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“Coming right up!” Armand slapped Jason on the back again, almost sending him face first into a goblet full of water. As the larger-than-life man walked away, Cassie could hear him muttering, “Jay Broussard, as I live and breathe,” under his breath and chuckling.

The server didn’t look at all fazed by Armand’s entrance or his departure, though Cassie couldn’t imagine ever getting used to how that man filled a room. The other guests had turned to watch their interaction, and she saw a few people leani

ng close to whisper to each other, probably wondering who Jason was.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” the server said.

“Thank you.” Cassie waited until he left to turn back to Jason. “Saved his life, huh?”

Jason shook his head. “I was a combat medic for a few years. He was wounded in the field. It was a while before we found him. He lost his leg, but it could’ve been worse. I was the one who pulled him out of the pit and treated him until we got back to base. The doctors at camp did the hard part, but the way Armand tells it, I brought him back from the dead.”

“He seems like a good friend.” She took a sip of water, knowing her curiosity was about to get the best of her. “I didn’t know you were a combat medic.”

Jason shrugged. It was a motion she could only describe as humility. “I’ve done a bit of everything. I was probably an MP for the longest, though.”

“Military Police?” Cassie cocked her head to the side. “I don’t think I know much about what they do.”

“Depends on the branch. And the assignment. It took me to a lot of different places. Met a lot of different people.” He smiled. “I just realized who you remind me of.”

“Who?”

“This MP I used to know. She was probably the toughest person I’ve ever met. I hated training with her. She’d kick my ass without breaking a sweat.”

Cassie laughed. “That sounds nothing like me.”

“You’re tough, too.”

“Oh yeah, you definitely want me on your side in a bar fight.” She flexed her arms. “The other guys wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Jason shook his head, but he laughed. “I think you’d be pretty scrappy in a fight. But that’s not what I mean.” He paused, like he was searching for the perfect words. “She always looked like she had the entire weight of the world on her shoulders. Like she dared the universe to throw her something she couldn’t handle just so she could prove it wrong. You look that way sometimes.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Neither.” He shrugged. “I like it, though.”

“Well, that’s good to know.”

“Last time I saw her, she had these scars running up and down her arm—”

Cassie’s hand automatically went to her shirt and tugged it higher on her chest. She hated how she was still self-conscious of them, hated that Jason had noticed them. It was the one physical aspect of Novak she couldn’t remove from her life. She might push him out of her mind, but there were still remnants of what he’d done all over her body.

Jason reached out a hand but stopped short of touching her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. We’ve never talked about it, and that should’ve been my sign to keep my mouth shut.”

“No, no. It’s fine.” When he didn’t look convinced, she forced a smile. “Really, it is. I just wasn’t sure if you ever noticed. If it bothered you.”

“I notice everything about you, Cassie. I couldn’t ignore you if I tried. And if I’m being honest, I don’t really want to.” He let the tips of his fingers come down on her arm. “We don’t have to talk about it. But for the record, there’s nothing about you that would scare me away.”

“Even if I were a serial killer?”

Jason looked like he was trying to stay serious, but the corners of his mouth went up. “Depending on the circumstances, I might give you a free pass.”

“Good to know.” Cassie’s smile faded. She hadn’t planned on doing this tonight, in public, but it was as good a time as any. Sometimes you had to rip off the Band-Aid in one swift motion. “I was looking for a way to tell you about that. About me. I just didn’t know how.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He rubbed the side of her hand with his thumb. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a pretty patient person.”

“I have noticed.” She smiled, and it was genuine. “And I do want to tell you.”

“Then I’m all ears.”

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