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Galen ground his jaw as the rescued quartet made ready to depart the ship. The drone of news choppers buzzed overhead and he could hear the din of the human vultures poised waiting to pounce and tear at them as if they truly were carcasses.
He hated every nuance about the goings on. The past two days had been heaven. Every free moment he had, he spent in the company of Tari. Taryn Jeffers. A highly sensitive, extremely giving lover she was always ready for him to sink into her slick, wet, tight heat. But it wasn’t solely about that. She’d gotten under his skin as she had in school. It hadn’t been that hard to begin to trust her as he had back then.
And now she was leaving.
Leaving him.
The mere thought soured his stomach. He scowled again and picked up his bag. Forcing a calm expression, he turned and promptly lost his breath.
“Sorry, I was just about to knock,” Tari said lifting her good shoulder.
She took his breath away. The bruises were still visible but for the most part were hidden behind loose hair. This woman more resembled the one they’d rescued versus the seductress he’d spent the past two days with. Stress and fear were evident in her expression.
He wanted to pull her close, nuzzle the sensitive spot behind her ear, and make her come apart around him again. Anything but standing here like they were strangers.
“Ready?” he asked for lack of anything better to say.
“Yes.”
She lied. He knew it as sure as he knew she had a small tat at the base of her spine. Marring the smoothness of her lower back sat a lovely pale blue crescent watermoon. A few drops of water falling from the lunar object mirrored tears in his mind. It had a haunting quality to it and one day he would ask her about the tattoo.
Tari fiddled with the strap of her sling, took a deep breath, and pinned her incredible gaze on him. “Thank you for rescuing me, Galen. I hope you find the happiness you deserve.” She lifted her hand like she meant to touch him, only to hesitate, drop it, and leave upon silent footfalls.
He froze while he digested her words. It hit him, Tari was the happiness he needed. And she was...leaving. Breaking off a curse, he left the room at a run. Only to slam to a stop at the sight of Osten before him.
“What?” he growled.
A black brow rose. “Don’t bite my head off cause your woman is leaving you. I just came to tell you Byrd is looking for you.” A slight pause. “He said now.”
Galen gave a sharp nod and hurried on his way to Tari. Byrd could wait. Heading to the gangplank, he froze as he caught sight of her over the side. She’d already disembarked and had been surrounded by reporters.
He could read her tenseness, even from this distance. As she continued to be jostled and shoved by those hungry for the story, not concerned with Tari’s wellbeing. His ire grew. Before he knew what happened he was on his way to her side. He didn’t ask just bullied his way to position himself next to her.
“Back off,” he barked in tone which barely registered as civil.
Tari glanced at him with gratitude in her eyes. He ignored the reporters, ensuring none got to close to her and reinjure her. At the car, he held the door and gave her a hand in.
“If you ever need me,” he said in a tone solely for the two of them.
Her fingers clenched around the paper he’d put there and gave him a slight nod.
“Thank you, Galen.” Her gaze softened with memory. “For everything.”
He’d never considered ignoring duty more and go with her. He hesitated a brief spot of time before closing the door on her withdrawn and forlorn expression. The dark sedan with tinted windows inched away until the throng of people parted allowing it to increase speed.
Mics were shoved in his face and he stared at the offenders. Their questions bounced off him as he spun to head back up to the ship where they weren’t allowed to venture. He knew they couldn’t identify him, not with his hat pulled low over his eyes or the thick beard on his face.
With as much care as he’d gone through them the first time he pushed his way to the barrier and crossed over it. He refused to glance back at the departing vehicle which held Tari.
“Sir?” a feminine voice snaked through the crowd and he paused. It sounded an awful lot like Taryn. He rotated slowly searching for the person who belonged to the voice. A redhead stood at the chain, her recorder out toward his face.
It wasn’t Tari. He raked his gaze over her with disinterest. Her mouth moved and he whipped back around, her question falling on deaf ears.
Back on board he headed for the bridge and found Byrd there with a scowl on his face. Hennessey Shaw, better known as Byrd, was six feet four inches of retired muscular Navy SEAL. Shaved head, jagged scar on his neck, he had pale blue eyes which never missed a thing.
Byrd had resigned from the Teams after his men had been led into an ambush and slaughtered like animals. Himself and Ryder were the only survivors. When the paper pushing political hounds had refused to allow them to go back, the men quit. They eventually did return to that jungle.
It had been Galen’s first mission with Tungsten Protective Services. They’d recruited him for his skills and he’d gone with them on their return trip to a jungle he’d never had any desire to see again, based on his own service time. Venezuela.
Since that mission, he’d been with Byrd as a part of this team under the Tungsten umbrella. Typically they had a different medic on their team but he had an emergency so Baby Boy was filling in.
A team not unlike when he was in the service but this one paid a hell of a lot more and they didn’t have to deal with the political game. Politicking crap which came with men in suits who never saw their wars firsthand, the men who only made decisions from their safe little rooms. Not a way to do business, in his opinion. This way, they got to pick and choose the jobs they took.
“Ryder said you wanted to see me,” Galen said.
Without a word, Byrd reached to his left and picked up a file, handing it to him. He opened it in silence and read the sheet. Blinked and read it again. His heart thundered as he read and reread the typed words. Palms grew slick with sweat as the implication became clear.
He had a brother?
“Where’d you get this?” he demanded.
Byrd never flinched from his sharp gaze. “Someone made a request for our help. You know how Harrier and Cade are after we’re approached. They did a bunch of research and this came up as a classmate of his associate’s son. When they realized who he was I got this for you.”
