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"She gets a hooyah fro to have serious words with the wo you out of the hospital That was a stupid move"
She didn’t respond to that one Maybe it was Maybe it wasn’t But at the time it hat she had to do She couldn’t very well try to analyze her state of h to know she had been a head case Cathy knew it too, but she hadn’t tried to tell PJ she rong, and for that she was appreciative
No one had broached the subject of seeing a shrink yet She was just waiting for it She knew the wives of the Kelly h some heavy shit She respected the violets for women They kne to kick ass in their oay
Shea especially had PJ’s deep respect, and PJ suspected that she and Nathan’s wife could be friends if they ever hung around each other long enough Shea had taken a lot of pain and torture on Nathan’s behalf She’d helped him survive hell and was the sole reason that he was ho months imprisoned in the Middle East
She doubted she’d ever fit into the Kelly inner circle That was reserved for their wives, and the Kellys were fiercely protective of them But did she want to? Had she reached a point in her life where she wanted to fit in somewhere and have a network of friends to lean on for support?
Months before she would have said emphatically no She liked her life the way it was She did her job, she went home, no one bothered her
But how much of that was a product of what had happened on her SWAT tea and idealistic when she’d landed a spot on the team Not only had she been the first woest recruit ever for her particular team
She’d had to work twice as hard to earn the saotten there She thought she had their loyalty She’d been more crushed than she wanted to admit at the ti she’d been, it had been hu
When she’d hired on for Steele’s tealy Gradually she’d relaxed, but she’d never let her guard completely down Not like she’d done with her SWAT team She’d assumed way too much with theain
But Cole and her tea They’d stood behind her Her team leader had stood behind her even at the risk of his own reputation and position within KGI
That , didn’t it?
Yeah, it meant a damn lot
"You asleep back there, PJ?" Cole called back "We’re al herself upward so she could see out theShe hadn’t been asleep but she’d sure been in another world conte her circumstances
The SUV slowed and Cole turned onto a dirt road that was marked only by a county road number There were no residences on the road Only a thick stand of pine and hardwood
At the end it opened up into a cleared area where a se pond spread out for several acres It was practically a small lake
The house wasn’t entirely what she would have expected Maybe she’d thought he’d have gone for awith brick and wood and large picture s It looked cozy and inviting, and it fit in ith the landscaping
Neat hedges that looked newly trih it was freshly cut Several sround, and several azalea bushes and other flowering varieties lined the edges of the house
"You own all of this?" she asked
He pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the house, not bothering to park in the garage
"Yep Bought a hundred acres fro off land in the area Saot all the KGI property froood deal on it I cut enough timber to pay for the land and then built the house and had the pond dug"
"So who keeps this up for you? You’re not hohed "I have a guy who comes by when I’m away"
"Nice bachelor pad Do you have the prerequisiteon in there?"
He went quiet and then didn’t respond He got out and then opened the passenger door behind her
"I don’t want you toto put my hands under your ar toup"
She didn’t argue
His arms slid under hers and his hands splayed over her chest and belly Then he started easing her backward until her ass hung off the seat He rotated around so he could put one arm underneath her knees and then he lifted her effortlessly froet our gear later Right noant to et some pain medicine in you"
She frowned "I don’t want to sleep through the steaks and fireflies"
He laughed as he carried her toward the door "Don’t worry I’ll give you just enough to take the edge off I don’t want you snoring through dinner either"
He set her down on the front porch, careful not to let her put any weight on her leg Then he unlocked the house and shoved the door open
"Can you make it inside or you want me to carry you?"
She very nearly blurted that she wanted him to carry her, but houssy would that sound?