Page 63 of You for Her (The Edge of Retaliation 2)
He nods and leans forward, pressing a kiss to my lips that makes my whole body tingle. I forget that everyone else is there, no doubt wondering what the hell is going on between the two of us, and just take in the incredible feeling that washes over my body. Tanner pulls back and stands, and I give him a weak smile as he turns and says to the others, “Let’s get this done.”
They disappear, and I wriggle farther forward on my stomach and peer down.
“That was kind of hot,” Jo says, and I turn my head and look at her, flushing.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “It was nice.”
“You two are something then?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what we are. He said he has feelings for me, that he regrets what happened and is sorry, but I can’t help my own doubtful thoughts sometimes. It’s like they creep in and try to destroy how I feel about him.”
“Because of what he did?” Jo questions.
I look back at the compound. “Yeah, because of that. I feel almost guilty that I even talk to him, let alone feel something for him. It’s almost like my body is punishing itself for its own emotions, if that makes sense?”
“Yeah, I understand guilt, believe me,” she murmurs, “You have no reason to feel it, though, honey. You’re allowed to feel something toward Tanner without punishing yourself for it. What happened, it’s finished with. He made a mistake, no doubt about that, but he was misguided and wrong. He admits that. If you like him, if you care for him, then you shouldn’t hold back. Life is far too short.”
I narrow my eyes, still watching the compound, afraid to take my eyes off it, and say, “You’re speaking from experience right now?”
She goes silent for a moment.
“Everything okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah,” she whispers, “it’s fine. Sometimes I just wish I was someone else, sometimes I wish I had the choice to make the decision I wanted instead of being forced with one. It doesn’t feel nice, you should be glad you’re able to make those choices for yourself.”
I purse my lips, both understanding and confused by her words. She’s acting like she doesn’t have a choice, but she does. Everyone does. She doesn’t have to stay with Patrick, even though leaving him would be hard.
“You have a choice, Jo,” I say, careful with my words. “You’re just not choosing to take it.”
“What would you know?” she snaps, shocking me. “You think because of what you’ve lived through, that my situation is easy. It isn’t easy, it’s so far from it. I don’t get to just change my path, to just recreate my life. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Jo,” I say, but I can’t finish my sentence because I see movement down near the gate. Tatum waves up at us, and I give him a small wave in return.
They’re going in.
I still can’t see a third man, but Garrett was adamant that there are always three guards. That makes me feel a little uneasy, and I focus all my attention on what’s going down right now. I focus on Tanner, watching as he squats down in the bushes, aiming his gun through the fence at a man currently lighting a cigarette. My heart leaps into my throat, and I feel unwell, wondering what the hell is about to happen. I’m scared. I don’t like the unknown.
“You watch Tanner and Ethan,” Jo says, her voice still hard, which makes my heart ache because we never argue, we never disagree. “I’ll keep an eye on Tatum and Garrett.”
“Okay,” I say softly, focusing on Ethan now.
He’s in the bushland about five yards from the gate, crouching down, waiting to get into the compound as soon as the men are down. Tanner does a waving motion, I’m guessing to Tatum or Garrett, and then he focuses all his attention on the gun in his hands.
Everything after that happens quite quickly, the sound of a gun being fired echoes through the trees, and within a second, the man smoking a cigarette is clawing at his neck, dropping to his knees and frantically trying to pull something out. Tanner hit him with efficiency, straight in the neck. Not even one minute passes and the man falls forward onto his hands, his body swaying as whatever drug is now moving through his system takes over.
“Tanner hit one guy, he’s down,” I say to Jo.
“Tatum did, too. There isn’t a third man yet. Nobody has come out of the office. Garrett is still watching; I don’t know what he’s saying but they’re moving.”
Maybe there isn’t a third man today? That would make this really, really easy.
I focus on Ethan and see him rushing toward the front gate, pulling a dark mask over his face so he becomes unrecognizable. He uses a bolt cutter to open cut the lock and then he’s inside the compound. Moments later, the three men have made their way around and are inside too, all of them covered. I know which one Tanner is, only because I haven’t taken my eyes off him. They move quickly from there, rushing over to the shipping containers. I can’t tell what they’re saying, but Garrett’s hands are flying around, pointing the office.
