Page 36 of Hazard

“We do what we do for the team and the mission. That’s all. We don’t need medals for doing our jobs,” he said, meeting her gaze, one battle-tested sniper eating a chocolate chip cookie with gusto.

Leigh just sat there long after Breakneck left, mulling over what he’d said, and feeling her heart tugging on her hard, thinking that it would be so easy to fall for a man like Hazard. Humble, strong, sweet, and patient. But there was a hard, cold side to him. She’d seen his intent when he was going to blow Conde away. Her heart beat a little faster at the way he had looked, so tough and threatening.

She’d fallen for a man in uniform a long time ago, and she had allowed him to think she could change her life. That was a lot of power, and as seductive as Hazard was, as much as she’d like to sink into the man, she was terrified of even thinking there was hope. Her power belonged to her. She had fought so hard for it.

Her heart squeezed tight in her chest, a distinct warning that she was dangerously close to falling for Hazard anyway, in ways that compromised her independence. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do about her growing feelings for him.

It was a compelling and awful dilemma.

As it turned out, Hazard wasn’t able to get back to Leigh, but he was mollified that Anna was with her. While he was settling down to sleep on a makeshift bed, nothing he wasn’t used to, he closed his eyes, the fatigue dragging at him. He hoped with all his might that Leigh would get past this, they would get Alzate, he was more determined than he had been before this mission, and she could go back to the States satisfied that justice had been served.

All he could see was her bruises, and he opened his eyes to glare at the lump their prisoner made on the ground, while Preacher watched over him. They didn’t dare let Hazard anywhere near him, and that was for the best.

Before he knew it, Iceman was shaking him awake, a garbled, staticky message was sounding in his earpiece. It finally got clearer.

“Iceman, this is Jedi, Marine Mike Tango 257.”

“Go for Iceman.”

“Master Chief! It’s very good to hear your voice. What is your location? We’ve been searching for you half the night.”

“Copy that.” Ice rattled off the coordinates.

“Hot LZ?”

“No. You’re good to land.”

“Aw, too bad. I have a full contingent of Marines that were looking to save a bunch of SEAL asses, as usual.”

Iceman laughed. “We wouldn’t have refused your help, Jedi.”

Hazard got up and started getting his gear together, relieved that they wouldn’t have to trudge out of the gap. Preacher readied the prisoner, putting a gag in his mouth, then setting a hood over his head. His hands were still bound, but Preacher bent down and sliced through the zip tie around his ankles. That was good.

He looked at Preacher, and the senior chief looked back at him. There was no judgment in his eyes. He knew what it was like to want to kill someone with his bare hands. After Luna had been taken…he had been out of his head with worry.

He nodded to Hazard, his silent communication so clear. Leigh won’t have to look at his ugly mug all the way back to Bogotá.

Trying to tamp down his sudden anger, Hazard walked over to the building and knocked. When he got the okay to enter, he poked his head in and informed the two women they had a ride back to Bogotá. Anna was elated, but Leigh still looked exhausted. He wondered if she had slept at all.

Fifteen minutes later, they watched as the big Chinook landed and Marines poured out to cover their run to the chopper.

Once they were all inside, the Marines loaded up, and they flew back to the TOC where more Marines were guarding the plane that had landed. All of the bodies had been loaded on board, and as he settled back against the orange netting, he couldn’t help looking at the body bags. He wanted to shield Leigh from the sight, but when he looked over at her, she was staring at them with such a devastated look on her face, he slipped his arm around her, not caring who saw it.

She pressed her head against his shoulder, and he stayed that way on the flight back. When they landed, he hustled her off the flight, not waiting for them to unload those black bags. She’d had enough of that sight.

Back at the compound, he went with her to their room where he waited while she showered and gathered up his clean clothes from his locker. She came out of the bathroom, clean and dressed. He took his turn, insisting on leaving the door open in case she needed him.

When he came out, he decided that the best course of action was for her to leave. He found her on the bed just sitting there. He frowned and walked over to her.

“I think you should pack up and get a flight out of here.”

Her expression startled, she stared at him, alarm flickering in her eyes, then she jumped up and started to walk past him as if he hadn’t said a word. He grabbed her arm and wheeled her around, his irritation skyrocketing. He caught her by the jaw and forced her to look at him, something dark and painful breaking loose in him when he saw how pale her face had gone, the fear in her eyes. He didn’t want her in Colombia, and he didn’t want her to be alone in San Diego. He didn’t want her to leave, and he wanted relief from this…thing between them. It skewed his judgment, and he couldn’t even be sure if his thinking was fucked right now, and that pissed him off.

She shook her head emphatically. “I can’t go back, not now. It’s like letting them win, and I won’t do that.” She shrugged out of his grasp.

“You can if it will save your life. Go back to San Diego, Leigh. Leave this to us and the CIA.”

“No. No way am I leaving.” She set her hands on her hips. “You can stuff that cockamamie idea back where it came from.” She wasn’t looking at him, and her tone was flat and hard. But he saw the tremor in her jaw.

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