Page 70 of Oblivion

I unleashed a wide grin and plucked the handle from her grasp. “Sure thing, Lemon Drop. Let me get this loaded, and then you’ll follow me back?”

“Sure,” she grumbled.

I did a quick scan of our surroundings, just to be sure no one was loitering nearby, then rolled her case to the open trunk of my Tahoe. Once loaded, I sent her a nod from fifty feet away and waited until she got into her car.

Satisfied we were good to go, I reversed into the street and cruised past where she was parked, making sure to drive back to my apartment without losing her in the traffic.

Every glance in the rearview mirror had me chuckling—she looked so fucking cute driving the sporty little pink car. Suited her to a damn tee. I indicated to pull into the parking area behind my building, and swiped my card to open the automatic gates. Penny drove through behind me and claimed one of the few reserved spots, which I’d probably have to start paying for since her car would be there for the foreseeable future.

She met me at the back of my Tahoe as I lifted out her suitcase. I was actually a little nervous about her seeing where I lived. It was no big deal—this was a business arrangement, after all—but my chest refused to loosen as I led Penny into the building.

The ground floor was vast and empty aside from a wall of postal boxes and two back-to-back elevators.

“I take this elevator; the other one opens into the apartments on the West side of the building. Mine faces East,” I explained. “The only way to enter the building or access the lift is with a key card. Mine only allows access tomyapartment, so there’s no need to worry about randoms coming up. There’s a gym and sauna in the basement; you’re free to use them anytime.”

She nodded, appearing to take it all in. “Sounds like you’ve got the perfect setup here.”

When the elevator arrived, I gestured for her to enter first. “I started looking as soon as I decided not to re-enlist. It took a while to find, but well worth the price tag.”

Penny’s eyes met mine. A hint of shyness lingered as she asked, “How long after Vegas did you leave the Army?”

Keeping my composure by choosing to focus on the Army aspect instead of Vegas, I swiped my card, then pressed the button for level four.

“Couple of months. Shit was already going down when the boys and I went to Vegas, and it all came to a head after we got back.”

“You miss it?”

My heart lurched. “Every damn day.”

The ride to the loft level was quick, and the elevator doors opened to deposit us onto the tiled entrance of my apartment. With plenty of room for us both to stand at a comfortable distance, with both suitcases between us, I kicked off my boots and put them in their designated spot.

“Heads up, Penny. I like order. I do ask that you don’t leave shit lying around, especially here. Boots go there. Hang whatever you like there.” I pointed to the hooks above the shoe compartments. “Your room is your space, so if you wanna make a mess, shut the door so I don’t have to see it.”

She snorted. “Wow, the Army brat has OCD. Who would have thought?”

I snatched up one case with a little too much aggression. “I amnotan Army brat. I’m a former Special Forces soldier. The two are like comparing sparklers to a stick of dynamite. One is just for entertainment’s sake, the other means business.”

Penny had the balls to snicker and pat my arm.“Okay,I get it. I offended your big, macho feelings.” She then sobered. “I don’t think I said this last time, but thank you for your service. It couldn’t have been easy.”

Despite the pride welling high in my chest, I didn’t do it for the glory, or the gore. I’d done it because it was an honor to serve my country to the best of my ability. And I’d fucking loved it while it lasted.

The flip side was being silently haunted by my experiences. I could talk with passion about the Army until the cows came home, but the things I’d witnessed and the number of lives I’d taken, tore strips off the good man I once was.

I forced a smile and twitched my head to the side. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

Penny

Something in Dante’s eyes shifted as soon as I got serious about his military service. It reminded me that guys like him harbored soul-altering experiences that would never be fully understood, even to themselves.

I rolled with the change of subject when he invited me into his loft, and my jaw fell slack as the black tiled entrance gave way to warm wooden flooring and exposed red brick on some of the walls.

Other walls were lined and painted a dark denim blue that contrasted brilliantly with the copper piping running through the exposed rafters. Large industrial pendant lights hung from the ceiling in the main living space, as well as over the kitchen island.

The countertops matched the wooden flooring, and the cabinetry was a light stone color that complemented the overall industrial design of the entire apartment.

“Wow,”I breathed out in awe. “I definitely didn’t expectthis.”

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