Chapter 46
When I said I had women issues in my past, I wasn’t ready to have this conversation.
Damn it to hell.
Shit. Of all the things for the asshole to say…
“Nighthawk, you’re a fucking idiot.”
Beside me, Camile stiffens. Her hand goes for the door handle, but I put my hand on her thigh to stop her. “Hang on.”
My former commander’s voice rises. “What?”
I turn my attention back to the call. “I’m calling to talk about business.”
“You want to come to work for PCI? I knew you’d finally get your shit together.”
Camile sucks in a sharp breath. Her eyes narrow as she looks at me accusingly.
“Not coming to work for you, asshole, I did that once. Look, I’ve got Camile here with me.”
“Who?”
“One of your operatives.”
“You know me as the call sign Calypso,” Camile chimes in as she cringes.
There’s a beat of silence before something slams loudly on the other end. “Calypso! Beast, what the goddamned hell are you doing with her?”
“Sir,” she says shakily, “if you’ll give me a moment to explain.”
Nighthawk is melting down. His voice is now at top volume. “Beast, if you fucked my operative and caused me to lose this job, you’re going to have hell to pay.”
Camile looks mortified, her hand is pushing at mine, trying to get free. She’s shaking her head.
Because I know she’s going to try to bolt from the truck, I move my hand from her leg to her wrist. Then I let my former commander have it. “First, let me tell you, what goes on in my personal life is none of your fucking business. Ever. Second, you need to take a pill and listen to what we have to say.”
Nighthawk sounds like a fire-breathing dragon. Damn, I remember those days well. He was an excellent SEAL, but when his temper flew, watch out.
“Before you give yourself that coronary you’ve been courting for two decades, listen to my request.”
“Fuck…I just knew that it would be you to cause me to go toes up one day,” he grouses.
“Give Camile permission to talk to me about your case with FamFind.”
A disbelieving sound is followed by more yelling. “Why would I do that?”
“So I can help wrap it up.”
He snorts. Loudly. “You’re shitting me.”
I roll my eyes. The man curses more than any other human I know. “No, I’m not. I’m going to help her get to the bottom of whatever you’re working on.”
“Because?”
“Because she deserves a chance to finish her mission. I’m the one that caused her to get fired from FamFind.”
He’s silent on the other end of the line, I’m not sure if it’s him or Camile who is going to be the first one to need a cardiac intervention. I slide my hand down from her wrist to grip her hand. Her fingers are ice cold.
I tug her hand to my chest and press it against me.
She won’t meet my gaze.
“Come on, Night, you know I’ve got every clearance known to man.”
“Alright,” he snaps. “But you’ve got to wrap this up fast.”
“I know.” For a whole ton of reasons. “We’ll be in touch.”
I disconnect and turn in my seat. “Babe, you might want to breathe, you’re kind of blue.”
“I…I can’t believe you called my boss.”
“I needed to get to the root of the matter.”
She groans. Closes her eyes and leans her head back against the truck seat. I’d pay money to know what’s in her head right now.
“It’s going to be fine. I’m good at this kind of stuff.”
“Oh, I have no doubt you are.”
“What’s wrong?”
She presses the palm of her other hand to her eyes. “Everything. I’m just overwhelmed. Please let me go. I’d like to go inside now.”
I let her fingers slide from mine. She climbs out of the truck and shuts the door quietly. She walks to my place and waits by the door. As soon as I let her inside, she takes off for the bathroom.
I’m sitting on the edge of the bed when she comes out a few minutes later. Her hair is up in a knot on the top of her head, her face is damp, like she just washed it.
When she stops and looks at me with her hands clenched at her sides, I feel her apprehension all the way to my toes.
I rise and go to her. “You need rest.”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Let’s get some sleep.”
She nods, but when I pull her to my chest, she’s rigid. I rub my hand down her back. “Nighthawk is not going to fire you.”
“How can you be so sure of that?”
“He owes me his life.”
She leans back and searches my face.
“I know about his eye because I was there.”
Her throat works as her forehead creases. “Is that when you got hurt?”
“One of the times. The shrapnel wound is from the same IED that ended his career and almost his life.”
Camile drops her head to my chest. “I’m so sorry you were hurt.”
The tenderness in her words is hard for me to take. I’m not used to that. I didn’t have it when I was a kid. I sure as hell didn’t get any tenderness in the Teams.
“Let’s get some sleep. We both need a clear head in the morning.”
She lets me pull her toward the bed. “I like you in my T-shirt.” I lift it over her head and lean down to brush my lips over the soft curve of her breast.
Her breath pulls in quickly. I brush my palm over her ribs, down her side until it rests on the rise of her hip bone. “I should stop now.”
“You should. Otherwise, I have a feeling we won’t get any sleep.”
When I take her face in both my hands, she watches me with some unknown emotion welling behind her eyes. I swear I’ll figure out what it is.
But not tonight.
I kiss her slowly, pulling her toward the bed. She sighs as I tug her bra off. Then her shorts and panties. Her hand slides down my abs as I pull off my cargos and briefs. Her touch is lingering, her expression serious.
That tender, concerned look slices me.
I rumble and guide her toward the bed. “Climb in.”
She pulls away from me and slides beneath the thin, summer-weight blanket. When I climb in, she turns on her side, facing away from me.
“Here, raise up.” I slide my arm under her head. “Best pillow ever made.”
She chuckles softly. “See, you are so cocky.”
“You can’t tell me it isn’t.”
After yawning, she softens against me. “I’ll tell you in the morning. Goodnight, Beast.”
“Goodnight, Poppy Camile Calypso.” I kiss her neck and wrap my arm over her waist.
She feels right in my arms. I just wish there wasn’t an ominous sense of foreboding climbing up my spine. It’s one sign I never ignore.