Page 46 of The Commander

“Fuck yeah, I do.” Hayden stood and straightened his cap. “Especially with borders being so tightly controlled in the area.”

He had a point.

“Hayden’s right. They will have seen this facility going up over the past several months. It won’t have been hard for them to connect the dots and work out that BHS would get a government contract. Training the new elite men and women, who’ll be tasked with breaking up their border and drug operations...”

The three of us glanced around.

“Did they steal something?” Hayden asked, and I realized then that we needed to fill him in properly, so I shared what happened with the rope on the course today.

“Jesus, that’s fucked up,” he responded.

“We pulled it down, but not before one of the trainees was hurt,” Cole said.

“It was just a cut,” I added, but my teeth ground together recalling the sound of Quinn’s short but sharp cry as the blades sliced her.

It might have been a small wound, but the potential of it being much worse was playing like a stuck record in my mind. If she’d grabbed the rope in a different way or slid down and one of the blades had sliced her the wrong way, sideways, we could have been looking at a wound that was difficult to treat.

Fuck...she could have bled out.

Sure, I might be being a bit dramatic, but there were big chunks of sharp razors in that fucking thing, and quality control should have discovered it.

Hell, these cartel motherfuckers should never have gotten into the compound.

But they have.

With Quinn here, I’m going to make sure nothing else can hurt her.

“Let’s break up and check the entire boundary. I’ll call Josh to share our theory and get more of the team checking tomorrow’s equipment a third and fourth time.” The guys agreed with a nod of their heads and took off in different directions. I called out to the newbie. “Hayden, it’s good to have you on board.”

He turned, grinned and held his arms out wide. “It’s good to be here and not be wearing a uniform for a change.”

I chuckled, remembering that feeling.

Nothing makes a newly enlisted soldier prouder than putting on a US military uniform. But wearing it every single day does get old.

I started walking along the perimeter as I pulled out my phone. Josh answered, and I shared our hypothesis.

Hours later, after not finding anything that raised further concern, we all headed back. I had a shower, ate a small meal, then found myself walking over to Quinn’s building.

The need to hold her in my arms after visualizing her bleeding to death all evening was grating on my nerves. I was losing patience with waiting to be with her, sure, but this was different. If something happened to her on my watch, I would never forgive myself.

Which is likely why I was feeling a little predatorial when she opened the door.

Now, kiss me.

Absolutely not.

“How’s your hand?” I ask Quinn, giving her a moment to catch up. Or for me to calm down. I’m not sure which.

“Stinging, if I’m honest.” She swallows, and my dick twitches.

“Did you take pain meds?”

“Are you going to let go of my neck?” Her voice is husky.

“No, I’m going to kiss you.” I smirk slowly.

“You are not.” Quinn’s voice is almost a whimper now, and I snap. Years of patience crumble around me like a house of cards.