Page 101 of The Flame of Carson
“Grant.”She whispered and once more buried her face in the crook of his neck.
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Grant knocked twicebefore walking into the house as the sky grew darker behind him.Gage had called him about forty-five minutes ago and quickly explained the situation.Stacey needed someone to talk to and she had said his name.Grant knew he and Stacey had a connection that was different than what he had with Krista or Alora.He didn’t know what exactly happened to Stacey at the federal building earlier that day that caused this, but it was rough for her.
Grant found Gage and Stacey sitting in the living room.Both looked up when he walked into the room.“How are you feeling doll?”
“I’m sorry from pulling you away from...”Stacey began.
Grant walked over and sat on her other side.“Stacey, I’m your friend.Not to mention you are in love with one of my best friends.If you need me, hell, if you need any of the others, you just ask, and we’ll come running.”
Stacey nodded and seemed to relax at his words.“Thank you.”
“Now, Gage told me you needed someone to talk to.My question is before we get into that, do you want him to sit in or do you want this just you and me doll?”Grant asked.
“I want him to stay.”Stacey answered, holding Gage’s hand a little tighter.
“All right then.From what Gage told me when he called, I get the impression that you froze, or think you froze with what happened today at the federal building.”
“I did freeze Grant.Hell, I turned into a blubbering mess.Gage had to carry me from that damned building!I couldn’t even walk!”
“Babe, calm...”
“Fuck that, Gage!”Stacey cried, surging to her feet.She moved around the coffee table and started pacing now.“I was useless today.What if there had been a fight?Huh?I was incapable of even defending myself.”
“And that does not make you a coward or weak Stacey.”Grant interrupted, his tone causing her to stop pacing and look at him.“Doll, on Halloween I told you about my best friend Sean.When he and I went on our first deployment, we were both so sure we were ready.Hell, that’s what boot camp was supposed to do right?Train us for combat.A week after Sean and I got to Afghanistan, our camp was attacked.Sean was up and ready.Me?I was frozen like a bump on a log.I couldn’t move out of my cot.Sean just grabbed his rifle and charged out of the tent.”
“You...you froze?”Stacey asked in a mixture of shock and confusion.
“That’s right.Stacey, I’m curious about what made you freeze.”Grant nodded.
Stacey cast a glance at Gage.Gage gave her a look that said it was her call.“I, I was in New York when the terrorists attacks happened After seeing those buildings on fire and then collapsing, I developed a fear of being in a high-rise building on fire.What happened today was like that fear came to life.”
“Then that explains what happened.If you’re as strong as I believe you are, if you’re ever in that situation again, you won’t freeze up again.After that first attack in Afghanistan, I didn’t freeze again.People have fears, and most can’t always explain how or why they’re scared of what they’re scared of.You at least know why you’re scared of high-rise fires.”Grant replied as Stacey sat back down between him and Gage.
“I just hate feeling helpless.That’s what I felt today.Helpless.”Stacey sighed.
“Babe, you have to stop kicking yourself over something you couldn’t control.It’s like when I had my panic attack.My body just reacted, and I couldn’t do a damned thing about it.It was just...instinct for my body, in whatever crazy way, to protect itself.”Gage added.
“Gage is right.”Grant nodded.“Human brains are a complicated wonder that no one understands.All you need to know now is that you’re not helpless.You’re not weak.You are a strong, formidable woman and warrior.You hear me?”
Stacey held Gage’s hand and looked into Grant’s handsome face.The weight that had been lodged in her chest since she woke up, was gone now.She felt like she could actually breath again.With her free hand, she reached out and took one of Grant’s.
“I hear you, Grant.I swear I hear you.Thank you.For telling me your story, for helping me stop beating myself up.”Stacey then turned and faced Gage.“You too baby.You’ve been my rock through this and today you became my mountain and my shield.I love you, Gage.”
Gage leaned in and kissed her gently, “You’re welcome and I will always be your mountain and your shield.As long as you’ll have me.”
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Grant sighed as hefinally walked into his house.Gage had called him just as he was leaving Blackout for the day.He, Ethan, and Lance had met with McCandles and Cain.Jimmy had stayed behind to oversee the cleanup.Tony and Eli were still working on cracking Anderson’s laptop.Last Grant heard, the two had discovered that the hard drive was still intact and now they were working from Tony’s house on trying to break the passcodes to find out what Anderson had hidden there.This was some good news for a change.
McCandles and Cain reported that the device that killed Anderson was sophisticated and designed for maximum destruction.Cain speculated that had more than one had been slipped in, there could have been severe structural damage.McCandles believed whoever sent the device had only intended for Anderson to be killed.That told Grant and the others that Anderson’s partner, his so called “brother” was concerned about Anderson betraying him.Grant had just dropped his bag and was toeing off his boots when his phone rang.Kicking off the boots, he walked to the cordless and picked it up on the third ring.
“Whitney.”
