When she’d regained consciousness and realized someone else had done what she’d wanted to do, the only thing she felt was disappointment. She still felt it becausesheshould’ve been the one to kill him.
It should’ve been me.
That unwavering belief—and so much more—was how Mac knew she’d never be the kind of woman Coop needed. Or the kind of partner and teammate he deserved.
Doing her best to accept what that realization meant, Mac lifted her chin and wiped her face dry. She’d reinvented herself once before. She could do it again.
With one final, acknowledging glance in the mirror, she shut off the light and left the bathroom.
Wearing nothing but a towel, Mac was reaching for the pajama set she’d laid out to wear to bed when someone knocked softly on her door.
She froze, her heart began pounding a little harder. Two seconds later, the knocking came again, this time with a little more force.
Despite what she’d just been thinking, Mac couldn’t help but feel hopeful as her bare feet padded across the plush carpet. Filling her lungs, she held her breath as she rose onto her tiptoes to look through the door’s tiny peephole.
She dropped back down, drawing in several more calming breaths before sliding the chain guard free and releasing the thick lock above the handle. When she opened the door, she found someone she barely recognized.
Even in the most serious of times, Coop’s joy and passion for life was always present. From the moment they first met, he’d always had this way about him. A perpetual light that flickered behind his fun-loving eyes.
Staring back at him now, Mac’s heart began to break when she realized she couldn’t see any of that, anymore.
“We need to talk.” His deep voice rumbled, rolling through her like an imminent storm.
Having a pretty good idea what he was going to say—what he had every right to say—she schooled her expression and nodded. “Okay.”
She pulled the door completely open, willing herself not to react to his spicy male scent as he passed. It was bad enough he looked like the most heavenly sin, did he have to smell so freaking good, too?
Coop stormed into the room, his steps determined and sure. Mac’s heart ached with the loss she knew was coming as she shut the door, not bothering to engage the locks. After all, telling her to kick rocks probably wouldn’t require much time.
This was the day she’d been dreading since they first met. But she’d made this bed of nails. Time for her to suck it up and deal.
Turning away from the door, Mac flinched at the expression on his face. Gorgeous, hazel eyes stared her down. At first glance they appeared cold, but when she looked closer, she realized they were actually engulfed in a fierce, tumultuous fire.
Anger in his hardened features left his jaw clenched to the point of breaking, the tightened muscles there matching the white-knuckled fists at his sides.
Oh, yeah. He’s pissed.
“Look, Sean.” Mac started to move past him, knowing she’d never keep it together if she had to look in his eyes while he told her to go to hell. “I know what you’re going to say, and you have every right to be—”
His hand snaked out, wrapping around her upper arm. He kept his hold strong but not painful. Coop would never hurt her.
Not physically, anyway.
“Trevor knew. So did Jake and Ryker.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Have they always known?”
No more lies.“Yes.”
He let her go and stepped back, the void from losing his touch nearly breaking her.
“Why them and not me?” Betrayal poured from him. “You said before that you didn’t tell me because you didn’t want anyone on the team to know the truth, buttheyknew. Why?”
“Because Homeland did a much more extensive background search than the Army.” Mac wrapped her arms around herself. “When I first enlisted, the Army only checked to make sure I had all the appropriate documentation. The references I used were fake, of course. Another service provided by the guy I got the papers from. The military’s background check searched for a criminal record, that sort of thing. Very basic. Being Homeland, Ryker looked a hell of a lot deeper. When red flags started flying everywhere, Jake pulled me into the office. Ryker was ready to make him fire me and send my ass to Leavenworth.”
“Obviously that didn’t happen.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t deserve it, but Jake gave me the opportunity to explain my actions. I knew the truth was the only chance I had at making the three of them understand. Once I was finished, Ryker gave him a nod and both he and Trevor left the room.”
“And Jake?”
