Page 28 of Keeping Laryn
Laryn nodded.
“You want to talk about the trials?” he asked, still laser focused on her.
“Not really. The chopper is ready. You’re ready. It’s not a big deal.”
Of course it was a big deal. They all knew that. If something went wrong, if one of the systems that had been installed failed to operate as expected, it could delay the upcoming mission, which would cause all sorts of upheaval in schedules.
“Right. So…I stink,” Tate said. “I could use a shower. How about if we go to my place first, I’ll shower, then back to your apartment so you can get ready? I’ll make us some breakfast before we head over to the base.”
Laryn’s brows furrowed. “That’s not necessary, Tate. Just drop me off at my place and I’ll meet you at the hangar later.”
“Not happening. Laryn, I was there last night. I saw how badly Osman scared you. We have no idea what kind of reach he has or what he might have planned. I’m not willing to leave you vulnerable until we have more intel from Tex.”
“Who is this Tex guy, anyway?” Laryn asked irritably.
“His name is actually John Keegan. He’s a former Navy SEAL who’s a fucking computer genius,” Buck told her, as he stood and brushed grass off his ass.
“He’s had a hand in the rescues of more special forces personnel than we can count,” Obi-Wan added.
“And many of their partners,” Pyro agreed.
“The government trusts him, the SEALs trust him, the Deltas trust him…hell, all the men and women who’ve gotten out of the military trust him. He’s able to dig up information on anyone and everyone. Nothing is buried too deep for him to find,” Chaos told her.
“He’ll let you—and us—know if this asshole who scared you last night is truly a concern, or if all he needs is some ‘encouragement’ from Tex in the way of a virus let loose on his country’s computers to get him to back off,” Edge said with a grin.
“Speaking of which, where is this Osman from? That’s what you said his last name is, right?” Pyro asked.
“Turkey,” Tate answered, before Laryn could.
The others all swore or muttered under their breath.
Everyone followed Buck’s lead and stood. Tate held his hand down to Laryn to help her up. “Come on. Time’s a ticking. And I know you don’t want anyone else messing with your chopper before the trials. We need to get moving so we can shower and get a good breakfast in before we have to hit the ground running.”
Laryn reached up for his hand without thought and the second his fingers closed around hers, goose bumps sprang up on her arms. She prayed Tate didn’t see them, or any of his friends. As soon as she was on her feet, Tate turned and headed for the parking lot where they’d all left their cars…without letting go of her hand. She had no choice, if she didn’t want to make a big deal out of him holding her hand, but to follow along with him.
The other guys chatted about their plans for the day without seeming to think she and Tate holding hands was anything out of the ordinary. And she couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside at how she was being included in their conversations. She’d been on the outskirts of their banter for so long. It was very different to now be part of the inner circle.
When they made a decision, they didn’t fuck around. They were one hundred percent committed. Which wasn’t a huge surprise. Night Stalker pilots were some of the most focused and determined people she’d ever met. Usually that was in regard to completing a mission, come hell or high water. But apparently it also included righting what they thought was a wrong, as well…namely, her not feeling as if she was a part of their team.
And honestly, she wasn’t really…but it was sweet of them tothinkshe was. Yes, she was responsible for their choppers being able to operate under the harshest conditions. For making sure the engines would do what was asked of them without hesitation. But did that make her one of them? In her eyes, no. But apparently these six men thought differently.
The feeling in her belly was one she’d been chasing for years. To belong. To be a part of something bigger than herself. To be an integral cog in the wheel. That’s how she felt when she’d worked with her dad on the cars at the dirt track, how he’d made her feel. And that’s how she felt right now.
She wasn’t too keen on the idea of having a babysitter, but she couldn’t deny that it made her feel a tiny bit better. Until she found out if Altan Osman was an actual threat, it wouldn’t be ahardship to have Tate hanging around. She just had to keep her feelings under wraps. She never wanted him to find out how much of a crush she had on him. It would likely ruin the newfound camaraderie she had with him and his team. Laryn could deal with being his friend. Maybe.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Casper felt on top of the world. The flight trials had been flawless. The chopper responded beautifully to his commands and all the bells and whistles the Army had invested in, the radars, night-vision, missile launchers…everything worked perfectly. And he could tell Laryn had outdone herself on the engine, as it felt more responsive than the one in his last bird. Which was impressive, considering that had been the easiest helicopter he’d ever flown.
His mechanic hadn’t been far from his mind all day. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Laryn admitted that she hadn’t felt as if she was a part of a team. He was ashamed and blamed himself for making her feel that way. He knew better than most how important it was to make everyone he worked with feel valued. As the highest-ranking pilot in his team of Night Stalkers, he felt it was his responsibility to take a leadership role. And he’d failed where Laryn was concerned. So badly that she’d been job hunting.
Of course, she was a grown-ass woman who could, and should, make her own decisions about her life, but he couldn’t help but feel as if he’d let her down. That somehow, she was inthe situation she was in partly because of his actions. If Casper had opened his damn eyes and realized how the lack of inclusion was making Laryn feel, maybe she wouldn’t have asked her friend to be on the lookout for potential contractor positions. He wanted to fix this. One way or another.
And the first step toward that goal was to include their mechanic in their traditional celebration of a successful flight trial.
Still feeling the rush of adrenaline from putting the chopper through its paces with Pyro at his side, with the rest of his fellow Night Stalkers playing the roles of both ally and enemy birds, depending on what system was being evaluated—it was always a challenge to take on one of his friends because they were all unparalleled behind the controls of a helicopter—Casper walked toward where Laryn was standing with two of the younger mechanics who worked for her.
“I’ll know more once I talk to Casper, but it seemed to me that she was pulling right. We need to double check everything to make sure the stick is properly aligned. Being off even half an inch could mean devastation for everyone on the chopper, especially when the pilots are maneuvering between mountain ranges.”
