Page 19 of Keeping a Warrior

Rhys laughed. “I know, right? And then how he was sitting there handcuffed telling the cop to go fuck himself in front of all the other cops? Badass.”

They both cackled.

Devon waited, but neither of them went on. “So what happened?” she said impatiently. “Did he go to jail?”

“Nah.” Matt shook his head. “It was a close thing, though. Shane and I were just BUD/S students then, not team guys, so it could’ve gone either way.”

“So you and Shane met in BUD/S?” Devon asked.

Matt’s eyes went distant as he retreated into the past. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Hard to believe that was almost three years ago.”

And you’ve been together ever since?

As much as Devon wanted to ask that, she didn’t. She couldn’t put him on the spot and force him to make something up, or out himself. Maybe he’d open up to her more as time went on.

At their quarters, the three of them gave each other high fives.

“We got that sluggish blood flowing,” Matt said to her. “Tomorrow, we’re gonna crush that PT and show those assholes what’s up. No doubt.”

Exhilaration surged through Devon at the vote of confidence. “Hey,” she called after him. “Thanks. It’s nice to have some friends.”

Matt touched his fingers to his forehead in a half salute. “Same, ma’am. See you in the morning.”

Although SEALs ignored rank out in the field, officers and enlisted alike calling each other by their first names, this small gesture of respect was a balm to Devon’s Army soul.

“Good night, Soup.”

Rhys lingered after Matt had gone and walked Devon to her room. Once she’d unlocked her door, he said a quiet good-night and headed off down the breezeway.

Don’t watch him walk away. Don’t watch him walk away.

She couldn’t help herself.

Oh, he was sublime, with those long legs and broad, muscular shoulders. What’d happened between him and his fiancée? It was obvious he was still a bit hung up on her.

“Well, it’s none of your business,” she said aloud.

Once inside with the door safely locked, Devon stretched out naked on top of her cool sheets. She switched off the light and lay there in the dark, listening to the sounds of an unfamiliar room and the occasional loud voice emanating from somewhere outside.

Tension crept over her, replacing the pleasant drowsiness and relaxation. Finally, with a small sob, she got up and double-checked the locks before pushing the small desk in front of the door to the adjoining room.

Slipping back into bed, she reached under her pillow to touch the reassuring coolness of her knife.

Old habits died hard.

“Form up on the grinder, lady and gents!”

Grizz’s voice echoed across the parking lot. Devon broke into a trot as she headed over to the small corner patch of asphalt that apparently would serve as a makeshift workout area, her heart pounding in both nervousness and anticipation.

This was the time she’d show the guys what she was made of.

Devon had read the reports, knew all about the surveys that said an overwhelming majority of special operators were opposed to opening those roles to women.

“Women are too weak.”

“We’ll have to lower our standards.”

“I weigh over three hundred pounds with my fully loaded ruck on. Am I supposed to bleed out because some female can’t drag me to safety?”