In the American west, countless pieces of land were settled and farmed then abandoned. The policy of giving anyone who would farm the land 640 acres and a mule meant that most immigrants gave it a shot.
Most of them fenced their property in. They dug post holes. When they left, the holes stayed and most of them lost their posts in the ensuing hundred years.
A former post hole sat between Stone, Delia and the bouncing grenade. The grenades last bounce ended inside the hole. The hole wasn’t very deep, but the soil around it was packed tightly. The explosion threw dirt fifty feet in the air and contained the shrapnel and shock wave that would have killed Stone.
Stone saw the man who’d thrown the grenade sprinting toward the road. He got to his feet and told Delia, “Let’s go back. I still need to get whatever they're looking for from underneath the car.”
Delia brushed the dirt off. She looked distracted. Stone asked, “Are you alright?”
She nodded and followed him back to their car. She stumbled several times. Stone noticed each stumble. He waded into the cold stream and turned around. “Are you sure you’re alright. That was quite an explosion.”
She looked at him with new awe. “You saved my life.”
Stone wasn’t impressed. “Yeah, but you pulled me out from under the car, we’re even.”
The five men had driven out of the small depression when they got back. Stone and Delia heard the car stop to pick up the sixth man and drive away. They were alone.
This time, Stone positioned himself to dive car from the side instead of from the submerged rear. He opened his multi-bladed tool before he sucked in the mountain air and disappeared underneath the car. Two minutes later he surfaced with a plain steel cube, four inches square, in his hand. He told Delia, “It was installed inside the gas tank.”
They rested for a few minutes. Stone said, “How the heck do we get this thing and the records to their destination?”
Delia stared at their car, upright in the stream. “Maybe it still runs.”
“Why not?” Stone opened the door and put the drivers seat back in the car. The car turned over but wouldn’t start. Stone lifted the hood and cleaned the water out of the distributer. When he tried again, the car started. They had to maneuver it to get it out of the stream, but they had a ride, if you can call a car with no dashboard, headliner or door panels, and seats that just sit on the floor of the car a ride.
Delia said nothing at all during the ride to Luck, Nevada. It was a different kind of silence. Stone studied her expression. She didn’t have a sullen appearance. She was wary and thoughtful. Stone shrugged. He didn’t know if it meant anything.
They stopped in the little town of Luck, Nevada. The local office of their agency was closed. They called home and were told to spend the night in Luck. The local office was in a small set of room with a door labeled ‘High Desert Import and Export’.
The only hotel in town, the Rattlesnake Arms, had rooms for the night. Stone told the desk clerk, “Two rooms please.”
Delia said, “No, make that just one room. We don’t need two.” Stone looked with a questioning look. She took his arm. “We don’t need two rooms, sweetie. I forgive you for spending time with that skank in the bikini.” Stone nodded and signed the register.
Delia turned to the desk clerk. “Do you have a first aid kit?”
The clerk handed her a small box with a red cross on it.
She turned Stone around and pointed to the long rip across his back. “Damn fool fell into a barb wire fence.”
The clerk said, “We’ve all done that.” They were in the part of the country where the man told the truth.
They walked to room A 31, a non-smoking room at the end of the corridor.
In the room, Stone said, “Why not two rooms?”
“Take your shirt off.” Her voice didn’t hold any hostility, but it didn’t sound sympathetic either.
Stone removed his shirt with difficulty. It’d stopped bleeding when the cold water of the stream washed over it, but it opened up again on the drive to Luck. Delia made him stand in front of the mirror and look over his shoulder. He saw the six inch furrow in his skin and muscle and said, “Damn all. Another wound, another scar.” He seemed to remember something and froze in place. Nothing happened. He glanced at Delia who stared at herself in the mirror. She didn’t pay any attention to his words.
She said, “That was the first time I’ve ever shot at someone.”
“It’s a significant experience.”
“I know. I wouldn’t change it. I’m just having trouble adjusting to that much responsibility and violence.”
“You handled yourself well.”
“I did, didn’t I.”
She found a sewing kit and some rubbing alcohol in the first aid kit. She soaked a thread in the soap dish with some alcohol and used a match to sterilize a needle. She had Stone turn around. “Sorry, no anesthetic. Do you want a pencil to bite on?
“No, just do it.”
Stone shook with pain when Delia wiped the wound with a paper towel soaked in alcohol. He twisted slightly when the needle went in and groaned after the tenth stitch. The first aid kit had a long piece of gauze and some tape which made an effective bandage and stopped the bleeding.
Stone examined her work. “Thanks. You did a good job.”
“My pleasure. I have two brothers. They get a lot of cuts and bruises. That’s the kind of men they are.” She stepped out of the bathroom. “Take a shower. Don’t get the wound wet. I’ll wait for you.” She closed the door.
