Chapter 8 #2
“Yeah,” I blurted without thinking. “He has no one, and Cartel life isn’t something any kid would want to be born into.” I’m sure Nicole thought it wasn’t my choice to make, but in fact, it was. “There’s plenty of space here and plenty of people who would give him love.”
“I guess there is. I hope you all can make that happen. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” She rubbed his back tenderly as she thought. “You’re a lucky little guy. I hope you know that,” she whispered, and I could almost feel her own heart squeeze. I know mine did, for her.
“Hey,” I leaned forward, “sorry, but we really need to go.”
She wrapped her arms around Chase and hugged him tight, then took a deep breath. “I promise I won’t be gone for long, okay, little guy?” When she looked over at me, I could see how much it hurt her to leave him behind. “What if—”
I cut her off from going dark. “He’s safe here, and it’s only for two days and one night.” I acted like leaving wasn’t bothering me, but inside, my chest hurt in a whole new way. “Come on.”
I stood when she did and tickled Chase under his chin.
“See ya soon, little fella.” She took an extra minute to kiss him then handed him to me.
I hesitated then kissed him on the top of his head before handing him to Daniel.
He whisked him away, saying something to Chase about finding Cole’s old flipbook.
As we walked toward the entryway, Nicole checked the time. “Can you give me a minute? I just need to speak to Ben before we leave. I know he’s nervous they’re going to pull him from his next assignment. I’ll be quick.”
“I’ll meet you in the driveway.”
“Copy that.” She smiled then quickly made her way up the stairs. I couldn’t help but watch her hips sway as she climbed the steps.
I grabbed my duffle bag from the bottom of the stairs and felt someone come up behind me.
“You know, she’s good for you.” Mark bit into an apple and chewed with a smirk. He always appeared out of nowhere. “Pretty too.”
“Why is it the first time a woman shows interest in one of us you think it’s a match made in heaven?”
“History has proven to me I have a special gift.” He tapped his head then leaned against the banister.
“Let’s be honest. We need a certain kind of woman.
Example,” he twirled a finger at me, “those girls at the bar, you chased away without a thought, but Nicole,” he made a face, “you can’t take your eyes off her.
It’s obvious she can handle the shit we deal with.
She’s tough, and it shows. She’s like our women, strong and fierce.
They keep us in check.” He smiled wide. “And we love them for it.”
“You done?” I headed for the door, but of course he followed.
“Maybe take this trip to get to know her better. I’ve got a feeling she’ll be around for a bit.”
I turned to speak over my shoulder. “Just because two people are single and I might be attracted to her, it doesn’t automatically make her the right one.
” I knew a lot more than Mark did, and I knew I had to be careful with her.
She didn’t know I was Eric Noah, and it was no secret she hated who that man was.
It ate at me, but I couldn’t see a way out.
“Why are you so hardheaded? I don’t ever remember you being this way.” Mark’s voice pulled me back from my internal struggle.
“And I don’t remember you being like one of the wives,” I shot back, then softened my comment with a grin.
Mark had always been a Savannah, even before she came into the picture.
He was always stirring up trouble and poking his nose in places he shouldn’t be.
But we loved him for it, and his heart was always in the right place.
No matter how frustrating he could be at times.
He made an exaggerated gasp. “You know you wouldn’t want me any other way.”
John opened the truck as I got closer, and I tossed my bag in the back. I turned to face Mark, as I knew he wasn’t finished, and he pressed a finger against my lips. I batted it away in disgust.
“Fine, keep her at arm’s length, but tell me one thing.” He tilted his head.
Oh, my God. “What?”
He pointed at Nicole and Dr. Bash as they walked toward us. They laughed together at something. “She’s most likely staying awhile, and you’re not the only single guy here.” He pointed his chin at them.
My stomach twisted, and I looked away. “You’re an ass,” I breathed.
“Don’t know about you, John,” he called, ignoring my comment, “but I haven’t seen Dr. Bash laugh once since he’s been here. Do you see what I’m seeing?”
John looked at them then caught my eye. “Man has a point.” He grinned and hopped into the truck
Jesus.
“Oh, yeah,” Mark put up a finger, “Frank told me to tell you before, guess I forgot. Dr. Bash is joining you guys in Washington.” He turned and chucked his apple core in the woods.
“Have a good trip.” He waved and patted Nicole’s arm as she came up to put her suitcase inside the truck.
