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Her voice pierced through his thoughts as they reached the mobile command center

"I think he’s scared shitless and would do anything to stay safe I think there are countries that use children as soldiers and weapons for the very reason that we’re vulnerable in that arena We’re wired to back off when a kid’s involved"

Great He hitched his hands on his hips Just fking great "I guess this is where we step off Good luck with that second cloth"

She winced "Unless I’oose chase"

"Hey!" He caught her eyes with his and held firot us here in time to avert a disaster of epic proportions I have faith in you"

She snorted on a laugh "Just callat the whole teauys are okay Good work out there Jose, I’ll bring you in the loop if I can"

Pivoting away, she flashed her badge to the guard, swiped it through the security lock, and disappeared inside He watched the door close behind her, scratching along the tightness in his chest

Brick coughed, loudly

Jose startled and realized--da at the door like a lovesick puppy Most of the tea it away before he could bite their heads off and started walking toward the west side of the building, where they would give their stateside hiuarding your back, but the pigheadedness wasn’t always convenient

"Fine," Jose conceded "Say it"

"What?"

"Don’t play cutesy You’ve been giving uy look like you know better thanSo either speak your piece or back the fk off"

"You’re in a rasped that himself until just now "It’s been a crappy couple of days"

"You orried about Stella"

"You think?" He’d been through hell and back, ure out how to ht with her

"Why don’t you just marry her and put yourself out of your s weren’t that simple "Just because you tied the knot doesn’twith two-point-five kids and a picket fence"

Brick nodded slowly, lu on Okay then, now that we’re clear on that… Who’s the new lady in your life?"

"There isn’t one and you know it"

"Fair enough I can help Sunny has this great friend shefair A hot babe, truly, blonde with an unbelievably awesome rack But don’t tell Sunny I said that part or she’ll kick ranola bran pancakes of hers" He shuddered "Anyhow…"

"Quit with theoutside their door, the rest of the teao inside the concrete building for interrogation "I’ot what you were fishing for Are you happy?"

"Why would I be happy, dude?" He clapped him on the shoulder "I feel bad for you Because for whatever reason, you keep turning your back on an incredible woman who, honest to God, see into a CIA debrief sound like a cakewalk Jose didn’t bother denying a thing

The words rolled around like acid inside hi I don’t already know She is perfect I get that Man, I really do She’s not the problem I am"

"Henry Pope, we’re very disappointed in you"

Fear gripped the CIA agent in an icy hold at odds with the sweltering sun overhead Nothing co onto hi but the hell they were putting his fah back in the States while he was stuck over here "I did what you said, damn it I sent all the transcripts of Sutton Harper’s debriefs I covered his ass when he slipped away instead of leaving the country"

"But he got caught and that could create a real proble connection Charlotte In agony Oh God, he was going to lose it