over her hair and kissed the side of her head, reaching for the button that would administer more pain medicine to her.
"We'll leave you to rest," Mike said, nodding to her.
"Thanks for stopping by," she told him, the medication already beginning to drag her under.
"Get some rest, Little Bit," Colt said, leaning down to kiss the opposite side of her head from where Shane sat.
"G'nite, Big Guy," Tessa said, her eyes fluttering closed.
Shane eased himself from her side and followed them out into the hall.
"She's done, Casiano," he told Mike. "Don't ask her to take on another mission."
"Don't you think that's Tessa's call?" Colt snapped.
"I know that she is more capable than most, but she isn't one of you," Shane shot back. "Having Gabe was hard on her body, on top of all the other injuries she's sustained over the years. She doesn't bounce back as fast as she used to. She may not like it, but she's got to realize her body's limitations. I'm not trying to be an overprotective husband; I'm stating the facts. Her body cannot go through another trauma like this. She won't survive it...and I will not lose her again."
"She's not going to be content to sit on the sidelines," Colt pressed.
Shane raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I know that, Colt, I do. But she can't do the things she used to be able to," his deep blue eyes shifted to Mike, "you're going to have to switch her back to tac support only."
"I understand. We'll take care of her, I promise."
Shane nodded. "Thank you."
Mike clapped Shane on the shoulder, and then they were all off again, closing ranks around Lainey. They were all quiet until they got back into the SUV. Colt slammed the door and slammed his fist on the steering wheel.
"This is bullshit!" he roared. "This is going to kill her."
" She'll be all right," Mike said, "she's strong, don't ever forget that. She's reinvented herself several times before."
"You aren't going to cut her out of Orion, are you?" Colt asked.
"No, but she's going to have to re-evaluate her role and decide if running tac is where she wants to be. Shane is right; her body can't take any more trauma. I never should have -"
"You can't second guess yourself," Lainey spoke up, cutting him off. "You had no way of knowing that he was still over there."
He didn't speak, jaw clenching. No, he hadn't known that the suspect was still over there, but he should have. And he should have known better than to send Tessa alone. He'd come to rely on Tessa over the years. Colt had trained her well by the time she came with Captain Gibson to the task force. Mike had been impressed with her skills and had utilized her when he could. But after the IED attack, what happened to her on her last investigation with the FBI, and then her extremely difficult pregnancy, her body was just too traumatized to sustain any more damage.
He gave Colt the address to his place, which confused Lainey because it was the address of a downtown warehouse. When they drove up, she saw Riley's truck at the curb. Colt pushed the button to open a garage door and drove in, Riley pulling in behind them. They were in a massive garage, with the sedan she'd seen Mike drive to Jenna's, a 4x4 pick-up, two Harleys and 3 Ducatis all parked in neat rows. Mike got out and helped her out, then she found herself crushed in a massive bear hug from Riley.
"Hey, T ink, you OK?" he said into her ear, having lifted her off her feet to embrace her.
"I'm fine. I hate that you cut your honeymoon short because of me."
He sat her down. "Don't worry about it. Jenna understands. She was missing Cam, anyway. They've never been apart that long."
He shook hands with Whit and Coop and gave Mike that one-armed embrace guys did, clapping him on the back. Colt, he bumped his shoulder into, each trading mild insults as they followed Mike to the freight elevator. Lainey was a bit surprised that Mike hadn't put his hand
"We'll leave you to rest," Mike said, nodding to her.
"Thanks for stopping by," she told him, the medication already beginning to drag her under.
"Get some rest, Little Bit," Colt said, leaning down to kiss the opposite side of her head from where Shane sat.
"G'nite, Big Guy," Tessa said, her eyes fluttering closed.
Shane eased himself from her side and followed them out into the hall.
"She's done, Casiano," he told Mike. "Don't ask her to take on another mission."
"Don't you think that's Tessa's call?" Colt snapped.
"I know that she is more capable than most, but she isn't one of you," Shane shot back. "Having Gabe was hard on her body, on top of all the other injuries she's sustained over the years. She doesn't bounce back as fast as she used to. She may not like it, but she's got to realize her body's limitations. I'm not trying to be an overprotective husband; I'm stating the facts. Her body cannot go through another trauma like this. She won't survive it...and I will not lose her again."
"She's not going to be content to sit on the sidelines," Colt pressed.
Shane raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I know that, Colt, I do. But she can't do the things she used to be able to," his deep blue eyes shifted to Mike, "you're going to have to switch her back to tac support only."
"I understand. We'll take care of her, I promise."
Shane nodded. "Thank you."
Mike clapped Shane on the shoulder, and then they were all off again, closing ranks around Lainey. They were all quiet until they got back into the SUV. Colt slammed the door and slammed his fist on the steering wheel.
"This is bullshit!" he roared. "This is going to kill her."
" She'll be all right," Mike said, "she's strong, don't ever forget that. She's reinvented herself several times before."
"You aren't going to cut her out of Orion, are you?" Colt asked.
"No, but she's going to have to re-evaluate her role and decide if running tac is where she wants to be. Shane is right; her body can't take any more trauma. I never should have -"
"You can't second guess yourself," Lainey spoke up, cutting him off. "You had no way of knowing that he was still over there."
He didn't speak, jaw clenching. No, he hadn't known that the suspect was still over there, but he should have. And he should have known better than to send Tessa alone. He'd come to rely on Tessa over the years. Colt had trained her well by the time she came with Captain Gibson to the task force. Mike had been impressed with her skills and had utilized her when he could. But after the IED attack, what happened to her on her last investigation with the FBI, and then her extremely difficult pregnancy, her body was just too traumatized to sustain any more damage.
He gave Colt the address to his place, which confused Lainey because it was the address of a downtown warehouse. When they drove up, she saw Riley's truck at the curb. Colt pushed the button to open a garage door and drove in, Riley pulling in behind them. They were in a massive garage, with the sedan she'd seen Mike drive to Jenna's, a 4x4 pick-up, two Harleys and 3 Ducatis all parked in neat rows. Mike got out and helped her out, then she found herself crushed in a massive bear hug from Riley.
"Hey, T ink, you OK?" he said into her ear, having lifted her off her feet to embrace her.
"I'm fine. I hate that you cut your honeymoon short because of me."
He sat her down. "Don't worry about it. Jenna understands. She was missing Cam, anyway. They've never been apart that long."
He shook hands with Whit and Coop and gave Mike that one-armed embrace guys did, clapping him on the back. Colt, he bumped his shoulder into, each trading mild insults as they followed Mike to the freight elevator. Lainey was a bit surprised that Mike hadn't put his hand
Similar Books