I grabbed the handle and slid it in next to mine, feeling all kinds of mixed emotions.
“I see you met Dr. Bash.” I tried to curb my discomfort about him joining us.
“I did.” She smiled right up to her eyes, making them light up. “He was just telling me a funny story about Chase trying peas for the first time.”
Dr. Bash laughed. Who was this man? Normally, he was as quiet as a cat in the corner of the room, always watching from a safe distance.
When the guy did make an attempt to approach, he was like a meek little rabbit, and that turned me off.
I squinted one eye and wished I could read his mind.
I also hated that Doc Roberts was talking of moving out of the house with Abigail.
They wanted to be closer to Daniel and Sue in town.
I knew they were way past retirement, but no one was happy about the idea of them leaving.
“Well, peas are gross, so I get his reaction.” I sounded off, and she caught it. “Ready?” I opened the door for her, and she gave me a strange look before she got in. “Bash, why don’t you take the front?”
“Oh, no, I’m more of a passenger.” He opened the door across from Nicole. “I’ll take the back.”
I took a deep breath as I got in the front. I closed the door a bit harder than necessary, and John couldn’t hide his smirk. I glared at him to get moving.
Once we got through the checkpoints and out onto the main road, John and I immediately started to look for anything out of place or different.
It was engrained in us to scan everything around us.
Our eyes never stopped as we monitored the terrain to make sure no one was around.
John’s eyes constantly checked the mirrors.
“He’s got some meetings in Washington, and Frank thought it would be wise for him to travel with you,” John said in French. We both knew Bash and Nicole only understood English and Spanish.
“I didn’t ask.” I switched to Dari just in case. Nicole was smart enough to quickly use a voice app to figure out what we were saying, and I wasn’t taking any chances. I remembered the time Doc Roberts did it when trying to catch Keith after he skipped a session. We never forgot it.
John side-eyed me and went back to French, knowing what I was doing. “Maybe you didn’t ask, but I can hear the wheels turning in your head.”
“I just don’t trust him yet.”
He rubbed his head and let out a small sigh. “Me either,” he confessed, and I glanced at him.
We spent the rest of the drive in silence and made it to the airport in good time.
We boarded and sat in first class. Dr. Bash took the window, Nicole sat in the center, and I took the aisle.
I hated the window. It was too constricting, and I couldn’t do my job from there.
Plus, I was big and needed the aisle to stretch out my legs.
We took off, and once in the air, Bash put on earphones and closed his eyes and Nicole pulled out her laptop.
I did the same and sorted through the emails from my team.
Rush had made some improvements to the second drone we were creating, and I needed to go over them.
Nicole leaned into me. “Don’t you like Dr. Bash?” She kept her voice low.
My brows pinched together. “Why do you ask?”
“You’re cold toward him.”
“How so?” Lord, she caught a lot.
“As someone who’s been on the receiving end of your coldness, I recognize it.” She gave me a knowing look. “He’s quite nice, you know. Funny too. You might want to let him in a little.”
“I will when and if I can.” I didn’t sugarcoat my answer. She studied my face for a moment then nodded slowly. “What?”
“Most soldiers hold people back at about an arm’s length, but you keep them miles away.”
“I have my reasons.”
“What are your reasons with me?” She lifted a brow, and I felt my heart pick up speed.
“I let you in last night,” I reminded her.
She nodded as she typed away. “And I’m waiting for the door to slam shut at any moment.”
Flashes of me as Eric rushed to the surface, then Talya’s beautiful face, and then Chase.
When I didn’t answer, she sighed and went back to typing.
We didn’t speak the rest of the flight. She worked, and I sat there and fought the battle inside.
Bash woke just as we landed and jumped right back into conversation with Nicole. I couldn’t get off the flight quickly enough.
We were greeted by a young soldier who was to drive us to our Washington headquarters. I didn’t retain his name, as my head was elsewhere. Again, I took the front and scanned the hundreds of cars that flooded around us.
“We’re about ten minutes out,” I commented as I glanced at the time. Nicole’s pen wildly rattled against her notepad as she looked out the window.
“You good?” Bash whispered, but she didn’t seem to hear him. I turned in time to see him slip a hand over her wrist to quiet her fidgeting. “Nicole?”
Her head whipped around, and so much was written in her wild eyes. She looked at me then Bash, then down to his hand on her which he slowly moved away. “Yeah?”
“What’s wrong?”
She blinked at him. “Wrong?”