AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m so sorry, Luke.” She felt out of her depth. Emotions weren’t her thing, or giving comfort. She could, but after the years she’d spent in the company of men, that often came in the form of a hard slap on the back, or a “get your shit together, Quinn.”
“I’ve hated her most of my life, and now she’s dead that hasn’t changed.”
His mother was dead.
Quinn wanted to muzzle her mom most of the time, but she’d always been there for her even if they didn’t understand each other. She had known she was loved.
“I’m sure you had reason to.”
“And now we have to step in and save her son. Our brother, if that turns out to be true.”
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”
He straightened to his full and impressive height. The man had grown into an outstanding hunk of man flesh. The uniform suited him, and as a woman who spent all her time around uniformed men, she had to say that was something.
“I really am sorry, Luke.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything.” He turned those angry green eyes on her.
“I know. But it’s what you say when someone is hurting.”
He found a smile. “Look, Quinn. I’m real sorry you got caught in the middle of whatever the hell shitstorm just fell in our laps. But thanks for helping me calm down and for looking out for Benji.”
“He’s a good kid.”
“The best.”
“I’m not a good talker. You spend most of your adult life around men, you don’t really get a lot of practice, but I could try if you want to. I mean.” Quinn blew out a breath as he kept those eyes locked on her face. “If you want to talk to someone who is not invested in this.” She waved a hand, completely out of her depth. “I have two ears and nowhere but getting another lecture from Mom to be.”
“I’m not someone who likes to open a vein and let it bleed out, Quinn. But thanks.”
“Sure, and I’m the same.” She turned to leave.
“But what really gets me is thinking he suffered like we did. Is still suffering.” The words exploded from him.
Her heart ached for the boy who’d wanted love from a parent and got hell instead. She turned back to face him.
“How many children is that woman going to fuck with?”
“I’m sorry. Sounds pretty hopeless about now. But I will say that if he’s your brother and only young, then my guess is he’s still got a lot of living to do. If he has people around him going forward who love him, and are invested in him, I think that sooner or later he will adjust to the change… for the better.”
He stood there all broody and hurting, big hands jammed into the pockets of his pants, large shoulders lowered. Quinn had never been a sucker for that kind of thing, but she may have to change her views. Something tugged hard at her chest just looking at him.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Who had saved Luke, she wondered?
“So, a pilot. How’s that working out for you?” he asked, clearly ready to change the subject.
She rolled with it. “So far, so good. I haven’t crashed, mistakenly fired a missile, or ejected as yet.”
“All wins, then.” His lips curled up slightly, and he moved into another level of cute. “Jack may hug you and squeal a bit when he sees you again. He’s pretty impressed.”
This time it was Quinn who snorted. “No big deal. I worked hard, trained harder. There are plenty of people in plenty of careers who do the same.”
“It’s a huge fucking deal.” Luke closed the gap between them. “You’re the shit, Quinderella.”
She sighed. “You don’t get a say in that. The call sign, I mean.”
