Page 59 of Her Guarded Hero

He was under a makeshift lean-to that someone had fashioned. Aiden O’Malley was underneath with him. Even through the rain, Dalton saw that he was grinning with Wyatt. Apparently, his big blonde friend only kept his shitty bed side manner for everyone else, for Wyatt he was all smiles.

Dalton also saw that Aiden was administering fluids and Wyatt was feeling no pain whatsoever. Hell, a tenth of whatever drug Aiden had administered to Wyatt would have Dalton on his ass drooling and moaning in his sleep for Aurora.

“Come ‘ere.” Wyatt motioned with his whole arm for Dalton to come to him. Aiden gave him a warning look.

Dalton wiped the rain from his eyes and slicked the hair off his face. He leaned in to smile at his wounded teammate. “So, you just had to find a way to get a little more attention from the ladies, huh?” Dalton teased.

“Always looking for an angle my man. You should try it. You need to get laid,” Wyatt waggled his eyebrows at him. “Come closer. Gonna tell you a secret.”

Dalton exchanged a worried look with Aiden as he ducked further under the tarp. He could see that that the huge bandage above Wyatt’s knee still had blood seeping through.

Please God no.

Dalton knew what this meant. He had seen this kind of thing before when a soldier’s limb was packed like this. He could lose it.

“Okay Wyatt, I’m game. What wise piece of advice to you have to offer me to succeed with the ladies?”

“Gotta whisper it to you.” Dalton crouched down beside the youngest member of Black Dawn.

“I’m listening,” he said gently.

“You gotta lead with your heart. I know everyone thinks I lead with my dick, but I really don’t. I wanna have what everyone else does. When the women know that I value them and I’m seriously considering them for the long-term, that’s why they stick around. Ya know? I just wish I could find the right one,” he slurred. He looked up at Dalton with big soulful hazel eyes, “I’m so lonely.”

Dalton felt like he’d been kicked in the chest. Thank God Wyatt took that moment to pass out. Hopefully he wouldn’t remember what he’d said. He turned to escape the lean-to and his eyes met Aiden’s. His friend had heard. He looked as torn-up as Dalton felt.

“I think the rain’s letting up,” Dalton said. “I’m going to check with Dex on the status of the Black Hawk. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Aiden gave a choppy nod. “You do that.”

Dalton looked around. Griff was talking to Gray, probably filling in their lieutenant as to what had transpired back at the compound. He saw Dex and Hunter engrossed in a conversation. He went over to them.

“Why are we staying here at the evac spot? Why not move to the coast?” Dalton asked. “You can’t tell me that anyone is going to approve the Black Hawk to come out in this weather.”

“Talked to the Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He and Gray go way back. He’s chomping at the bit to fly in, no matter what the weather is like. He said that he can make it,” Dex informed him.

“I’m sure his commander is all ready to sign off on that,” Dalton said sarcastically.

“His commander is Liam MacLure, so don’t be so sure,” Dex responded. “Hell, knowing MacLure, he just might fly the Black Hawk himself.”

Hunter’s low whistle could be heard even over the rain. “That man really doesn’t give a damn, does he?”

“I think after everything that went down, he’s about done. If he can make a difference for us, that’s what he’s going to do,” Dex answered.

That was the reason Gray had Dex on point for communications. Besides the fact that he had an unnatural relationship with his military grade laptop, Dex knew all the rumor, scandal and scuttlebutt in the Pacific Fleet. Dalton sure as hell hoped that the rumor was right, because Wyatt needed to be evac’d now. Logically he knew that his teammate could live a good life even if he lost his leg, but Dalton knew that having to leave the teams would gut him.

Dex didn’t say anything, he just took his baby into the lean-to, so he could fire it up. It might be rugged, but all its little electrical parts still didn’t like the rain.

Gray and Griff joined them.

“Sounds like everything went really well from what Griff said,” Gray said.

Dalton nodded. Then all four men looked over to where Wyatt lay passed out. Aiden was staring over Dex’s shoulder at his computer.

“You know the Black Hawk pilot?” Hunter asked Gray.

“Yep. Edge is a good man. He was the pilot for the first three years I was on the teams. We’re lucky he’s attached to the Roosevelt.”

“Edge?” Hunter asked.