“Don’ttouch me,” Zeke said in a controlled and almost terrifying voice.
Zeke straightened and gestured Mia into the room as if nothing had happened.
Blaine leaped up, his fist aimed for the back of Zeke’s neck.
“Zeke—” Mia cried out, but he didn’t need the warning.
He spun and his left hand blocked Blaine’s punch while his right plowed into Blaine’s face. Blood spurted from Blaine’s nose and he was thrown back against the wall.
The door to the surveillance room down the hall burst open.
Greer walked out and tilted his chin up. Greer never said much and today was no exception. Any of the other Deltas probably would’ve come to greet them when they’d originally walked down the stairs. Greer would’ve avoided them until he thought he had no choice but to make his presence known.
“Greer!” Mia called out, happy to see him and hoping he could diffuse this situation. Zeke had brilliantly disabled Blaine, but she didn’t want Blaine to keep coming after him. Even if Blaine realized Zeke was the better fighter, he would never quit. He didn’t know how to lose. As evidenced by him constantly bothering her.
Greer lifted a hand and gave her a small smile.
Blaine had his shirt pulled up over his nose. Luckily, he’d caught the blood and hadn’t ruined the carpet. He glared at Greer, then back at Zeke.
“Hey, Greer,” Zeke said easily.
“Cap,” Greer greeted. He gave Zeke a look, as if questioning if they needed help. Zeke smiled and gestured to the bleeding Blaine. Obviously Zeke needed no help, but Greer was huge. Bigger than Zeke even.
Greer strode slowly down the hall and squared himself shoulder to shoulder with Zeke.
“Oh, you in want on this? You hick cowboy? The dumb mute, correct?” Blaine sneered, wiping his nose and holding up a threatening fist.
Greer simply lifted an eyebrow and folded his muscular arms across his chest. He couldn’t be bullied into speaking, and he couldn’t care less what insults Blaine hurled at him.
“I’d be careful, Lewis,” Zeke said. “I’ve seen this guy fight. He could take down most of the elite special ops soldiers I’ve served with.”
“That’s because they’re American,” Blaine hurled at them.
Greer growled low in his throat and took a menacing step forward. Zeke stepped up next to him. They made a wall of tough man that Mia didn’t know any sane person would dare try to bust through. It almost made her laugh. Blaine could personally insult Greer, but to insult America’s elite soldiers was not acceptable.
Blaine’s eyes widened. He scuttled away, hurrying down the hall and up the stairs.
“What a loser,” Zeke muttered. He turned to Greer. Mia thought he would clap him on the shoulder or something, but he just smiled. “It’s great to see you. How’s Emery?”
“The best.” Greer nodded.
Mia hadn’t met Greer’s wife yet. She’d heard she was adorable. She wondered what the two of them talked about, as those two words were more than she usually heard out of Greer.
“Thanks for the help,” Zeke said.
Greer smiled hugely at that, and Mia could imagine what he was thinking. At least it was what she was thinking. Captain Zeke, her Rambo, didn’t need anybody’s help. If she Googled toughest man on the planet, would Zeke’s picture and bio appear? She really wished she had her computer and for once not because she wanted to work. She’d love to read any information she could find on Captain Zeke Hendrickson, Navy SEAL extraordinaire and the man who was capturing her heart like no man ever had.
ChapterEight
The hulking cowboy Greer lifted a hand to her, tilted his chin to Zeke, and strode back to his command center, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Mia looked up at Zeke. He gestured her into the workout room. She walked in and he closed the door behind them. Then she turned and realized she could pin him against this door and show him exactly how impressive he was to her.
He held up his hands. “I know. I’m not supposed to make Lewis an enemy. We’re on the same team.”
She laughed. “That wasnotwhat I was thinking.”
“Oh? What were you thinking?” He leaned against the door. He was the picture of beautiful tough man in her mind.