Page 60 of Trapped with the Covert Ops Soldier

“Get up the fucking ladder or Abby is going to get a bullet between the eyes.” Virgil’s voice was tight with impatience and anger and something else that wasn’t quite sane.

“Okay, okay. Fine,” Jack said moving toward the broken ladder. “Give me a second.” He navigated the broken rungs and hauled himself out of the hole.

“Close the hatch,” Virgil ordered.

Jack lifted the trapdoor partway, then paused. “Sorry Abby.”

“Keep your head down,” she replied as he closed the door. A few seconds later, the sound of something heavy being shoved across the floor rumbled through the air, ending with it sitting on the hatch above her.

“I can’t believe an octogenarian got the drop on me,” Smitty said, his tone a mixture of irritation, anger, and chagrin. A volcano going back to sleep.

“He’s a very angry old man,” Abby said softly.

“He’s not firing with a loaded magazine,” Smitty said.

There was something in his voice that made her turn her phone into a flashlight again so she could see his face.

His teeth were clenched tight, the muscles of his jaw working as he stared at her. There was nothing sleepy in his gaze. “You snuck out of the cabin and came back to town, when you knew whoever shot at you was looking for another chance.” He said it like it was an accusation. “Want to explain that?”

“Maybe we should focus on getting out of here.”

“It doesn’t look like we’re going anywhere any time soon,” he growled, stepping into her. She backed up a couple of steps and ran into the wall. He kept coming until his body was pressed against hers and his hands were on her shoulders. “I want to know why youchoseto leave me behind.”

He wasn’t just angry he was hurt. “Because I didn’t want you in danger, you idiot,” she snapped. How dare he act as if she’d done something cruel on purpose. “I was trying to reduce collateral damage by forcing a confrontation by myself.”

“You got Jack involved.”

“Jack, who knew who the shooter was all the time. I thought if I proved I didn’t know where the mine was to him, he’d tell the shooter and that would be the end of it.” She shoved at his chest to get him to move, but he didn’t budge. “If things went sideways, well... Jack is very good at survival.”

“But not you?” Smitty asked, his voice low and dangerous.

She didn’t answer.

He gave her a tiny shake. “What do I have to do to convince you that youmatter?”

She narrowed her eyes. “If our positions were reversed, you’d have done the same thing as I did.”

He opened his mouth, paused, then shut it again.

“Ha, see, I knew it,” she said poking his chest with one finger.

He glanced down at it, growled, actuallygrowled, then hauled her close and kissed her.

His taste exploded across her tongue, and she was suddenly ravenous for more, for him. His arms went around her, one hand cradling the back of her head as his lips and tongue laid claim to her mouth. She claimed his in return, pressing against him so she could rub her body against his.

They clutched at each other for a long time before he pulled back a little, both of them breathing hard.

“You make me crazy you know that? When I woke up and realized you’d taken off with the jeep, I damn near lost my shit. You and I, we’re a team, Abby.A fucking team. We back each other up. We don’t walk into a dangerous situation alone. Ever. You got that?” He kissed her, hard. “Yougot that?”

“Same goes for you,” she hissed. “Agreed?”

He stared at her for a moment, then said, “Agreed.”

A sound from deep in her chest made its way out, something sore and sad and spent.

They kissed again, but it was slower and deeper, and when they parted, both were breathing hard.

“Fucking hell, Abby,” he said on a groan. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

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