Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #5)(74)

We had brought sandwiches with us, knowing that the fresh food wouldn't last very long and it would be our last chance to eat a stacked BLT with extras for a long while. There isn't a dining hall or any sort of area specifically cordoned off for us to eat in. Instead, we spread out near the tree line, where we’ll be able to keep an eye on the entire camp but not be in anyone's way at the same time.

Aro grabs something for Sawyer and takes that into his tent filled with computers before she joins us. I call out to North, Gryphon, and Nox, just to be sure that they don't need anything from us, but they're all too busy to stop to eat.

When we spread out on the ground, Gabe, ever the social butterfly, calls out to a few of the TacTeam personnel to speak to them.

I only recognize Rockelle, who nods his head at us in what I'm sure he is hoping is a respectful manner, and Atlas huffs out a breath in a pissed off sort of way. There might not be bad blood between the two of them, per se, but my Bonded still doesn't like him.

All four of the guys that Gabe calls out to are carrying food of their own, and he invites them to sit with us, ignoring the savage glare that Atlas throws at him.

We're going to be here for weeks, probably. There's no point in holing ourselves away from the rest of the teams, Gabe sends through our mind link where Atlas can hear it too.

I don't want to admit that I'm siding with Atlas here, antisocial thanks to all of the judgment I get constantly, and instead I send a tight-lipped smile to one of the guys that I recognize from our last mission.

“Oleander, but my friends call me Oli,” I say as I stretch out my hand to him.

I'm sure he already knows this. I'm sure everybody in this camp already knows this, thanks to the Bonded Group I belong to, but he takes my hand regardless.

“Tyrone Evans, I’m one of the Transporters.”

He introduces me to the other men and then tucks into his own sandwich, laughing along with the story that Gabe is telling about the buildings back home.

Rockelle takes a huge bite of his sandwich and chews once before swallowing, grossly efficient at getting food down his throat, before he asks Gabe, “How far away are the houses from being finished? I know that I'm speaking out of turn about it, but sharing with eight other personnel isn't my idea of home.”

Gabe smiles back ruefully. “Unfortunately, unless you find your Bonded Group, that's where you're going to have to stay. There's too many people on the entry list to start prioritizing single dwellings.”

Rockelle nods and takes a sip of the can of Coke before he sets it down at his feet.

Evans nudges at him with his shoulder. “You could always move into my house, but I’ve gotta tell you, living with three-year-old twins isn't going to be an easier ride than the frat house you're currently living in. Five a.m. starts ain’t shit when you’re not parenting.”

I raise my eyebrows at him. “And are those twins yours? That seems kind of intense.”

He grins at me, beaming with pride. “Yep, two little boys. I have a six-week-old son as well.”

I have to stop my mouth from gaping at him as I look him over again. He certainly does not look old enough to be a happy father of three. I'm clearly not doing a very good job at subtlety because he laughs at me.

“I found my Bonded Group young, and both of my Bonded weren't exactly keen on waiting around for the Resistance to be done messing up our lives before we had a family of our own. I’ve got to admit, having a family to fight for and come back to keeps me going when we’re out here facing all this shit.”

It's hard to argue with that.

Atlas nods and glances around at the other men, but they're all back on the conversation about the work Gabe is doing with the housing, and I’m too proud of my Bonded to interrupt his happy stories of errant nail guns.

Evans glances around the group and then clears his throat quietly, glancing back to me. “I don't want to speak out of turn here, but I just wanted to say thank you for coming and for helping out. I know that most people are terrified of your Gift and what it is that you can do, but I've served under Shore for a long time, and I trust his judgment.”

He looks out into the density of the trees before he continues, his face like a blank slate that speaks volumes on its own. “I’ve also seen the things that the Resistance do to the people that they catch, and I'm not going to bite the hand that feeds. Having your entire Bonded Group here has been the first time that I've actually thought we have a chance at winning this. Hell, it’s the first time that we've walked into a fight without knowing that we're completely outgunned. I might actually get the chance to see those little kids of mine grow up. They might have the chance to have Bonded Groups of their own too.”

He says it with the type of wonder in his voice that tugs at my heart, like he’s been out here fighting in the TacTeams without any sort of hope that they’ll win, but doing it anyway because it’s the right thing to do.

I wonder how many of Gryphon’s men have felt this way.

I swallow the last bite of my sandwich and look back over my shoulder at Gabe’s grinning face, the sun shining on his golden hair, making him look even more like the golden child of the group. He catches my eye and grins at me before I glance back at Evans.

“Whatever it takes, we're going to get rid of them all.”