“I will handle it, but right now I am focused on healing and getting back into things,” he starts, winking at Liz when he says it.Her cheeks warm, knowing exactly what he wants to be getting back into. Matt doesn’t miss it, looking between them as if he is going to be sick in his rush for the door.
“Oh, and kid, Scott may be our leader, but I am the fucking boss. If you ever disrespect me like that again, you will find out exactly why everyone is so afraid of me.”
CHAPTER 19
“Are you sure I can’t stay with you?” Liz asks for the hundredth time on their short walk to the admin building. She stays tucked between Riley and Mikey, with Alex and Tyler trailing close behind.
Most of the soldiers on base ignore them, or at least do a good job of pretending they do, but there is no doubt word got around about what Matt thinks happened the week prior. One of the few good things to come from that situation was his fear of Riley got him to stay away awhile longer.
“I’m sure, princess. This is long overdue, and I’m sure Scott is going to try and chew my ass out for that. Besides, I will have to tell a room full of people, who will one hundred percent piss you off, every gruesome detail of what happened to me in there. That’s not something I want you hearing while everything is still so fresh,” he explains, reaching for her hand before thinking better of it and dropping his arm back to his side.
Liz knows there is nothing she can say that will change his mind. The meeting is just the next step in getting cleared to officially lead their unit again. He is right. As much as she wishes to bein the room, Liz knows she has been too protective of Riley lately. If anyone says one wrong thing or questions his integrity, she will snap.
Her stomach churns when the towering building comes into view. Remembering how bad things went the last time she was in there, her pace slows. She retreats into her head, reminding herself everything will be okay. Riley will recount every detail of his capture, telling the men everything like a horrible bedtime story. The psychologist will explain he was cleared but has been receiving steady sessions, and Janine can confirm he has been healing incredibly––all wounds closed and faded into sensitive scars. He will still need more time for his muscle tissue to heal where the worst of the damage was,and continue physical therapy, but the worst is behind him.
“Everything will be fine. Go workout. I should be back before you are,” he says, nudging her with an elbow, trying to get her out of her head without grabbing her the way he normally would.
“Good luck,” she says with a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. As soon as the rest of her team goes inside, she and Mikey break into a jog back across base, looking back every now and then until the building is just a blip in the distance. She slows her pace the closer they get and she swears she spots a familiar frame leaning against the wall. Liz tries to run the other way but hands grab her, steering her back toward their destination.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Mikey says, pushing her to the building. “You need to deal with it, today. I called him to make sure he leaves Riley and Scott alone. You want him telling everyone Ry hits you? Because that is exactly what will happen if he shows up to that meeting.”
“Dumbass. You think he hasn’t already told anyone who will listen?” Liz snaps. Storming away, she walks right into the gym, ignoring both men who now follow.
She begins her cardio, refusing to speak until she is done. Her anger simmers far longer than anyone expected it to, putting in a solid two hours power walking before finally calming enough to move to weights with Mikey. She watches as he gets everything set up for them, keeping careful tabs on Matt. She needs to know where he is at all times if she is going to properly avoid him. What she wasn’t planning on is Mikey calling him over to join them. Rage surges through her as they go through their routine, listening to the men chatting like old friends makes her skin crawl. Mikey excuses himself, leaving them alone and Matt wastes no time fawning over her.
“How are you feeling?” he asks with fake sympathy. She can see him in the mirror, watching her ass every time she dips into her split squats. “I wanted to come check on you. I would have if I didn’t think he would put his hands on you again because of it.”
“Can you ever just mind your fucking business?” she snaps. The anxiety of what is happening in Riley’s meeting mixed with the burn in her muscles makes her more irritable than normal.
“I think a superior, not only berating someone under their command but getting physical, is my business. I have been worried about you.”
“There is nothing for you to worry about. I’m fine,” Liz grumbles, finishing her set, watching every step Mikey takes back to them, silently urging him to move faster.
“You’re not fine, Liz! He made you cry, and don’t think I didn’t see the marks he left on your neck,” he shouts, drawing the attention of the few people scattered around the gym.
“Give it a rest, Solano,” Mikey’s voice booms at his approach. “Go claim a ring and get it set up to spar. I could use a good fight today,” he orders. Matt does as he’s commanded, reluctantly pulling himself away.
“For what it’s worth, I thought you looked fuckin hot, but Ialso know what he really did to you in there.” Mikey teases, humping the air like a dog.
Her jaw drops and she stares at him, unable to form thoughts, let alone the words she would need to scold him. The weights clack against the rack as he puts them back, chuckling to himself when he catches sight of her.
“What the fuck, Mikey?” she finally chokes out. “He will actually kill you for talking like that. You know that, right?”
“Nah. He’s my best friend. He makes a lot of empty threats, but he could never hurt me. In fact, I bet he would let me join if you asked,” he says, shooting her a wink.
“Oh yeah, you think he would go for it? I would be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it before. Two big, strong, sexy men worshiping every inch of my body,” she says as sensually as she can muster, running her hands up his bare abdomen, stepping into him. “Maybe tonight I can bring you into our bed and we can see what he says.” Liz can’t control her laughter at the sight of the grown man before her scrambling back a few steps.
“You called my bluff. He would rip my dick off if he found out I said he would go for a threesome, and I would like my dick to stay right where it is, so let’s go. Time to punch some of that aggression out,” he says, leading the way over to the sparring mat that has been claimed for them.
Liz slinks to the floor, watching Mikey step into the middle, dragging Matt with him. He may act like a dumb goofball but seeing him spar with someone other than Riley has her remembering why he is on the team.
Mikey expertly avoids every fist and kick thrown at him, while redirecting and teaching Matt exactly what he is doing wrong. Matt has had years of his own training, a good fighter by normal standards, but Mikey has him looking as new to this as she is.
Liz stops tracking the time, focusing instead on taking in every detail of how they move. She has never had the opportunity to study their technique like this. Normally, she is the one on the mat, trying to keep up. When she does get the chance to watch, she ends up lost in every hard line and muscle on Riley’s body. She notes everything, trying to commit every movement to her memory.
“Bet you wish this was you, huh?” Matt calls out seconds before a fist slams into his abdomen, sending him dropping to the mat under his feet. She can’t help but laugh, watching him finally get what he deserves.
“You’re next, honey. I want to see what you know,” he says smirking at her while he climbs back to his feet, dodging the next wave of attacks Mikey throws at him. The minutes tick by. Both men are covered in sweat, trying to catch their breath when they finally stop. A pair of gloves lands in her lap, followed by a mouthguard. Liz looks up to find Matt striding back into the middle of the sparring ring.
