Homeland’s hope was that the men they’d captured tonight would turn on Sanchez to save their own asses. Natalia was confident at least a couple of them would make the wise choice and share what intel they could.
As for the cache of weapons and ammo, it would all be logged into evidence before the morning sun rose. Not a single one would ever reach the hands of a child, and for her, that was the most important thing.
They reached the tree line a few short moments later. Natalia stepped into the darkness, more than ready to disappear into the shadows, when a deep rumble came from the man who’d remained close to her side the entire way.
“You need to go to the hospital.”
She looked over to Jagger, whose worried gaze bounced between her and the branches they were trying to avoid.
“I told you, I’m?—”
“Don’t.”
The hard, commanding grumble sent her brows dipping inward. Narrowly avoiding a downed and curvy limb, Natalia kept her voice low and hushed to avoid being overheard by the others.
“What’s your problem?” she demanded. Because something definitely had the man’s boxers in a twist.
Despite her best efforts to the contrary, she suddenly found herself wondering what kind of underwear the mouthwatering man actually wore. Did he even wear boxers? Or perhaps…briefs?
Nah. No way a guy like him wears tighty-whities.
No, he definitely seemed more like a boxer-brief kind of man. Of course, there was no way of knowing for sure without obtaining visual proof.
“My problem?” He parroted her words.
Get it together, Foster!
“You’ve been a massive grouch since I came to, which is not like you at all. So yes, Jagger. I’m asking what the hell is your problem?”
“Gee, I don’t know.” The man didn’t miss so much as a beat. “Maybe I don’t like the fact that my partner just took a forty-five to the damn chest. Or maybe it’s the part where you slammed your head so hard against the ground, you knocked yourself out cold.”
When nothing more was added, all she could think to say to that was, “I’m…sorry?”
“If that were true, you’d let me take you to the E.R.”
“Fine. You know what? I take it back. I’mnotsorry, because I have nothing to be sorryfor.” Natalia filled her lungs with a painful breath. Refusing to wince, she went on to add, “I’m a big girl, Jagger, and I’ve been taking care of myself for a long damn time. So while I appreciate your concern?—”
“I’m not questioning your ability to take care of yourself, Natalia. But concussions aren’t something to screw around with.”
She stopped walking, snaking out a hand at the last second to grab ahold of his arm. “Hey!”
Jagger halted his steps and looked down at her through the sliver of moonlight cutting through the air between them. The black paint on his skin—along with the confusing anger filling his fiery gaze—made him appear almost sinister in nature.
But she knew this man wasn’t sinister or evil. He was merely a warrior on a mission. And though Natalia couldn’t even begin to understand why, for some reason, his newest mission seemed to be her.
“This isn’t the first concussion I’ve had,” she informed him truthfully. “It’s not even up there with the worst.” Also true. “And yeah, I have a headache, and my chest hurts like hell. But again…this isn’t my first rodeo.”
They waited to continue until the others passed them by.
“Everything good?” Brody asked as he and Christian momentarily stopped next to where she and Jagger stood.
“We’re fine,” Natalia answered immediately.
Jagger motioned to the invisible path ahead. “We’ll catch up to y’all in a second.”
A not-so-subtle hint to let them talk in private that the two Delta men picked up on right away.
“Roger that.” Christian gave Jagger a half-assed salute before he and Brody continued on through the trees.
