Say It Ain't So (SWAT Generation 2.0 9)

The more I sat there and tried to control it, the more people that I felt looking at me.

And I was still having a really hard time breathing.

Was that because I’d been body-slammed, or because of the anxiety at this point?

I wasn’t too sure, but as I opened my eyes and saw everyone’s attention on me, I felt like I was about to break.

“They’re magically delicious.” I paused. “Fuck!”

Sammy, who’d been staring at Patman like he was about to eviscerate him, finally turned his gaze to me.

And when he saw me staring at him, about to lose it, he seemed to wilt slightly.

I looked away, feeling a tad bit frustrated when I realized that he was looking quite vulnerable in that moment.

“How about you take her into the office,” came that rough, sexy voice that I couldn’t stop dreaming about. “Might make it easier on her.”

Relief flooded through me and I looked over my shoulder at the sexy man that made my heart palpitate.

“That would be great,” Aurora said. “Because then I’ll lose my shit in private.”

Luke jerked his chin in Sammy’s direction.

“Let him go,” he ordered.

Sammy broke free and walked to me, dropping down onto one knee where I was still lying wide-eyed on the floor.

In one smooth motion, he had me up and in his arms, his eyes on mine.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern dripping from his voice.

The heat of his body felt magnificent against my chilled skin.

“Umm,” I hedged. “My back hurts.”

He cursed.

“Are you okay to tell the chief what happened?” he asked. “Or do I need to take you to the ER?”

I was already shaking my head. “I think I’m okay.”

At least, I felt okay.

My eyes flicked around the room as I tried super hard not to make any direct eye contact with any of the men.

I was shaking, though, and there wasn’t anything I could do about that.

Luke Roberts cursed. “Patman, the office. Keep your cool or you can go pack your fuckin’ locker right now.”

My eyes automatically moved to the man that I’d been avoiding looking at all this time.

Patman stiffened and looked at me with so much hate in his eyes that I ducked my head and tucked it partially into Sammy’s side.

God, he smelled so good.

I swallowed hard when Sammy pulled me even tighter into his arms.

“Let’s go,” I heard Luke say.

Sammy let me go then and urged me closer to him, turning at the same time to guide me out of the room.

“The rest of you, I’m sorry to say this, but tonight is finished. Same time next week,” Luke called out. “Bennett, shut it down.”

Then I was moving in front of everyone to an office that was down the alcove that I’d been working in with Patman, Reggie, and my sister.

Sammy reached forward and pushed open a door, revealing a large breakroom type area.

He led me over to the side of the room and picked me up before placing me on the counter in the corner of the room. Seconds later, he crowded me and practically touched me from knee to ankle as he protectively covered me from everyone else in the room.

The door didn’t even close for a few seconds before Aurora was losing her shit.

“She fucking told him in the very beginning of class that she was pregnant,” Aurora snapped. “Everyone in our group heard.”

I hadn’t said it. Aurora had.

Ashe had come up to Patman a few minutes into our instructions and said a few words, causing Patman’s eyes to move from me to Ashe and back.

Though, the sneer hadn’t slid off his face despite looking at Ashe.

It was as if he had an ‘I hate women’ gene in general.

“I didn’t hear that,” Patman lied.

Aurora turned her glaring gaze toward him and snapped, “Fuck you.”

“Ma’am,” Luke said, directing his words toward my sister.

“He heard it,” Sammy growled, his voice so low that I shivered. “I was watching. Heard it all.”

He had?

Luke turned toward Patman.

“What was your reasoning for that kind of takedown?” Luke asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Patman turned his glare toward me.

“She touched me. Got my arm in a lock,” he said. “It was a reaction.”

I nearly laughed.

My sister, however, did laugh.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Aurora said. “She had you in an armlock, which she was letting you out of. You had a hold on her wrist, which might I add she still has the mark from,” Aurora pointed at my arm. “And you’ve been glaring at us both all night. Let’s not forget what you said about our parents before we’d even started.”

There was a second of silence as everyone digested Aurora’s words.

“What did he say about your parents?” Sammy asked, sounding about as close to irate as you could come without actually hauling back and punching someone.

I licked my lips and went to tell him, but Aurora was there first, explaining exactly what he’d said.