“Oh, man, or prime rib,” Wolf said. “I love me some prime rib with strong horseradish sauce.”
“No man, with au jus, not that white shit,” Jug stated firmly. “And some creamy, cheesy potatoes. Fresh bread, too.”
Talon listened to his team talk about nothing until they all finished. Then they left together, separating at their assigned rooms.
Finally, just before he went to bed, the response to his text came through, catching him off guard. He’d settled on the fact that she’d decided it was none of his business. Which was true.
Riley:No, it isn’t what I want.
He staredat the screen and debated for a nanosecond about how to respond.
Talon:You’re an adult. You don’t have to go.
Riley:I need help dealing.
Talon:You mean counseling?
Riley:Yeah. The men.
Talon blinked at the screen.He pushed the call button and listened to the phone ring. “Come on, pick up.”
“Hello?” Riley’s voice was still scratchy but stronger.
“About being choked and beaten?” he asked without any pleasantries or preamble.
There was silence, but finally, she said, “That and …”
“Did they …” How did he ask if they’d fucking raped her? Jesus, was it even his business?
“Yeah,” she acknowledged. “My dad doesn’t know. Please, he’d think that I …”
“I’m not telling your father anything,” he added. “Counseling isn’t a sign of weakness.” He’d seen so many people recover stronger after counseling.
“To him, it is.”
Talon didn’t know how to respond to that. From what he’d heard of her father that day, he didn’t doubt it for a second.
He stared at the floor, unsure of how to make her feel better. Maybe, like his mom had told him after the Siege, just having his dad and her boys there to remind her she wasn’t still in the situation was all he could do.
So, he said the words. “I’m here. If you find yourself in a dark place. Reach out.”
“Thank you, but why?”
He could hear the tears in her voice. “When I was about to graduate high school, my mom and aunt were taken captive. They were physically abused. Horribly abused. And I couldn’t help them. I swore that no other person would go through what they went through. Not if I could help it.” He knew she could hear the emotion in his voice, his throat tightening as he remembered. “They overcame the situation. It’s a lot more than I can go into now, but know that I understand your pain. I can’t feel it, but God … I understand it, and I want you to know that you have someone. You have me.”
“I should hang up now. I’m really tired. And confused, emotional, and hurting for the women you loved who were hurt. So … yeah. Thank you.”
“Good night, Riley.”
“Good night,” she whispered before disconnecting. Talon wanted to reach through the phone and hold her like his dad had held his mom when she was hurting after the attack, but that didn’t make much sense. He was just the guy who found her during a mission. The … well …connectionhe felt with her was an emotional response to the condition he found her in and the assholeness of her father. He’d bet when she got back to the States, he’d never hear from her again. Which was the best course of action for everyone concerned. He had his team to look after. A woman on the other side of the world was a liability.
CHAPTER 6
August
Riley leanedback against the feather-soft pillows of her childhood bedroom. Well, her room in her father's house. She'd lived in boarding schools most of her life. So, this room was only used during holidays and summer break. She glanced at the pale pink walls and the lace curtains and wondered if her father had ever been in the room before. She could never remember him on this side of the house, let alone in her room.
Just like everything else in this house,she thought bitterly.Pretty to look at, but no real connection toanything or anyone.The decorator had picked out every frilly detail without ever meeting her. Much like her father had provided everything she could ever need, except the one thing she'd always wanted—his attention, his approval, his presence. Her thoughts scattered when her phone vibrated.
