Chapter 32
We hit the ground like a ton of bricks. Two big bodies colliding with solid earth.
An elbow clocks my jaw.
I land a blow, but it glances off Truck’s chin.
We tumble across the ground, growling as we grapple.
Then, I’m tumbling backwards, ripped away by four strong hands.
I scramble to my feet, fueled by pure adrenaline.
“Cool the fuck off,” Scout growls in my face and shoves me away. “Get your head right, Chief.”
I seethe at Truck. Jabbing my finger in his direction. “You had one fucking job!”
His hands clench by his sides, but his eyes have gone to that soulless color they turn when he disregards all levels of personal safety. His switch has been flipped.
Well, so has mine.
Bring it, motherfucker.
We’re both in the red zone.
“Enough!” Evan steps between us. “You two are like dogs. I need a dog whistle, or better yet, a shock collar.”
I spit on the ground and the taste of dirt and blood in my mouth are a potent reminder of all the times I’ve had fistfights before. A long time ago.
Not one fight since I’ve become a SEAL.
I have more control than that.
My composure under pressure is the very underpinning of the man I made myself into.
Until now.
Until a woman made me lose my head.
As I glare at my team, with my chest heaving, my blood boiling like a raging river, I admit to myself just how jacked I am right now.
Goddammit.
These men have put their lives on the line for me over and over again. They would literally lay down their lives right now to keep any one of our team safe.
When did I become this person? The man who’s not fit to be their leader.
“Shit, guys, I’m sorry. I just… snapped.”
Truck tips his chin up at me. “If you’d lost my woman, I’d be the same.”
Evan and Scout glance at each other. Evan gets in my face. “You got a lock on it now?”
I nod, but it feels tight and unnatural.
Justice appears at the edge of the circle we’re standing in. He gives me and Truck a once-over. “Uh oh. I see dirt. Is that blood on your face?” He narrows his eyes on me. “Somebody come to blows?”
I own up. “I lost my head. Camile slipped out of Truck’s place through the bathroom window while he was on the phone.”
Justice whistles. “Things just got real interesting.”
I drop my head back and stare at the morning sky like there’s some kind of answer to this written in the little white clouds. “If you mean that the train ran off the tracks, yeah. That happened just over twenty-four hours ago.”
His brows are up when I look at him.
“Dude, that was fast.”
Voice full of frustration at myself, I reply, “Don’t even go there.”
Justice gives me a head shake and a grin. “Chief, I’ve never seen you even close to being rattled.”
“Which is why I’m handing the reins to Evan. I’m calling Marshall. I’ll step down from the job. I’m not fit for duty.”
Justice looks around the group with alarm. “Did he just say that?”
“Yep,” Scout confirms. Then he turns on his heel. Over his shoulder, he mutters, “You guys can stand around and talk about this bullshit. I’m going to find your woman before she gets herself into something else.”
Evan’s beating feet too. In the wrong direction.
“Where the hell are you going?”
There’s a glint in his eyes. “I have an idea. You guys go ahead. I”ll catch up.”
“Catch up? What”s your idea?”
Evan turns around, jogging backwards. He thumbs over his shoulder with a grin.
There is a National Guard chopper from the neighboring country, Evelina, sitting in a large clearing.
“Are you planning on stealing that or borrowing it?”
“Depends on if the keys are in it.” He laughs, turning and sprinting the rest of the way across the field.
I should stop him. This could cause real problems for our team. I don”t think Marshall would like to have to bail our team out of a Vandemora jail for grand theft helicopter.
But, fuck it. If this helps us find Camile, I might just kiss him.