Chapter 26
Hannah entered the facility, nervously biting her lip. Cole and Brody walked by her side. “It’s a short introduction,” he assured her.
“I don’t like groups of people, especially men,” she whispered.
“Sparky and I won’t leave your side. When we finish here, Ty will pick both of you up. When you’re ready to leave, I’ll come get you.”
She wanted to plead with him or Brody to go with them. It felt weird to go alone, since they spent the last couple of days together.
When they entered the kitchen, Leo gave them a chin lift.
“Let’s get to the good stuff. Hannah has graciously agreed to accept the supply clerk position.
If you need TP, she’s your gal. Stop bugging me with your requests for two ply.
The single ply works fine and you’ve wiped with worse, stop bitching. ”
“We’re not in the desert, and chafed skin won’t put us in good moods,” Taco argued.
“Take it up with Hannah. You’re her problem, now. And I better not see skin moisturizer or masks on my orders either,” Leo warned. “Tess attests to you having a drawer full of shit at home. Use it.”
Hannah held back her laughter at Taco’s crestfallen face.
“Let’s get down to this contract. He slid the paper over to her, and she glanced at him, surprised. Leo handed her a new one.
“Some things are nonnegotiable. You may do a desk job, but you still need to stay physically fit. You’re part of our team and we work out together.
It’s good for your mental health, too,” he explained.
“You’ll have an office here because you can’t carry a filing cabinet home.
It’s yours to use or not use. Sparky will show you the lockers.
As far as weekly meetings go, I’ll compromise.
You must attend every Friday. The team will need to report any orders and inform you of any new items which may be necessary for any upcoming missions.
If it sounds good to you, then sign your name on the dotted line.
If not, Cole gets double PT time for the rest of the week. ”
“What?” he exclaimed.
“She has a soft spot for you and I’m not above blackmail. Deal with it,” Leo ordered.
“I agree to your terms,” she volunteered as she scrawled her name. Even if she disagreed, she’d sign. Working on the paper trails sparked a new excitement within her.
“Good. Let’s get breakfast on the table. Knight, Patch, and Ragu grab the grub. I’ll get the plates. Cole’s in charge of drinks.” Saint placed a box before Hannah. “Bryanna made this for you.”
She opened the box to find a huge, decorated donut. Hannah swallowed and smiled. “Tell her I said thank you. We can all share it.”
Her eyes met Cole’s in a panic. He brought a knife to the table and cut it into equal sections. “It’s too bad I brought you donuts this morning. Do you want me to take your portion home?”
She sighed in relief. “Yes, please.”
“After breakfast, you’re dismissed,” Leo told her. “Enjoy your day with Sparky. Tomorrow, please leave me a calendar with your appointment times on it.”
“Thanks, boss,” she said, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
The two women hurried to Ty’s truck. He kissed his wife and secured Ice. “Hi, Hannah. Scarlett wanted to spend some time alone with you. I made lunch for you both and then Cole will pick you up. Congratulations on the job.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m not sure why I even accepted it. The man seems crazy.”
“Leo’s cool,” Scarlett told her as Ty drove them to his ranch. “All the guys have supported me and helped me get my bearings. At first, I thought he gave me a pity job. He swiftly dispelled the idea. If he wanted you, he’s got a reason.”
Ty pulled up to the house and released Ice while they got out. “Thank you, Ty,” Hannah said, while Scarlett kissed her husband.
“Yes, thank you, Ty,” she murmured against her husband’s ear.
“You’re both welcome,” he said, winking at Hannah. “Stay out of trouble.”
Scarlett led them inside and went into the kitchen. “Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Ty makes these wonderful fruity concoctions. I didn’t know if you drank wine. Did Claire prescribe you anything to interact with alcohol?”
“I’m on antidepressants, but I’m cleared to have a glass. Ty’s drink sounds refreshing, though,” Hannah said, moving toward the couch.
“I’ll pour us Ty’s specialty and we’ll chat. How’s everything at the cabin?” Scarlett asked as she set down two glasses and moved to the fridge. She poured the drinks.
“Do you want me to bring them over?” Hannah asked.
“Nope. Ty reworked the floor plan, and I memorized it. We moved everything to keep me from stubbing my toe. He’s incredible,” she gushed.
“I can tell,” Hannah said, laughing. “You’re completely enamored with your husband.”
