“No plan is without risk,” Alec shoots back. “And I refuse to put Hazel in danger again.”
Enzo lifts his hand in a pacifying gesture. “Not that I’m saying we do it. But we could keep Hazelsafe. Remember when we set up the trap at my house for Winter’s ex? She was fine.”
“Andterrified.” Alec scowls. “Winter was terrified. Don’t you think Hazel’s been through enough already? The car crash, and the break-in, and the attack at the bar. And shit. You all know what happened with her ex. I won’t let Hazel be traumatized again.”
I’m conflicted. On one hand, I love how fiercely Alec is trying to protect me. But on the other… What if my idea could work? What if we could end this? Wouldn’t that be worth it?
“Alec,” I say softly.
He turns back to me. “I can’t watch you suffer again. I can’t.”
“But if it works, all of this could be over. We could do normal things again. Everyone would be safe.”
“Haze.”
“We could go to the Halloween festival together,” I add. “And we could visit your family without having to worry. We could go hiking. Take trips. Be a normal couple.” My chin wobbles. “And I can’t just keep hiding here while there are women in trouble. How can I live with myself if I don’t try to help?”
“Shit.” Alec exhales heavily. “I don’t want you to be hurt. Not physically or emotionally. And the thought of you going through that, using yourself as bait…”
“Why don’t we table this for now?” Enzo offers. “Adecision doesn’t have to be made right away.” He looks at me. “Take some time to think about it, Hazel. Think about what’s best foryou. Okay?”
Before I can answer, Alec grumbles, “She’s not deciding today. It’s too fresh. I’ll take Hazel home so she can get some food and rest. Plus some time to relax. Then we can discuss it again.”
He looks at me with a pleading expression. “Let’s just think about it for now. Can you do that?”
I’m ninety-five percent sure of my decision already. But how can I say no when Alec asks me like that? “Okay,” I tell him. “Let’s go home. Eat. Take a nap. And then we can talk about it again.”
Alec releases his breath. “Okay.” Then he hugs me close, pressing his lips to my hair. And quietly, so only I can hear him, he adds, “I’mnotletting anyone hurt you again.”
CHAPTER 14
ALEC
I can’t rememberthe last time I felt this uneasy about something.
Maybe that first mission after Sawyer’s betrayal, as I prepared to enter enemy territory with two new team members I wasn’t sure I could trust. As I came to the realization that I wasn’t sure I could even trust myself.
That’s when I knew my time in the Army was over. It wouldn’t have been fair to the rest of the team to stay. Not when trust between teammates was everything.
But aside from that last mission in Afghanistan, I’ve always been confident in my abilities. Though I knew there was a chance things could go sideways, I didn’t allow myself to worry about it. I kept asingular focus on the task at hand, whether it was doing recon in Kandahar or tracking down an HVT through the streets of Tehran. If things didn’t go as planned and I didn’t make it home, I accepted the risk as mine to take.
But this mission, as it is, feels different.
At first, I’d hoped I could convince Hazel not to go through with it. Not because her idea was bad, but because the thought of having her anywhere near the people intent on hurting her went against every protective instinct I had.
I still feel that way even three days later. Like I’m failing Hazel by allowing this to continue. Like I’m already breaking my promise never to let her get hurt again.
But despite my best arguments against it, Hazel persisted.
“What if it were you?” she asked me the evening after the team meeting. “If you were the one being targeted? Wouldn’t you want to set a trap for them? Especially knowing you’d have your team at your back?”
Well, yes. I would. But it would be different.
First of all, I’m trained for situations like this. If something goes wrong, I can protect myself. Hazel can’t. She’s strong and capable, yes, but she wouldn’t be a match for a man much bigger and stronger than her. Most likely, an armed man, who wouldn’t hesitate to use his weapon on her.
Besides that, Hazel’s already been through enough. Regardless of how many times she says she trusts me to protect her, she won’t be able to walk away from this experience unscathed. She’ll be worried. Scared. There’s a very good chance she’ll be triggered into a panic attack or flashback. And I won’t be there to help her through it. Not right away, at least.
No, I’ll be going after those assholes while Hazel hides in her bedroom closet behind the reinforced door I installed yesterday. I’ll be taking them down with the help of Ronan, Knox, and Gage, while Hazel waits, alone and terrified, to find out how it all ends.
