Page 98 of All Along

“You’re not Maya.”

Kyle chuckles. “I’ve been accused of many things but a woman has never been one of them. Not even when I wore a hijab.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I contacted him,” Hudson says.

“How the hell do you even know who he is? Our missions are classified.”

He shrugs. “I have contacts. A signed football greases a lot of palms.”

I scowl at him. “Operational security isn’t a joke.”

He holds up his hands. “Never said it was. I didn’t learn anything about your missions. Hell, I don’t even know whichcountries you’ve served in. But when I reached out, I discovered Kyle was looking for you.”

I face my former teammate. “Why the hell would you be looking for me?”

“Um… maybe because you cut yourself off from contact with everyone in the unit. Even the Cap wouldn’t divulge your location while you’re on convalescent leave.”

“Convalescent leave is over,” I snarl. “I’m being discharged.”

“Fuck, bro. I’m sorry.”

“Why the hell are you sorry? You should be glad I won’t be returning to active duty where I can get other soldiers injured the way I got you injured.”

Kyle’s brow wrinkles. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Do you need me to spell it out?” I motion toward his prosthetic leg. “You’d have a real one of those if it weren’t for me.”

He rears back. “Did you get hit on the head when those insurgents shot you in the leg? I’d be dead if it weren’t for you.”

“Don’t lie.”

He marches to me and I wince when I notice his limp from his prosthetic leg. He grasps my t-shirt and shakes me. “Enough of this pity party. It’s not your fault I lost my leg.”

“But if I had—”

He shakes me again. “Nope. I’m done listening to your idiotic lies. You couldn’t have done anything differently. You don’t have psychic abilities. You couldn’t have anticipated there were twice as many insurgents in the building than our briefingindicated. You are not to blame for the actions of others. You hear me?”

I lift my hands. “I hear you.”

He narrows his eyes. “But do you believe me?”

“I can slap some sense into him,” Lucas offers.

“Slapping won’t work.” Hudson meets my gaze. “What does work is the help of a woman who loves you.”

I snarl at him. “What do you know about it?”

Flynn barks out a laugh. “Hudson was nearly as much of a hermit before he got Nova pregnant as you were before you let Maya in.”

“It’s true.” Hudson nods. “I was convinced my life was over because I couldn’t play pro ball anymore. I thought I was a has-been who didn’t deserve a woman like Nova.”

“But you’re a millionaire and own a successful business,” I point out.

“You know as well as I do none of that shit matters if you think you’re undeserving.”

Kyle releases my t-shirt and throws an arm around my shoulder. “I approve of your new friends. They’ll never be as good as me but they’re damn close.”

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