Page 9 of Lethal Game

His expression turned glacial. “The murder of several of my best friends, mybattle brothers, will always affect me.”

Way to stick your foot in your mouth.Stupid. She sucked in a breath with the intention to offer some kind of apology, but he spoke first.

“All I want is a real shot at this assignment. I didn’t come here to waste your time or mine, but you’ve got to meet me halfway.” He turned and leaned toward her. “How can I earn your trust if you’ve already decided this isn’t going to work?”

She raised her chin and met him stare for stare. “I just don’t know what you, or anyone else with your type of training, can do for us. The first couple of guys assigned to me got the benefit of the doubt, then got in the way. One of them treated me like a first-year med student and argued with me about everything.” That was being polite. He’d been a complete ass. “I just don’t know how this is going to work.”

“It works for Sharp and Dr. Samuels.”

“I’ve met him and their situation is different. They worked together and became friends over a period of months during a training mission. We don’t have that kind of time.”

“You’re going to have to give someone the time. The colonel sounded like he wasn’t going to back off on finding you a partner.”

She didn’t have an answer for that.

“Look.” He tapped the file of papers he was reading through. “I’ve been going through this summary of all the outbreaks your team is observing, and this shit is scary.”

“So, how do you think you can help?”

“By staying out of your way, and keeping everyone else out of your way too.” He lowered his voice. “There’s one other thing. I’d like to give you some remedial self-defense training, so you can kick ass the next time an asshole gets handsy.”

“Remedial? Try initial.”

“Huh?”

“I wasn’t given any self-defense training.”

He stared at her. “Nothing at all?”

“Nope.” She gave him a tight smile and stood. “I’m in the level four lab the rest of the day.” As soon as he found out why they hadn’t trained her, he’d turn into every other big brother who saw her as a little sister in need of protection.

No thanks.

***

Con stared at the doorlong after Sophia had walked out it.

What. The. Fuck.

How did a guy get a straight answer out of these people?

He left the file on the desk and went in search of Colonel Maximillian. The man’s office was empty.

“Where’s the colonel?” he asked Eugene.

“In the level four lab.”

“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Con fixed a laser-guided glare at the kid. “Is there a reason why Dr. Perry received no self-defense training during her intake?”

“Yeah. She has a blood disorder called ITP.” At Con’s questioning look, he added “It’s short for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.” He shrugged “She gets massive bruises sometimes.”

The one on her hand was pretty big. “Is this a life-threatening disorder?”

“It can be,” Eugene replied, “but she takes medication to keep it under control.”

What didunder controlmean?

The only person who could explain it to him was in an airtight outfit only slightly less complicated than a space suit, in an environment no more accessible to him than the moon.

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