Chapter 10
Reality
Her cell phone rang. She said, “Hello.”
“This is Colonel Hanson. How are you doing?”
“Quite well. You know we were attacked on the road to Las Vegas.”
“Yes. We were following your progress on satellite. What I don’t know is why. Is Stone there?”
“Yes, but he’s in the shower.”
“Are you two getting along any better now that you’ve been in a fire fight together?”
“Not really. I still think he’s only half an agent, and he thinks I’m a frigid, unforgiving bitch. I know that sounds completely heartless, but it’s my emotions talking, and my emotions are wrong. He really came through when the bullets were flying. He protected me from a grenade. He could have been killed. My emotions don’t fit reality. I guess I really don’t want a man like him in my life.”
“I want you to see something. I’ll send it to you now. Try to read it before he gets out of his shower.”
Seconds later, Delia had an email with an attachment. She opened it and began reading. She read Stone’s service record. The more she read, the tighter her lips got. She had to put her phone down and close her eyes several times.
Stone came out of the bathroom. Delia said, “Come here and sit down. I want to talk to you about something.”
She watched him walk toward her. She’d seen the same attitude in her brothers when they’d done something wrong and were about to be punished. Arrogance and fear and an overwhelming desire to run blended together.
Stone sat down on the other chair around the little table. His voice was guarded and neutral, but in control. “Tell me what it is.”
Delia said, “The Colonel thought I ought to see your service record. He knows we’re not working together as we should. He thought it would help. I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me about the medals you won and how you did it.”
Stone grunted. Delia thought for a moment he wasn’t going to do it, but he began talking. “Since we’re not going to be together any longer than this mission lasts, I’ll give you the true version. I won’t edit it. I won the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars. The incident that brought me the Silver Star happened in Fallujah, and it started out in a strange way. We were patrolling a street known to be hostile territory. I had a squad with me. A diminished squad, just five soldiers and me. I was a few meters ahead of the other guys when a woman came out of a home and tool her
veil off. That’s strange right there. She smiled at me, another strange moment. She acted like she was my best friend. She wanted me to come into her house for a cup of tea. I thanked her, and told her I was on patrol and couldn’t leave. She wouldn’t stop. She pulled my arm and begged me to come inside the house. I jerked her into my chest and put my hand over her mouth. She squirmed and struggled more than I could believe.” He cleared his throat. “Just a minute.”
He went to the little refrigerator and got a can of root beer. He turned to Delia. “Do you want anything?”
“Yes, a Sprite if they have one.”
Stone brought both cans back to the table.
He continued, “So there I was with an armful of struggling woman. I used hand signals to call my guys over and told them to go around the house to the back. I didn’t imagine her husband would face me without backup. If it was in back of the house, I wanted it neutralized before I went inside.” He hesitated. “I don’t know how to tell you the next part, because it doesn’t make me look good.”
“Just tell me. I know something about combat.”
“I held the woman at arms length and belted her on the chin. I didn’t have any other way of keeping her silent, and I couldn’t let her warn her husband. I guess I looked like a caveman. I held her dress in front in one hand and my pistol in the other. I dragged her through the open door. I remember the sound her heels made in the dirt. I remember the way her head hit my leg every time I took a step.”
He stopped talking and took a drink of root beer. “I don’t like the next part. I heard a sound as soon as I went inside. It was the shuffle of feet. I turned and brought my weapon up just as her husband came at me with a very big knife. I put him on the ground and waited. My guys should have come through the door in just a few seconds. They didn’t.”
He didn’t go on. He took a deep breath. “I went through the back door. My guys weren’t there. I heard a noise from further on in the alley. I saw ten insurgents herding my men along in front of them. They’d been handcuffed with plastic ties.”
He stopped again. Delia put her hand on his on the tabletop. “You don’t have to tell me this. I can see it’s painful.”
“It won’t be any less painful if I don’t tell you. Anyway, we need to get to the part where I earn my medal.”
She sat back. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“I ran after them as fast as I could. They didn’t hear me until I got within fifty feet. As long as I’m bragging, I might as well tell you I qualified as ‘Expert’ with the 9mm pistol.”
“Good for you.”
“I took two of them out as I came toward them. They fired back, and I realized I needed to find cover fast or I wouldn’t survive. Did you notice that bullets flying near your head make a noise like an angry bee?”
“Yes. Odd sound.”
“I know. I heard ten or more rounds whiz by me before, I turned to run toward the nearest building. I felt something hit me hard in the ribs five times. I noticed it but forgot about it immediately. I had to find a place to hide. I got lucky. The next house had boxes stacked next to the wall. You may have noticed I’m fairly tall.”
“Yes. That’s the first thing I saw when you walked in the restaurant.”
