Page 16 of Dangerous Mission

I can’t even think about what he did to protect me.

When I scoot forward enough to reach the edge of the tailgate he grabs me and lifts me down.

G-good lord.

He’s really strong. He didn’t even blow out a breath.

“Thank you.”

Standing close enough for our breath to mingle in the rain-soaked air, he pierces me with a stare so hard it feels like he’s slapped me.

As if a magnet has snared me, I can’t move. Brows notch, his silvery gaze slips back and forth between my eyes. Searching?

No. Something harder than that. Accusing.

A hole in the ground would be welcome right now. Yep, just disappearing sounds like a great idea.

“I’ll get Griff and head to the ambulance.”

He silently watches me go as I slip by him, but his eyes are like battering rams on my back.

Skin tingling from my waist to the nape of my neck, I hurry to the driver’s side passenger door. As I tug it open against a gust of wind that makes rain swirl around me. “Come on, G, let’s get you to the ambulance.”

Griff mutters and with great effort he climbs from the truck.

“Are you dizzy?”

“Yeah, I’m a shit show. Feels like my guts are going to come out through my mouth.”

“Oh my god. Okay, let’s get you to the ambulance as fast as we can.”

I take his arm and we hurry as fast as a turtle toward the back door of the big vehicle. Inside, through the glass, the pilot is visible. His arms are waving around, a look of horror on his face.

I give Griff’s arm a squeeze. “Looks like we’re going to have company. The pilot is in there.”

“At this point I don’t care if Ozzy Osborne is in there with bat blood on his face.”

“Ick.”

He stops and curses. “Fuck, this hurts like a motherfucker. Have I told you this feels like a goddamned icepick hooked to a battery is stuck in the side of my head?”

“No. And that visual is just gross. I’m sorry you’re hurting so badly.” I refrain from giving him a hard time about his foul mouth.

Not that it’s ever worked before. Griff is Griff.

“Hang on. Let me get the door open.”

He stands silently beside me as I fight with the handle on the Ambulance door. After a few seconds of tugging, it pops open and a rush of warm, welcoming air rushes over my face.

“In you go.”

I start to climb in behind Griff and the paramedic stops me. “No room.”

It is tight with the pilot and two paramedic-people.

“Oh. I can’t go?”

“No, we are at capacity.”