Page 80 of Delta Force Defender

“Do not make speeches before you go into battle,” he growled, right against her mouth. “They become self-fulfilling prophecies. I don’t want your good-byes, Caradine. I never did.”

And he wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t. Because kissing clouded his judgment. Obviously. He thrust her away from him instead. Then they were in their respective seats, staring at each other while they both breathed too heavily.

“You go into the bar,” he said, more darkly this time. “You do your thing. Are we in agreement on what that thing is?”

“A very long parade of very severe psychological problems. You may have to surrender your numerous arsenals for public-safety reasons.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. You shake the tree, that’s all. We’ll be there to handle what comes loose. Do you have any questions?”

Another smile, but this one was acidic. Be still his heart. “Only one. Do you see a fully licensed psychiatrist? It might be time to consider having one on staff.”

“Okay,” he muttered. “We’re done here.”

He switched on his comm unit, made sure her wire was operational, and then checked in over his car speakers while he made sure her wire lay flat along her spine. His preferred place to tape one on, because everyone had seen too many movies and looked at the chest.

“Report,” he bit out.

“In position,” Blue said at once. “I’m on the roof across the street with eyes on the front door. And halfway down the alley next to it.”

“I’ll take the back,” Isaac confirmed.

“The thing of it is,” Jonas said, sounding garrulous and drunk, “you have to think aboutoffense, my man.”

Isaac flicked a look over to Caradine, who was staring at the car radio as if it had sprouted tentacles.

“We’re going in,” Isaac said, and switched off his comm unit.

“Was that Jonas?” Caradine asked.

Isaac didn’t touch her. He didn’t yell at her about the things she wasn’t telling him, because he didn’t yell. And she wouldn’t tell him anyway.

“One of Jonas’s best characters is a drunken sports fan,” he said instead. “Nobody pays any attention to a drunken sports fan. He can be in any bar at any time, ranting and belligerent, and when he leaves people will describe his team spirit, never him.”

Caradine shifted against her seat, probably because her wire was making her back itchy and not because she felt anything. No matter what he might have preferred. “I had no idea Jonas could string that many words together.”

“He sings, too,” Isaac informed her as he put the SUV into gear. “With perfect pitch or egregiously off-key, depending on the situation.”

He let her sit with that visual as he drove through the streets of South Boston and acknowledged that he was pissed at her. Pissed, but also still fighting those persistent alarms inside him. The ones that had saved his life more times than he could count.

What worried him was that he couldn’t tell the difference today. Were they personal? Or did they have to do with this particular mission?

This was why he had never let anything get personal before.

He pulled over again a couple of blocks away from Sharkey’s, where they’d all agreed Caradine would get out and walk.

“Caradine—”

Her eye roll was more implied than actual, but it still packed a punch. “Don’t you dare say anythingniceto me. The world could end.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” he told her, pinning her there for a moment with his gaze alone. “You and I are overdue for a discussion about our lives.”

Once again, there was that flash of something on her face that he really didn’t like. “Can’t wait.”

In her usual, snarky,I would rather dietone, which should have comforted him. But it didn’t. Not today.

Then she swung out of the car, slammed the door, and walked off.

She didn’t look back.

---