Page 33 of Hendrix

“He still rides asses,” I concurred. “Never seen anyone make a room full of hard-ass ex-Special Ops soldiers shit their britches with just a look. They love him like a father figure but are still wary of getting on his bad side. That fucker has a way of making you feel like a seven-year-old schoolboy.”

“Sounds familiar,” Break drawled. “That was me for six goddamned years. Never respected a man like I did Lieutenant Hollister, never detested a man more either. I was the fuck up of my unit, always playing practical jokes and mouthing off. Was called into Hollister’s office more times than I care to remember, and without fail, that asshole read me with just a glance. The man’s sixth sense is off the damned charts, and I’m talkin’ eat your heart out Tyler Henry off the charts. Bet the brothers in your club don’t get away with shit.”

I let out a quiet chuckle. “Seems like some things never change.”

“He’s one of the best men I know,” Breaker declared. “He’d die for you. Think he would’ve died for Benny, Kyle, and Espinoza if he were given the choice.”

My throat thickened. “Yeah, brother. I know, and I don’t take it for granted. If anything happened to me, he’d make a fine president. Never met a man more cut out to hold a gavel than Nate Hollister.”

Breaker lounged back in his seat, his hands folded behind his head with a big grin spreading across his face, cocky as all fuck. “Knew it would work out for ya. The minute I saw him at his cabin in the woods, axe in hand, chopping wood with his blade attached to his knee for all to see, I knew he needed purpose. Then when he told me how much he missed the soldier life, it all clicked into place. You needed a Veep you could trust after Ace fucked you over, and Blade’s a man of honor and a born leader. Sending him your way was a no-fucking-brainer, brother.”

“Smug bastard,” I muttered.

He barked a laugh. “Yep.” His smile faded, and his head twisted toward me. “How is he underneath it all? Does he cope okay?”

I knew immediately what Breaker was getting at.

Blade lost a leg in the same incident that took the lives of three of their unit, one of them being Breaker’s closest friend and Carina’s man, Benny. Their Humvee was attacked just outside Kabul by the Taliban. Blade and Breaker were the only men who made it out of there alive.

Blade had been given a medal for bravery and sent on his way. As knowledgeable and proficient as he was despite missing a leg, the military was done with him.

Their loss was my gain.

“Mentally, Blade’s a fucking machine,” I relayed. “He’s strong of mind, and even losing a limb hasn’t fazed him. There’s nothing my VP can’t do, and he’s fitter and more able than most of the others. He’s a fucking powerhouse and as tough as they come, and he kicks ass. What he doesn’t admit is how much pain he’s in. The hydrotherapy pool helps him manage it, but his meds give him brain fog, so he’ll only take ‘em as a last resort.”

“Does your doc help?” he asked.

“Yeah. Bones was a field trauma surgeon. He’s operated on and treated more amputees than I’ve had steak dinners. He makes it his business to learn everything he can to help Blade and the men, and he’s training Freya to do the same. Your sister’s a fucking talented doctor, Break. She’s helped us out of some sticky spots over the last couple of years. We also have a physiotherapist come in three mornings a week. She goes through exercises and techniques that help him and some of the other brothers. Blade seems to take it all in his stride.”

“Good.” Breaker’s stare stayed on me. “And what about his personal life?”

I opened my mouth to tell him about Carina but hesitated.

Gossip wasn’t something I got involved with, but I knew Breaker was coming from a place of concern and even a desire to see his old lieutenant happy.

“He doesn’t really have one,” I stated. “He was regularly fucking one of the club girls before she started sleeping with the other brothers.” I glanced at him sideways. “It’s pretty obvious to everyone in the club that he’s smitten with Carina.”

“Benny’s Carina?” Breaker asked, his tone shocked.

I smirked. “I call her Blade’s Carina. He’s so protective of her and Gigi it can get a little weird, but yeah.”

“Fuck me,” he muttered. “Talk about goddamned complicated.”

“I know,” I said, signaling to take the turnoff toward Arrowhead Point. “Except he’s circled around her for so long that now she’s firmly friend-zoned him. Add on the fact that the club girl he was fucking started to get territorial, and it seems Blade’s a little bit screwed.”

“Oh shit.” Breaker laughed. “Fuck around and find out.”

I grinned. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“Poor bastard,” he muttered. “Probably held back out of some fucked-up sense of loyalty to Benny. Stupid though ‘cause my bud would never want his woman and kid to be alone. As long as Hollister handled her with care, Benny would give him his blessing.”

“That’s the military for you,” I pointed out. “Soldiers face their mortality more than most. Makes us think about our loved ones and what we want for them if the worst happens.”

“Damned straight,” Breaker agreed. “Me and Benny used to talk about it all the time. It comes with the job. You gotta think practically, especially when you’re in the business of bomb disposal.”

“Could you chat with him?” I asked.

Breaker pulled a face and winced. “You want me to talk to my six foot four, hairy-assed, behemoth of an ex-lieutenant about his feelings and, even more mortifying, his unrequited love life?”

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