Chapter One

 

Luke “Strike ’em Out” Stryker sat quietly in the back of the stretch limousine in the Grace of God Lutheran Church parking lot in Elmhurst, Illinois, with his good friend and part-time bodyguard Rocco Moretti, his “summons” in hand. Even with the shit storm that had just become his life, he couldn’t help but smile as he reread the top secret note.

 

Top Secret

June 24, 2017

Mission: Tyler Project

Agent: Luke “Strike ’Em Out” Stryker

You have been selected due to your very particular set of skills: skills that you have acquired over the years.

If you accept this mission now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and you will be taken.

Will you be my best man?

Job Description: Remind me again why I love my Bridezilla; make sure my in-laws behave; keep our childhood stories to yourself (I mean it, Luke); last and most importantly, hand me a beer before, during, and after the ceremony.

 

Luke tucked the mission note in his jeans pocket and scanned the parking lot. “You think we were followed?” he asked Rocco.

Rocco did a visual sweep of the parking lot, the former Marine not missing a thing. “Doesn’t look like it.”

Luke put on his sunglasses, grabbed his black garment bag, and a cooler with his best friend’s favorite beer, and made to exit the limo. He glanced over his shoulder to Rocco before stepping out. “You sure you won’t go up in flames, this being a Lutheran church and all?” he asked and chuckled.

“I guess we’ll find out, asshole.” Rocco scanned the parking lot one more time. “Looks like the paparazzi found you after all, dude.”

Luke felt his blood pressure rise. He turned and looked out the back window only to see a couple of florist vans pull up and he sighed in relief. “Dick. I don’t want any bullshit today. Today is about Jake and Cassie.” The last thing any of them needed was the damn paparazzi fucking up what should be the happiest day of their lives. Luke had hired an entire security detail to make sure of it, with Rocco in charge.

Due to his game schedule with the Chicago Cobras, Luke hadn’t been able to carry out his best man duties as he would have liked. He knew Jake understood. Luke had been pitching for the Chicago Cobras, which his Uncle Darren owned, for the past ten years.  The one thing Luke could and would do was make sure his notoriety didn’t ruin the day.

“That’s what you get for Catholic jokes.” Rocco motioned for Luke to get out of the limo as he followed close behind.

Luke stepped out into the warm June afternoon, the limo driver taking the cooler from him. “Beautiful day for a wedding, sir,” he commented.

Luke raised his face to the sun, warmth filling him for the first time since his life took a U-turn two days ago. His right shoulder, his pitching shoulder, ached and throbbed, another not-so-subtle reminder of the major changes that lie ahead.

“It sure is, Ernie. A perfect day.” Luke smiled at his uncle’s long-time driver and friend of the family. He’d known Ernie nearly all his life. He was more like an uncle than an employee. In his mid-sixties now, Ernie was still as friendly, helpful, and loyal as he’d ever been. The years had been kind to him. “It wasn’t so long ago you were walking your little girl down the aisle, was it?”

Ernie beamed. His only child Michelle had gotten married less than two years ago. Luke had been in Houston pitching against the Astros and wasn’t able to attend. Michelle’s wedding had been one of many events he’d missed over the years due to his baseball schedule.

That’s not going to be an issue anymore. I’m going to have a lot of time on my hands now.

Ernie leaned in close like he had a secret to share with Luke. “I’m gonna be a grandpa soon,” he whispered.

Luke smiled and whispered back. “That’s wonderful, Ernie, congratulations. Why are whispering?”

Ernie waved a hand dismissively. “Just me being silly. It’s not really a secret anymore. Michelle just finished her first trimester. We didn’t want to say anything since she miscarried eight months ago. Her doctor says she and the baby are doing great though. What a relief.”

Luke stilled. Michelle miscarried?  Shit, he hadn’t heard. Michelle was as kind as her father. It must have been heartbreaking for her. Hell, for the entire family. He’d call her after the wedding weekend was over, and after what he assumed would be the upcoming press conference, which would take place Monday or Tuesday of the following week.

“Congratulations again, Ernie. I’m sure you’re thrilled. First grandchild, huh?” Luke one-armed hugged the man with his shoulder aching like hell. Time for more pain meds. The over-the-counter kind. He took no chances with anything stronger than absolutely necessary. There was too much going on to worry about his shoulder right now.

“Yes, sir. First of hopefully a few!” Ernie laughed and gave Luke the beer cooler. The weight of the cooler didn’t bother his shoulder too much. Thank God. He needed to get through the day without calling too much attention to himself, more specifically to his shoulder.

He and Ernie turned to see Rocco a few feet away on his cell phone, waving his free hand around as his spoke, a serious expression on his face. “Must be that Italian thing,” Luke joked. He and Ernie laughed and Rocco gave them both the finger.

“Security detail is here.” Rocco ended his call and did another quick scan of the church parking lot. “Go on inside, Luke, and we’ll take care of everything out here.”

“Great, thanks, man. Ernie, you’ll take care of decorating the limo for Jake and Cassie?”

“Of course! I’ve got everything in the trunk ready to go. Don’t you worry about that. Go on, get inside and get ready. Tell Jake I said good luck. I’ll see you later in church.” Ernie shut the limo passenger door, got in the driver’s side door, and drove to the front of the church to decorate the car.

Rocco was already gone when Luke turned to him after Ernie drove off.

Guess that’s my cue. Time to get this show on the road.

