Ice (Elite Forces #1)(27)

“Come here, please.” Removing my hand from hers and bringing it up and around her shoulder, I am careful not to cause her physical pain.

She’s carrying so much anguish inside of her, and it kills me to see her like this. She may hate me for what I’m going to recommend to my superior when I return, but Jade needs help. She needs to talk to someone about this. Someone neutral. One of the Army’s doctors who specialize in treating soldiers who have a difficult time when returning home from war or a mission.

I’m still her Commander, well technically not, but who gives a shit. I care about her and part of my job will be to discuss how everyone on my team performed. Jade did everything she was supposed to do, but this, this can’t be ignored. They won’t allow her to return or to recommend her for another mission anywhere if she can’t handle what happened out there. I know how hard she has worked for this.

This is her life. It will destroy her if she can’t handle it. She’ll be behind a desk, shuffling papers or worse yet, she could be discharged. That, I know damn well she’d not be able to handle. Fuck.

She starts to relocate her tiny frame from dickf*ck to me. As she does, I lift the armrest up, giving her the comfort she needs to rest her head on my shoulder. This is where she needs to be, even though I desperately want to kiss her, to run my fingers through her hair, and calm her. I know I can’t, not yet anyway.

I play the part of her leader, letting her breathing calm. She stills in my arms, and I know she’s fallen back to sleep. I sigh heavily then shift my gaze to Harris who is watching us, or should I say me, with confusion smeared all over his face.

“What?” I mouth dryly.

Those damn eyes of his give him away. He wants to know what the f*ck I’m doing. Better yet, he wants to know why.

“Is she alright?” JJ questions from his seat across the aisle and a row back. I tear my scrutiny away from Harris. My attention spins in the opposite direction.

“She will be.” That’s really all I can say.

“I hope you're right.” His reply is full of concern. He can’t say anything more, either. By the way he’s casting his look at her, I know the kid cares about her. He looks up to her. What man wouldn’t? She’s strong, courageous, and a damn fighter.

“Is she sleeping?” I whisper to him. I need to make sure before I spill my guts to Harris. JJ nods his head then stuffs his earbuds back into his ears, going back to the movie he was watching on the small monitor attached to the back of the seat in front of him.

“What the f*ck is going on between you two and don’t f*cking lie to me.” Harris snaps. Which no doubt has me teetering on the edge of grabbing him by the throat and telling him to shut his f*cking mouth.

But I don’t and I won’t. What I will do is tell him what he needs to f*cking hear. What he needs to know before we land and before he thinks for one damn second he’s going to get anywhere near her once we’ve been cleared to go about our daily lives.

I decide to toy with him a little and play stupid.

“What the f*ck are you talking about?” I whisper low. I’m not about to wake her up. This is out of line on his part, and he damn well knows it. Not that I have room to talk about being out of line.

“Don’t play dumb, Maverick. I’m not as f*cking oblivious as you think. I see the way you look at her. You want her.” His tone is arrogant.

“This isn’t the time or the place to have this discussion.” I let my stare challenge him to say more.

“I don’t see why not. Look around. There isn’t a single person paying attention to you having your arms around her except me.” His brows lift.

I contemplate my answer. Do I tell him or not? If I do, I risk the chance of him opening his mouth to Jade, letting her know he knows. Or worse, telling someone of rank that could ruin my career and hers. If I don’t, he’ll go after her. He’s a man like me, who goes after what he wants, and we both know he wants her for more than a quick f*ck. She’s the only one who is blind and can’t see it.

She sees him as her friend. A friend whom, thank god, I stopped before they f*cked. Before he used that f*ck to get under her skin. The difference between Harris and I is, I went after what I wanted the first chance I got. Where he’s had years to tell her how he’s felt about her. Years he wasted. He f*cked up.

This woman lying in my arms, sleeping on my shoulder, is right where she is meant to be. With me. I’m going to have to fight tooth and nail to make her see it. I may have fought hard on every mission I’ve been on, every deployment I went to and I know damn well she'll be worth the fight.

There is nothing I will fight harder for than her. I need her as much as she needs me. And I’ll be damned if a man who isn’t man enough to tell a woman how he feels about her will stand in my way.

“You want the truth, Harris? Here’s the truth. She’s mine.” I growl the words through a whisper, hoping she doesn't wake up. He’s somewhat shocked, but his expression is angrier than anything.

“It's funny how she doesn't seem to acknowledge that herself.” He leans closer, making sure I hear him. “She's not something that I'll walk away from, and she's sure as f*ck not someone I'll let get into something that’s going to hurt her. Let me ask you, Commander, why exactly was Jade’s back full of bloody scrapes and scratches?” I look toward the stewardess coming down the middle aisle, not wanting to get into it with him. Why can't he just understand that I'm not f*cking around here?