Free Seize (St. Martin Family Saga: Emergency Responders) Book 2: Erotic Romance by Gina Watson Page A

waste, the death, and the destruction any longer. Suddenly I couldn’t recall what we were fighting for. Families had been destroyed in the blink of an eye.”
    He squinted his eyes, his pain palpable. “We got the teachers out, but all the children in that gym died. Insurgents had planted bombs around the gym.” He gasped. “At an elementary school.” His forearms tensed as he clenched his fists.
    When she could no longer stand it, Mia laced her fingers around his neck, pulling Augie into her. She held him tightly for several minutes before she pulled back and searched his face and eyes. He was as lost as a ship at sea. Her hand under his chin lifted his eyes to meet hers.
    “Break out of there and come with me. That place will always be part of who you are, but it doesn’t have to consume you any longer. You need to let them rest in peace.”
    His eyes simmered with unshed tears and when he closed them, the tears fell heavily down his cheeks.
    The train whistled and then rolled slower and slower until it stopped, but he still didn’t stir. The man was an expert at sitting still. His forehead rested against Mia’s chest, and she felt the moisture that had collected there.
    When he finally looked up, his eyes were red and he offered her a shy smile. “I guess we should think about hittin’ it, huh?”
    She nodded and slid her right leg off his and dropped her foot to the floor, but steely arms held her in place. Soft, warm lips collided with hers. His kiss was urgent without being frantic.
    And Mia felt it to her core.
    “Thank you for being you,” Augie said when he freed her mouth.
    Her head lifted, and she smiled. That was the nicest thing anybody had ever said to her.
    They exited the train, and he grabbed a map from a stand by the exit door. “Hungry?”
    “Not really.”
    “You need to eat. We’ll dash into that diner.” He pointed across the street.
    Maybe he was hungry. She’d just take a soda.
    Outside the station, they walked toward the diner. They were seated at a corner booth next to a window. There was plenty of room, but Augie sat so close, their legs touched, and his hand remained laced with hers. The waitress, Corrine, was about Mia’s age and when her gaze landed on Augie, she smiled and dialed up the charm.
    “What can I get for ya?”
    “We’ll take two hamburger steak plates,” Augie said.
    “Great choice. Hamburger steak here is excellent.”
    “Glad to hear it.”
    “Fries, mashed potatoes, or baked potato?”
    “Fries.”
    “Side salad or broccoli?”
    “Er, how about corn?”
    “Okay and what to drink?”
    “Two Cokes.”
    “Pepsi okay?”
    “Is it okay if I pay you in Mexican pesos?”
    “What?”
    “Pepsi is fine.”
    She took the menus and then winked at him. Winked at him. He seemed oblivious as he pulled out the map and routed their journey.
    He pointed out the route and then doodled on the edges of the map while she drank her Pepsi.
    Eventually he said, “It’s roughly eight miles; I think we should walk. Think you can make it?”
    “I’m good for it.”
    “Great, eat up.” He nodded toward the waitress as she laid down plates laden with way too much food for her to eat.
    She tried to release his hand because she needed her right hand to lift her fork, but he wouldn’t let go. She twisted around to look at him.
    “Use your other hand.” Then he smirked. Smirked. Playful Augie was in the house.
    After about ten minutes, the edge of the booth had her leg throbbing right on the spot where she’d been bitten. She reached down to rub it and winced.
    He looked under the table. “What’s wrong?”
    “Leg fell asleep.” She didn’t want to fuss about the bite—they’d both already made a bigger deal of it than a simple bite warranted. But she wasn’t a good liar and for a moment she thought she would be exposed. Then his focus moved to their plates, his empty, hers nearly full.
    Corrine came to take their plates, but he held his hand over Mia’s.