The Santinis: Vicente, Book 4 by Melissa Schroeder Read Free Book Online Page A

collapsed on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her.
    It was then that he knew there was no doubt. She was the woman he wanted in his bed, by his side, for the rest of his life.

Chapter Seven
    Vince was looking over the course directive for the next session when there was a knock at his door. He welcomed the interruption. He wasn’t getting anything done thanks to daydreaming about Jules.
    “ Come.”
    The door opened to reveal Jesse Johnson. He was in civilian clothes.
    “ Are you busy?” he asked.
    “ Not really, come on in. Have a seat.”
    Before MJ and Leo married, he knew Jesse by reputation and now he knew him just a bit better. Of the three brothers, he was the hardest to read. He was the oldest and reminded Vince of the General more than the others. There was already talk that he would make a star early and from everything Vince had seen, he was definitely on track to do it.
    Jesse settled in a seat in front of Vince’s desk. “I guess you’re wondering what I’m doing here.”
    Vince nodded trying not to reveal his irritation. If the man thought he could warn him away from Jules, he better think twice. After the night he’d just had with her, he refused to let anyone get in the way, even if he was family in a round about way.
    “ I sort of feel responsible for Jules. I was the one who started the paperwork to kick Mike out of the service.”
    “ He said he decided to get out.”
    Jesse shook his head. “No. He was lucky he lasted as long as he did. He had a lot of problems from the very first. He barely made it out of basic.”
    Vince didn’t know what to say to that. They hadn’t really talked after the wedding. Truth was, he dreaded each call. He didn’t want to hear how happy Jules and Mike had been in their marriage. Vince wasn’t too sure how he would have handled them having children.
    And in that instant, he realized that’s what he wanted. In his head, he had seen the two of them together, but now, he knew what he wanted for sure. He wanted that marriage, kids, the whole thing. And he only wanted it with Jules.
    “ Earth to Santini.”
    He shook his head and focused on Jesse. “So, you’re saying he was a shit Marine.”
    Jesse shrugged. “I could handle it if he at least tried. He didn’t though. He expected to succeed without trying.”
    The memories of high school came back to him: Mike quitting the basketball season, quitting his job, ditching school. Without the happy haze of high school friendship clouding his thought process, Vince realized his former friend hadn’t been good at sticking it out.
    “ Yeah, he had a history of it.”
    Jesse nodded. “You know some guys. They’re losers, can’t get their shit together. They get in the military and it seems to all come together for them. Then they’re the best in the unit. That didn’t happen with Mike.”
    “ So what happened?”
    He shrugged. “Truthfully, he didn’t give a fuck. As I said, he wanted the reward without even trying. Subsequently, when he failed, he blamed everyone else. Including Jules. And, well, I know after he got Article Fifteen, he just never recovered.”
    For a moment, he said nothing. “Are you telling me he was court martialed?”
    He nodded looking confused. “Yeah. He’d had all kinds of issues. Insubordination, dereliction of duty. When he started drinking, he was lost to the Marines.”
    “ He’d said he got out because of Jules.”
    And that had always bothered him. Not that he thought he had a chance with her, but the truth was, he had never met a woman more ready to be a Marine spouse than Jules was. She loved being a brat, loved the lifestyle. It had always niggled at him that Mike claimed she’d been a dismal failure. When she had told him Mike had been kicked out, it hadn’t really registered. Mainly because he hated hearing anything about her time with Mike.
    “ Nope. In fact, he held it together longer thanks to her in my opinion. If you know Jules, you know that