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“Panther team always needs saving. I mean, you’re named after a fucking cat.”
“Which means we have nine lives, and your team is named after a fucking snake.”
“The king of snakes,” Deacon reminded him.
“Right. The king of snakes. That is terrifying.” Ronan talked shit with his brother. It was so damn good to be able to do it.
“Scarier than a little pussy.”
“And now, we should say goodbye.” Ronan laughed.
“We should. I’ll see you soon. Whatever it takes.”
“As long as it takes.” Ronan ended the call and headed toward the logistics building. Damn, life was pretty fucking good. He had a woman who rocked his world, a family that was the absolute best, and his brother flying in. Who the fuck cared about the militant factions?
CHAPTER 17
Fleur’s hands gripped the wheel of the deuce and a half. The massive vehicle had power steering, thank goodness. She stayed on Ronan’s ass, just as he’d told her. Six new trucks and the truck they’d transported the drivers in were nose to tail, with Ronan in a Jeep in the front and Wolf in a new Jeep in the rear. Thankfully, there was air conditioning, so the trucks' dust didn’t fill the cabs and choke the drivers.
To say she was nervous was an understatement, especially when they drove around the vehicles that had been destroyed by the rockets Ronan had fired yesterday.
Fleur glanced at the burned-out, twisted metal as she drove.Was that only yesterday?Ronan and histeam hadn’t been in the camp long, but he was under her skin in ways she couldn’t understand, and she really didn’t care to understand. Last night with him was a dream in so many ways. The sex was spectacular and beyond anything she’d experienced before. Sure, she’d had relationships, but never had a man made her feel so beautiful or wanted … almost essential. That wasn’t the right word, but trying to put words to the sensation of knowing for a moment that if you weren’t with him at that moment, neither of you would have reached the heights you reached … Last night was a pivotal experience. She had no lingering doubts about going back to the States. She’d done everything she could do here, and the last months had been harsh and gut-wrenching with the loss of the convoys, people, and friends. The year before that was beyond frustrating. Trying to stop the inevitable, the shuttering of a camp that was desperately needed had exhausted her mentally. Fighting people who couldn’t or wouldn’t help and getting shut down in every way had led her to the desperate ploy of using the tunnels. Thank God Shelly had called her on it and Ronan was making strides in getting the convoys back on the road. Yes, she’d happily go back to the States, and if Ronan offered a job again, she’d thank him for the open doorand then work to prove herself to the people who would give her the opportunity.
When they crested the rise to the camp, Fleur flexed first her right hand and then her left. She’d been holding the wheel so tight that her hands ached. Scared. You bet your ass she’d been scared, but she and the other drivers had trusted Ronan and Wolf to protect them on the route, and they had.
Staff came out to greet them as the vehicles drove into camp. Ronan had told her not to park near the tents but to bring her truck to his camp. She followed him and parked it behind their tent, as requested. This truck held Guardian equipment and supplies, while the other six trucks were full of camp supplies.
Fleur grabbed the insulated bag Ronan had found her, which held the hamburger and fries for Shelly. Ronan walked back to her and leaned down for a quick kiss. “We made it,” she said with a smile after he leaned back.
“Did you have any doubts?” he asked.
“Doubts, no. But no one wants to be shot at, and I’m really glad they didn’t try today.”
“We were ready for them if they did. I’ve got to help unload this.” He nodded to her truck. “And then set up our tent.”
She smiled. “I like that.Ourtent.”
“So do I. Take Shelly the salmonella you bought her.”
Fleur laughed. “I will. See you later?”
“That’s a promise.” He swatted her on the ass as he walked by, and she spun around.
“You did not just do that.”
Ronan spun and walked backward. “What?” He held up his hands. “No witnesses, just saying.”
She lifted a finger and pointed at him. “That’s a hard no.”
Ronan smiled. “Noted for future reference.”
She shook her head and headed into the camp. Miller stopped her. “You didn’t have any problems?”
“Not coming back. We were attacked yesterday, but Ronan and Wolf used some rockets to fight them off.”
Miller’s eyes rounded. “Rockets? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Fleur shook her head. “No. It was intense. We wouldn't have stood a chance if they hadn’t been with us.”