Page 71 of Silent Comrade
Huh?
A groan. “Yes. Damn it.”
None of this conversation made sense.
“You’re on mandatory rest,” the other guysaid.
“I’m good.”
“Hoo, boy, I bet you are.” There waslaughter and a hard edge behind that voice. “Look, we can’t totallysecure this location, and when I say ‘we,’ I mean ‘me,’ becauseyou’re damn near useless right now. You need to exfil. Now. Comeback fresh as a daisy.”
A pause. “Can’t.”
“Look, Red. I can see you enjoy playinghouse while making your O face, or whatever the fuck you’re doinghere. But you’re operating outside of factory safety specs.”
Red? Must be the color of Al’s hair. Anickname.
“That what Hunt said?” Al asked.
“That’s what I say. Hunt is off, trying tofind Pele and company.”
Al pulled his head back. “Where arethey?”
“Unknown. I’m not on that mission, bro.” Theother man’s voice lowered. “Your objectivity is compromised. I’llstep in.”
“No! Would it kill you to keep your voicedown?”
She flinched.
“The fuck I will.” Anoofsounded,like someone got poked, hard. “Do not fuck up her life, Red.”
How much did she really know about the manshe’d slept with? Britt trailed a shaking finger over her lips.Damn it.
“I know the risks.”
“Yet you’re still willing to take them?That’s cold, bro. After her sister and Pele…”
Britt burst out of the bedroom, stumbling asshe caught sight of the tall, muscled Black man from last night’sMARTA station standing toe-to-toe with Al. Both men had their fistsclenched. She recovered and stomped over, looking straight up atthe man. “What about my sister?”
Al’s eyes narrowed. “I told you to stay inthere.”
“Those words did come out of your mouth.”She popped fists on her hips. “You might have a magic pelvis, butthat doesn’t make me obedient to your command.” Okay, that laststatement was not entirely true after last night. Semantics.
Al’s jaw dropped.
The other man snorted. “Oooh, I like her.”He went from angry to flashing a charismatic megawatt smile andswagger so quickly that she stumbled back a step. “Rodeo. Nice tomake your acquaintance, ma’am. So sorry you got stuck with thispudknocker.” He held out a hand. “Let me know if you want arealman protecting you. From head to toe.”
Al shoved a palm over his face and dug withhis fingers, like he wanted to scrape the skin off.
She giggled. “I’m Britt McNeill. Guessingyou knew that already.”
The Black man’s smile, while easy andconfident, contradicted a calculated narrowing of his eyes andflick of his gaze over her and around the room, similar to Al. Musthave to do with the training.
Her hand disappeared in his, but he kept thegrip firm but gentle. Like he held strength in check. Like Al.Heck, both men could be on a fitness magazine cover with their twinsets of corded arms, Al’s crossed as he stood in an aggressive,angry stance.
After several more pumps of her hand, Alreached out to separate her hand from Rodeo’s. “Enoughcanoodling.”
Rodeo pressed a hand to his chest and rearedback in mock horror. “What? Red, that right there is called beingpolite. You should try it sometime. You’d do much better with thelay-dies, bro,” he drawled the word.
