Page 6 of Brutal Collateral

So am I. And here I am, lying on my back trying not to pass the fuck out.

The man who stopped Miller from sexually assaulting me reaches for my hand. “You okay?”

I snap up to my feet, ignoring the help. “Save it.”

“Impressive recovery,” he says.

“Yeah,” I snort. “Now how about you apologize to that vermin you hit because of me? He’ll come after me when I’m asleep.”

Cherise and I have our own barrack, but even if we shared with the men, twenty guys in the same room wouldn’t stop Miller from attacking me.

“Then he and Iwillhave a chat later.” The guard’s husky brogue runs through me like an electrical current.

God, that voice. My body is ready to betray me. I’m sleep, food, and water deprived, but my pussy is purring out of nowhere for this guy. Must be some sick survival instinct.

“Good luck with that.” Wiping the sweat from my eyes, I finally take him in.Allof him.

Holy shit. At six-foot-something with broad shoulders, and a brutally handsome face,hecould be a SEAL. “Whoareyou?” I nearly stumble back and fall off the platform.

He grabs me and pulls me into his chest. “Don’t worry who I am. Just know I’m here to protect you, Lieutenant Castille.”

I breathe in his scent. The spicy cologne is a nice change from the perpetual smell of bitter sweat that lingers on every gust of warm wind. I’m sure I smell pretty bad, too, but it looks like this guy doesn’t mind. “Never saw you before.”

“That’s on purpose,” he drawls. “The regional command knows there have been issues during these classes.”

Issues? That’s what they’re calling them?

The way the men treat me and Cherise are more than anissue, but I’m shocked someone at command cares.

“What’s your name?” I ask him.

His cheek twitches. “Why?”

“When Miller rapes me later, I want to call out another man’s name to enrage him a little more.” I brush past the guard, calculating all the points I’ll lose when I blow the twelve-minute finish time.

I hop off the platform and slide to finish the exercise, leaving behind the hottest man I ever laid eyes on.

***

TWO HOURS LATER, Istand on the beach, wet, shaking, and sick to my stomach. Over the crashing waves, I hear EMS divers shouting.

When someone grabs me from behind, I take a swing, wrecked and on the edge of a breakdown.

“It’s me.” Cherise pins down my arms.

Damn her strength. I never knewjusthow strong she was. And I’m too weak to fight her after the day I had.

“What happened to your raft?” Cherise asks, watching Technical Rescue search for Rand Miller near the rocks.

After the obstacle course, he and I were paired up for a two-man boat exercise in the rough surf.

“Um.” I’m still in shock and can’t voice what actually happened. What I did.

My brain hasn’t caught up. Blackness clouds my vision and my shallow breaths won’t fill my lungs.

Cherise hands me some water. “What happened on that raft with Miller? He sounded extra agitated after completing the obstacle course.”

Wiping the sand from my lips I try to drink the water, but my hands won’t stop shaking.

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