Gypsy screamed out as the ground exploded before them. Laura pushed Gypsy back drawing her weapon, screaming out, “Shots fired!”

Laura looked at her surroundings and pushed Gypsy toward a large tree to keep her safe. Shots rang out of nowhere. Members of Alpha Squad called out Laura and Gypsy’s name, looking for them as they came running, along with Jerry and Hank in tow.

“No, tell Hank to go back and cover Sadie. Keep her covered, damn it. Don’t all converge over here. Go, go, go!” Laura shouted.

Jerry and Hank looked at each other as York and Rameriez ran back toward Sadie before Hank could react. Several more shots rang out hitting the tree as the group spread out to find the shooter unsuccessfully.

Thirty minutes later everything was quiet. Hank and Sgt. Brocard quickly took charge and doled out orders. Diesel and York guarded Gypsy and Sadie in a room in the house, Sgt. Brocard stayed near the house keeping eyes out while Hank took Cortez and Rameriez to search several areas just beyond the house. Jerry, Laura, and Raso took off to search the rest of the property.

An hour later, both teams returned to the house, double checked the surrounding area and interior, and decided who was on perimeter watch. Hank and Jerry looked at each other as the team decided who was doing what and checked with Hank about positons and security.

Hank was impressed with how the team operated. He stepped out of the room to go and check on Sadie. In the process of doing so, he decided to make a call to Joe MacLeod.

“Laura okay?” Joe asked worried.

“Yes, I’m okay, honey. Oh sorry, you meant Laura,” Hank joked. “Yes, she’s fine. I have to say she and her team have impressed the hell out of me. I actually have no fear leaving Sadie with them knowing they will fight to their last breath.”

“What the fuck happened? Is she okay? Sadie okay?” Joe demanded getting more worried.

“Yes, they are all good, Joe. Sadie and Gypsy are a little shaken up, but otherwise okay. Someone decided to aim at Laura and Gypsy while they were out walking. Laura got Gypsy to safety at the same time as yelling out a warning. Damn it Joe, I’m ashamed to say I jumped up to go to them, and Laura yelled at me to stay with Sadie, my own damn wife, so she couldn’t be taken and used against Gypsy. Two of the team members ran back to protect her,” Hank said with a little vinegar in his voice.

Joe chuckled. “Yeah they are good. They impressed our team, as well as a Recon team. They handled Russell’s case when he was accused of murder and helped us find out who Arrow was. Laura and Cortez even have another SEAL team as protectors if I’m gone after what happened in Mexico. They definitely aren’t a normal task force.”

“Holy shit, they figured out who Arrow was? We’ve been trying to figure that out for years,” Hank groaned. “They’ve already worked out perimeter patrol and so forth here. They are thorough. Even Jerry was impressed, and he’s hard to impress.”

“As long as Jerry keeps his mitts off my soon-to-be wife, I won’t be tempted to maim him,” Joe laughingly replied.

Hank laughed along with Joe. “Well he seems to be gone over Gypsy.”

“He better be careful with her. Those lasses will cut his balls off with a rusty knife if he hurts her,” Joe warned.

“Sadie would help them. She’s just as protective of Gypsy as they are. Probably more so now that we know about her past.” Hank sighed. “Jesus Christ on a stick Joe, what that girl went through. We’ve rescued victims before, but this girl, it nearly floored me. Makes me want to search out her father and uncle and end their lives for what they’ve done to this girl.”

“Aye, join the club. Snake even wants to get them. They will get theirs. My lass’s team doesn’t forget the people they rescue. They keep fighting for them. I can’t tell ye how many times Laura has called to let me know she’ll be late or cancel date night because she’s still at the hospital with a new victim or I’ve had to carry her into the bedroom because she’s fallen asleep on the couch going over files.” Joe sighed over the memories. “Okay, I have to run Hank. The commander is calling the team into a meeting. Give my lass my love. Better yet, I’ll text her. Don’t need any more dicks sneaking around her.”

Hank belly laughed. “You’re safe. Sadie’s all I want, but I’ll tell her that you send your love. Laura would stab me if I tried anything more and then give the rest to Sadie. She’s definitely head over heels for you, Lander. No worries there.”