“He’s amazing. Speaking of men, Cole seems like a good guy,” Scarlett hedged.
“He’s very sweet. Except when he wants all the mashed potatoes and gravy. Don’t stand in his way. Last night, he grilled salmon with asparagus. He even grilled pineapple. Have you ever made it? I haven’t tried it before and Cole insisted on it. I’ll never eat it plain again.”
Scarlett smiled and didn’t say anything.
“What? Don’t smirk and then stay silent,” she insisted.
“He reminds me of Ty in some ways. Cole’s pushing you to try new things,” she murmured. “He likes you.”
“No, he’s only helping me,” she denied.
“Really,” Scarlett scoffed. “The man practically glows when you come into the room. And before you say I can’t see it, his voice changes when you’re around. Cole’s protective of you.”
“I feel safe with him,” Hannah admitted quietly. “It’s like I’ve known him my whole life. I don’t understand after everything I endured with the rebels, why I’m not terrified of him. I feel antsy when I’m around all those big men, but when Cole enters, my body calms.”
“You know it’s okay to like him,” Scarlett said. “You seem to have a lot in common.”
“Do you know my parents keep calling? My mom still sends me a text each night and my dad leaves voicemails, demanding I return home. Kassie and Claire said I’m capable of deciding my own medical needs and I signed paperwork removing them from making any decisions on my behalf. ” She changed the subject.
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry. You know they’re worried about you. It may not feel like it, but if they’re calling this much, I’m sure they’re thinking about you,” Scarlett sympathized.
“At least Mom does. They didn’t plan to see me until after the holidays. Yet, Dad insists I return home now,” she said, frustrated.
Scarlett felt for her hand. “If I’ve learned anything from this experience, you never know how strong you are until you have to be. Stop living your life according to what your dad may or may not approve of. What do you want?”
“I want what you have. A man who peers at me as Ty does you. Someone who I can laugh with and not worry about what they think of me,” she confessed, drinking the rest of her mocktail.
“Can I ask you what happened over there? I can guess, but maybe you need to talk to someone who’s not approaching it clinically.”
Hannah set her glass down. “I don’t know how it started.
We arrived at the camp and doled out the supplies.
I returned for my clipboard and counted the boxes to ensure we delivered the correct number.
I heard the gunshots. Two of the men went down instantly.
I recall seeing them lying on the ground as a big, burly man dragged me from the building.
They threw me into the back of an old truck after they tied my hands and covered my eyes.
I cried for help until one of the men I recognized from the unit told me to stop.
He reminded me not to say anything other than my name, rank, and birthday. ”
“You must’ve felt terrified,” Scarlett said softly as she moved closer to Hannah, holding her close.
“Not at first. Our men promised me someone would come for us. After all, we didn’t make it back to base.
They separated me from the group and put me in a separate tent.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the rebels told them they raped me for every question they refused to answer.
Instead, they kept me blindfolded and cut me with knives to make me scream or beat me.
I thought they planned to kill me and waited for the final jab, but it never came.
After two men died and they didn’t get the information they wanted, they hauled me outside to watch the men get beaten and tortured. ”
“Oh, Hannah,” Scarlett murmured.
“I can still hear their cries at night,” she whispered.
“One night, a man came in and pretended to untie me in an effort to help me. I was so na?ve. He led me into another tent where I thought they held the other men. Instead, it was his friends. I don’t recall much.
Claire says it’s my brain protecting me.
I only recall them throwing water on me to revive me. Three days later, I got rescued.”
“Anyone might’ve done the same thing. You have nothing to blame yourself for,” Scarlett assured her. “Not everyone over there believes we’re horrible people. They’re scared of punishment for sharing those ideas.”
“Sometimes I consider it a blessing I don’t remember everything. There’s no way a man will take a peek at my body and not run for the hills, including Cole. I refuse to delude myself into thinking a man will want me after…”
“Then you’re already delusional,” Scarlett chastised her. “You’ve given up on yourself. I think you’ve listened to your father for way too long. You’re a brave, smart, and beautiful woman. You didn’t have a choice, Hannah. It’s on them, not you.”
“Not everyone will see it as you do. You know, I heard a couple of nurses talking in the hallway at one of the hospitals. They said I asked for it. Why did I join a male-dominated field and not expect something like this?” she whispered.