Defending Zara (Mountain Mercenaries #6)(46)

“If they’d gotten ahold of us a second time, we wouldn’t be here today,” Black said.

Meat nodded.

“I didn’t have time to think about much while it was happening, but when Gray and the others came and got me, and I came to, the first person I thought about was Harlow. How devastated she’d be if something happened to me.”

Meat stared at his friend, wondering where he was going with this conversation. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

“I’m thinking about asking Rex to consider only stateside missions from here on out.”

Meat was momentarily floored. But . . . what his friend was saying made sense.

“Gray missed the birth of his son. It was only because of Zara and her friends that you were found and I wasn’t killed. During the search for you, we couldn’t properly question anyone because we couldn’t speak the language. The team has had some close calls before, and I don’t think anyone thought too much about them. It was just part of being a soldier and a Mountain Mercenary. But now that we’ve all got someone waiting for us at home, I think things are different.”

Meat nodded. He was still the odd man out. He wasn’t married and didn’t have a significant other, but he knew as well as anyone how close he’d come to death. “Have you talked to the others yet?” he asked.

Black shook his head. “No, but I’m thinking they won’t argue. I know Arrow is worried about Morgan’s pregnancy. She’s been having some spotting and pains lately, even though she’s still got about five weeks to go. Ro is worried about Chloe’s brother’s lowlife friends maybe deciding she would make a good target, even after all this time. Ball’s got both Everly and her sister to worry about, and, of course, I’m always concerned about Harlow.

“I just think it’s time. None of us are getting any younger, and one of these days our luck is going to run out. Sticking to domestic missions doesn’t mean we won’t be in danger, but honestly, I think we’ve got better resources to assist us, and if something happens back at home, we can more easily get here.”

“If you’re asking me first since I don’t have a significant other, I’m in,” Meat said. “After this last mission in Peru, and realizing how corrupt it seems everyone around us was, it’s lucky we all came home with as few injuries as we did.”

Black sighed in relief. “I’ll talk to the others. See where they stand before we bring it up with Rex.”

“You think he’s gonna fire us all?” Meat asked, only halfway kidding.

“No. I think he’s tired too,” Black said. “His wife has been missing for a decade, and I think he’s finally coming to the realization that she’s well and truly gone. It sucks . . . but it’s time to turn our attention closer to home.”

“I agree,” Meat said with a nod.

“Good. Now I’m gonna get home. I know Harlow is anxious to see for herself that I’m all right,” Black said.

“You need any kind of painkiller before you go?”

“Naw. I took a couple not too long ago.” Black glanced up the stairs, then back to Meat. “Tread lightly with her,” he said quietly. “Even though she seemed to tell the agents everything she went through, I have a feeling there’s a lot she left out.”

“Yeah, I agree. But even if she didn’t, I don’t think we’d ever truly understand what she went through anyway. She was ten, Black. Ten. Practically a baby. The fact that she’s alive and not needing to be institutionalized is a small miracle.”

“Just don’t forget that she’s not a baby. She’s a grown woman, and wise way beyond her years. In a lot of ways, she seems more mature than any of us. I’ll call you soon about having that talk with Rex.”

Meat nodded and gave Black a chin lift. After he left, Meat locked the door behind him and headed for the stairs. He’d clean up the glasses and miscellaneous items from the agents’ visit later. Now, he wanted to check on Zara.

If he was honest with himself, he expected her to be in tears when he saw her. Extremely upset and emotional after her ordeal with the FBI.

When he knocked on the guest room door and opened it upon hearing her tell him to come in, he saw that she was upset and emotional, but she definitely wasn’t crying. Zara was pacing the guest room with quick, angry strides. Back and forth from the window to the door, then back again.

When she saw him staring at her, she asked gruffly, “Are they gone?”

“Yeah, Zar, they’re gone.”

“Good,” she spat. “I can’t believe them! I mean, I understand they need to know my story to make sure I’m not lying, but for a second there, I thought they were going to take me to jail or something! I’m not the one in the wrong here, Meat. I’m the victim—although I hate that word. I prefer ‘survivor.’ I survived what happened to me.”

Meat had never seen her so worked up before. So angry, so . . . forceful. “I know,” he agreed quietly.

It was as if he hadn’t spoken. “Seriously, how dare they question my actions? Do you know how many times I tried to get help? A lot! People either didn’t understand me or didn’t care. They had their own issues, and taking on a ten-year-old kid who was so obviously out of her element wasn’t something they had the time or energy to worry about. I would’ve been an extra mouth to feed. No one could afford that.