Neve jumped as Darwin’s voice boomed through the room, his shadow stretching out behind him as he stalked across the floor, hair disheveled, glasses slightly askew. He headed for the far side, snapped on a pair of latex gloves, then made his way back over.
He stopped next to Coulter, thanking Wynn when she eased out of the way. “One order, Barrett. Don’t get hit again, and yet, there’re at least two, new kinetic impacts on your chest.”
Coulter stared at Darwin, chin high, his gorgeous blue eyes that darker gray color. “There was a civilian in the mix. Cold day in hell I walk away from that.”
Darwin tilted his head to the side. “No one’s questioning your honor. More the fact that you probably shouldn’t have been out there to begin with.” Darwin cut Coulter off before he could argue. “I know. Tier-One. Certified badass. You’ve probably dragged your ass through worse with graver injuries.”
Neve squeezed Coulter’s hand, smiled up at him. “He has.”
Darwin snorted. “You might want to reconsider taking his side when I know you also took a round. Are just as reckless.”
“Ops don’t always go as planned. And I won’t apologize for making the tough calls. Ensuring my team gets clear.”
“Which is more than noble. Just try to duck a bit quicker before one lands outside your vest. Unlike Ramsey’s men, you won’t simply shake it off.” He thanked Wynn when she handed Coulter a pill. “Take this and rest. And limit any physical activity for the next few hours until some of that new swelling goes down and I can double check that you didn’t crack anything this time.”
Coulter glanced at her, a hint of a smile curving one side of his mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Darwin crossed his arms. “At least tell me it was worth it?”
“It wasn’t the win we wanted, but it was the one that needed to happen. And we procured a case Ramsey wanted destroyed. Makes me wonder what’s inside. It took some damage, but it shouldn’t be a complete bust. Zadie and Scout are working on prying the damn thing open as we speak.”
Darwin arched a brow. “That sounds intriguing. Why don’t you two clean up, grab a coffee, and we’ll meet up in the comms room. And remember what I said. No more hits to that area — and nothing more strenuous than walking to the fridge to grab a pop until there’s less bruising.”
Coulter eased off the table, visibly shoving down the pain as he bent over, tugged on some sweats. “I’ll do what I can, but if the opportunity arises to go after Ramsey again…”
Darwin pushed his glasses back as they slipped down the bridge of his nose. “Your choice, but if you crack them, splinter a chunk of bone into your lung, you’ll be out for weeks.” He took a few steps away, looked back over his shoulder. “Assuming I can keep you breathing.”
Coulter crossed his arms, his mouth tightening at the edges as Darwin tossed his gloves in the garbage then stalked off. “It’s not that bad.”
Neve snorted. “That’s because you can’t really see the full extent of it. Honestly, it’s worse.” She handed him the hoodie Scout had grabbed. “Bet you can’t get this over your head without wincing.”
He grabbed it, slipped his arms through the sleeves, then eased it over his head, mouth pinched tight, jaw set. A muffled curse sounded as his face disappeared inside the fabric before he settled it around his shoulders. “You were saying?”
“Cursing counts. And yeah, I heard you.” She stepped closer, moving inside his personal space. “You still want to… chat?”
He leaned in, close enough he could have kissed her. “Hell, yeah. And no, that’s not a euphemism for sex. I want all the details from your first encounter in Bralorne. The ones you conveniently left out. How you got hurt. And I want to know why the hell you ran across that beam without a moment’s pause. Christ, you didn’t even clip in.”
“Time wasn’t on our side, and I’m not the one who fell. If I’d waited…” Images of the cord fraying as it rubbed against the metal edge, dropping him forty feet into raging rapids looped through her head, the cold slide of fear prickling down her neck. “You’re not the only one adapting here. Trying to find new footing. I don’t know why it’s different. Why I can’t seem to shove my personal feelings aside, see you the way I used to, but…” She straightened. “Like I said to Darwin. I’m not apologizing for considering the safety of my team, first. And you’re the first person who would have done the same. Like when you darted out to grab that woman despite Ramsey’s men filling the air with rounds.”
She turned, heart squeezed tight with a familiar ache she thought she’d buried. The last year still coloring her perspective.
That despite what he’d said, he just hadn’t wantedher— wantedthem— enough to make their future a priority.
Coulter hooked her arm. “We’re not done. It’s my turn?—”
“Hate to interrupt…” Shepherd stood at the threshold, two mugs of coffee in his hands, the scent of fresh bread swirling in with him. “Zadie and Scout managed to pry that Pelican case open. You two should come and see this.”
Coulter muttered something under his breath, releasing his grip as he clenched his jaw, started walking, his body rigid, each step followed by a slight hesitation before he planted the next. She tried to release some of the tension straining her shoulders, accepting both cups as she followed him down the hallway, then into the comms room.
Scout looked up from the desk she and Zadie had huddled around, the overwhelming stench of burnt polymer and high-grade plastic saturating the air.
Scout pointed to the Pelican case. “It took some time to get past the melted latch, but we finally cracked it open. Thinking Darwin might be the best person to explain what that UAV was carrying.”
Neve moved in close, peeking over the edge of the case as she handed one of the mugs to Coulter. Three flesh-colored transdermal patches sat in individual slots, each one thin, translucent, roughly the size of a large coin. Beside it, inside a torched, plastic case, laid a matte-black device — what looked like a cross between a watch and a fancier, thinner, Fitbit — the narrow, silicone band snapped off from the housing on one side.
Zadie grabbed a set of large tweezers and removed one of the patches, holding it up to the light. “This doesn’t bode well.”
Neve nodded, glancing at Darwin as he stepped into the room, eyes narrowed, lips pursed into a fine line. He made his way over, taking the tweezers from Zadie when she held them out.
