Page 38 of Pallas & Kawehi

She really was a mess.

"I want you to know..." His voice was deep and even, sending shivers through her body. The best kind of shivers. "As soon as I'm back here in the islands I'm coming to see you."

She nodded, unable to speak.

"I'm coming to see you and we're going to reschedule that beach date and maybe another two or three dates because I'm going to need to make up for lost time."

She nodded again and then managed a few words because she needed to say them as much as she hoped that he needed to hear them. "I'll be waiting for you."

Kawehi heard something like a harsh breath on the other end of the call.

"I'm going to be missing you, every second." His voice was rough. "I'm going to be thinking about you every spare moment."

"Same here." She squeezed her eyes shut to stop tears from leaking out onto her cheeks. "Take care of yourself, Dom. I need you to come back."

"I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen, 'Wehi. I... I have to go."

"Okay." She forced a smile on her face hoping that it would make her voice sound happier than she felt. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

The phone call ended, and she tried to stand up, but ended up sitting on her front step struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to flow. She knew Dom was a good guy. She knew, on instinct alone, that he was a good Marine. He was fit and observant. He'd be okay.

Right?

She gasped in a breath, grabbed onto the railing at the edge of her steps and pulled herself up onto her feet.

She had to get to work. She had to do it safely.

She had people depending on her and she wasn't going to let them down.

Just like Dom hadn't let her down.

He'd called her.

He'd let her know that he was leaving the island.

And of course he couldn't tell her where he was going or for how long, but he'd called.

In that one moment, he proved that he was a better man than Nick had ever been.

She looked up into the skies above KBAY and said a few silent words.

Come back soon, Dom. I'll be waiting.

SIX

PALLAS

The streets of Manila were normally just like any other city, but this time there was a strange kind of energy flowing around them as his team walked along toward the embassy. Well, part of his team.

They'd all arrived on the military transport but left the area in different vehicles in smaller groups. A group of four, two groups of three and two couples.

Pallas was in the first group to make their way to the embassy and as they exited the paid cab, they laughed at a shared joke, taking time to meet the eyes of some of the passing locals. Jammer even stopped to buy some fruit from a stand outside of a grocer.

The last thing they wanted to look like was a bunch of Marines ready for conflict.

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