Page 66 of Stealth Mission

I brush the back of my hand over the bleeding gash near my hairline. “S-nothing. It’ll stop eventually.”

Camile rests her hand on the only part of me that’s not grimy or bloody, my left bicep. “Why won’t you let someone take care of you?”

“I’m not leaving this seat until I go back there. Period. Now if you want to give me a damned baby wipe, or whatever, do that. But I’m not going anywhere.”

She squeezes my arm and straightens up, following Beast as he rises and steps back. They retreat to a corner of the room where they speak in low voices that I can’t hear for the static in my ears.

This is my fault.

Marianna’s laying in the operating room in a third world country because of me.

“She’s going to be alright, brother.”

Gritting my teeth, I lift my head and find Scout standing in front of me. Hands hitched in his back pockets, all the lines on his face are tight. More than usual anyway.

“Mr. Goodlove?”

I practically knock Scout’s two-hundred-fifty-pound frame out of the way when the nurse calls my name.

Standing rigidly, I raise a hand. “Yes. That’s me. Is Marianna…okay?”

“She’s fine. Asking for you. She’s groggy, but she’s doing well. The shrapnel was easier to remove than the doctor originally thought.”

My head drops. Chin to chest, I blow out a breath. Relief burns through my body chasing the adrenaline that’s kept me on edge for hours. Tears tighten my throat to the point of pain. “Th-thank you.”

Camile rushes to me and grabs my arm again, holding a packet of wipes and a small box of bandages out to me with her other hand. “You cannot go back there looking like you do.”

The nurse puts a hand in the center of my chest. Her voice goes soft. “Your friend is right. Let’s get you cleaned up first.”

“You’ve got sixty seconds.”

“You know what…” Beast is on me in a split second, putting me in a Full Nelson headlock.

Scout gets right in my face, nose to nose. “Don’t think I won’t back him up on this. You got no chance against the two of us, so just shut up and let’s get this done.”

Those bastards.

Beast rumbles, “Where do you want him?”

The nurse sweeps her hand toward the hallway. “Just down here in the triage room.”

My teammates hustle me along to an open door. Inside there’s a gurney and a tray with medical supplies. I’m shoved onto the bed and pushed flat on my back on the paper protector.

“Don’t move.” Beast shakes out his hands. “Let the lady do her job so you can see Marianna. Five minutes won’t hurt and you sure don’t want to scare her more than she already is.”

Camile appears in front of my face, looking down, her red hair draping over her shoulder. “Take a breath, big guy.”

“I’m. Breathing.”

“More. Big, slow breaths. It doesn’t help to blame yourself.”

“It was an unforgivable mistake. I could have gotten her killed and I know fucking better.” Searing pain closes my throat, stinging my eyes. “I know better, Camile. I fucking know better. I should have cleared the truck. But no, I drove her with a goddamned bomb on the vehicle.”

Sadness draws her brows together as Beast wraps his arms across her chest. He kisses her temple. “Babe, why don’t you give us a minute.”

With a silent nod and tears in her own eyes, she steps out of the room.

“Going to sting.”