AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ve avoided Nattie for the past week. Guess my time’s up. “Nat, it’s not a good time.”
“It hasn’t been a good time for nearly two weeks, Coop. I’ve called you every day. Every. Single. Day. Asshole. You almost died. You seriously couldn’t take ten minutes to call me back?Hey, sis, I’m okay. Hey sis, I love you too. Hey, sis, I’ve been banging our stepsister and keeping it from you.I mean, you had so many options, Coop. You could have picked any of them.” She finally takes a breath, and I jump in.
“Listen, how about this?Hey, sis, I just got told I’ve got 10 percent permanent loss of vision, and my naval career is over.Does that work for you? I love you. But trust me when I say now is not a good time. I’ll call you back soon.” I end the call before she can say anything else. Not ready... for any of it.
* * *
Three hours later, I’ve signed away my life just to get discharged from the hospital, and I’m having a hard time reconciling my new reality as I get ready to head back to the states, less than the man I was when I left. This was it. The goal. My plan for my life. Career military.
Seventy-five percent of the men who start BUD/S don’t finish.
That was never an option for me.
I worked my ass off for this, and now it’s gone.
And who the fuck am I if I’m not a SEAL?
The thoughts play on a constant loop in my mind.
Trick wheels himself back through the door after physical therapy but stops when he sees me zipping my bag. His face pinches as he watches me throw my duffle over my shoulder. “You getting out today?”
“Yeah, man. They cleared me an hour ago. I’m catching a flight home tonight.”
“Fuck,” he groans. “They made it official?”
I nod, a mix of anger and regret churning in a wicked current in my gut. “An hour ago. Honorable medical discharge. My vision will never be what the Navy needs again.”
“At least you’ll be back in time for Linc’s funeral.” He grabs the chocolate pudding cup from my uneaten lunch tray and rips it open. “They still don’t know when they’re sending me stateside for rehab. Should be soon. But who the fuck knows if I’ll ever be back on the teams again.” He shoves the pudding-covered spoon into his mouth. “Have you heard anything else from Rook or Ford?” Pudding slips out of the corner of his mouth.
“Dude, fucking swallow first.”
Trick’s whole face lights up. “That’s whatshesaid.”
I laugh my first real laugh since I woke up in this place. “Whatever, dipshit. I talked to Ford. Rook’s brothers haven’t been able to locate Axel or the guys they think he was working with yet. There’s been no communication from the terrorist group, and Command hasn’t said a damn thing about anything.”
He puts his spoon down and gets serious. “I’m really fucking sorry, brother.”
“Yeah. Me too.” I throw an arm around him and pound his back, not sure when the next time I’ll see him will be. “You take care of yourself over here. Keep your eyes open, and don’t fucking trust anyone. I’ll make sure we read you in on everything we find.”
“I guess that means you already know what you’re doing when you get back to San Diego.”
“Yeah,” I growl. “Finding that traitorous motherfucker and making sure he pays.”
* * *
My military flight landed two hours ago. And thanks to the ever-efficient Navy, my separation paperwork has been signed.
I’m no longer employed by the United States Navy.
I also have no way to get the fuck home, so I call Ford.
My incision is on fire from sitting on a plane for so damn long, and my new constant—a headache forged in the fires of hell—is pounding behind my eyes as he pulls up in front of me and rolls down the window. “I bet I could make a lot of money as an Uber driver.”
“Worth a try.” I reach for my wallet and throw a dollar through the window.
“Get the fuck in the car, Sinclair.” He navigates us out of the parking lot before turning off the radio. “Is it true?”
I silence the phone ringing in my pocket. “You heard?”
