When she started tutoring him in his sophomore year, she’d quickly realized he used jokes and his status as the star wide receiver to cover the fact that he was struggling in his classes. And he hated it. Hated feeling like he wasn’t smart enough. Like everyone around him was better than him somehow.
She had done her best to make sure he saw that he wasn’t stupid. But now, she’d just gone and brought it all back to him because she didn’t want his teammates questioning her about their relationship.
She cleared her throat and this time she made damned sure she got them all the way away from their high school years.
“So, what’s our plan for getting into Kazarus?”
Heath grabbed at the chance to move on and answered immediately. “They’ll be expecting us to enter at one of the legal border crossings so we’re not going to do that.”
“You’re going to smuggle me across the border?”
“Yup.” This came from Zip who seemed to be entertained by her shock.
“Won’t that be dangerous?” She looked to Heath but it was Jangles who answered.
“It will be, but no more dangerous than waltzing you up to a border crossing and having someone get to you with a sniper rifle or a roadside bomb.”
As Eleanor’s stomach seemed to hit the floor, Heath’s hand landed on her leg and he squeezed, reassuring her.
“We got you, Nori. We’ll be right there with you through this.”
It was stupid that she was so comforted by his use of her old nickname. She’d been Eleanor for so long now, she’d forgotten that it felt good to have friends close enough to give you a name that says you belong to them in some way. That says you’re theirs or part of their group.
Not that her nickname was like the names these guys had given each other. Those were something more. Those were the mark of a band of brothers, of men who would and probably had laid their lives on the line for each other.
But hearing her old high school nickname reminded her that she’d once been more than the woman who was so driven to succeed in her job that she’d let all other parts of life—friends, family, any outside interests—fall by the wayside.
She looked at Heath. “Shouldn’t you be sitting this out now? You’re hurt.”
He looked positively affronted and his teammates snickered. “I’m good. The bullet only grazed my arm.”
“You passed out! More than once.” She looked from him to the other men and back. Was she the only sane person at the table? They should be helicoptering him out of there so he could recover.
Heath shrugged. “I’ll take a back seat on things for a few days, but I got a PRP and I’m good to go.”
She shook her head and looked to the other men.
Jangles translated. “Platelet rich plasma injection. He’ll be fine.” He acted like that was the end of the discussion and went on talking about their plans for getting her and her team to the meeting. “The team that has your assistant and the rest of your group is bringing them across the border toward the west. We’re heading east to circle around. We’ll each come at Demir’s compound from a different direction but we’ll meet up a few miles outside of it and come in together for the meeting.”
Heath nodded. “And while we’re on the ground at the compound, we’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Eleanor pushed back her plate. Zip was quietly ordering food to go for Merlin and Duff.
“You said you know some of the guys on the team that’s getting my people?” She asked Heath.
“Yeah. My buddy Ris is on it, but we’ve worked with all the guys. And Jangles went through basic with Nan.”
“Nan?”
“He’ll have to tell you about it,” Jangles and Heath said at the same time.
Eleanor laughed and it felt good. She needed that. She didn’t like the idea of heading into this negotiation without a lot of time to prep on the way with her assistant and her team. She would normally be studying information and data they fed to her and talking about all the possible scenarios and ways this could play out.
Instead, she was barely keeping her head afloat as these operatives whisked her across the country and prepped to smuggle her across the border. It brought new meaning to the term foreign service.
“So, you’re married?” Zip asked and Eleanor choked on the water she’d just made the unfortunate mistake of sipping at the wrong time.
When she finished coughing, thanks in large part to Heath patting her on the back with a large hand that felt entirely too good on her body, she shook her head. “Not married.”
Jangles and Zip shared a look and Zip explained. “Heath said you got married.”
Eleanor turned her eyes on Heath.
His brow wrinkled. “The name change. Eleanor Bonham?”
Realization dawned and Eleanor realized she couldn’t at all blame him for thinking that. In fact, if she ever ran into people she’d known in high school—which she didn’t—she realized they would think the same thing.
“I took my stepfather’s name,” was all she said. She could feel Heath’s questioning gaze on her, but she didn’t say more.
She was worried about the upcoming trip and worried for her team. Yes, they’d gotten news they were safe, but they’d be starting their own roundabout trek to the meeting point.
Beth was always on top of things and didn’t have any issues with pivoting when she needed to, but Marcus was probably freaking out at the changes. He could be high strung at times and wouldn’t do well with things shifting on the fly. Hell, he sometimes got fidgety when a meeting was delayed or a report was late coming in.
“Did the other guys check my team for trackers? They can’t find them, can they?”
Heath shook his head. “They checked. They’re all clear and just like with you, they aren’t giving anyone the specifics of their locations.”
She nodded and pressed her lips together. She would have to trust they’d be okay.
The food for Merlin and Duff had arrived and the group stood to go back to the hotel.
Before she stepped out the door, she looked to Heath once again. The men all looked like they were on, just like they had been throughout the meal. They were always casually scanning, always checking their surroundings. Always aware of what was happening.
She lowered her voice. “Are you guys sure there was only the one tracker on me? They aren’t going to find us here?”
She was worried about herself, but she was also worried about Heath and his team. She was the reason Heath was here, both in the Army and on this particular mission. He was already injured. She couldn’t stand the thought that he might be hurt further. Or worse.
Heath put his good arm around her and squeezed and not for the first time, felt the guilt of all that had happened rush back to her. That and the stupid attraction she couldn’t seem to fend off. Her body’s response to him wasn’t something she seemed to have control of. It took nothing more than a glance his way to have memories of his hands and mouth on her come rushing back, overwhelming her in the process.
She shook her head and focused on the present. The other men were flanking them and didn’t seem to bat an eye at his protective gesture. Maybe he was like this with all the women they protected and it was something his team was used to seeing.