CHAPTER TEN
TRINA
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My eyes dart around the BHS lunchroom looking for him. It’s been a week, and I don’t think he’s back.
No one is saying a damn thing either.
Marshall.
Where is he?
I know I said I wasn’t going to come back here but I’m...well, I’m worried. Not that he’s not big and ugly enough to look after himself. I know he’s Special Forces, but I wanted to see him in the flesh to check he’s alive.
Then I’ll leave.
It’s a hangover from my childhood I guess. Nothing to do with my feelings for him. Which are purely hormonal.
Clearly.
I even messaged the arrogant ass last night and he hasn’t replied. I know he left his number on my board hoping I would so either he’s taking his damn time to reply, or he’s overseas. My money is on the latter. And I don’t mean that because I’m confident he’d reply.
Okay, yes I do.
I grab a cider from the fridge, twist it open, toss the top into the trash, then head over to the pool table. I need a distraction.
“All right, who wants to be thrashed today?” I pick up a pool cue and prop out a hip.
Cole, one of the BHS guys, comes sidling into the room, confident as he usually is...given I always beat him.
“Today’s my lucky day. Sign me up.”
Fool.
I lift another cue and toss it to him. He catches it out of the air and grins. “No crying when you lose sweetheart.”
“You wish.” I roll my eyes.
I hate that Cole’s teasing me and not Marshall. There’s a real vibe when he’s here and without his cheeky banter it’s like something is missing.
Where the hell is he?
Was he meant to be gone this long?
Josh walks in rubbing a towel over his hair and says hello to Alice and Briar who are sitting at a nearby table with Aidan and one other guy I don’t recognize.
Josh shoots a grin my way when he sees me playing Cole. He knows I’m going to beat him. I destroy all of them. It’s my superpower. “Who taught you to play?”
I shrug. “My dad.”
“You must like punishment, Cole.” Josh laughs.
“Nope. I’m going to beat her today. Heck, I can beat you, boss.”
“That happened once.” Josh tosses the towel onto a chair. “Then I took back the champion title three more times.”
“Whatevs.” Cole shrugs.
I clear my throat.
Josh lifts his brows, then shakes his head. “Now Trina holds it.”
I snicker, then lean over my cue, line up the white ball, and break. The balls go scattering and, bingo, the number two goes into the pocket in the left-hand corner.
Cole groans.
Straightening and studying the balls which slow to a stop, I walk about the table. This is a great distraction but not completely. After finding my next ball, I glance around the room and then can’t help myself.
“So, where’s my archnemesis?” I shrug as casually as I can.
Briar glances over at me.
I look away.
I know she knows. But it’s not what they think. We had one kiss. I’m not in love with the guy. We shared saliva. So, I guess I just want to know he’s alive.
“Me? Or Marshall?” Cole asks.
“Please. You’re a pussy cat.” I snort. “I meant the giraffe.”
Josh laughs. “Is that what you call him?”
“No.” Yes. “He doesn’t qualify for a pet name.”
“He’s still away.” Josh leans against one of the beams in the room and sips on the beer he just cracked open.
Ugh, I want to scream and demand they give me more details, but I know they won’t. I’ve sat in enough rooms with military people who talk in codes and sideways glances.
They don’t break.
Ever.
What do I care if he’s in Sudan or Iraq? Or Greenland or whatever. Who am I going to call? What am I going to do?
My phone beeps and I immediately pull it out of my pocket. It’s a work email.
Damn it.
I scoff and slide it back in. Then take my shot and slam it way too hard, and the ball misses.
Fuck.
“Told ya,” Cole says. “Fridays are my lucky day.”
“Not anymore. I need you to work tomorrow,” Ryder says as he walks in the room. “Toby just called in sick.”
“Is he dying?” Cole asks as he watches me take my next shot.
“Man flu, so yeah.” Ryder winks at me.
I roll my eyes.
“And this is why women bear children.” Briar chimes in and we share a grin.
“When is Marshall getting back?” Cole rolls the blue chalk over the end of his cue and glances at Josh.
“When he’s done.” Josh pulls his phone out of his pocket as it beeps. “And it looks like that might be...”
His voice trails off and the room goes quiet.
Except for the clinking of the balls hitting one another, all I can hear is my heart pounding hard in my chest.
Josh glances over at Aidan and I watch him stiffen.
“What’s wrong?” I ask before thinking.
Shit.
As if they’re going to tell me.
Josh swipes his phone up and down, glances at Aidan once more, then nods at the doorway. Aidan pushes his chair out, kisses Briar on the head and takes a draw on his beer before following the Navy SEAL out of the room.
“What just happened?” I ask staring between the girls, Ryder, and Cole.
The two of them share a look, then Ryder glances at me and shakes his head. “Play your game, Trina.”
What?
No.
Fuck that.
“Ry, tell me.”
“I don’t know, okay. He’s on a top-secret mission and none of us have access to that information. Nor would I be able to tell you if I did.”
I get that, but...
“But...but...you were Delta. Call someone.” I say as I press my cue into the floor and squeeze it.
