Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1)(80)

“Let’s not have it happen at all.” Harte sighed. “There are other options here.”

“Retirement isn’t my thing.” Gabe would go insane in retirement. Especially if Maylin disappeared with An-mei under government protection. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t go after her and if he did, he could end up leading danger right back to them. It’d be stupid. But if he didn’t have a job to do, stupid was the least of his worries.

“What about a change of career path?” Harte asked. “Obviously security on this site needs to get to a higher level of performance. Edict shouldn’t have ever gotten close. I need someone here to overhaul on-site defenses and adjust the program before we take on more personal-security contracts. Trainees need to be ready for the real thing when they’re here, or they won’t be when we send them overseas.”

Those who can’t, teach. Gabe hated the saying because it was incredibly shitty.

And what was it Maylin had taught him?

I take the sayings I like to heart.

And the ones you don’t like?

I prove them wrong.

Gabe chuckled. Couldn’t help it. She’d changed him and she hadn’t meant to. It was probably why she’d been so successful at it.

Harte cleared his throat. “Wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.”

“Yeah, well. I guess I’m learning new tricks.” Gabe sighed. “Talk to me about what you have in mind.”





Chapter Twenty-Five

At the first crack of his bedroom door, Gabe came fully awake. He kept his eyes closed, though, and his body relaxed, his breath the long, slow rhythm of sleep.

Soft footsteps told him his visitor was small and female, and his girl. The urge to smile almost broke his facade.

Maylin walked like a cat, especially in just her socks on the hardwood floor. But she wasn’t the furtive kind of silent a trained Centurion would be. She was quiet in a non-threatening, make soft imprints in his heart sort of way.

“Don’t even try to convince me I can sneak up on you, Gabriel Diaz.”

Ooh. She was feeling feisty. It made him even happier, and he didn’t fight the grin spreading across his face even though he kept his eyes shut. Apparently a minor concussion didn’t keep her in the infirmary for long. And he wasn’t even going to hide from how happy it made him. Course, another part of him was up and ready to welcome her too.

“I’ve got a tray here for you.” Her voice turned to warm honey. “You want it on the desk, your bed, or flipped over on your lap?”

Oops. No more faking sleep. He opened his eyes and couldn’t help grinning even broader. Didn’t matter to him if he looked like a complete idiot. His girl was there, in his room, standing on her own power.

“Wanted to enjoy being with you again, cora??o, one sense at a time. Hearing you. Seeing you.” He tapped the desk next to the bed and waited for her to safely place the tray, then caught her hand in his. He ran his thumb along the inside of her wrist, over her pulse point. “Touching you. I missed you.”

He didn’t dare more. Not yet. Twice now, he’d kissed her while she lay on a stretcher, and this time the next steps had to be her choice.

The spark of temper faded from her eyes. She drew in a long breath. “I missed you too. We didn’t have a lot of time to talk earlier.”

Sounded like a good thing. He hoped it was. “You needed to see your sister.”

Her gaze was warm. “I did, and I want to thank you for bringing An-mei home safe.”

Aw, hell, he couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound stupid or end up with his foot in his mouth.

“But getting back to what I was talking about before you took me to see my sister.” Her eyes narrowed as she continued, “I probably should take some self-defense classes. I bet there’s some in the city, but those are usually big group seminars.”

“I can teach you.” He wasn’t going to leave it to some civilian instructor.

She nodded. “I’d like that. Maybe Lizzy or Victoria could help? They’re closer to my size and they have to adjust for...a few things.”

He dropped his gaze to the tempting curves of her chest. “I’m very fond of the things that make you different from me.”

She cleared her throat. But when he looked up, there was heat in her gaze, not embarrassment. Good. “So, self-defense classes. Hopefully you all can teach me the basics before you have to leave again.”

She stepped back and away from him, turning to retrieve the tray. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, but before he could stand she set the tray in his lap and sat next to him.

There were two bowls of clear soup with vegetables in it. Next to the soup was a platter of crackers, thin slices of salami and pepperoni plus a selection of cheeses.

Maylin reached across him to layer a cracker with a couple of slices of meat and cheese. “I sort of dumped the first pot of soup I made on Jewel and the kitchen floor. Caleb let me loose in the pantry over at the main facility, so I brought back a few supplies to make sure you all had a warm meal when you woke up.”

The kitchen had been a mess when they’d gotten back. Security detail had still been taking pictures before they cleaned up, and verifying how Jewel had gotten in and out. Still, Caleb and Harte had made sure everything was taken care of so Gabe and his team could hit their bunks.