Free Cover of Darkness by Kaylea Cross Page A

numb, her own heartbeat throbbing in her palms.
    "What about your wife, Spence?"
    "N-need to...tell her..."
    He thought he was going to die. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip. You will not break down, Bryn . She owed him that much. "Tell her what?" she whispered.
    "L-love...her..."
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    "Yes, of course you do." He was still agitated, but he didn't have much strength left and she didn't want him using it up talking. It was obvious what he wanted, anyway. He wanted reassurance someone would get the message to his wife if he died. Not if, she reflected bleakly. He knew he was dying.
    "I swear to you I will make sure she's told," Bryn vowed.
    Spencer's eyes closed in relief, lips compressed, his handsome face contorted with pain. She maintained physical contact with him, speaking softly to keep him with her. At least if he died, he wouldn't die alone. Her fingers stroked his hair. "Dec," she whispered into the darkness. "Where are you?"
    Seconds later came the pounding of feet over the sand, more gunshots, and then Dec came flying around the corner.
    His eyes took in the scene with a single glance. Larger than life he towered over her, panting, his eyes glittering with rage. He grabbed her by the front of her shirt with one fist and lifted her off her knees, shook her.
    Shocked speechless, she stared up at him.
    "What the fuck did you think you were doing?" he snarled.
    Her eyes widened in fear, and her mouth fell open but no sound came out.
    "I told you to stay put!" He whirled around to Spencer, efficiently tightened the tourniquet and ignoring the roar of agony, elevated the wounded leg above his heart to help slow the bleeding.
    "Hang in there, buddy. Chopper's on its way." Then his golden eyes cut back to her, slicing through her like a blade.
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    "You ever pull a stunt like that again I'll kick your ass, do you understand me?"
    "Sir," Spencer protested weakly.
    "Save it." He pushed her away and tended to the wound again. "I heard it all over the radio."
    His icy tone was the absolute last straw on her stripped nerves. Irrational though it was, his anger cut her deeply.
    Helpless to stop them, tears flooded her eyes.
    "I'm sorry!" she yelled. "I didn't know where the hell you were, and I was scared he'd bleed to death if I didn't do something." She gave his chest an angry shove with the heel of her hand, managed to knock him back a bit. "So you can stop yelling at me, Lieutenant! I was only trying to help." She dashed away the tears spilling down her cheeks, tried to stop shaking.
    A great expulsion of air spoke volumes about his struggle to control his temper. "Bryn."
    "What?"
    Dec surprised her by hauling her into his lap and wrapping his steely arms around her. He squeezed her tight, absorbing the tremor that wracked her. When he released her as fast as he'd grabbed her, she had no idea how she was supposed to interpret his actions. "I know what you did for him."
    She shuddered, confused by the quicksilver change in him.
    "I appreciate what you did for Spence, but you almost got yourself killed out there. Then I'd have two casualties to take out instead of one. It was my job to take care of him, not yours, and I was coming for him. The first rule in a SEAL
    team is to never leave your man."
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    "Yes, but—"
    "Don't talk. Chopper's going to set down in six minutes, and when it does, you're going to run like hell straight toward it. I'll lay down covering fire for you, and then I'll bring Spence out. We'll be right behind you." He pushed her back, took her chin in a warm, bloodstained hand and gazed earnestly into her eyes. Hard fingers gripped her jaw. "No matter what happens, you cannot stop. Do you understand me, Bryn? You can't stop, and you can't look back. Got it?"
    Meaning, even if he and Spencer were both cut down, she had to keep going. She swallowed hard. "Got it," she answered shakily. Her hands