* * *

Gypsy took a long shower then got ready for bed. As Gypsy laid there, she wrestled with her inner demons on her feelings toward Jerry. She was tired of living in fear and allowing it to control her day-to-day life. But her fear was how Jerry would see her - was she damaged goods or would he actually be interested in her as a woman? After tossing and turning for a few hours, she got up and walked down the hall and knocked on Jerry’s door, determined to live her life for once. She found herself fidgeting when Jerry answered the door a few minutes later in only sleep pants and messy hair.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Gypsy whispered. She started to turn away when she felt his hand on her arm.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jerry asked.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Gypsy said quietly.

“Come in. You’re fine.” Jerry led her into the room.

“You were sleeping. Lord knows with all the excitement going on because of me, you need your rest,” Gypsy mumbled.

“Gyps, I wasn’t sleeping. I was just lying here. Now what’s going through that pretty head of yours?”

Gypsy lowered her head. “You think I’m pretty?”

Jerry pulled Gypsy into his arms and held her. “I think you’re fucking hot. It’s taking everything I have to keep my hands to myself so that I don’t scare the hell out of you. God help me Gypsy, I want you so badly,” Jerry said with heat in his eyes.

“What if I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself? I want to feel again. I want to feel you,” Gypsy said quietly as she stood on her toes to bring her lips up to his.

Gypsy wound her hands around his neck sliding them up into his hair, pulling his head down to hers. Gypsy licked the bottom of his lip just before she nipped it, causing Jerry to growl.

“Gypsy you’re playing with fire, baby.”

“Shut up and kiss me. Pretend that you want me.”

“Gypsy, I don’t have to pretend,” Jerry said passionately as he molded his lips to hers, devouring her moans.

Gypsy felt Jerry place one hand on the back of her neck holding her head in place while his other hand went to her hip to align her lower region with his, letting her feel his massive hard-on. She shivered from the excitement coursing through her body, it was the first time in her life that a man’s touch was welcomed and wanted.

Nipping at Jerry’s lower lip, she teased him with her tongue when he opened his mouth to retaliate. They drank from each other’s lips like their lie depended on each other’s last breathe. Gypsy came up for air as Jerry kissed his way down her jaw to her neck.

Suddenly, Gypsy pushed Jerry away from her. Seeing the confused look on his face, she pushed him again, making him fall onto the bed. Before she could lose her courage, she shed her night shirt and shorts and stood before Jerry naked and shy.

She heard Jerry suck in his breath and she started to shrink into herself before she heard him say, “Holy fuck, you literally take my breath away. Help me out here, Gypsy. I’m on the edge. I don’t want to spook you with my need burning out of control. Tell me what you need. What do you want?”

Gypsy raised her gaze and looked Jerry in the eyes. “I want you to touch me. I want you to want me as much as I want you. I need you to put out this fire that’s raging inside me. If you need to pretend I’m someone else…”

Jerry got up, cupped Gypsy behind her neck and silenced her with his lips as he guided her to the bed. As he lowered her to the bed, he broke the kiss. “I don’t have to pretend shit with you, Gypsy Monroe. I want you with every fiber of my being. I guarantee the fire inside you is the same fucking fire I have raging inside me. When I close my eyes at night, you are who I see every night. There is no one else, Gypsy. I don’t want anyone else but you. It may seem fast, but I knew it the moment we touched - I was a goner the second we kissed. I may joke like I’m a playboy, but Gyps, I haven’t been with a woman sexually in three years.”

Gypsy looked up a bit skeptically. “Seriously? 3 years?”

“Seriously. I’m too damn old for games. I’m thirty-five years old. My career in the SEALs left little time for serious relationships. Most women hate or have trust issues with a man gone all the time, and we can’t discuss our missions or where we go. The ones who did claim to want to be with me only wanted the bragging right for fucking a SEAL. The bar scene got old with that shit,” Jerry relayed with deep sincerity.

“I’m damaged goods, Jerry. You know my baggage. I don’t know if I will be able to let go long enough for you to be in control or if I can have rough sex without panicking,” Gypsy whispered.

Jerry leaned down to kiss her sweetly. “Gypsy, I’m not a monster. If being with you means you being on top riding me or me making sweet slow passionate love to you instead of fucking your brains out, then so be it. I’m with you. That’s all I care about.”

