Page 110 of Promises in the Dark

A shiver ran down my spine Red wasn’t wrong. Raven wasn’t the type to let shit go, especially not when it came to someone she saw as a threat.

“You think Raven’s got it out for you?” I asked, hating how right her words felt.

Her laugh turned even more bitter. “I don’t know, but I got the feeling she didn’t like me very much.”

I didn’t want to agree with her. Not because I thought she was wrong—she wasn’t—but because I didn’t want her to freak out. She already had enough shit on her plate. Last thing I needed was her worrying about this crap too.

I shot her a tight-lipped smile, trying to play it cool even though I was seething inside.

“Look, let’s just focus on what Captain wants, okay?” I said, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “We can worry about Raven’s drama later.”

If things did escalate, I wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it took to keep Red safe. Because no matter what, she was mine to protect, and I’d be damned if I let anyone hurt her, not while I still had breath in my fucking lungs.

As we headed toward Captain’s office, I glanced at Red. She looked like hell—sweat dripping, body shaking just from keeping up with me.

I slowed my pace, not that I’d admit why, and shot her a look. “You good?” I asked, reaching out to grab her arm.

She blinked like she’d just woken up, forcing herself to focus. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she mumbled with a weak smile that fooled no one.

I raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. She didn’t look fine. I knew she was too damn stubborn to admit when she needed help and I hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to press her further.

“I’ll have a word with Raven, tell her to take it easy on you all,” I offered, deciding to take matters into my own hands. “You’re not used to this kind of training, and I don’t want you to burn out.”

She cut me off with a shake of her head. “That won’t be necessary.”

The tension in her voice told me otherwise. “Are you sure?” I pressed, wanting to make sure she wasn’t just putting on a brave face for my sake. “I mean, she’s been pushing you pretty hard,” I pointed out, my concern for her well-being outweighing any discomfort I might feel about confronting Raven.

She nodded, her response coming a beat too late. “I’ll be fine, Rogue,” she said, her voice stronger this time.

I knew she was tough as nails, more than capable of handling herself, even against a bitch like Raven, so I let it slide. For now. But fuck if I wasn’t itching to step in.

“Careful, mate,” I grumbled, sidestepping a pair of oblivious soldiers as Red and I made our way down the corridor.

Didn’t even get the words out before some clumsy dumbass plowed right into us, sending a flurry of papers flying in all directions.

“Watch where you’re going, numbskull!” I shouted, grabbing Red’s arm to steady her.

The kid—some lanky, awkward private—looked like he was still wet behind the ears. Barely out of fucking diapers.

“Sorry, sir! Ma’am!” he stuttered, scrambling to gather the scattered papers. "I’ve got correspondence for Captain Collins, and I’m running late...”

I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Well, don’t let me fucking stop you.” But then I caught the desperate look in his eyes, and my annoyance fizzled out.

He couldn’t be more than twenty-one years old, fresh out of boot camp with that look of wide-eyed innocence that made me feel a pang of nostalgia. I mean, shit, he reminded me of myself back when I first joined the army, all green and clueless and scared shitless.

Red gave me a warning look, but I was already bending down to help the kid pick up the mess.

As I was scooping up the papers, one particular document caught my attention. It was a file with a bunch of military jargon on it, but one line jumped out at me—’Delivery of M4A1 carbines and M24 sniper rifles to Base Alpha’.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I scanned the contents, my blood running cold as I realized what I was looking at. According to the report, a shipment of equipment and guns had been delivered to the base weeks ago. But as I looked around at the sorry state of our supplies, I knew damn well that none of us had ever seen a single goddamn rifle.

What a load of shit.

I’ve been on enough patrols with my guys to know we were still using the same busted-ass gear we’d had since day one. Not a single new rifle had touched this base.

I clenched my jaw, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place. Someone was fucking with us, siphoning off supplies meant for the front lines while we were left high and dry. AndI had a sneaking suspicion that Captain was balls-deep in this clown fest, whether he knew it or not.

Regardless, that bastard would get what was coming to him. And when he did, I’d be the first in line to watch him fucking burn.

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