Page 89 of Just One Night Together

When she went into the hall, she could hear that Damon was still sleeping.

Should she leave?

She wasn’t sure. It wasn’t that late. Not even eight.

Before she could decide, Damon yelled.

* * *

He was back there.

Again.

Damon stirred in his sleep, knowing he was having the nightmare and only wanting it to stop. They were on that street. They were approaching the corner. He felt himself thrash with his desire to escape.

He saw the kid.

He warned Foster.

He saw the grenade and time slowed to a crawl. He knew what it was, of course. He knew what was going to happen.

But this time his body responded.

Damon flung himself on the grenade. He wrapped himself around it, squeezing it tightly, trying to make sure there was no way that any of its destructive force would touch Buchanan or Foster.

Then it squirmed in his grip, becoming larger, turning into an enemy warrior. That man laughed and Damon locked his hands around his throat, squeezing the life out of him for what he had done. He laughed until the blood ran from between the other man’s teeth, until it leaked out his ears, until it ran from his eyes, until he laughed no more. Still he kept squeezing, demanding a due for Foster and Buchanan and all the others...

“Damon.”

A voice summoned him back from the abyss.

A familiar voice that didn’t belong in Afghanistan.

“Damon!”

Damon opened his eyes, panting, in a cold sweat, and found himself in his darkened bedroom with his heart racing. He realized he’d shredded the life out of a pillow.

And Haley was silhouetted in the doorway, staring at him.

She’d said his name.

She’d called him back.

He exhaled and surveyed the room. He was on the floor. He’d seized the pillow from the bed and slaughtered it in his dream.

If Haley had been beside him, he could have killed her, without even realizing what he was doing until it was too late.

This had to stop.

Now.

Before she paid the price for his sins.

Eleven

Haley had a verybad feeling about Damon’s nightmare.

It was horrible to watch. He was muttering under his breath, his head jerking back and forth. His hands were clenched into fists and his teeth were bared. He’d kicked his way free of the blanket and his whole body was tense.

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