“I remember. I leaped on the first box and put everything I had into getting up on the roof. I jumped high enough to get my entire body across the little edge on top. I was lying on the roof, listening. They didn’t expect me to know Farsi.”
“I didn’t either.”
“They were more surprised than you were. I listened to them make their plans. Two of them were going to hold their prisoners while the other four went around the house and found other ways of getting on the roof. The two men holding my friends were going to shoot at me to keep my head down. I listened to the footsteps run to the other sides of the house. Before they couldn’t scramble up where I was, I rose over the little edge and killed both insurgents who were guarding my people. My buddies were free but unarmed and tied up. I motioned for them to sit and wait. I made my way around the roof; shooting insurgents below me or as they clambered onto the roof. It got a little complicated. At one point, I had four insurgents on the roof all firing at me. It didn’t matter. I could hit what I aimed at and they couldn’t. I finished and climbed down. My buddies and I were alive, and the bad guys were all dead. The Army said that was worth a Silver Star.”
“I agree.” She stood up. “I need to think a little more. Stay here. I’m going to go in the bathroom and take my shower.” She walked away. Stone drank his root beer.
He listened to the water run in the shower enclosure. He held his hand out in mid-air. It shook like a leaf in a hurricane. He’d learned to turn his mind off when it brought up things that hurt him. He stared out the window at the parking lot until he heard her come back.
Chapter 11
Tattoos and Scars
Someone knocked on the door. Old habits keep soldiers alive. Stone’s pistol rested on top of the little table. It leaped into his hand, and he jumped behind a wall. He nodded to Delia, and she opened the door. She wore only a towel tied around her. She unwrapped it and held it against her chest. I didn’t hang wide enough to cover her completely.
Stone didn’t lower the pistol even though the person at the door was a kid about sixteen years old with a pizza, garlic bread and a big bottle of root beer.
The kid said, “Rockhauser?” then stopped talking and thinking when he saw the amount of skin Delia had on display.
Delia nodded and took the food. She paid the boy and included a five dollar tip. She closed the door and set the food on the table.
While she dressed, Stone stayed behind the wall to make sure the kid wasn’t one of the bad guys sent to scope them out. She came back and they sat down to eat.
They didn’t talk. The entire pizza disappeared; most of it inside Stone, but a sizeable portion inside Delia.
After the food was gone, Stone said, “Are you done thinking? Have you reached any conclusions?”
Delia smiled. “Yes. While we were fighting, I realized you were going to keep me alive and that I’ve treated you very poorly. I’m sorry. I was confused. I’m drawn to men like my father and my brother, but I don’t want to marry one. I’ve seen what my mother went through with my father and his PTSD. I don’t want that for my life. Frankly, I realized that I’m an adult who can make her own choices. Once I figured that out, I realized that I can be nice to you without having to marry you. You don’t deserve to be treated badly. I’m sorry.”
Stone nodded. “I understand. Could I make a small observation?”
“Is it something objectionable? I’m not sure you’ve truly forgiven me.”
“I have. No, it isn’t objectionable in any way. I fought alongside you. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You have the personality of your family. You’ll have to be aware of that. You’re not going to be satisfied with a dull job or a dull man.”
Stone looked at her for the first time since he started talking. He’d kept his eyes away from hers because he wasn’t sure about her reaction. He looked and immediately regretted his words.
She looked upset. She said, with a hint of little girl in her voice, “But I don’t want to do that. Why can’t I have a normal life with a man who comes home every night? Why do I have to sacrifice for my country” I don’t want to.”
Stone said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. We don’t know much about each other. It’s your life. You’re in charge. You can do what you want.”
“You don’t know the pressure that comes to a woman in a military family. Whoever I bring home won’t be good enough if he isn’t military.” She sniffled. Stone got a box of tissues out of the bathroom. She dabbed at her eyes and nose. “I honestly don’t know why I’m crying. You’re right. It’s my life and I can do what I want.” The tears came in earnest. Stone stood up and opened his arms. Delia dove inside them. She cried for five minutes.
She pushed Stone away gently. “
I’m sorry. I don’t know what prompted that. You were kind to hold me.”
Stone was quiet. “I know what it was. You’ve lost your innocence. You took on the responsibility of ending someone else’s life. I didn’t cry when I lost mine, but it was a near thing. It’s always tough the first time.”
Delia nodded. Her eyelids drooped and she yawned; a big, wide, open mouthed yawn with everything behind it.
Stone said, “You’re exhausted. Time for bed.”
“I’ll take the sofa.”
“No, you need to rest. You’re very gallant, but you’re tall. You’re going to need the extra length.”
ROMANCE: Badass Boss (Billionaire Alpha Bad Boy Romance) (Western Mail Order Bride Calendar Contemporary) Page 27