Page 42 of Knox
As for right now?
Quinn was ready to get the heck out of Kabul for good.
She pulled back, briefly meeting his gaze.Knox hadn’t shaved, and dark stubble coated his strong jaw.He looked good.Damn good.Quinn was disheveled from sleep, but Knox had that sexy, slightly rumpled vibe going for him.The man was hot no matter what he did.It was unfair, really.
“Are you ready to do this?”he asked quietly.
“Do I have a choice?”she joked.
“This will be the easy part.You already survived on your own.Now, you’ve got all of Bravo Team to safely escort you back to U.S.soil.”
“Then let’s do this,” she agreed, but she still clutched onto him, nervous.
His eyes softened.Knox shocked the hell out of her by slowly leaning forward and pressing his lips to her forehead.It was tender.Sweet.For being a somewhat quiet, gruff man, he could be surprisingly attuned to her.His big hand ran over her hair, his breath whispering across her skin.“I promise you’re safe with me,” he swore, his voice husky and low.
Something swelled within her chest.Appreciation.Gratitude.Love.Knox was always watchful of her, aware in a way that surprised her.
“You kids ready to go?”Boone called out, hustling down the hall.
Quinn pulled back, flushing.For a moment, she wondered if the team knew she’d basically slept in Knox’s arms.
“We’re all set,” Knox confirmed.
His hand landed on the small of her back, and he guided her down the hall, Boone leading the way.The corner of Quinn’s mouth hitched up when she entered the living room.It was funny to see so many big, gruff men standing around Sloane.Sure, Quinn worked with these guys daily, but she wasn’t used to watching them in full commando mode.It was humbling.They took risks she’d never dream of, and this time, they’d risked their lives to come for her.
“Looking good, Quinncess,” Cooper joked, taking her in.
Her cheeks pinkened.Clearly, they’d all realized she was wearing Knox’s clothes.What did they think happened?
“Can it,” Knox said, and Quinn chuckled.They’d had this same conversation at the office, only a few days and a lifetime ago.
“I’ll bring you both up to speed,” Sloane said, moving toward a map spread across the table.She quickly showed them the route.
Boone cleared his throat.“Holt arranged for a ride.We’ll get to the extraction point at oh-four-hundred.If for some reason we fail to show, we’re to be at the same location tonight at twenty-three hundred.”
“Tonight?”Quinn asked in shock.
“We always have multiple backup plans,” Knox explained quietly.
None of the men looked concerned, and they continued discussing a few specifics.“I’ll take point as we move out,” Sloane said.
Gage bristled.“Honey, you’ve got five former Spec Ops guys here.”
“And which one of us has been living in Kabul for the past eight months?”she asked, slanting him a look.
Coop chuckled.“Point taken, Sly.”
Knox muttered under his breath.“Now she has a nickname, too?”
“Sure does,” Cooper said with a grin.“We can’t let Quinncess have all the fun.”
Before long, they were moving out of the home in the dark early morning hours, Sloane and Gage heading up the front of their entourage.Quinn didn’t even want to know what was going on between them.They seemed to have definite sparks, but whatever it was obviously ended here.
The group was silent as they crept down the block.Silent and deadly, Quinn thought.Everyone was armed but her, and she knew the team would kill anyone who tried to stop them.They exited the city quietly, as they’d hoped.The mobs and turmoil from yesterday had long since died down.Quinn cast a quick glance back toward Kabul after they’d made it to the outskirts.The past few days felt almost like a dream—a living nightmare.
“This is where we part ways,” Sloane said as they lingered for a moment, eyeing the vehicles in the distance.
“It’s a shame we can’t stay longer,” Gage quipped.“We were just getting to know each other.”
