Page 5

When he’d arrived at the recovery building, Dr. Elizabeth had been unable to hold in a heartbroken exclamation. Aiden remembered it like it was yesterday. Every bone had been delineated in Haven’s body, and it was obvious that Elizabeth didn’t expect him to survive. Two of the men they rescued that day had passed on, the stress of the rescue too much for their depleted bodies.

Haven had rallied enough to survive, though, and now, after Belladonna had helped him during her rescue months before, he was flourishing. He’d barely weighed a hundred pounds when they got him back to the states, but now he had to be pushing one-sixty. And most of that was lean muscle. Aiden had sparred with him, and had the bruises to prove it. The Army Ranger was definitely back.

“I’m getting there,” Haven murmured, his gaze constantly moving. “The Pound has a pretty impressive gym set up.”

“Plus,” Aiden said, “we have a new chef that is really churning out some good food.”

Haven nodded in agreement.

“You guys are so fucking spoiled,” John laughed, rocking back in his chair.

Aiden grinned, shaking his head. “Hey, we’re in that building pretty much twenty-four seven, unless we’re running an operation with the task force.”

John glanced around, but the three of them were pretty much in their own little bubble. “How’s that working out?”

Aiden sighed, sharing a look with Haven. “Well, imagine marrying a girl that looks okay, but once you get to know her she has really bad breath. And BO. And crazy relatives. And a list of no-no’s that goes on for a mile. It’s been a bit of a challenge.”

“Damn,” John chuckled. “Sounds like it.”

“We’re still under Officer Rose, which is good. He seems to understand us better than the others. It’s still a fight to get anything done, though.”

“Too many kooks in the kitchen?” John asked, winking.

Aiden nodded. “Kook is absolutely the word. Man, you wouldn’t believe some of the hoops we had to jump through to prove to these people that we’re safe. Stuff that would make a normal soldier go crazy.”

John rocked his chair back and forth. “You are an unknown entity to them, so they’re going to push you to your limits so they know how to break you.”

Aiden grinned, and he knew it was a little evil. “They’re trying, anyway. So far the training that we’re doing together is having more of an impact than anything the CIA can throw at us.”

“I don’t trust them,” Haven said, arms crossed over his chest as he glanced around.

“And you shouldn’t,” John said forcefully. “You guys are a weapon they’ve never had access to before, and they’re going to use you.” He glanced at Aiden. “You guys do have the option to opt out, right?”

Frowning, he made a face. “No one has really pushed the issue. Yet.”

John lifted a brow at him. “I know,” Aiden growled, unable to stop the frustrated sound.

Working with the government was one of the most dangerous things they’d done, considering they were products of a government conspiracy gone wrong. They still hadn’t apprehended everyone that had worked with Damon Wilkes and Dr. Shu on their clandestine experiments. Former Senator Cameron Hall was in custody, but Aiden had a feeling he was still manipulating the situation. Some of the things that had come down from the presidential level seemed bizarre. Reckless, even. Working with teams other than the Omega team, doing demonstrations on command. It was aggravating being on display, and he had conveyed to Rose, to be conveyed to General Holtman, that they weren’t going to be monkeys on a stage.

Some of the requests had stopped then, but Aiden felt exposed. Too many people were learning what they were.

That anxiety, in addition to watching over Fallon and Angela, was enough to keep a man up at night.

There was a touch on his shoulder, and Aiden glanced back at Haven. “Thanks, buddy.”

His emotions must be filtering out if Haven was reacting. Normally, Aiden was the one picking up… Time to swing the conversation around.

“So, are you ready for number three?”

John’s face took on a hangdog look. “I don’t know where we’re going to find the energy. I mean, Shannon is a warhorse. She goes and goes. Just in the past few weeks has she been slowing down and needing the occasional nap. Then, with everything else going on…”

“Ember still has no idea?”

John shook his head. “And we’re trying to keep it that way. This is just a long weekend with a lot of people in from out of state, as far as she knows.”

Aiden snorted, glancing at Haven.

When Zeke had contacted them about joining the LNF group for a wedding, it had taken Aiden a moment to realize he was talking about his wedding. Zeke and Ember had been together for a few years now. They’d gotten engaged two years ago, but no more was said about setting an actual date. There was enough other stuff going on that Aiden hadn’t given it another thought.