right? How did that happen?”
“You need to talk to Rowan,” Loren said.
“Oh. Okay,” she said, but she knew she wouldn’t. At least not anytime soon. Rowan had seemed sensitive about his arm. He’d been so angry when she admitted she’d seen it as a weakness. “Do you think he and Adam are okay? I’d feel horrible if they got hurt because they were trying to help me.”
Xander rose and stepped to Emma. “Two enhanced trained soldiers against a Reg? Your man’ll be fine.” He grabbed Emma by the hand and walked out without a farewell. Emma managed to give a sympathetic squeeze to Jill’s arm as she passed.
“He’ll be fine,” she said as she followed Xander out the door.
“Thank you for the makeover,” Jill called at the couple’s retreating backs. “Wow. No offense, Mrs. Bristack, but your son scares me a little. Is he always so quiet?”
Both Loren and Xander’s mother laughed.
“Quiet?” Loren asked with a chuckle. “He was practically chatty.”
“Emma’s been wonderful for my son,” Mrs. Bristack said. “Don’t let his outside fool you. He’s a big softie inside.”
“Uh huh,” she said doubtfully. She’d believe Xander had a soft side the day Rowan grew a new arm. “What did he mean by ‘reg’?”
“Regular,” Loren explained. “Non–enhanced humans or civilians.”
“Oh.”
* * * * *
“This is it,” Adam said, just as Rowan was ready to call it quits and leave Jackass’s car by the side of the road. Or better yet, in a ditch. “Driveway’s on your left.”
Rowan backed in as Xander had taught him so they’d have an easier time of escaping if the sitch got critical. He couldn’t imagine it would. Nevertheless he couldn’t stop the burgeoning excitement pounding in his chest. This was his first mission as a trained soldier. It didn’t matter that Shep hadn’t authorized it and didn’t even know three of his soldiers were on this trip three hours south of campus to rural Virginia. He. Was. On. A. Mission.
Steven pulled in behind him driving Jackass’s car, and Rowan was pleased to note the car looked a little worse than it had starting out. His sharp eyes let him see the mud–spattered sides. When they’d pulled over for gas halfway here, Steven had stopped, but he hadn’t pumped for more than a minute. Trying to deliver the car running on fumes. Nice. Rowan admired his style.
Steven grinned at him and Adam. “Let’s do this.”
He and Adam let Steven take the lead and huddled behind him pretending to be the muscle. It didn’t need to be said, but Steven turned to say it anyway. “Keep quiet and look threatening.” Rowan knew the hard look was for him. He wanted nothing more than to ring the doorbell and sucker–punch Jill’s husband the second he opened the door. Steven had explained that as much as they wanted to beat the shit out of Jack, it would go easier on Jill if they made an attempt at peace.
They didn’t have time to ring the doorbell. As soon as their booted feet hit the stair up to the front door, it swung open.
“Who the hell are you? What are you doing with my car? Where’s my wife?”
Rowan sized up the man in the doorway in about five seconds. Five eleven, dark hair that he hoped would thin by the time he was thirty, a body that was still fit, but showed signs of not being the football player he’d been in high school. A man who had been king in high school and didn’t understand that he no longer ruled.
Steven didn’t answer any questions. He asked one of his own. “You Jack Thompson?”
“Yeah?” The sneer made his handsome face ugly. “I asked who the fuck you were.”
Steven thrust a large yellow envelope into Jack’s stomach. In his surprise, he grabbed at it. “What’s this?”
“You’re being served with divorce papers from Jill Thompson.” Steven started to turn. “Let’s go boys,” he muttered. “It’s about to get fun.”
They made it one step before Jack came out swinging. Only Steven
“You need to talk to Rowan,” Loren said.
“Oh. Okay,” she said, but she knew she wouldn’t. At least not anytime soon. Rowan had seemed sensitive about his arm. He’d been so angry when she admitted she’d seen it as a weakness. “Do you think he and Adam are okay? I’d feel horrible if they got hurt because they were trying to help me.”
Xander rose and stepped to Emma. “Two enhanced trained soldiers against a Reg? Your man’ll be fine.” He grabbed Emma by the hand and walked out without a farewell. Emma managed to give a sympathetic squeeze to Jill’s arm as she passed.
“He’ll be fine,” she said as she followed Xander out the door.
“Thank you for the makeover,” Jill called at the couple’s retreating backs. “Wow. No offense, Mrs. Bristack, but your son scares me a little. Is he always so quiet?”
Both Loren and Xander’s mother laughed.
“Quiet?” Loren asked with a chuckle. “He was practically chatty.”
“Emma’s been wonderful for my son,” Mrs. Bristack said. “Don’t let his outside fool you. He’s a big softie inside.”
“Uh huh,” she said doubtfully. She’d believe Xander had a soft side the day Rowan grew a new arm. “What did he mean by ‘reg’?”
“Regular,” Loren explained. “Non–enhanced humans or civilians.”
“Oh.”
* * * * *
“This is it,” Adam said, just as Rowan was ready to call it quits and leave Jackass’s car by the side of the road. Or better yet, in a ditch. “Driveway’s on your left.”
Rowan backed in as Xander had taught him so they’d have an easier time of escaping if the sitch got critical. He couldn’t imagine it would. Nevertheless he couldn’t stop the burgeoning excitement pounding in his chest. This was his first mission as a trained soldier. It didn’t matter that Shep hadn’t authorized it and didn’t even know three of his soldiers were on this trip three hours south of campus to rural Virginia. He. Was. On. A. Mission.
Steven pulled in behind him driving Jackass’s car, and Rowan was pleased to note the car looked a little worse than it had starting out. His sharp eyes let him see the mud–spattered sides. When they’d pulled over for gas halfway here, Steven had stopped, but he hadn’t pumped for more than a minute. Trying to deliver the car running on fumes. Nice. Rowan admired his style.
Steven grinned at him and Adam. “Let’s do this.”
He and Adam let Steven take the lead and huddled behind him pretending to be the muscle. It didn’t need to be said, but Steven turned to say it anyway. “Keep quiet and look threatening.” Rowan knew the hard look was for him. He wanted nothing more than to ring the doorbell and sucker–punch Jill’s husband the second he opened the door. Steven had explained that as much as they wanted to beat the shit out of Jack, it would go easier on Jill if they made an attempt at peace.
They didn’t have time to ring the doorbell. As soon as their booted feet hit the stair up to the front door, it swung open.
“Who the hell are you? What are you doing with my car? Where’s my wife?”
Rowan sized up the man in the doorway in about five seconds. Five eleven, dark hair that he hoped would thin by the time he was thirty, a body that was still fit, but showed signs of not being the football player he’d been in high school. A man who had been king in high school and didn’t understand that he no longer ruled.
Steven didn’t answer any questions. He asked one of his own. “You Jack Thompson?”
“Yeah?” The sneer made his handsome face ugly. “I asked who the fuck you were.”
Steven thrust a large yellow envelope into Jack’s stomach. In his surprise, he grabbed at it. “What’s this?”
“You’re being served with divorce papers from Jill Thompson.” Steven started to turn. “Let’s go boys,” he muttered. “It’s about to get fun.”
They made it one step before Jack came out swinging. Only Steven
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