Gypsy let her tears escape at his sweet words. When Jerry saw her tears, he leaned down and started kissing her eyes, her cheeks, and then her lips as he murmured sweet words of encouragement to her. She felt his hands slide down from her cheek to her neck, massaging gently. Jerry leaned back looking into Gypsy’s eyes, she nodded to him as she leaned forward and kissed Jerry’s lips as she felt his hand move down to her left breast. Gypsy gasped against Jerry’s lips when he started teasing her nipple with his fingers, causing the fire in her lower regions to roar out of control. She felt his lips travel down her jaw to her neck then to the breast he had just abandoned.

With one hand teasing one breast, Gypsy felt Jerry’s lips and tongue teasing the other to harden points. Gypsy arched her back in a silent plea for more. Gypsy brought her hands town to Jerry’s hair gripping on to him to pull him closer, then panicked when she heard him growl. Mistaken his growling of pleasure for disapproval, Gypsy jumped and removed her hands quickly.

“Touch me, Gyps. Never be afraid to touch me,” Jerry rasped.

“But you growled at me,” Gypsy said softly.

“Because your touch drives me crazy. I crave feeling your hands on me. Never doubt that,” Jerry said as he stared into Gypsy’s eyes.

Gypsy reached up and placed her hand on Jerry’s cheek, moving her thumbs slightly over his lips. Jerry opened his mouth to nip her thumb as his hand moved from her breast down to her stomach then on to her core. Gypsy gasped from the intense look Jerry gave her. His fingers slid up and down her lower lips. She blushed knowing he could feel how we she was. She started to close her eyes until he spoke.

“Open your eyes, Gypsy. I want you to see who it bringing you pleasure. I want to see your eyes as you come for the first time,” Jerry told her.

Gypsy gasped out “holy shit” as she felt Jerry’s fingers enter her and another teasing her clit. She watched as Jerry leaned down taking her left nipple into his mouth, sucking hard then teasing her with his tongue before licking and kissing his way down her stomach.

Gypsy froze when he started kissing her outer lips, licking from top to bottom and then back up. When he spread her lower lips, Gypsy tried to close her legs to no avail thanks to Jerry’s wide shoulders stopping her.

“What’s wrong, Gypsy?” Jerry asked, looking up at her.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“What do you think I’m going to do, Gyps? I’m going to eat his beautiful pussy of yours until you come all over my tongue,” Jerry replied huskily as he lowered his head and teased her clit with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth.

Gypsy gasped loudly as she arched her back off the bed, reaching down to grab his head. She heard Jerry’s chuckle when she let out a loud “Fuck” as his tongue teased her mercilessly, licking and teasing her around her clit, but not touching it again. Jerry got her right to that edge and then backed off.

Gypsy felt so confused by the foreign emotions building inside of her. They both scared her and elated her. She was scared because she’d never felt joy or desire for any man. She’d told herself she would rather die than suffer the hell that Aleski put her though. Elation, oh that sweet elation, she was feeling with Jerry was so foreign but so welcomed. Gypsy feared she would always be broken and damaged. She had stopped believing in humanity and the idea of love as a child. If her own parents didn’t love her enough to protect her from the monster in the dark, how could she believe anyone else would love her and protect her.

“Did I lose you, Gypsy?” Jerry asked, stopping his movements.

“No, oh God, why did you stop?” Gypsy asked.

“You froze up on me, Gypsy. Talk to me,” Jerry said, sliding up beside Gypsy.

Gypsy looked at him then sighed. “Sorry, it wasn’t you. I got lost in my head, confused by the emotions I was feeling, yet feeling like the whore that Aleski called me all the time because I am craving your touch.”

Jerry grabbed Gypsy’s face gently, making her look at him. “Stop it, Gypsy. You are not a whore. I’m happy you love my touch as much as I love yours. That makes what we have special. I like you. I’m crazy about you. Yeah we have only known each other a little over a week, but I don’t give a flying fart in a windstorm what anyone else thinks. Only you.”

Gypsy looked into Jerry’s eyes. “You don’t think I’m damaged goods?”

“Fuck no, Gypsy. If you’re damaged goods then so am I,” Jerry said sternly, causing Gypsy to look at him confused by his statement.