Luke made his way inside one of the back church entrance doors, not sure where to go. He’d missed the wedding rehearsal because of, well—everything that was going down. Fuck! Was it supposed to be so quiet back here?  He looked down the hall to his right and then heard the click clack of heels to his left.

Coming toward him at a brisk pace was a pretty, dark-haired woman. If he had to guess, she was in her mid-thirties, wearing a navy-blue pantsuit, with a clipboard in one hand and large black travel bag in the other. She touched her ear and nodded. “Are you Luke Stryker?”

Not wanting to be unkind to a fan he smiled his famous dimpled smile. “Yes, that’s me.” It was then he noticed her earpiece.

“Okay, I’ve got him,” she said into her earpiece. She looked at him, disapproval in her dark-brown eyes. “They thought you might get lost. Thanks for being on time at least.” She shoved the travel bag strap to her elbow, grabbed the beer cooler, and began power walking down the hallway to Luke’s right.

“Hey! That’s for the groom! It’s part of my mission! Give that back!” Luke chased after the pantsuit woman and Jake’s beer, unable to take his time and admire the beautiful stained-glass windows that graced the walls of what he assumed was the office area of the church building.

Pantsuit woman stopped at a doorway and turned toward him. “I know, Luke, I’m taking you to Jake.” She opened a door and Luke walked through to a large room with a dark mahogany desk and matching bookcases with a variety of what looked like religious and philosophical texts. A cross was on one wall, along with religious paintings arranged on most of the other walls in the room. An eight-foot folding table had been placed against one wall, a small box with flowers set on top. Boutonnieres, Luke guessed. Two black garment bags, like his, also lay on top of the table. There was a full-length mirror hanging on another door at the back of the room. What Luke didn’t see were Jake or his other good friend and groomsman Heath Jackson.

Luke was about to ask about Jake and Heath when they entered the room through the mirrored door, both in jeans and t-shirts. They saw him and smiled.

Luke laid his garment bag on the table with the others and went to greet his friends. God, it was good to see them.

I’ll be able to see them any time I want from now on. Everything’s going to be all right.

Jake hugged Luke tight, clapping him on the back a little too close to his aching shoulder, and he winced. Jake stood back, concern in his dark-brown gaze. Heath stepped up, raising his hand to Luke’s shoulder, then seeming to change his mind, pulled it away. Pantsuit woman who had been talking on her earpiece frowned and walked over.

“What’s wrong, Luke?” She placed her hand lightly on his aching, throbbing shoulder.

“Yeah, man, what’s wrong?” Jake asked.

Luke wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for everything to change. And he didn’t want to burden his friend on his wedding day. He was so stupid to think he could keep it all under wraps until after the wedding.

“You don’t have to worry about Hannah. She signed an NDA,” Heath informed him.

“Actually, our company has a standing NDA with the Chicago Cobras and since you’re a player, that NDA applies as well,” Hannah added.

Luke was confused, who was pantsuit woman—Hannah? “Should I know you?”

Hannah chuckled. “You should, but you probably know or have seen my mother Patty Hailey. She owns Hailey’s Events. Her company, with my help of course, has organized all the team’s events for the last fifteen years. I take after my father’s side of the family. Mom and I look little alike.”

He knew Patty Hailey and Hannah was right, they didn’t look very much alike. Patty was taller with dark-blonde hair and blue eyes, and Hannah was shorter with dark-brown hair and eyes. Hailey’s Events was the event planner in Chicago and why his Uncle Darren had booked them for Jake and Cassie’s wedding as soon as they had set their wedding date a year ago. Events planned by Hailey’s always went off without a hitch, or so they made it seem. Luke beat his uncle to it and booked the honeymoon suite at the Fairchild Hotel in Oak Brook for the happy couple and a block of rooms for the family.

Luke removed his sunglasses and tossed them on the table. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Just promise me you won’t let this interfere with your day, okay?” The day had to be about Jake and Cassie, not Luke’s issues. He wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“I promise, Luke. I know it’s my wedding day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about anything or anyone else. Just tell us what the hell is going on. Obviously you’re hurt. Your pitching arm for fuck’s sake. Oh, um … sorry, Hannah.” Jake turned to Hannah, apparently embarrassed for cursing in front of her.

Hannah, in all her professional glory, waved Jake off. “Please, working with the Chicago Cobras all these years, you don’t think I’ve heard my fair share of swearing?”

Heath chimed in. “Don’t I know it. The Cobras have some mouths on them and that’s saying something as a former Marine.”

Luke sighed. Just get it over with. “Wednesday night I got into a motorcycle accident. That’s why I didn’t make it Thursday to rehearsal, dinner, and your combined bachelor slash bachelorette party. I was in the hospital.”

Jake threw his hands up in frustration. “What the hell, Luke? Why didn’t you tell me that when you called to say you couldn’t make it?”

“Because, dammit, I was trying to keep the focus on you and Cassie.”

Heath shook his head, a confused expression on his face. “I don’t understand. You’re always so careful. Were you wearing a helmet?”

Luke nodded. “Of course.  It was late, I was going down 294 South. I was distracted. I didn’t see the dead—whatever it was until it was too late and I wasn’t able to veer around it like I should have, and shit, I sailed through the air and landed hard on my shoulder.”

“Distracted by what?” Jake and Hannah asked.

Luke smiled because his other mission, long overdue, was the most important of his life. “My other mission.”

Now Hannah looked confused, but it didn’t matter. Luke shared a knowing glance with Jake and Heath. It was on. Fuck his shoulder.

“Abbey,” the three of them said.

“It’s about fucking time,” Jake and Heath added.