me, and if they did, they wouldn’t send you.”
Sure, Ranger and Hunter called to chat sometimes and she typically saw them on a daily basis when they weren’t on deployment. But they lived in the same town, and they knew how bad Hoyt’s breaking up with her had hurt. So why send him?
Hoyt gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. “I don’t have time to go into it here, get in the car.”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what you want.” Hayden gasped and crossed her arms defiantly, knowing how much her stubborn streak used to affect him.
Gauging by the furious light in his dark, almost tortured expression, it still did. His knuckles turned white on the doorframe and his biceps bulged. “We don’t have time for this, we need to get to Hunter’s, now.”
Suddenly Hayden noticed the lines around his blue eyes weren’t just cold and distant carvings, there was fatigue mixed in. The anger heating her veins turned cold. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Evie? The baby?”
Hunter had said they were sick yesterday, what if they’d gotten some kind of terrible infection. That could be the only explanation, that or the Team was deploying on another suicide mission.
“They’re fine,” Hoyt said.
“Hank? Ranger? Are they okay?”
Hoyt growled and stepped into the living room, forcing Hayden back a step. And then the breath left her body when his gaze turned soft, and just for a minute she got a glimpse of the old Hoyt, the one before torture had destroyed his soul and darkened his heart to her. “Your family is fine. No one is injured.”
“Then why are you acting so strange?” Hayden covered her chest with her hand, not bothering to hide the tremble. He still affected her, there was no doubt, and no matter how much she wished he didn’t, she knew he always would.
Hoyt’s gaze slid to his right and Hayden grabbed onto the break like a life line, gulping in air and reached for non-existent control. She followed it to see Mandy braced against the kitchen bar, holding on to the counter behind her. Hayden rolled her eyes at her friend. “Mandy, meet Hoyt. Hoyt, meet Mandy.”
Mandy gave a little wave but didn’t budge. Hoyt was staring at her, his brows drawn down low in confusion. But the effect was scaring the crap out of her friend. “Mandy, go wash your face, I think you’re freaking him out.”
Her friend’s awareness came back in a split second. She touched her face, eyes wide and rushed out of the room.
“This is gonna mess her up for life. She’s never gone out of the house without make-up. You just got the one and only glimpse of the real Mandy.”
The tightness around his mouth eased and Hoyt said, “Is that what all girls look like under their make up?”
“You don’t wanna know.”
Hoyt cleared his throat. Then he paced over to the hall, glanced down and then back to Hayden. “Listen, this has to do with the Team. I need you back at your dad’s, now. For your own safety.”
Hayden sobered in an instant. There were only a few things these men took so seriously, and if it involved her brother’s Special Forces team and they’d sent Hoyt to bring her in, there was something major going on. “Will you please fill me in on the way back to dad’s?”
She wouldn’t try to force him to talk in front of Mandy. She might be seriously pissed and hurt and filled with longing for Hoyt Crowe, but this was different. She’d have to stuff her feelings back for now.
“Yes.” Hoyt moved back to the door and scanned the parking lot and then his penetrating gaze landed on her again.
Hayden stopped breathing.
“Hurry. I’ve got a bad feeling.”
Hayden nodded and rushed down to Mandy’s bathroom. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I can’t talk right now, but I promise to call you tomorrow.”
Mandy finished toweling off her face. “Wait.”
“I can’t wait. I need to grab some stuff at my apartment and go to dad’s for the night.”
Mandy grabbed her arm, her face
Sure, Ranger and Hunter called to chat sometimes and she typically saw them on a daily basis when they weren’t on deployment. But they lived in the same town, and they knew how bad Hoyt’s breaking up with her had hurt. So why send him?
Hoyt gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. “I don’t have time to go into it here, get in the car.”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what you want.” Hayden gasped and crossed her arms defiantly, knowing how much her stubborn streak used to affect him.
Gauging by the furious light in his dark, almost tortured expression, it still did. His knuckles turned white on the doorframe and his biceps bulged. “We don’t have time for this, we need to get to Hunter’s, now.”
Suddenly Hayden noticed the lines around his blue eyes weren’t just cold and distant carvings, there was fatigue mixed in. The anger heating her veins turned cold. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Evie? The baby?”
Hunter had said they were sick yesterday, what if they’d gotten some kind of terrible infection. That could be the only explanation, that or the Team was deploying on another suicide mission.
“They’re fine,” Hoyt said.
“Hank? Ranger? Are they okay?”
Hoyt growled and stepped into the living room, forcing Hayden back a step. And then the breath left her body when his gaze turned soft, and just for a minute she got a glimpse of the old Hoyt, the one before torture had destroyed his soul and darkened his heart to her. “Your family is fine. No one is injured.”
“Then why are you acting so strange?” Hayden covered her chest with her hand, not bothering to hide the tremble. He still affected her, there was no doubt, and no matter how much she wished he didn’t, she knew he always would.
Hoyt’s gaze slid to his right and Hayden grabbed onto the break like a life line, gulping in air and reached for non-existent control. She followed it to see Mandy braced against the kitchen bar, holding on to the counter behind her. Hayden rolled her eyes at her friend. “Mandy, meet Hoyt. Hoyt, meet Mandy.”
Mandy gave a little wave but didn’t budge. Hoyt was staring at her, his brows drawn down low in confusion. But the effect was scaring the crap out of her friend. “Mandy, go wash your face, I think you’re freaking him out.”
Her friend’s awareness came back in a split second. She touched her face, eyes wide and rushed out of the room.
“This is gonna mess her up for life. She’s never gone out of the house without make-up. You just got the one and only glimpse of the real Mandy.”
The tightness around his mouth eased and Hoyt said, “Is that what all girls look like under their make up?”
“You don’t wanna know.”
Hoyt cleared his throat. Then he paced over to the hall, glanced down and then back to Hayden. “Listen, this has to do with the Team. I need you back at your dad’s, now. For your own safety.”
Hayden sobered in an instant. There were only a few things these men took so seriously, and if it involved her brother’s Special Forces team and they’d sent Hoyt to bring her in, there was something major going on. “Will you please fill me in on the way back to dad’s?”
She wouldn’t try to force him to talk in front of Mandy. She might be seriously pissed and hurt and filled with longing for Hoyt Crowe, but this was different. She’d have to stuff her feelings back for now.
“Yes.” Hoyt moved back to the door and scanned the parking lot and then his penetrating gaze landed on her again.
Hayden stopped breathing.
“Hurry. I’ve got a bad feeling.”
Hayden nodded and rushed down to Mandy’s bathroom. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I can’t talk right now, but I promise to call you tomorrow.”
Mandy finished toweling off her face. “Wait.”
“I can’t wait. I need to grab some stuff at my apartment and go to dad’s for the night.”
Mandy grabbed her arm, her face
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