Page 5 of Wounded Hearts

Lucy pursed her lips and frowned. “That’s a shame. But my point still stands, you need to get laid.”

“Lucy.” The call came from across the room and they both turned to see Jace striding towards them a pissed off look on his face.

“Oh, shit,” Lucy whispered, before turning to her husband with a huge smile. “Yes, love of my life?”

“Don’t you give me that shit.” He stopped in front of her and lifted his hand to her hip, tugging her closer to his body. It was as if he couldn’t stand even a tiny amount of space between them and Drew envied that. “I know you were going to train with Zin.”

Lucy cast Zin a scornful look of betrayal. “Grass,” she hissed at her partner, who just tilted his lips in a semblance of a smile.

“He’s not a grass. He knows better, that’s all,” Jace said his tone still holding an edge of anger in it.

“I just want to feel normal again. I hate being sick when I’m not actually sick.”

Drew decided to head towards the changing rooms to give the two some privacy and bent to pick up his towel.

“Drew, before you go, Zack wants to see you in his office as soon as you’re finished,” Jace said and Lucy took the opportunity to slide her arms around her husband’s waist and move in close.

“Yeah, sure, okay. I’ll shower then go see him. Thanks.”

Jace nodded and turned Lucy towards the door, her body still cocooned by his. Drew knew they were probably having a conversation in their heads. Jace was a telepath and Lucy had learned to communicate with him in her mind. She could only do it with Jace though, while Jace could hear the thoughts of anyone around him if he chose to. Thank god he chose not to.

Heading in the other direction towards the changing rooms, he quickly showered and changed into to clean clothes and changed the prosthetic he wore for sports to the one for everyday use. He was lucky he had the funds and access to such state-of-the-art prosthetics. He still experienced pain in that leg around the knee joint and the phantom pain was a bitch, but he was alive, and it could’ve ended so much differently.

Slinging his kit bag over his shoulder, he lifted his hand in a wave to Zin, who’d now been joined by Daniel, the Fortis Team leader, and Nate, the sniper of the group and all-round good guy. He and his wife Skye had welcomed a daughter at the end of last year, a child that had been predicted by her son, Noah. Nancy was a sweet child that held her father and brother in the palm of her tiny hand.

Drew knocked on Zack’s office door and pushed it open when he called ‘come in’. He nodded when he saw Smithy in the seat opposite Zack. “Hey, Smithy, how’s it going?”

The man dipped his head back and forth in a yes-no way. “Okay, making progress and breathing free.”

“Good, good.” He sat down beside him and stretched his leg out.

Smithy had become one of them over the last year or so. The things that had been done to him by the Divine Watchers were still affecting him. Formerly serving in the SAS with Jace, he’d been kidnapped and drugged with mind-altering drugs that made him do things the man himself would never have done.

One look was all it took to see the psychological damage that had caused him. Drew couldn’t imagine doing horrific things to people he cared about and having no knowledge of his actions. Even though Lizzie, Dane’s older sister, had forgiven him for kidnapping her and her subsequent injuries, Smithy couldn’t forgive himself.

He turned his attention to Zack who was looking at the two men. “I have a job for you both. It’s short notice but it should be a piece of cake. A friend of mine over at Peak Range Security called. They want two extra bodies to cover security at a party for some rich asshole and his rare gem collection. Good money and easy work—you in?”

Drew would certainly like the extra cash and he’d nothing else planned for a Saturday night, which was so sad he couldn’t even comprehend it.

“Yeah, sure. Not like I have a date tonight.” Drew glanced at Smithy who was giving it more consideration. A result of his trauma was that he considered every option now before jumping into anything. The man was broken in so many ways, Drew wasn’t sure he’d ever be fixed. But then so was he, and he was whittling out a good life for himself. Maybe Smithy could too.

“Who is the party for? And how come the short notice?”

Zack produced a file. “I thought you might ask. It’s for a man named Brayden Wells. He wants to show off his rare gem collection before it goes on tour next week. It’s at Blaisdon House tonight. The reason it’s short notice is simple. Two of his guys have food poisoning and the others are on jobs they can’t get out of. I know the owner, Craig Linos, from way back. He’s a stand-up guy.”

Smithy nodded. “Yeah, I know him too. He’s a straight shooter. Fine, I’m up for that.”

Zack handed them each a card with a number on it. “Good, it’s black tie and they want you there by six for a de-brief and it starts at seven. Any problems call Craig.”

Drew stood as he checked his watch. He had just enough time to go see his nephew and nieces before he had to leave. The thought of spending time with those little tykes enough to make him smile. “I’ll meet you here at four-thirty?” he asked Smithy, who nodded as he looked at the card in his hand.

“Yeah, sure.”

With a smile on his face, Drew walked out of Fortis.