Page 5 of Line of Resistance

“I do.” Nate lowered his voice as he leaned closer. “But they’re only for injured soldiers, so you’ll have to keep it a secret.”

Bryson sniffed, but his face pulled into a toothy smile making it seem like the worst of his upset was over. “I can keep a secret.”

“Good.” Nate stood, holding one giant palm out, bringing the damn thing so close to Eloise’s nose she could practically count the callouses roughening his skin. “You need help up?”

The little boy slapped his free hand into Nate’s without hesitation, holding tight as he was hauled to his feet. “Thanks.”

“Sure thing, buddy.” Nate tousled Bryson’s too-long hair. “Ready?”

It was a scene she would normally be thrilled to witness. A neglected little boy finally getting a scrap of the attention he deserved from someone who cared about his best interests. Someone who could be trusted.

Trusted by Bryson anyway.

The second grader turned, offering the same guileless expression that had her wrapped around his finger from day one. “Are you coming too, Miss Rivers?” He took another shuddery breath, his shoulders heaving with the inhale.

Normally she would do anything for Bryson. Find every way possible to help his life be a little easier. A little happier. But there were limits.

At least there should be.

Unfortunately, everyone in Bryson’s life let him down. Put him last. Left him to fend for himself in more ways than she could count. There was no way she would do it too.

Eloise forced on a smile, keeping her focus on the little boy she was probably overly attached to. “Sure.” She stood, spine stiff as she clasped both hands in front of her, fingers clenched tight as she fell in at Bryson’s side, doing her best to ignore Nate’s existence as they filed out of the rooming building, through the connecting walkway, and into the quiet hallways of Alaskan Security.

She’d been there more than a few times, but never saw much more than the rooming building, so at least she was finally getting a better peek at what was turning out to be a pretty mysterious company. To her dismay, everything was disappointingly normal. Boring offices with industrial carpet. Wordless elevator music that filtered through speakers set into flame retardant ceiling panels. Outside of the copious amounts of plants shoved into almost every corner, there was nothing remotely interesting about it. Definitely nothing to give any hint of exactly what kind of security paid well enough to sustain a business as grandiose as this one.

They passed through a glassed-in entry point before following a long hall that seemed to lead to yet another building. This one was a little different from the others. The walls were painted block and the floors were tile, giving it an almost clinical feel. The scent of antiseptic hung in the air, bringing her back to a time in her life she worked hard to forget.

“You okay, Miss Rivers?” Bryson peeled his hand from his head and reached for hers, palm sweaty and a little sticky. His too skinny face puckered, threatening more tears. “I’m sorry I was running.” His assumption that her bad mood was his fault made it clear she was going to have to work a little harder to hide her unhappiness at Nate’s sudden arrival.

“We just have to make sure we’re careful, remember?” She gave Bryson’s hand a squeeze. “We need to watch out for other people, especially grandmas, so we don’t hurt anybody.”

Bryson somehow managed to look even more pitiful. “I almost ran into Emmett’s grandma.” His chin quaked at the confession, breaking her heart a little.

The little boy was remarkably empathetic and wanted nothing more than to do the right thing. It wasn’t his fault there was no one to help him figure out how to do it.

“But you didn’t.” Eloise reached out to gently trace around the tiny bump forming on his head. “You hurt yourself instead of hurting her.”

“I didn’t want her to fall down.” Bryson sucked in a snotty, wet breath. “I didn’t want her to think I was bad.”

She wasn’t normally prone to violence, but so many of the things Bryson said and believed made her want to cause extreme bodily harm to the person responsible for putting so much weight on this little boy’s shoulders. “I—”

Nate suddenly turned, flipping on the light as he led them into a room that could easily be found in any hospital or doctor’s office she’d ever been to. It was bright and immaculately clean and stocked with high-end equipment. Implements that made it seem like they were doing more than applying Band-Aids here were neatly organized and stocked on a long counter. Packages of sterilized instruments were stacked inside a clear container tucked into one corner and she couldn’t help but stare at the variety of tools.

Nate slapped one hand against the paper-covered examining table, the sound loud and commanding. “Jump up here, buddy.”

Bryson slid up onto the padded surface, continuing to look brokenhearted and pathetic.

Eloise couldn’t help but move in beside him, resting one hand on his back, rubbing in slow circles she hoped would calm his excitable temperament. As sweet and kind hearted as he was, Bryson was also a handful. He was the kid most teachers struggled to manage. He wasn’t bad, but he had a level of energy and a lack of control that made him disruptive in the classroom. His need for attention could come across as annoying, and his feelings were exceptionally easy to hurt, so he frequently found his way to her office after being reprimanded by a teacher and bursting into tears.

He came, not because he was sent there, but because he knew she would comfort him. That she would understand what he was struggling with. It was the same reason he wanted her with him now. And regardless of who else was in the room, she refused to let Bryson down the way everyone else in his life did.

Nate settled onto a backless rolling stool and scooted to the bank of cabinets, opening one to reveal a mini fridge. He retrieved a small ice pack and then rolled back their way, using his booted feet to scoot closer. Instead of handing the ice pack to Bryson, he gently rested it against the knot at the little boy’s hairline. “Better?”

Bryson bobbed his head in a little nod. “A little.”

“I bet it’ll make you feel even better to know that I happen to be good friends with Emmett’s grandma, and I can promise you she would never think you’re bad.” Nate glanced at Eloise. “Can you hold this for a second?”

Eloise worked her fingers into place around his, being careful not to touch him. Once she had the ice pack handled, Nate turned back to the bank of cabinets and opened the top drawer.

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