Ryder watches me and glances once more at Cole.
“Delta doesn’t exist.”
I make a groaning noise as Elliot, one of his team members, walks in and slows. “What’s going on?”
Typical. These men all have a sixth damn sense.
“Marshall has been waylaid.”
More of the fucking glances.
“Trina, it will be okay. Let Josh and Aidan sort it out,” Briar says.
“Ryder, please.” I press, ignoring her.
He walks over while Cole starts chatting to Elliot and two other guys who walk in for Friday afternoon drinks.
“Are you two involved?” Ryder stares down at me with his hands on his hips. His voice is hushed but I feel like the entire world can hear.
“No.”
He keeps staring at me.
“No,” I repeat, then wave out my free hand. “We kissed. Once. But I know how this goes.”
“Do you?”
I nod. “Yes. My dad...he never came home.”
“Shit.” He runs a hand over his short hair. “Navy?”
“Army.”
He takes my cue, tosses it to Elliot, who catches it in the air, and leads me out of the room.
“What’s going on?” Alice calls out.
“I’ll bring her back in a minute,” Ryder says over his shoulder, then leads me down to his office where I can hear Aidan’s and Josh’s voices a few doors away.
I try to listen but can’t hear what they are saying. Their tone is tense though, so I know something bad has happened and my heart is banging in my chest.
This can’t be happening.
What if he’s dead?
Are they ringing his family before telling anyone else?
Oh god.
I should have drunk fucked him.
Or stopped him from going.
“Sit down,” Ryder says, leaning his ass on the desk.
“I’m fine. I just want to know if he’s okay.” I try to act like it’s no big deal by letting out a small laugh. “It was one kiss Ry; I’m not having his baby. Just go find out if he is alive.”
He watches me and I hate that he’s trying to see inside my mind. To psychoanalyze me and make out that this is something more than it is.
Marshall is a friend. We’re all friends. If there’s one thing you can say about me, it’s that I am fiercely loyal to the people in my life.
If I love you, even the Taliban won’t get near you. At least while in Los Angeles.
“Marshall doesn’t kiss girls. He fucks them. So, either you kicked his ass and scared him away, or he likes you. So, because he’s my buddy, I’m going to share a couple of things I probably shouldn’t.”
Yes!
Tell me, tell me.
I try to ignore the way my heart skipped a little beat at what he said though.
Either you scared him away, or he likes you.
I feel the need to clarify that this isn’t a blooming romance though. In case the stupidly handsome giraffe is alive and returns home.
“I was drunk, he was drunk. Just a kiss. Nothing more.”
Ryder snorts.
“As you said Trina, I’m former Delta Force. If you want to lie and have me believe you, you’re going to have to try harder than that. You and Marshall have been flirting for weeks.”
“Wish people would stop calling it that.” I mutter.
Also...I knew (!) Delta Force was real.
“Okay, here's what I know.” Ryder stands. “I’m confident Marshall is alive. The only way he got that message through to Josh is if he has all his fingers and is breathing.”
My brows lift.
“Wow. Visual.”
He shrugs. “It’s all I can ascertain at this point. That, and something in the mission has deviated and Josh needs to intervene.”
“But you think he’s safe?” My heart is pounding.
“I think he’s alive.”
Oh. Chewing the side of my mouth, I nod and glance around his office.
“Will you go? If he needs your help?” I hear the emotion in my voice.
He doesn’t immediately reply. The way Ryder’s serious gaze holds mine has my chest tightening and dread sinking inside my tummy. The longer he takes to reply, the more I imagine Marshall on his own somewhere in the world needing help.
Or, god, slowly dying right at this very moment.
Fear floods my body, and I force back the tears. I don't want that stupid smirk of his wiped from existence.
What if he's in enemy hands being tortured? Or fighting for his life?
What if he can’t get home?
“That’s up to Josh and Aidan to decide,” Ryder says.
God bloody damn.
“Ughh. See, this is why I don’t date men in the military. Fine, I don’t care. Let him die.” I spin away and head out the door.
“One kiss, huh?”
I glance back at Ryder's smiling face. My own lined with worry. I hesitate, then ask quietly, “If he needs you...”
“I’ll go.” Ryder nods firmly. “But Trina...”
I wait.
“Marshall was a Green Beret. In the Special Forces. He’s a highly skilled operator. We might give each other shit, but Josh doesn’t employ anyone who isn't still the very best.”
I swallow.
Emotion overwhelms me suddenly, and I try to push it away but have to look down before I say my next words. “I never told him, you know.”
“Yup,” he replies simply. When I glance back up, Ryder has crossed his arms. “So, when he gets home, make sure you do.”
I nod.
But it’s a lie. As I walk back down to the others, I know I can’t. If I let myself get involved with that gorgeous big giraffe, I’ll go out of my mind worrying about him all the time.
I thought he did private security. Bodyguard stuff. What is he doing going offshore on operations?
I hear a door bang shut down the hall and spin. Ryder steps up beside me in the doorway, and we stare at Josh’s closed door.
“Fuck,” Ryder growls and his words send a shudder through me.