“No, you’re not, but you are my Marine,” he told her, the ice in his tone thawing. “I have your back. I mean it. If you and Gabriel want to get the fuck out of here, I’ll take care of it.”
Gabriel.God, she needed to talk to him and say…what?
“Thank you.” She extracted herself from the uncomfortable hug. Not because she didn’t appreciate the caring, but because if she stayed any longer she’d begin to crumble. “Sir.”
“I’m not going to ask if you’re all right.” Chrome’s voice remained even—and then the door swung inward and Titanium stood there with his dog. Copper stared at him, violently aware he couldn’t see her.
It was probably a good thing for the commander that she didn’t have a gun. She’d be tempted to shoot him.
“Excuse me.”
“Copper…” Titanium said.
“So much the fuck no. I don’t want to hear what you have to say, sir.” She turned sideways and squeezed out past him. Striding down the hallway, she saw Silver and Poppy. The normally even and reserved secretary wore a devastated frown. Yeah, she’d known. Silver put himself between Copper and Poppy, but Copper merely shook her head. She only had so much room for hate. Poppy was a civilian, dragged into the op.
Outside, she headed for Merc’s place. Her feet knew where she was going before her mind fully acknowledged the destination. Weird to think he even used his house—thankfully, it was right next door to hers. The front door opened before she made it all the way up the walk.
Merc’s doc, Hazel, met her with a hug. The embrace wasn’t all that out there for the doctor, but Copper had a hard time returning the affection. She needed to stay focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
“Go on inside. He’s in the living room. I’ll leave you two alone.” She let herself out and closed the door without comment.
Merc was standing by the time Copper stepped into the living room. She had no idea what to say. Her words all died unspoken. All she’d ever wanted was to have Brad back—and now he was back, but all she could focus on was the deceit. Worse—Gabriel needed her too, and what should she say to him?Sorry, my ex is alive?The thoughts fed one on the other, like a snake swallowing his tail. She couldn’t break free of the vicious cycle.
Without saying a damn thing, John opened his arms, and she stopped pretending. She stopped trying to be strong. She fled into them, crashing to his chest, and the tears slicking her face were hot and burning.
“When you can talk, you just tell me which one of those fuckers you want dead,” John said. Then he held her and let her weep.
She was welland truly drunk when John let Gabriel inside. The bourbon was all but gone, and she’d started on the scotch. Beer was her preferred alcohol, but liquor was quicker. The numbing effect staved off the worst of the rawness in her soul.
“How is she?” Gabriel’s voice drifted over her.
“She’ll survive.” John didn’t sound nearly as drunk as she felt. Then again, he hadn’t been in a competition. “You got this?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel said, circling into her field of vision. A bruise marred his cheek, and she frowned. With care, she traced the blemish and frowned.
“Who hit you?” Her tongue didn’t quite cooperate, but he seemed to get the gist.
“I ran into an elbow.” Was he amused? He found the strangest things funny. His eyes were soft, warm, and full of concern. For her. She got that look from him. He saw right through her masks.
An elbow?“My elbow hurt earlier,” she murmured, then licked her lips. “Then I had more bourbon. Doesn’t hurt anymore.” If only the rawness inside was as easy to soothe.
Gabriel chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you truly drunk.”
“Nope.” Yep, she'd slurred the word. Didn’t matter, he seemed to understand her. He spoke as many languages as she did. More, maybe. The only one he didn’t understand wasgo away, and she rather liked that about him. “I don’t like being drunk.” Except today. Today, she did.
“I’m going to pick you up and take you home now,” he told her. “Don’t pull anything tricky?”
John was still there, watching, waiting. Did he want her to go? Hazel probably wanted John back now. Sachi only got to borrow him from time to time. “Don’t have a home. It’s all going away again.”
Frowning, Gabriel tugged the glass from her nerveless fingers, then set it aside. “You will always have a home, Sachi.”
“Not always.” She stared at him. “You stayed though.”
“I did.” He drew his finger along her cheek, then tucked her hair behind an ear. “Tomorrow you’re going to hate yourself for spilling your guts, so let’s save any drunken confessions until you’re sober.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond to that before he picked her up. She was more than capable of walking, but she liked when Gabriel played the take care of her card.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she settled her head to his shoulder. She closed her eyes rather than watching the room move while he walked. John let them out, and the night air was cool against her face. Gabriel’s heart thumped beneath her ear. Lulled by the sound, she stroked her fingers against his neck.
Inside the house, he didn’t bother with lights and carried her all the way to their bedroom.Ours.With efficiency, he set her on her feet, then stripped her clothing all the way down to her boots. She landed on the edge of the bed with a thump as he tugged the boots from her feet.