Page 39 of Iron Willed Warrior

I was more than happy to move on before the boys got any ideas about a round two.

On the walk back to Keira’s, my blood was singing. The exercise had heated me up enough that I didn’t need Cole’s jacket anymore. But I didn’t take it off.

“Nothing like the endorphins from a good fight,” I said, shaking out my hand. I’d need to ice my knuckles later, but it was worth it.

“Agreed. I mean, I can think of one thing that’s even better for a dopamine rush, but a good fight is close second.” Cole had his eyes on the dark street ahead of us instead of on me. But his smirk said it all.

“Well, it’s been a little while for me when it comes to either of those activities. Fighting or, you know, that other F word.” Much longer, in fact, for the second.

We both laughed, and I felt blood rush into my face. A sudden burst of shyness after the wild night we’d had. Good thing it was dark and he couldn’t see me blushing.

“I thought we fought well together,” Cole said, voice dropping lower.

“Me too.”

As for doing that other F with him…Brynn, get that out of your head.

We needed a new topic of conversation, so I went with the first thing that came to mind. “How do you like your prosthesis?”

His smile faded, the relaxed mood between us turning to tension again. “If you’re really trying to ask if it’s a limitation?—”

“I’m not.” I hadn’t meant to screw up the good vibes so quickly. Last thing I’d wanted to do. “I know other people with prostheses. But it’s different for each person, so I was curious about your experience. If that’s too private, I understand.”

Cole rolled his shoulders. “I don’t mind talking about it. It was tough at first. In the beginning, you just get a temporary fit, because the stump tissue is still shrinking.”

“Sounds painful.”

He grunted. “It sucked. At first, I couldn’t stand the prosthesis more than half an hour at a time, which just pissed me off. I wanted to get back to where I’d been before. Back on my feet, literally. Within several months, though, I had the hang of it. This particular one, I’ve had a couple years. I can wear it for days now, depending on how much I’m on my feet. It’s not an issue.”

“I don’t doubt it. Never meant to suggest it was. You didn’t consider returning to active duty?” An amputation didn’t necessarily end a military career, even for someone like Cole, being a Ranger. It would’ve been incredibly difficult tojump through the Army’s hoops to qualify, but if anyone could do it, I would’ve bet on Cole. The man had a bull-headed, stubborn streak, that was for sure.

“After the way it all went down? Hell no. But.” Cole scratched his chin, pausing on that word. “Did I think about it? Sure. The Army was my career. Pretty much everything I knew. To lose it all in one fell swoop. That was tough.”

I couldn’t imagine. He had told me some of this before, but I got the sense there was far more to it. There had to be, going through something like that. The trauma of the injury. Not just the healing and adjusting to a changed physical existence, but all the mental shock it would entail too. When I thought about it, his strength blew me away.

“I hope you had people supporting you through it. Family and friends.”

His expression remained carefully neutral. “Not so much. No family to speak of anymore. After I came home, my wife decided she’d had enough of me. So she took off pretty soon as well.”

I stopped walking, turning to him. “Are you kidding me? That’s unbelievable.”

He shrugged. “I had my Army buddies and their significant others who stepped up. Aiden’s family especially was great. I’m not complaining. My buddies who didn’t even make it home…” He cleared his throat, shaking his head.

Instinctively, I reached out to squeeze his upper arm. I’d lost people too in the service. But I didn’t want to compare my experiences to his. Each loss was a uniquely brutal punch to the gut, a pain all its own that never fully went away.

His bicep tensed. Then released.

“I have nothing to complain about,” he said. “And yet I’m still a grumpy asshole. Go figure.”

I smiled. “I’m getting used to it. You’re not so bad.”

“Careful. You almost sound like you like me.”

“I know, it’s worrisome.”

We resumed our walk, but closer than before. Arms brushing. Every once in a while, Cole’s hand would rest on my back again, as if keeping me steady. I was doing just fine in my heels, but I didn’t mind it.

“What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” he asked. “We haven’t talked about what gear and weapons we’re bringing with us. I’d like to know more about Westwick’s head of security. Ryker.”

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