The press is starting to arrive, and that’s our cue to get out of here. We load into two vans and go to the airport. We bypass all security and are loaded onto the plane in a whirlwind. As soon as everyone’s on board, Aiden has the plane in the air.
Sam is sitting a few seats up from me, and I can’t take my eyes off her. At least not until Nash gets up and stands beside me. “Want to debrief me on what happened out there, Bear?”
I nod. “Sure thing, sir.”
I stand up, and Sam turns wide eyes to me. I can see the question in her eyes, and I try to smile, even though I’m sure it looks more like a scowl than anything. I hate to explain myself to anyone, and I have a feeling I may not like what Nash is going to say.
Nash takes an aisle seat in the very back of the plane, and I sit in the seat across the aisle from him.
“So...” he starts, and I hold my hand up. I may be a man of few words, but these are important.
“I’m not going to stop seeing her, Nash. If you’ve got a problem with us dating, tell me now. I’ll find another job.”
Nash stares at me, and I’m waiting on him to rip my ass or ask me what the hell I’m thinking. But he surprises me. He lets out a breath. “I’m not going to tell you that you can’t see her. Fuck, Bear. You find someone you care about, you don’t give her up. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake before, and I wouldn’t wish that kind of doom on anyone.”
For just a second, Nash looks lost in thought with pain etched on his face. I’ve never talked to Nash about his personal life, but as long as I’ve known him, there’s never been a woman in the picture. Obviously, there’s one I don’t know about.
Nash shakes his head. “So, anyway, I get it. But you tell me. I can’t lose you or Sam. Are you going to be able to work together and get the job done?”
I grit my teeth. “We’ll make it work. There’s no other option, Nash.”
He seems to weigh my words and finally nods. “Fine, but for a while, you’ll be going on separate missions.”
“Nash, I don’t think...”
Nash holds his hand up. “You trust her?”
I nod.
“You trust the guys?”
Fuck. “Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, well, until we smooth out the kinks, that’s the way it’s going to have to be. Separate missions until we get rules laid out.”
“I hate rules,” I tell him.
He laughs, and the crew in the front of the plane all turn around to see. “I know you do, but they’re needed. You know I’m right, Bear.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sam
“He’s always like this. He has to decompress and sort things out in his head after a mission. Usually doesn’t say two words to anyone,” Knox says while giving me a sympathetic look.
I guess I’m making it obvious the way I’m staring after Bear. He went to the back of the plane and talked to Nash for a while, and when he was done, he walked right past me and sat in the very front seat of the plane.
I know this was a hard mission. No one wants to believe that there are people in this world that would do these kind of things, but I know that since Bear was a POW, he’s seen worse. Maybe he’s having flashbacks to that. I’m just going to have to be patient.
The flight is quick, and when we land at the base, we all get out. Nash calls a meeting for the next day, and I don’t even go inside; I head straight for my car.
I’m embarrassingly slow, carting my luggage behind me, hoping that Bear is going to stop me, but he doesn’t.
He’s talking to Logan and Knox, and I hear Knox asking if they want to go grab a beer or something. I don’t even wait to hear an answer. I shut the door on my SUV and pull out of the guarded lot to head home.
It takes no time at all to get home, and I park in the garage and make my way into the house. I hate this feeling, but I don’t know how to shake it. Something spectacular happened between Bear and me. Did he change his mind, though? Did Nash tell him it’s his job or me, he had to choose?
Fuck, I didn’t even think of that. I kick off my shoes and am about to fall on the couch when my doorbell rings.
I hold my breath as I practically run to look out the peephole. It’s him. It’s Bear. I take a deep breath and let it out before pulling the door open. I do my best to keep my voice calm. “Hey.”