Chapter Four

If one more person treated Wyatt like he was a superhero, he was going to spit the dummy, or in American lingo, throw a temper tantrum. A hissy fit. That was all there was to it. They held doors open for him, offered him gifts, and every single woman hugged him when they spotted him. That, he wasn’t complaining about. He hadn’t had to worry about food once since the invasion. He’d been bombarded with home-cooked meals to the point that his freezer was maximum capacity. He appreciated their gestures and he’d never complain to their faces, but he was past ready for things to return to normal.

He wasn’t a superhero. Far from it. All he’d done was take out a couple of tangos before they could do more damage. He hadn’t been able to save Chet or the rest of the airport crew. Every single one of them died when the first bomb dropped. He’d been the reason they were inside. Their deaths were on him.

He got that his coworkers and their families were monumentally grateful that he’d been able to stop a potentially catastrophic situation from happening, but it wasn’t anything that they wouldn’t have done themselves. Hell, every woman and man who worked for COBRA Securities performed heroic deeds all the time. They’d taken bullets meant for others, rescued people from certain death, stopped killers before they could wreck more havoc. So, acting as if what he did was somehow special really pissed him off.

The trip he’d decided to take was coming together, he just needed to secure transportation and it wouldn’t be available for a couple of days. He hadn’t told anyone in case it fell through. It wasn’t like they’d miss him, anyway. Hell, they probably wouldn’t even notice he was gone.

“Hey, Holly, how are all the various injuries?”

Wyatt turned to see his buddy and coworker Grant Colton come up behind him as he finished his last rep on the rowing machine. His body screamed in protest, but the ache was good, as opposed to the excruciating pain he’d dealt with after the explosion. He hadn’t even been exerting maximum effort and still, his muscles were howling like a wounded dingo.

“Bloody ripper.” He grabbed the towel Grant tossed at him and wiped his face.

“Translate for those of us who don’t speak fluent Aussie, because I gotta tell you, that sounds horrific.”

Wyatt chuckled. “It means awesome. Fantastic. Totally amazing. So good I’m ready to get back in the field.”

Grant tipped back a bottle of water and chugged. He recapped it and shook his head with a smirk. “Not a chance. Not until Amelia clears you, and that isn’t gonna happen for at least a couple of weeks. At the earliest.”

Wyatt shook a finger at him. “Now there’s where you’re wrong, mate. She said I was good to go before she left.”

Grant snorted. “She did not.”

“Okay, fine, she didn’t. But you know me, Grant. I’m a fast healer.”

“Aren’t we all. Listen, Wyatt, you need to give your body time to rest and recover. Go fishing. Watch movies. Learn yoga. Just relax.”

“This coming from a mate who once went out on a joint mission with a broken arm without telling anyone. You’d feel the same way I do. Admit it. We’re made for action. I can’t sit around here and do nothing. I feel useless.”

Grant sighed. “Fine, I’ll admit that I would probably feel the same way, but I know for a fact you would be giving me the same advice I’m giving you. After all, who tattled on me during that joint mission? Hum?”

“Grant, Wyatt!”

They turned to see Kai Costa racing towards them at his one and only speed of all-out. He skidded to a stop. “Guess what.”

“What?” they asked in unison.

“I climbed all the way to the top of the rock wall without a harness!”

“You did what?” Wyatt yelled. Or maybe it was Grant. They were both about to pop a gasket. That wall was almost fifty feet high with some pretty hairy angles. All it would take would be one small slip…

Wyatt narrowed his eyes. “You did not. Your dad would ground you for eternity.”

Kai covered his mouth with his hand and sniggered. “Okay, fine, I didn’t. You should’ve seen the looks on your faces! But I did climb all the way up and I didn’t need the harness, so same diff.”

“It’s not the same,” Grant growled. “And if either one of us catch you even attempting to climb without protection, we’ll make your daddy look like a choir boy. Got it, Little C?”

Kai rolled his eyes dramatically. “Got it. Sheesh, you guys are no fun.” He glanced around the gym. “Where’s Dan. I bet he’d climb up there with me.”

“Kai,” Grant warned.

He smiled widely. “Kidding! Laters!”

They watched as he darted away, leaping over obstacles in his path.

“Did we ever have that much energy?” Grant tossed his empty bottle in a recycling bin. “I’m hitting the showers. Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow night? Melody would love to see you.”

“Not if you’re doing the cooking.”

“I can manage steaks on the grill. Baked potatoes. Cold beer.”

Wyatt pushed to his feet. “You don’t have to ask me twice. I’m there.”