Page 41 of Protecting Josie
“Get up, lazy bones,” Kevlar told them. “We have to grab breakfast and see the admiral, then I’m sure you want to say goodbye to your brother before we head out.”
“Let’s do this,” Blink told Josie.
“Let’s do this,” she whispered back.
“Wait—did she just talk?” Preacher asked.
Safe smacked the back of his head, but Blink didn’t take his gaze from Josie’s. Every word from her mouth felt like a huge win, though honestly, he didn’t care if she was mute or not. He seemed to be able to understand her just fine. Theywere connected by circumstance. They’d been through hell together and come out the other side.
Josie stood on the deck of the aircraft carrier and watched as Nate hugged his brother goodbye. He was there with five other Night Stalker pilots. She’d been introduced to the ones she hadn’t met yet—Chaos and Edge—and couldn’t help but smirk a little at all their call signs. Obi-Wan, Buck, Pyro, Casper…she wanted to ask how they got their nicknames. What they all meant. But she wasn’t going to get the chance. They had to get on the plane that was waiting to take them to Germany.
In the meeting with the admiral that morning, he told her that a replacement passport would be waiting for her in Germany. Something about how a man named Tex had arranged it. Josie didn’t know who Tex was, but she was grateful for his assistance. The thought of having to wait on the ship or in Germany while Nate and the others all went home scared the hell out of her. Not that anyone had been rude or mean to her, she just felt more comfortable around the men she already knew.
Who was she kidding? It was Nate she felt the most at ease around. He saw past the traumatized, grubby, smelly, skin-and-bones creature he’d first met to the woman underneath it all. She felt as if she was emerging from years of living in dark and dank sewers. Covered in filth, forgotten. And in a way, she was.
Technically, she was still Josie England, the same forgettableand uninteresting woman she’d been before. But Nate made her feel like…more.
His words from that morning echoed in her head.
I need you in my life…Not someonelikeyou—but you.
They were life-changing words.
Ayden had told her early in their relationship how much he loved her. How beautiful she was. How smart. But in the end, they’d been nothing but pretty words to get her into bed. She understood that now, and he’d shown his true colors soon enough. He didn’t care abouther, just about what he could get from her.
But Nate? He saw straight to her soul, and what he saw didn’t seem to turn him off. She certainly hadn’t been at her best since they’d met. Either physically or mentally. But it didn’t matter. That cup of water she’d given him? He might think it was a difficult decision for her to make. To give up the only thing keeping her alive. And with anyone else, it might’ve been. But the fact that Nate hadn’t demanded she share, hadn’t expected anything from her, as Ayden would have, made it all the more easy to offer it.
The truth was, she regretted not giving him the water earlier. She shouldn’t have waited so long. But thankfully they’d been rescued, and in the end it didn’t matter.
“He’s a good man,” Kevlar said to her, as they watched Nate and Tate say their goodbyes. “I owe him everything. He saved my Remi. Did what he does best, watch and observe, then acted when it was needed.”
Josie looked up at him. She remembered Nate telling her about what happened with Remi, being kidnapped and almostburied alive. He’d downplayed his role in the entire fiasco, obviously.
Kevlar turned to look at her. “He’s been through hell. And I’m not talking about this latest shitshow. He lost his former SEAL team. Some died. Some were hurt so bad they were medically retired. For weeks he did nothing but sit at the local bar we like to go to and stare into space. But he’s literally one of the strongest men I know. We’re lucky to have him, and when we heard what happened—that he was sent back into Iran where he’d lost his last team, and got himself captured so the men he was with could get away—there was no way we weren’t going to be the ones to come get him. You and him…you’re so much alike, it’s not even funny. You both have pain you’ve shoved deep down inside, but you don’t let it stop you from surviving. I think you’re perfect for each other.
“And I realize people will be skeptical. Hell,youprobably are. But I knew the moment I saw Remi that she was it for me. I didn’t admit it to myself, but I knew all the same. He can heal you if you let him, just as you can do the same for him. Just don’t hurt him, Josie. I’m not sure he can take it. Not after everything else.”
Her heart broke for the man who’d quickly become everything to her. She wanted to tell Kevlar that she wasn’t going to hurt Nate. But the words wouldn’t come. All she could do was nod.
“Good. Glad we had this talk,” Kevlar said with a small chuckle. “I’ve already told you that Remi’s going to want to meet you, and I wasn’t lying. She’ll be chomping at the bit to meet Blink’s woman. They have a special bond. One that I am in no way jealous of. Without him, I wouldn’t have her. Shemight be a little protective of him, so I’m asking that you give her some grace. You two went through hell together, but so did she and Blink.”
Josie nodded again.
“Thank you. I swear, Remi will be as loyal a friend as you’ll ever have. She’s a cartoonist. Wait until you read some of her Pecky the Traveling Taco cartoons. They’re hilarious.”
“Lord, are you going on about Pecky again?” Flash asked from behind them.
Josie turned to see the SEAL smiling at them.
“Yup,” Kevlar said without turning around. “If I could get everyone I meet to read her stuff, I could retire from the Navy and be a house-husband.”
“You can already do that,” MacGyver said. “We all know she makes gads of money from that damn taco.”
“Whatever,” Kevlar mumbled.
Josie couldn’t help but giggle at them.
“Such a sweet sound,” Safe said, looking at her in surprise from the other side of Kevlar.
