just like you like it?”
“That’s better than wine, any day. I never could turn down chocolate milkshakes and…well, I crave anything chocolate.”
“If you want to change, I’ll make them and then we can talk.”
“My clothes are fine for a bit longer, it was the heels that were killing me.” She followed him into the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter, her legs swinging as she grabbed an apple from the basket. “I know you don’t like the spotlight, but you did great today.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed the ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup from the refrigerator. “I just want to get through this and be out of the spotlight.”
“I still believe you’ll win, so you’ll have two additional weeks of this…if not longer.”
He slid the blender from its hideaway. “You didn’t always look on the dark side of things,” he joked.
“Oh, come on, would it really be that bad?” She bit into the apple, and raised an eyebrow. “Would it be that bad to be stuck with me?”
“Does that mean you’ve given us some thought?” Before she could answer, the doorbell rang, interrupting them again. “Damn it. I thought when we got back here we’d finally be able to talk.”
“The other contestants wouldn’t come here, so it’s either my boss or one of the neighbors. Either way, it shouldn’t be long.” She hopped off the counter. “I’ll get it, you make my shake.”
“You might have been given a reprieve, but I still want an answer once you get rid of them.”
She didn’t reply, but gave him one of her bright smiles and headed to the door. While she was gone, he busied himself making the milkshakes. If there was another interruption, be it the phone or door, he was going to pin her against the wall with his body just to get her to answer his question.
With the milkshakes in the glasses, he grabbed a piece of rich chocolate and grated some on top. Everything was perfect until he turned and found her standing there looking pale. “Maddie, what is it? Are you okay? Who was at the door?” He went to her, placing his hands on her arms because he wasn’t sure if she was going to pass out. The blood appeared to have drained from her face.
“I didn’t know. I swear, I didn’t have anything to do with it.” She stared up at him, sympathy in her eyes.
“With what?” He was still completely confused.
“I didn’t know they’d bring him here. I’m sorry. Oh Lucky, I’m so sorry.”
“Who?”
“Kyle.”
He knew he was probably pale, too, because he could feel the color draining from his face. The memories he had tried to push away slammed into him at once, no longer willing to be denied. They crashed into him like waves onto the shore, each one growing stronger and stronger.
They had been following a lead that should have led them straight to one of the terrorists they had been searching for. With each mile, his unease worsened. It was a set up. From the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, he scanned the surroundings. The order to abort on the tip of his tongue when gunfire broke out in nearly every direction, leaving no place to take cover. Private First Class Weber was returning fire from the turret but the insurgent numbers were too great. Surrounded, he had to get them out of there or they were all dead.
“Gunny?” Corporal Juan Torres, the Humvee driver, nodded toward the roadblock before them.
“Fuck.” He wasn’t sure Torres had even heard it over the gunfire. “Reverse. Fall back. Now!”
Torres slammed the Humvee into reverse and plowed backward. On the radio Lucky ordered the two additional Humvees to fall back. Blood dripped down from the turret. Weber was hit but there was nothing he could do for him.
Doc, their corpsman was in the second Humvee. If they could get out of the ambush, he’d be able to help Weber. Meanwhile it was Lucky’s job to keep the insurgents from gaining on his team. He had to find a way out of the ambush. Even injured Weber was firing,
“That’s better than wine, any day. I never could turn down chocolate milkshakes and…well, I crave anything chocolate.”
“If you want to change, I’ll make them and then we can talk.”
“My clothes are fine for a bit longer, it was the heels that were killing me.” She followed him into the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter, her legs swinging as she grabbed an apple from the basket. “I know you don’t like the spotlight, but you did great today.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed the ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup from the refrigerator. “I just want to get through this and be out of the spotlight.”
“I still believe you’ll win, so you’ll have two additional weeks of this…if not longer.”
He slid the blender from its hideaway. “You didn’t always look on the dark side of things,” he joked.
“Oh, come on, would it really be that bad?” She bit into the apple, and raised an eyebrow. “Would it be that bad to be stuck with me?”
“Does that mean you’ve given us some thought?” Before she could answer, the doorbell rang, interrupting them again. “Damn it. I thought when we got back here we’d finally be able to talk.”
“The other contestants wouldn’t come here, so it’s either my boss or one of the neighbors. Either way, it shouldn’t be long.” She hopped off the counter. “I’ll get it, you make my shake.”
“You might have been given a reprieve, but I still want an answer once you get rid of them.”
She didn’t reply, but gave him one of her bright smiles and headed to the door. While she was gone, he busied himself making the milkshakes. If there was another interruption, be it the phone or door, he was going to pin her against the wall with his body just to get her to answer his question.
With the milkshakes in the glasses, he grabbed a piece of rich chocolate and grated some on top. Everything was perfect until he turned and found her standing there looking pale. “Maddie, what is it? Are you okay? Who was at the door?” He went to her, placing his hands on her arms because he wasn’t sure if she was going to pass out. The blood appeared to have drained from her face.
“I didn’t know. I swear, I didn’t have anything to do with it.” She stared up at him, sympathy in her eyes.
“With what?” He was still completely confused.
“I didn’t know they’d bring him here. I’m sorry. Oh Lucky, I’m so sorry.”
“Who?”
“Kyle.”
He knew he was probably pale, too, because he could feel the color draining from his face. The memories he had tried to push away slammed into him at once, no longer willing to be denied. They crashed into him like waves onto the shore, each one growing stronger and stronger.
They had been following a lead that should have led them straight to one of the terrorists they had been searching for. With each mile, his unease worsened. It was a set up. From the passenger seat of the lead vehicle, he scanned the surroundings. The order to abort on the tip of his tongue when gunfire broke out in nearly every direction, leaving no place to take cover. Private First Class Weber was returning fire from the turret but the insurgent numbers were too great. Surrounded, he had to get them out of there or they were all dead.
“Gunny?” Corporal Juan Torres, the Humvee driver, nodded toward the roadblock before them.
“Fuck.” He wasn’t sure Torres had even heard it over the gunfire. “Reverse. Fall back. Now!”
Torres slammed the Humvee into reverse and plowed backward. On the radio Lucky ordered the two additional Humvees to fall back. Blood dripped down from the turret. Weber was hit but there was nothing he could do for him.
Doc, their corpsman was in the second Humvee. If they could get out of the ambush, he’d be able to help Weber. Meanwhile it was Lucky’s job to keep the insurgents from gaining on his team. He had to find a way out of the ambush. Even injured Weber was firing,
Similar Books
