Bodie nodded, limped into his room, leaving his door slightly ajar. She followed suit, sitting on the edge of the bed as she stared at the adjoining wall. While she hated that his team had been hit hard, the escalation was exactly what she’d been waiting for. Concrete proof she hadn’t lost her mind. That, maybe, this was the start of what would eventually bring her closure.
Chapter Six
“Bodie.”
Bodie jerked awake, chest pinched tight, smoke, earth and death burning a line down his throat. The sweat-damp sheets clung to his skin, a lingering roar pounded in his head.
He blinked, the dream fading into the soft outline of Rowan’s face, shades of gray coloring her skin from the filtered moonlight brightening the skylight and windows. She furrowed her brow, staring at him as if she’d seen a ghost before relaxing a bit. He scooted back until his shoulders rested against the headboard, the cool bedroom air easing the burning fire raging beneath his skin.
She sighed and reached out to smooth some of his hair off his forehead. “Nightmare?”
He let his head droop toward his chest. “I guess. Did I wake you?”
“I was on my way in to check up on you when you started yelling. I wouldn’t have woken you, but you were thrashing against the blankets, and I didn’t want you to aggravate your leg.”
He glanced at the clock on one of the side tables. “It’s two. I thought you were gonna allow yourself to actually sleep?”
She shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“Sleeping’s complicated?”
“More than you’d know.” She brushed her thumb along his cheek, the gentle caress making his heart thump hard against his ribs. “You okay?”
He leaned into her touch for a moment. “Fine. Sorry for the noise.”
“Not a problem.” She stood, her feet hushed against the hardwood floors. “Do you need anything? Water? Pain killers?” She nudged his left leg. “A solemn oath of vengeance?”
“The vengeance sounds promising, but we’ll hold off for a bit. See if justice might work, instead.”
“You’re a real buzzkill when you’re all serious.” She took a step back. “Get some rest. I’ll look in again in a couple hours. Until then, sleep.”
“Rowan.”
She stopped at his door, glancing back over her shoulder. “Change your mind on the pain meds?”
“You don’t have to sacrifice your sleep to keep checking in. Sure, my leg’s sore, but I’m fine. Not going to drop dead on you.”
“You signed yourself out of the hospital. I think I’m more of a voice of reason, right now.” She winked, and he couldn’t help but smile. “Besides, the view’s even better than when you were hiking up that ridge in front of me.” A step. “Two hours, Page. Sleep.”
She slipped out of his room, leaving the door slightly ajar like he’d done when he’d first gone to bed. Only, the room seemed colder, now. Almost lonely without her in it. Odd, when he’d never really lived with anyone since joining the army. And certainly not with someone like her.
A hard lump settled in his chest as he shifted on the bed, stared up at the ceiling. He still couldn’t believe Evan was gone. That his buddy had survived years of missions in shitholes most people didn’t know existed only to get killed in a national park.
On Bodie’s watch.
The event played over in his head, each loop more graphic than the last until he tossed the covers aside, swung his feet off the edge. Pain seared through his leg, old and new wounds blending together into one fiery ache. He’d grab some meds, walk it out for a bit, then try to catch a couple more hours of sleep.
He glanced at the unit charging on the other nightstand, the steady green light glaring up at him. He could sneak downstairs — see what kind of security features he was up against. Maybe run it through some of his algorithms.
Except where he’d promised to give Rowan the night. To wait. And after all she’d done for him and his teammates, he couldn’t let her down, now.
Fatigue weighed heavy on his shoulders as he slipped on a crew-neck shirt and some sweats, cursing the pull in his leg before limping to the hall. He looked over at her door, wondering if she was tucked beneath the blankets when hushed noises drifted in from his kitchen, a distinct rattle drawing him down the corridor.
She leaned against his counter, mug in one hand, gaze focused out the window on the far wall, a few lights shining in the distance along the coastline. The other crew at Raven’s Watch must have caught a rescue, the blinking lights of the chopper rising above the hangar before fading into the darkness.
He knew the moment she realized she wasn’t alone, her shoulders tensed before she turned and looked down the hallway, her gaze landing on him. The corner of her mouth quirked, her eyes crinkling a bit before she shook her head.
She held up the cup. “Want one?”
