Page 28 of Hide From Me

“Yeah. Kade blew up half the base for no reason. Gage didn’t help.” I pause, trying not to let the bitterness drip into my voice. “He’s not helping anyone anymore.”

“I read the mission report.”

“Oh.” I swallow. She’s yet to mention the wedding or anything related to it, and it's making me feel like a jerk, so I shoot her a grin and decide to take the initiative.

"So, uh... the wedding. Getting close, huh?"

Cordelia's smile falters. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

That’s unexpected.

Damn, I'm not good at this. I glance into the hall to ensure my brother isn’t about to come barreling around the corner and tackle me away from his woman like the possessive bastard he is.

“Do I need to beat him up?” I offer, leaning closer like I’m sharing a secret. “I will. Just say the word.”

“He’d kick your ass,” she says with a half-laugh.

“Maybe, but I’d give him a run for his money.” I wink, hoping she’ll give me one of her famous grins—the kind that looks like she might bite you, yet is so bright it nearly blinds you. She always deserves to smile, especially after everything she’s been through, and I won’t let my messed-up thoughts ruin that.

“I'll sic him like some guard dog, and when he knocks me to the ground, I'll bite his ankles like one too,” I say as I chomp my teeth. And then there it is—bright, beaming, and real.

"That's Sam's job," she laughs. It’s a sick joke related to his years as a war dog that we make. We say he’s Jasmine's guard dog now.

“Yeah, well, I think I have to take on that role too, as your soon-to-be little brother.”

She sighs, her smile faltering as she looks down the hall. “I don’t need that. I just need... something to take my mind off it all. Caspian thinks I’m getting cold feet. He doesn’t understand the pressure. The eyes are on us.”

“He’ll get over it,” I murmur. “He just loves you.”

Cordelia finally looks me in the eye. “You’re a good brother.”

I smile back, genuinely this time. “You don’t need a distraction. You need to silence those voices in your head, or whatever it is you say...”

“Replace the voices with one you like,” she corrects softly.

“Exactly.” I shift on my feet as Cordelia starts looking around the hall like she can sense someone watching us.

“Actually, while I’ve got you…”

Her shoulders stiffen. “Moe, I don’t have answers about your father—”

“No, not that.” I raise my good hand. “Greenport.”

She stops. Doesn’t blink. Doesn’t breathe.

“I’ve read the case files–or rather have attempted to. I’ve got every briefing Sam gave me. I know what happened in the past, but no one’s told me why I’mactuallygoing. Not really.”

Cordelia looks away and lets out a breath like she's been holding it. “That’s your mission. Just make sure you complete it.”

I feel like I’m in the fucking twilight zone when it comes to this damn assignment. My fingers flex again behind the door.

“You sound like Caspian,” I mutter.

“Look, a pattern has been established. Captain Jonathan got a tip about a possible hostage situation—maybe this time we’ll be ahead of it instead of cleaning up the mess after.”

Captain Jonathan Cash.I remember him from one of Jasmine’s older missions. We never spoke, but I watched him from a screen while watching Raylen on another. I remember the hours I spent there, cataloging her shifts, the way she smiled at specific customers, how she never let anyone get too close, the way she scowled when the sun shone.

God, I hate how well I remember that.

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