Galen sat in the chair and ran a hand over his unshaven face. His mind whirled. When he left home, he never gave another thought to the people who supplied his DNA. Buried all memories of that horrific time.
But this...paper made it all different. God, what had he done by running at fifteen? Had the bitch actually pushed out another child just to have someone to beat on? Or sell for drugs to any man or woman who had the goods she sought?
He glanced up from the sheet and found Byrd staring at him. “We’re meeting a contact here for more details.”
Galen nodded. Silence reined before he snuck another peek at the paper in his hand.
A brother. A younger brother. The thought of him enduring what he had...perhaps more, made him sick to his stomach. Baby Boy popped his head in and soon they were moving through the port city under the cover of darkness. Byrd and Ryder went to make contact while he and Baby Boy got supplies and took them back to the ship.
“Why don’t you go see her,” Baby Boy commented as they restocked the galley.
Galen paused before resuming his task. When they finished he found the astute dark gaze upon him.
“Go.”.
He listened. Bag slung over one shoulder he headed back down to the street. Galen knew where Tari had a room and made his way there. At the hotel he strode in like he had every right to be there, pausing slightly before the bar area. The men were there, Geoff and Pete, at a table surrounded by both reporters and others presumably wanting to hear about their harrowing experience.
Purposeful steps took him to the stairs and he traipsed up to the third floor. There he headed directly to her room, the low lighting helped to conceal his identity from the few patrons he passed. At her door, he picked the lock with swift efficiency, cast a speculative glance each direction and eased into her room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The room was compact and took him very little time to sweep with his gaze despite the low lighting. She wasn’t there but the light from under the bathroom door gave away her location.
He placed his bag in the corner by the bed and moved to the window before sneaking a peek out beyond the drawn curtain. A whisper of feeling skated along his spine and he turned, fingers releasing the fabric at the sight before him.
Tari stood there clothed in new and clean attire, a pair of pants and a large t-shirt. Fresh from the shower she had been scrubbed clean. And not the least bit surprised to see him.
Her fingers flexed where they hung from the sling and she walked toward him. The glow from the room behind her gave an angelic appearance. He simply stared, unable to even formulate a sentence.
“Galen,” she said halting before him. “What are you doing here?”
How did one who had been set on an easy separation to ensure no ties to the past explain with the intel he’d gotten all he wanted was to share it with her and get her reaction? And her insight.
Tari must have misunderstood his silence for panic leeched into her gaze. That spurred him into action.
“Nothing is wrong,” he hurried to assure her.
Relief poured in and she sighed heavily. Brows furrowed closer and she tilted her head to the left. “Then why are you here?”
I want you in my life. I don’t know how to let you go.
“I have a brother,” he blurted out.
Her eyes widened before she composed herself and she shrugged. “Okay. This is why you broke into my room? To tell me you had a brother?” Her confusion apparent.
“I just found out.” He removed his baseball cap and ran a hand through his hair. “He’s almost eleven. I have to go make sure he is okay.”
“Of course you do,” she agreed.
He began pacing only to stop and start all over again. Frustration boiled up within him. “I will kill her if she’s treated him like she did me.” She didn’t respond and he focused on Tari who’d sat down on the bed. “Christ, Tari, you know what I went through.” His voice lanced with the painful memories.
“I know. But if you kill her then he hasn’t got you either.” Her words were calm and rational.
He hastened to her side in two steps and sank to his knees before her. “Come with me.” If his action got construed as begging, he didn’t care.
“I hardly think my showing up with you would be beneficial. Your mom didn’t approve of me then and I doubt she would now.” Her tender expression skewered him.
She touched the side of his face, her head slightly tipped. “You don’t need to give her the power, Galen. Stop running from your past. Face them. Face her. You’re no longer the little boy she terrorized.”
He dropped his head to pillow on her thigh. Tari sank her fingers into his hair and massaged his scalp in slow soothing motions before continuing down to the brand. He tensed.
“Embrace the boy you were, Galen. There’s no need to keep him out in the cold any longer.”
Her words made sense and he nodded the cotton of her pants scratched by his beard. Lifting his head, he found her waiting gaze.
“Tari—”
“Galen,” she interrupted. “That child who allowed me to be his friend is the strongest person I know. You can do this.” She got off the bed and lowered her face to his. “You’re unstoppable. Always have been.” Her lips barely touched his yet the effect astounded him. While he struggled to recover from the innocence and open honesty of her kiss, she moved away.
The click of the door told him she’d left him. Again.
He couldn’t go after her and he would wager his left arm she wouldn’t be coming back to the room. On his feet, he shouldered his own pack and slipped out into the hall. Heart unsure he made his way back to the ship and climbed aboard.
Everyone else had returned. Byrd met his gaze and absently ran a large hand over his scar.
“Get it worked out?”
Not even close. “Well enough,” he replied. “When do we leave?”
“Now, but not with this.”
Galen didn’t quite know what to make of that statement but it became clear in moments. The arrival of another group of mercs who they’d worked with on occasion. These men would take the ship and they would use the seaplane.
In his seat, Galen listened to the rumbling engine and propellers. With a slight lurch, they were on their way. He closed his eyes against the feeling he had just abandoned Tari.
There were so many unanswered questions in regards to her. And now a brother. He needed some down time. After this, he promised himself. After this one more mission.
The plane banked right and gained altitude. He listened to snatches of conversation around him but didn’t participate. Just enjoyed the ride. When they landed, he knew he had to put Tari and his newly discovered sibling to the back of his mind and focus on the task at hand. There would be time later to focus on other things. Sharing a look with Ryder, they dove from the coasting bird and struck off for shore, slicing through the brackish water and towing the necessary bags behind them.
Game on.
