the point of talking to a rock? He wasn’t there.

Still, it was a welcomed change to not have to support my sobbing mom walking back to the car. I was pleased to see that she didn’t shed a single tear this time. She simply stayed quiet.

Something had clicked inside of her a few months ago. I could tell the difference immediately. While she still felt his loss in her soul, it no longer crippled her daily life. She had finally found a sense of peace.

I was happy for her, I really was. I just would have been happier if we could stop our yearly visits all together because for me, it never got easier to look at his name on that headstone.

Aaron Roland James. His name was written in large and bold letters.

Being one of the newer residents in the Savage cemetery, his headstone stood out amongst the rest. The others were beginning to fade, but his could be read from fifty yards away. Every time I laid eyes on it, I was forced to remember him in ways I didn’t want to. I could still see the coffin they unloaded off that plane—there had been an American flag draped over it. My mom still had that flag folded tightly in a memory box in her bedroom.

He had died in combat, thousands of miles away from home. Mom and I hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye. It had almost killed us both. But while my mom retreated into herself for years after, I’d done the exact opposite.

At the time of my father’s death, I was pre-law. I had almost finished my bachelor’s degree and I was getting ready to take the LSAT. Law school was right around the corner, but all of that changed when my dad died. My entire life plan was thrown out the window and I knew there was only one thing I could do.

Enlist.

I joined the army and spent four years serving my country through the Savage Soldiers.

It had been the best and worst four years of my life. I flew around the world, helped people, and saved lives. But the whole time, I was reminded every day that no one had been around to save my dad.

If I had been a law student back then, would I have been able to keep him alive?

If I had been there—if I had gotten to him fast enough—would he still be here?

Four years in the army did absolutely nothing to silence those troubling thoughts.

When my time was up, I moved back home and tried to reemerge myself into the life of a regular Savage citizen, but it was no use. I was no longer the same person. I was now the guy who went home twice a year to see my mom through the difficult days—the anniversary of my father’s death and Christmas. Other than that, I stayed away from the small military town I once called home.

By the time November 3rd rolled around this time though, I had been home for six months. After taking my mom to the cemetery to honor my father’s five years in the ground, we went home. Mom barely spoke two words the whole drive, and when we walked through the front door, she went straight to the kitchen and sat at the table.

I followed and sat beside her, looking at her gently. Despite my lack of patience with our annual visits, I knew my mom was fragile and that it was my job to take care of her.

With my dad gone, I was all she had left.

This came in the mail for you, she said with a faint smile. She pushed a thin envelope across the table toward me. I didn’t know you applied again.

I looked down at the envelope and saw the UConn School of Law symbol on the top left-hand corner. My heart skipped a beat as I looked back at my mom. I hadn’t told her because I hadn’t been sure how she would react to the news of me leaving again. But when I saw her face, she was smiling at me.

I was going to tell you. I just… I trailed off and a small silence ensued until she broke it.

It’s okay, she said. Just open it.

I nodded and took a deep breath. Sliding my finger under the lip of the envelope, I felt like my entire life was either about to begin or end; I didn’t know which, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to find out.

When I tore open the envelope, I automatically reached inside and grabbed the piece of paper. It was just one sheet, small and folded in three. I laid it flat on the table, my eyes quickly scanning the words.

It took a few seconds for me to process what I’d read.

Dear Mr. James,

Thank you for your application, we are happy to inform you…

Once I did, I looked at my mom with a wide smile and nodded silently.

She squealed, jumped to her feet, ran around the table, and threw her arms around me. Oh honey, I’m so proud of you! You’re going to be a lawyer!

I guess it’s official now, I said softly. I’m going to law school.

My mom squealed with delight again before releasing me. She smoothed down my hair with tears in her eyes.

She hadn’t cried at the cemetery that day, but seeing my acceptance letter to law school was enough to send her over the edge. As tears spilled down her cheeks, she closed her eyes for a minute. She placed her hand to her chest and breathed slowly.

I knew exactly what she was thinking.

He would be so proud of you, she said when she reopened her eyes.

But I didn’t want to talk about my father in that moment. I just wanted to be happy. Thanks, I said shortly, looking away from her and refocusing my attention on the letter again.

When do classes start? Mom asked. Does it say?

I shook my head. No. They’re sending a larger package within the next few days with all the details. It’ll have the course catalogue and the dates of when I can sign up for classes online.

This is so exciting! We’re actually going to have a real lawyer in the family!

I smiled, watching her excitement build as she raced through the kitchen to retrieve her cellphone. I knew she couldn’t resist calling all the neighbors and filling them in on the good news. In a town like Savage, everybody knew everyone’s business the minute it happened. I was surprised she’d waited a whole ten minutes before sending up the flare.

Though I knew she was just proud of me and wanted to brag, it was still slightly embarrassing. After all, when I enlisted in the army, she hadn’t rushed out to tell all her friends. She hadn’t really done anything but stare at me blankly while I repeated myself twelve times. When she finally registered my words, she was so overcome with emotion that she didn’t speak to me for a week. It wasn’t until my last day at home that she hugged me, told me she loved me, and said she understood. I’d then walked out the door and we had never