Page 38 of SEAL's Tempest
The day her mother had died had changed her, though. Her blind trust in her parents had shattered. From that moment, Tempest didn’t rely on anyone. She couldn’t believe that they would be there if she truly needed them. Instead, she’d built walls around her heart to protect herself. If she didn’t get close to anyone, she couldn’t be hurt.
Until Josh.
Everything had changed in that one moment Josh had sacrificed himself for her. He’d proven he meant what he said about protecting her. And the walls surrounding her heart began to crumble. Warmth had filled her heart, chipping away at the ice that encased it.
She wanted to run to him and thank him again, kiss him and hug him. Tell him that yes, they’d make it work. But he needed his rest to heal from his injuries.
With a lightness in her chest she’d never felt before, she smiled at Josh, her heart filling with love.
She didn’t care that it seemed crazy or too fast, it felt right. Life was going to get a lot more interesting once they landed.
ChapterFourteen
Tempest woke a few hours before they were supposed to land. The throbbing in her head had mostly subsided and as long as she didn’t move her shoulder it wasn’t too bad. After using the facilities and washing up and brushing her teeth she started back toward her seat.
Ry and Josh were still sleeping, but Doc, Lucky, and Quinn were chatting. She nodded at them as she made her way back to her seat. While she had time, she should go over the mission, so she’d be prepared for her debriefing once they landed.
There had been two objectives; retrieve the top-secret chips and destroy the lab. The chips were safe in her pack, and the lab was a pile of rubble. As far as she was concerned it was mission success, but it could go either way with JSOC.
She wasn’t looking forward to the debriefing with their CO, Tony Knox. Ugh. She’d almost taken out his entire SEAL team. Not that it was really her fault. Everyone knew that a mission rarely went according to any of the plans they’d practiced before they went behind the wire. But it didn’t mean he wouldn’t be pissed at her.
Wincing at the thought, Tempest’s head started pounding and she rubbed her temples. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to find her happy place and let the pain drain away.
“Are you okay, Tempest? How bad is the headache?” Doc asked as he appeared by her side.
Tempest hadn’t heard him approach and it startled her. She jumped then groaned from the shooting pain in her shoulder and ribs. “I’m fine, Doc. Really, it’s not bad. I’m sure a hot shower and some sleep will take care of it.”
Doc nodded but handed her two acetaminophen pills and a bottle of water. “Probably. But that won’t happen for hours yet. Our debrief will take a while. Might as well take the edge off.”
“Thank you.” She sighed. “You’re probably right. These things never go quickly.”
Doc sat down next to her. “That’s for sure. But both missions were a success. Plus, everyone returned home alive. That’s a win.”
Tempest nodded. “I agree. Hopefully so will everyone else.”
“I’m sure they will. We did what we had to do.”
Tempest knew from experience that sometimes that didn’t matter. Too many times there were hidden agendas she had no clue about. “How did it go with the evacuation of the aid workers? I wanted to ask earlier but you were a little busy.”
Doc grinned. “Quinn had a little trouble extracting the team from the hotel, but the injuries were minor. One broken leg and some cuts and bruises. Nothing major. They were transported to Germany to be checked by medical and debriefed.”
Tempest nodded. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but how was my sister? Did she give you a lot of grief about not wanting to leave?”
“You’re kidding, right? She absolutely refused to leave without the baby.”
“No. What was she thinking? You can’t just take a baby out of the country like that.” Tempest would have to have a serious chat with her sister.
What the hell was she thinking?
“I don’t have a clue, but she was adamant about it. Lucky threatened to duct tape her mouth closed and carry her over his shoulder to the EXFIL.”
“Oh no,” Tempest exclaimed and then burst out laughing. Yeah, that was Grace. Tempest was the cool, levelheaded sister. Grace went off like a firecracker if she didn’t get her way.
“I guess you’re not surprised?” Doc asked.
“No, not really. She told me she didn’t want to leave before I headed to the lab. I asked her not to give you guys a hard time, but I might as well have been talking to the wall.”
“You’re talking about Grace, aren’t you?” Lucky asked as he joined them.
