Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) (51 page)

Sam’s response held hope and fear in equal amounts. “I don’t want to have to leave. I like it here.”

“He won’t let that happen,” Neil soothed and both men knew they’d be there to help Adrian with it.

“You’re one of us Sam, and I mean more than just a member of this camp.” Jeremy glanced at Neil and saw that his team leader was unsure. “For personal reasons?”

Neil stared back at him reluctantly. “Probably.” The thought of her at their side for missions had just terrified him.

“Then you’re unfit to make the call. Should I wait for one of the others?”

“What are you guys talking about?”

“He wants to recommend you to Adrian for the Eagles.”

They turned to see Angela’s head in the open space, face stained with the nerves and curtness all the lower level Eagles displayed right before the tests.

“And I agree. No woman should be held back because of a man’s fears or jealousy.”

She disappeared, but before the trio could say anything, Marc’s head popped into the empty space wearing a rueful expression.

“That was aimed at me. As you were.”

He ducked out and they heard his mutter clearly.

“Damn. Now where the hell did she go?”

Sam and the two Eagles exchanged surprised looks and then burst out laughing, sending the last of her panicked fear out into the stalk-filled darkness.

7

"You’re upset."

Angela smothered the startled shout that wanted to fly out of her mouth, but her gun was drawn and pointed at him before she could stop it.

Adrian was pleased with her reaction. He’d just confirmed his assumptions about distance with Dog… and that had been enlightening. Then he'd snuck up on Angela again, on purpose. She was ready for more and now, so was he.

“Things are unfair sometimes.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No!”

Adrian felt her need, responded. Brady had let him know she’d ditched her shadow, but not why. It wasn’t a stretch to guess that the Wolfman hadn’t liked finding out she was going on the mission, too. “Want a lesson?”

“Yes, a real one!”

Adrian eyed her bright red scab, and then stepped by her to the training tent that they now had to themselves. "You can talk to me."

Angela watched him remove his weapons and followed his lead, sure there were guards on them. Brady might be out there somewhere, too, but right now his face was the last one she wanted to see.

"I know that."

Adrian raised a brow expectantly and she shrugged. "I'll handle it."

Angela stepped into the hayroom to be hit with a sudden sense of worry. He'd taken out Neil so easily.

"I won't hurt you." She’d tensed a bit and he couldn’t stop himself from comforting her.

"I know that, too."

Adrian stepped close to her, leaned in. They’d been taking it slow, working through small areas, but that was over now. "The hard way or the easy way?"

Angela paled, but didn't hesitate. "Hard. I want to be able to kick his ass anytime I feel like it."

Adrian didn't doubt who she was talking about. All of this mess was Kenn’s fault. Steeling his heart, he stepped back, eyes unreadable. "I challenge you."

Angela immediately swung a roundhouse, sure he wasn't ready for it, and the blond staggered back at the blow… then returned the favor.

It was only a light sting on her cheek, but shocked sounds echoed from the dim cracks around them. Adrian had hit a woman!

Angela wasn't shocked; she knew what she'd asked for, and she leaned into her next swing, telling him she could take more.

Adrian let her hit land and then delivered another slap, this one a bit harder.

She swayed, caught her balance, fired back.

Angela's hits became steadily harder, and each slap he delivered was received with a pinched up face and a healing heart. Before the War, she would have been on the ground already, begging not to be hit again.

Slap!

Adrian's blow knocked her down and Angela felt her rage spring to life as she picked herself up, blood dripping from her lip. How many times had Kenny done that to her? A hundred? A thousand? And she'd had to sit back and take it.

Her grin was ice as she moved toward him. Not anymore. Now, she got to fight back! Her hit was full of fury, solid and well delivered, and Adrian staggered back again.

Blood dripped from his nose, but his thoughts were still calm, safe.

"Again, and mean it this time, Bitch!" he snarled, making his voice sound almost identical to Kenn's and she did just that, using the new skills she'd learned from Neil. Blood sprayed at the hit, rocking his head back.

Three of the stunned men watching through the cracks in the bales moved closer to the doorway as the tension grew thicker and the hits harder, not sure who to protect.

"Whore!"

The insult had Angela swinging again, Adrian grunting at the impact. Neil had done his job.

"Never get away! Mine!"

Angela's fury was firmly in control and even though Adrian was no longer hitting back, she couldn't stop, shiny tears of rage rolling down her red cheeks with every swing.

"Hate you! Fuck you! Pig!"

Adrian stayed as still as he could and felt bitterness grow heavy in his heart for the Marine. Such a piece of shit Kenn had been.

Angela stopped swinging, shoulder on fire. She rested her hands on her knees, getting her wind back.

Adrian wiped his sleeve over his bloody face, waiting, not sure if it had been enough.

"I'm not... either," Angela panted.

He looked casually at his wrist. "Another five?"

She moved toward him with fire burning in her depths.

Kyle had called Neil, Seth already there, and the three men now stood together. Guarding the training area against witnesses, their unsure eyes occasionally slid to Brady, who had his stiff back to them, listening. What the hell was happening? Should they intervene? It looked like Adrian had provoked her with the challenge and was now letting her beat on him. If it had been a normal girl's slapping and pulling of hair, they wouldn’t have been so worried, but her hits were sturdier than they had expected, drawing blood… not to mention Adrian's return blows would be very hard to explain.

"Is your fear gone?" Adrian asked, five minutes later.

