Page 69 of Dangerous Rhythm

“You can always go now. Your grandma looks spry enough to show you around still.”

Curtis nodded. “If I ever get this target off my back, I’d like to do that.”

Lina’s heart grew heavier hearing him say that. She held his hand tight with a silent promise.

“I’m excited to meetyourfamily,” he said with renewed enthusiasm in his voice. “So, who’s the toughest to impress, your dad or mom?”

Lina elbowed him in the ribs. “Don’t get any ideas. You’re not here tomeetmy family.”

“But I’m meeting them. I’ve never met a girl’s family before. Not since high school, at least.”

“Curtis.” Lina turned to him purposely. “Don’t givethemany ideas, please.”

“Why? You don’t think they’ll like me?”

“Oh, they’ll love you.” Lina chuckled. “You’re charming, attractive, tall, and make a good living. They’ll pounce on you so fast you won’t know what’s happening.”

“What do you mean?”

Lina could feel herself flush. She could face adversaries with ice in her veins, but talking to Curtis about her family’s obsession to marry her off turned her red.

“Never mind.” She quickly changed the subject because it wasn’t exactly what she was concerned about. “I’m more worried about me seeing them.”

“Why’s that?” he asked. “Ed mentioned last night you haven’t seen them in a while. How long is a while?”

“I haven’t seen them since before I retired from the service.” Lina hugged her legs together toward her chest and rested her chin on her knees. “It’s been at least five years.”

“Five years?”

Lina expected the shock in Curtis’ voice, but not the gentle brush of his hand against her hair. “You must’ve had a reason. What’s stopping you from seeing your family?”

“I don’t deserve it.”

“Why don’t you deserve it?”

A memory of the day she’d returned to the States with Taylor’s casket had been forever imprinted in her mind. Taylor’s parents and two older brothers, who also served in the Army, were waiting at the tarmac.

Lina could never erase the image of Taylor’s mother breaking down when they’d escorted the casket off the plane. She could never forget Taylor’s father's face as he’d tried to keep things together. And she would always feel the unspoken questions in Taylor’s brothers’ eyes.

Why did you survive instead of Taylor?

Lina had asked that same question many times.

“Taylor didn’t get to come home to her family. Why do I get to come home to mine?” she whispered.

“Taylor?” Curtis echoed the name. “Is that your colleague who was killed in action?”

She nodded.

“Oh, baby.” Curtis wrapped his arms around her whole body and pulled her into his chest. “It wasn’t your fault, Lina. You can’t keep punishing yourself.”

Lina buried her head in the crook of his neck.

“I was the lead in that mission. I should’ve been the first out,” she insisted.

“I wasn’t there, so I can’t tell you what’s what,” he said. “I’m not even a soldier, so I wouldn’t know what you went through. But what I do know is that you’re here.”

Curtis pulled away from her, and Lina suddenly felt cold and retreated into herself. In her mind’s eye, she saw Taylor fall onto the dusty ground as the quiet whisper of a bullet hit its target. She gasped in her breath, but it was caught in her throat as a sob came out of nowhere.

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