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Hehis watch just to make his point that most people were in bed, asleep and not in their driveway about to go to war He had to bite his lip to ask how long it had been since she’d been one of those people ere in bed, asleep, because she looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks and his blood ran hot with fury all over again How had Dane not seen this? Or Caleb, Beau, Zack, anyone! Why had she been the one to request vacation ti her in a safe house so dahtmares alone Partners his ass A partner would have her back and not give a shit if her feelings got hurt or whether her pride got ruffled because her partner demanded she stand down
Finally, her eyes flickered to his, the prolonged silence obviouslyhianization she worked for, and she’d usually defend theh she hadn’t even heard his scathing criticisift horse in theher with his stare
"Just ho are your reserves right now, Eliza? Fuet you very far and that’s all you’re running on right now I’d be surprised if you could ency is so sacred, then why the hell aren’t they taking better care of you?"
He almost wished she hadn’t looked at hi eht to his other foot to cover his reaction
Grief, fury, sorrow, guilt andWhat the fuck? He wanted to roar it! What the ever loving fuck?
He swore long, hard and viciously in his h his veins and this tiht fists, knotted over his chest Red He could swear he was seeing red His jaw clenched, and he wanted nothingass And the rest of his pissant agency as well
Fear He saw fucking fear in this female warrior’s eyes And a hell of a lot ut and squeezedfear in Eliza’s eyes
Thatdecided the matter for him He had come out of curiosity after Dane’s unexpected request and, well, because he’d been deteriven him about Gracie’s supposed surprise--both excuses He daht about her and he really hated the fact he’d grasp any excuse to see herbut Dane’s bizarre request gave Wade a solid excuse to run Eliza to ground Since he hadn’t expected any of what he’d witnessed tonight, he’d firo to hell Now? Oh hell no
Fuck Dane Fuck DSS Fuck playing babysitter and shadowing Eliza only to report in to Dane because Dane orried" This was his situation now because he wasgodda to be afraid of was, as of now, his sole objective And Dane and his requests for check-ins could go to hell
She was his Not Dane’s Not DSS’s and damn sure not soh to see what this fierce survivor had suffered--was still suffering? And did they not realize that if Eliza was fucking scared, then it was bad? Not just bad The worst
He was so goddaht in the middle of her driveway He wanted every last one of those bastards’ blood, especially Dane’s Dane, her partner--no, fa in his ears Dane had wi how she looked and ad this precious and i his "friend"her at all
The entire episode, his sudden insight and decision had taken no more than a tenth of a second A hell of a short time for the course of his life to alter And in just that nanosecond, Eliza recovered and her face beca from her eyes
She looked cool, unflappable, like the Eliza he thought he’d known The one everyone else was supposed to know But in the ti he was certain no one had ever seen or bothered to notice
She holstered her gun and took a step forward until she was a mere twelve inches fro in her eyes Too bad for her That tenth of a second hadher walk away and hi about ," she said in a cool voice "Don’t ever et people killed Readiness, preparation, working to become the best Those are what save not only your life but the lives of your teammates as well We aren’t in this as every man for hi cracked in her voice at those last words and he had the strangest co but co hair The instincts he always relied on told hi on by a thread and would likely fall apart
He reined himself in before she panicked and tried to kick his ass Tried being the operative word Right noished she would try to kick his ass because then at least he’d be familiar with this Eliza and not this kicked puppy version
"I know a lot oing hard
The lie rolled easily off his tongue, because he wanted to do so more to widen the crack he’d witnessed just moments before It made him a complete bastard, but he’d never have this opportunity when her defenses were up and she’d shaken off whatever the hell haunted those soulful eyes And it wasn’t like he couldn’t get the information he already claimed to have He just hadn’t had a solid reason beyond his annoying preoccupation with her to intrude on her privacy in such an underhanded way
His code or rather sense of justice ot the job done and the desired effect achieved, then he didn’t waste much tiet to the botto Eliza run like a scared rabbit, he’d hound her night and day until she conceded and let him in