by S. M. Savoy
“Brenda,” Charlie said warningly, and she waved him off without even glancing at him. He grabbed her arm hard.
Brenda said, “They were stealing the drugs. We interrupted them. Tomas would’ve been next. Or maybe not. They all knew he was diseased so might have left his shit alone. But my point is he was a bad man surrounded by bad people.”
Charlie released his tight grip as Sara’s guilt eased.
“And, yeah, we’re dangerous but Tomas knew that when he messed with us.”
“Mess with the bull, you get the horns,” Manny said, and Sara laughed. She slapped her hands over her mouth, looking horrified, and Charlie laughed over her guilty amusement.
He said, “I swear I didn’t kill him. I would have, but I didn’t.”
He shot a quick grateful glance to Rick and mouthed thank you to Brenda when Sara hugged him. Her guilt fluctuated, morphing too fast for him to nail down what she was thinking about before settling into determination.
She pushed away to see his face when she said, “I did feel bad. Like I’d brought this to him, but he did choose it. I didn’t make him do any of things he did. And he was sick— but I’m glad it wasn’t you who killed him. And, yes, it does make me feel guilty that I give a damn. I know he was an ass. I didn’t love him, but I wanted to.”
She flushed and turned to Brenda. “I hate thinking everyone is wondering about Oz and me—”
“Pfft, that’s actually kind of boring. No offense, Oz. Your hot and all, but if I’m imagining sex it isn’t you with Sara.” She winked at Rick, and Mike exclaimed indignantly, making Sara giggle.
Brenda continued, “If I’m imaging how they’d do it, I have to admit my thoughts go to Joy and Drew. She’s so damned tiny…”
Drew laughed and Joy punched him on the arm.
“I’ll show you how,” she said, and she grabbed Drew’s arm, twisting and spinning sideways to throw him over her shoulder. He landed on the ground with Joy kneeling on his chest.
Sara’s laughter was tonic to Charlie’s anger, and he laughed too as Joy kissed Drew then flipped backward to land on her feet.
“I suppose the rest will have to be left to your imagination,” she said and turned to eye Rick who held up his hands and waved her away. “Now, me. I appreciate Rick’s charms or Harrison. Where’d he get to anyway?”
The Scouts continued to joke, flirting and insulting each other in good-natured camaraderie. Sara relaxed and enjoyed their company and Charlie forgot his anger, laughing with Stasia as they teased Oz about the female plebes who pestered him.
When they finally broke up for the night he was relaxed and not even dreading returning to his post. Sara was looking forward to it, had questioned Brenda eagerly about the instillation, flirting with her eyes and enjoying the lust echoing between them. Her grin when he took her hand made his heart swell with tenderness.
“I’m the luckiest man alive,” he whispered with heartfelt sincerity as he bent to kiss her lips.
He huffed a laugh and Sara drew away to examine him.
“What?” She asked suspiciously.
“I was just thinking Major Nelson was worried about engines. Even after all this time and everything he knows about us, he still doesn’t see that we’re more dangerous than any invention you could make.”
The reports Nelson had read had been accurate. They all knew war was coming. The world wouldn’t meekly accept them, he was certain of that. But he had no intention of being meek.
“Study hard,” she said as she hugged him tightly.
“No one will ever hurt you again.” He kissed her temple. “When war comes, we’ll be ready.”
The End
Upcoming Book
Valor 7
A Vow Unbroken
Vows are nothing to take lightly, especially when enforced by magic…
In just a few more months, Charlie will finally be a lieutenant in the Marines and able to embrace his true nature, but while everything appears to be going well, he can’t seem to get a handle on his anger— or his jealousy.
Magic complicates everything…
BOOKS BY S. M. SAVOY
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Valor
A Warrior’s Fury
A Sun Priest’s Magic
Beyond Valor
A Rogue’s Passion
RELATED SERIES
Return of the Fae
Enter the Frey
Danu’s Children
COMING SOON
Forged by Lightning
*
Essence of the Storm
Storm Wrought
*
COMING SOON
Dusted
