Page 52 of SEAL's Patience
He nodded, but didn’t say anything. With his lips set in a thin line, he ran his hand through his hair. A definite one of his tells. He was as unsettled as her.
“Congratulations on your graduation.”
“Thank you.” Oh, they were being so polite. Awkward, much? Was he going to even invite her in? It didn’t look like it. He was probably afraid she’d jump him. Well, he wouldn’t be wrong either.
“I hope you have a great time with your parents.”
“Enough small talk. You’ve been inside me, taken my virginity, and put me to bed. I think we’re a little beyond this bullshit.”
His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. “What did you want to talk about, Patience? You obviously came here with an agenda.”
Yes, yes, she did.
“You’re right. I came to say ‘see you in the fall’, but not goodbye. Never goodbye. I know you’re scared or think you’re taking the high road by distancing yourself from me. But I don’t agree. Listen to me, hear me. Please.”
“All right.” He nodded, but his expression didn’t change.
“Quinn, I see your darkness, your broken pieces. It doesn’t matter. I’ll always love you. Always! You can’t stop it no matter how hard you try. Remember that when I’m gone.”
Patience waited a moment for her words to sink in. To be honest, he looked stunned. But he didn’t say a word, just watched her with his peridot green eyes. Tears welled, and she blinked them back before they could fall.
“Have a fantastic summer.” She forced the words through her lips, barely holding on to her emotions. Then she got back in her car and pulled away.
Quinn didn’t move from his front stoop until she could no longer see him in her rearview mirror.
CHAPTER 28
QUINN
One month later…
As Quinn and the rest of the Red Falcon team took their seats around the conference table, their commander, Tony Knox, waited at the front of the room. The ever-present folder sitting in front of him. The screen already showed a map of somewhere Quinn didn’t recognize, an unlikely occurrence for him.
“Gentlemen, as you’ve probably guessed, we have an assignment.”
“Of course we do,” Doc mumbled. “I knew it was too good to last.”
Quinn elbowed him in the side. Neither he nor Tony would tolerate that kind of behavior on base. Doc knew better. Something had been eating at the man, and Quinn had a pretty good idea of who and not what it was. Still, Doc needed to pull his head together for whatever they were about to face. For that matter, so did he.
“Where are we headed? I can’t say I recognize that country,” Lucky asked.
“I’m not surprised. You usually work in Europe, but this is central Africa.” Tony zoomed the image in and pointed to the country, closer to the east than the center of the continent.
As soon as he heard the words, Quinn’s heart almost beat out of his chest. He didn’t need to hear another word, to know Patience was in trouble, or at the very least, the Doctors Without Borders group she was with there.
Quinn hissed out the word, “Swuyji?”
Tony’s gaze swung to him as he nodded. “You’ve heard of it? I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. His girl is there,” Doc replied.
“Excuse me?” Tony asked.
“She’s not my girl, but we all know her. At least, if I’m guessing right. Did something happen to a Doctors Without Borders group?”
Tony nodded again. “It did. Or their headquarters so. There’s been no communication from their camp for the last week. They check in like clockwork every Tuesday.”
“Do they have another group who can check on them?” Quinn asked.
