Saved from Peril (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) (Blade and Arrow Security Book 3) by Gia Cobie & Operation Alpha

Author:Gia Cobie & Operation Alpha [Cobie, Gia & Alpha, Operation]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aces Press, LLC
Published: 2023-11-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

ZANE

Is this what my friends went through with their women?

We’re all waiting at Leo’s apartment for Rylan to get back from interrogating the man who drugged Elle’s tea. I’ve been scrolling through my emails for the last fifteen minutes and haven’t read a single word.

I’ve never been this distracted. I could always focus on the mission, no matter how shitty the circumstances were. But now? I’m worried and stressed, and all I want to do is take Elle home and keep her there so I know she’s safe.

I can’t stop thinking about her.

All my muscles are tense and I should have worked out this morning, but I didn’t want to leave my bed. Not with Elle sleeping beside me, one leg stretched over mine, her head tucked under my chin.

I look across the room at her. She’s sitting on the couch with Georgia, and they’re huddled over a laptop, both smiling—Georgia’s wide and relaxed, Elle’s small and tighter. It’s not the smile I’d like to see, that big grin as we both quoted The Princess Bride at each other, but it’s much better than her tears after she woke up from another nightmare.

Leo glances up from his laptop and tilts his head at me. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Okay.” He gives me an if-you-say-so expression but looks back down at his screen.

My first instinct is to brush his question aside, but for some reason, I find myself confessing, “I didn’t expect this.”

His eyebrows go up. “Expect what?”

I jerk my chin towards Elle. “This.”

I never talk about stuff like this with my friends, never needed to, and it feels weird, but if I can’t talk to them, who can I talk to? Turning back to Leo, I say, “Wanting to know where she is all the time. Worrying about her.”

There’s a long pause, and then Leo nods at me in understanding. “Trust me. I know.”

I pitch my voice low so the women can’t hear me—they’re talking about clothes and Georgia is helping Elle pick out some new things, so I don’t think they’ll hear me, but still. “I’ve never felt like this before. Never thought I wanted to. But now…”

Leo gives me a wry smile. “Now you do.”

“Yeah.” My eyes jump over to Elle again, for probably the fiftieth time since we got to Leo and Georgia’s apartment half an hour ago. She’s pushing her hair behind her ear, the deep red turning to fire as it catches the light coming in through the window.

Leo follows my gaze. “How’s she doing?”

“As good as to be expected, I guess. Physically, she’s okay.”

Except for the faint bruising on her jaw, which makes me want to kill someone.

“And mentally?” Leo looks over at the women, his eyes softening as they linger on Georgia. Bringing his attention back to me, he says, “I remember how hard it was on Georgia. The fear. The stress. The memories of being attacked.” His jaw clenches. “It’s still hard on her. She still has nightmares.”

My chest aches thinking about Elle’s haunted eyes and the shadows beneath them.

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