Page 78 of Dash

More laughter echoed in the cabin.

The attendant handed out plates heaped with chicken, potato salad, and rolls. My stomach growled so loud Dash heard it.

“Eat,” he ordered.

“Eating.” I jammed a full fork in my mouth and chewed in compliance that was also defiance. The look in his eyes was an apology I readily accepted. His grumpy had not totally eased yet, but the gentler Dash was on the way.

“All done,” Matt announced, bandaging one of my feet atthe arch. “Not too bad. I smeared some lidocaine here and there. You should be walking fine by tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Matt.” I smiled at him between bites. “Now, please, get something to eat.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He got up, and claimed a plate before he found a seat. “There’s an order I can get with.”

“So, let’s see.” I pointed with my fork as I went around the room. “Micah is in the shower. I already know Kai, Javier, and Matt. Who am I missing?”

“This sturdy, reliable mute here is Andrew Shaw, Drew for short.” Javier slapped the leg of the blond, blue-eyed man sitting to his left and almost managed to send his plate flying from his tray.

“Hey!” Drew protested, using his quick reflexes to save his food.

“We call Drew’s alternative personality ‘Showman,’” Javier explained, ignoring Drew’s glare. “Most of the time, he’s as shy and quiet as they come, but he’s our breacher and our demolition expert. He can put on a show.”

“The quiet ones are always smart.” I met the man’s aquamarine eyes. “Nice to meet you, Drew.”

Drew turned beet red and mumbled an embarrassed, “Likewise.”

This man was an introvert if I’d ever seen one.

“And last but not least,” Javier announced in his most theatrical voice. “This monkey over here stuffing his face is our team sniper, Finneas Cooper.”

I turned my gaze to the red-headed, blue-eyed man sitting to Javier’s right. Finneas was inhaling his food like a vacuum cleaner, but he froze with his loaded fork in midair when my eyes fell on him. The shortest, most compact man of the group, he sported a beard that hung down to his chest and radiated a mountain man meets hot leprechaun kind of vibe.

“He also goes by Finnie Minnie, Coopster, or Obi-one-Finogy,” Javier added, licking his fingers.

Finn mumbled something unintelligible and gave Guzman the finger. Not that a finger was ever going to stop Javier from joking around. Goofman was well nicknamed.

Dash looked up from buttering his roll. “Guzman, Shaw, and Cooper served with Nix.”

A hush fell over the group and every eye on the room turned to me, no doubt wondering how I would react to that. My throat squeezed, but the cat was out of the bag and it was my turn to step up to the plate. All of these men had known my brother. I felt a special kinship with them, an instant connection based on love and loss.

“Thank you all for your service, and especially for your loyalty to my brother.” I forced a teary-eyed smile to my face and met each man’s gaze in an attempt to let them know I didn’t blame them for Nix’s death. “I know you guys did your best.” A palpable sense of relief filled the cabin and the gratitude I spied in Dash’s eyes meant everything to me. I held off the waterworks and continued. “It’s nice to meet all of you. Including you, Finn.”

Finn swallowed with a loud gulp and finally managed words. “At your service, Goddess.”

I shook my head and launched my best attempt at dispelling the gloom that had fallen over the group. “Can we talk about my nickname now?”

“What?” Javier frowned. “You don’t like Goddess?”

“It’s a little… pretentious, don’t you think?”

“But look at you! Youarea goddess.” Javier threw his expressive hands in the air. “It’s like my best call sign ever. Hell, your given name is Athena.”

“Athena is my given name, but I didn’t ask for it. Now you’re calling me ‘Goddess.’ I feel like I’m going from one superlative to the next.”

“Oh, please.” Javier rolled his eyes. “The name fits you like a glove. You’re a looker and you fight like the goddess of war herself. Besides, superlatives are the point of call signs.”

I spiked my eyebrows. “I see Goofy studied grammar in school.”

“I’m funny, not dumb,” Javier countered. “I’m calling a vote. All for Goddess?”

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