Four: military romantic suspense by Riley Onyx

Author:Riley Onyx [Onyx, Riley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Priest

“You want to be with them.” Her words are soft against the rain.

If something goes wrong, one more might make a difference, but I can’t drag Ashley back there, as she’ll be a liability. She can’t fight, and she’s the target. “Yeah.”

I sent Reed out yesterday. I’d said it as a threat, but also because he needed to get out. If he dies, the blame is on me. I may have already lost Reed, and I don’t want to lose more men.

For a moment I doubt the wisdom of only the three of us doing this job, but I don’t trust the others. We’re contract security hired to make sure there isn’t another incident. We’ve been vetted so thoroughly by the company we work for that they know what I ate for breakfast on my first day of school. Yet, we failed because this was definitely an incident. Though not the kind that happened before. “We didn’t expect you to rescue yourself.”

She smiles. “There was nothing else to do…”

That she is maintaining a sense of humor is a good sign. Even though her hair is plastered to her head, and she is as rain soaked as me, she is alluring.

Maybe it’s her determination and courage. A willingness to push on is something I’ve always respected in the people I serve with.

“I’d like to offer you a place to shelter and get dry…but…” There’s no dry ground for miles. Everything is muddy and I’m not hiking back to the vehicle. Assuming it’s still there and the guys are still with it. They didn’t know where we were going or what we were doing. But it’s not hard to guess. And if they are selling information, then the men at the campsite will expect Colton and Hargrave.

“So we stay here?”

Every option is miserable and involves waiting while being wet. “Yeah. If they can grab him—”

“Don’t say that.”

I frown at her, even though I can see the hope in her eyes. She wants me to tell her it’s going to be okay. That Reed will walk out of this with nothing more than a few more scars and stories.

“He might be dead.” Or they might keep him alive, hoping she hasn’t gone far and is watching, and that’s much worse. “This is serious. I’m glad you ran when you could. It’s what he wanted. And while I don’t want to believe that it’s too late for him, I have seen this shit go sideways faster than you can think it. I try not to let my hopes rise, but that isn’t the same as giving up.”

Those who went in, always thinking the best, were the ones that got hurt. Their hearts were too soft, and their skin didn’t thicken. They broke and quit. Which is sometimes the right thing to do. Those that didn’t quit because they wanted to prove themselves were the ones that put their team in danger. That’s why Colton took his fist to an officer’s face, repeatedly. Dishonorable discharge, sure.

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