Angela considered, shook her head in a violent spray of blood and sweat. Usually, these stains and pains belonged to the men of Safe Haven and she relished the feel of them while they were there. He hadn’t told her what to do after their private lesson, but she already knew the camp wasn’t ready to see her this way.

"Not completely. I still kept waiting for you to really hit me back."

"What I did was too much. It makes my heart hurt."

She smiled in sympathy, going to him. "And mine, as well."

Angela leaned close, so much that Adrian and those guarding thought she might hug him. Instead, she exhaled hundreds of brightly colored atoms that swirled softly in the air around their heads.

"Breathe them in."

Adrian did it without hesitation, their mouths close enough to touch if either of them moved, and he felt the magic instantly start healing their injuries. Hunger flashed up between them, sharp and dangerous.

A minute later, the tiny colored orbs were vanishing. Her eyes flashed with amusement that he thought was a bit forced. She’d felt it this time, the future waiting for them.

"The Eagles are debating just turning around and pretending they didn’t see anything, now that they think we're done."

Adrian chuckled with her, but doubted Marc felt that way. "You did good, worked through some of it."

Refusing to let Brady’s chaotic thoughts distract her, Angela smoothed her hair down, adjusted her clothes. "Sometimes I can't believe I didn't kill him."

When Adrian spoke, she had no doubt it was the truth.

"I'll give it to you if it will help heal the damage he’s done."

"It means a great deal to me that you would, but I don't want him dead anymore." She stepped closer, unable to deny the attraction flying between them. “Not after all you've done for me and my son. That would hurt your dreams and I'd never do that.”

"
Our
dreams."

She smiled, face flushing. He was putting her in a position of power, teaching her how to lead them, and she allowed her gratitude to show. "I owe you a huge debt."

He shook his head, using the moment to confront something he was uncertain about. "It’s nothing compared to what I owe you for not telling them who I was."

Angela’s voice lowered, even though they were out of earshot. "When these people find out, you'll lose everything."

Adrian’s voice was tortured. "I know and I deserve whatever they give me, but until then, I'll rebuild and teach them what the old world had forgotten."

Angela ignored the voice wanting to know exactly where she fit into those plans. "You're doing great with them, especially the women."

He concentrated, sending her his vision, and Angela grinned, still a bit amazed to have this kind of connection with both him and Brady.

"Like the Amazons." She smiled wider, picking up his mental image of a camp full of warrior women, with her, in full glory, leading them.

"Yes, in a place where the women are as dangerous as the men, America’s survival will never be in doubt.”

8

Neil saw the shadow moving his way through the empty trees around them, and grimaced. He thought they’d settled this. He was on duty in the very rear of camp and Becky had no business here.

Using the skills he’d honed during his time in Safe Haven, Neil ducked out of view and circled back, never losing sight of the darkly dressed female. He inched closer and grabbed her arm as his other hand went over her mouth to stifle the expected yell.

“What the hell are you doing, Becky? I already told you not to track me anymore!”

She shook her head, mumbling against his hand and Neil gently shoved her away. “I can’t give in to you yet, so stop it now!”

Samantha was shocked by her jealousy and she didn’t turn around, chest hurting from how much she wanted him.

Neil heard her sound and immediately felt guilty for all the times he’d led Becky on. “Wait.”

She kept moving and the Trooper caught her around the waist. He pulled her back into his arms. “I’m sorry, Becky,” he whispered, holding her close as she struggled. “Please don’t cry.”

Before Samantha could tell him she was trying not to hit him, he spun her around and kissed her, hard. Sam responded as if she was drowning and he was the only way to breathe.

Neil let her deepen the kiss against his better judgment, unable to resist as her sweet tongue slid along his lip, begging entrance. Hot fire flooded him as their tongues touched and he held her by the hip and neck, lost.

He felt the hunger, the passion of a grown woman simmering and his heart responded even as his mind began registering her height, her smell; the feel of her body melted over his like it had always been there. This hot-blooded seductress wasn’t his virginal Becky.

Neil slowly broke the kiss, hand reluctantly letting go of the firm cheek it was gripping. His eyes flew open at her mewling noise of protest. He knew that voice!

“Samantha?”

“Neil.” She was winded. “I’m here to give you relief.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched and her cheeks went pink. “I mean, I’m your relief!”

Neil remembered to breathe and took a step back, very aware that he wasn’t worried about who might have seen, only her reaction. And that he was incredibly hard. “I’m sorry.”

“It was a case of mistaken identity. No big deal.”

“You aren’t mad?”

“Mad? No. Turned on? Hell, yes.”

Sam moved around him to take up her post in the darkness and Neil moved toward camp in a daze. How the hell was he supposed to sleep after that?

“This is Safe Haven. We are an American refugee camp offering food, protection and medical care. Is anyone listening?”

Rick hit the button on the timer and took another long swig of his beer, knowing it would be almost three full minutes before the radioman stopped broadcasting and started rechecking the channels for messages. It was an easy rhythm to predict and he thought he had it down, was about to test his theory.

He picked up the short mic, remembering the tan guard asking him why he wanted the portable CB. He’d said to listen, like the rest of the camp, but knew Kyle hadn’t believed him. He’d had the radio for two weeks now, not daring to make any calls until Adrian lifted the radio silence. Was it okay now that they were broadcasting again?

“Only one way to find out,” he muttered, putting the distorter over the mic and keying the button.

“I’ve got one minute. Instructions?”