Page 17 of Boomer

Her breath left her in a rush. Of all the things she was prepared for…this was not it.

“Of course,” she said tightly. “I’ll head home, pack a bag, and return.”

“Good. Get the ball rolling. I want the threat to the coast neutralized.”

He disconnected. She lowered the phone slowly, like it might bite her.

Her breathing went shallow. Bunking with the teams. Bunking near Boomer.Seeing him in hallways, passing him at coffee stations, sleeping one thin wall away from that voice, that body, that memory.

She swayed where she stood. She might need a paper bag.

Or agoddamneddefibrillator.

Too tired to actually make it all the way back to her little cottage, she went back out to the car, grabbed the bag she kept for emergencies out of her trunk, then went back inside, securing the door. Her room was spacious but private. Bed, desk, en suite bathroom, and a keyed locker for her weapon and comms. Tomorrow, she’d issue badges, giving all of them access to the compound, to MAOC (N) headquarters, and to the encrypted brief servers. Tonight…she just needed sleep and space.

The tile wasslick beneath Boomer’s flip flops as he stepped inside the group shower, towel slung low on his hips, his kit under one arm and a faint scowl clinging to his face. Steam curled thick in the air, turning the overhead lights into soft-edged halos. Voices echoed, bare skin gleamed, and someone’s soap had surrendered completely in the corner drain.

Heads turned.

Breakneck was the first to spot him. He leaned back against the wall, water cascading off his shoulders, cobalt eyes gleaming like trouble incarnate.

“Well, well,” he drawled. “I’m studying at the feet of a master.”

Boomer dropped his kit on the bench and sighed. “Don’t.”

But Breakneck was already grinning wide. “Withtwo fucking lines, you put Bash in his placeanddouble-tapped Taylor straight to the ovaries. Legendary.”

Boomer groaned, dragging his hand down. “Seriously, kid. Have some respect for her.”

From the far end of the showers, Skull snorted. “The kid’s right, BoomMonster.” He clapped his hands once, the echo sharp off tile. “There was asonic boomwhen that line went off.” He turned slightly, holding up a bar of soap like a mic. “I’m a demo expert,” he intoned solemnly. “I know all the explosive languages.”

Even Boomer laughed at that, just a quiet, broken exhale that hurt his ribs more than he’d admit. “I hate all of you,” he muttered.

“You love us,” Hazard said from the next stall over, rinsing shampoo from his hair. “I’m not even lying. I got a little hard.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Boomer shot back, stepping under the spray with a wince.

Hazard shrugged, unapologetic. “It was the way you said it. All low and calm, like you were about to propose and detonate a claymore at the same time.”

“You’re not opening a door,” Breakneck mimicked, deepening his voice into a sultry growl. “You’re leveling the fucking room.”

“You forgot the part where he stares a hole through the guy’s soul,” Skull added. “Didn’t blink. I was three seconds from confessing shit I didn’t even do.”

Boomer turned into the water, letting it soak his face, his chest, his bruised pride. “He deserved it,” he mumbled.

“Damn right he did,” Hazard said. “But what I want to know is—what did Taylor sayafter?”

Boomer didn’t answer. Didn’t have to. The pause was enough.

Breakneck’s eyes lit up. “No.No. Shelookedat you, didn’t she? One of those ‘I’m not touching you in public, but Iamabsolutely writing your name on my notebook in cursive’ looks.”

“Shesighed,” Boomer muttered. “That’s it. That’s all she did.”

“Did she sigh in German?” Skull asked, mock-gravely. “That’s how you know it’s real.”

“Shut up,” Boomer said. But he was laughing now. Quietly. Helplessly. Like he couldn’t stop it even if he tried.

Preacher leaned out. His voice was low, like a benediction. “You laid him out without ever raising your voice, no threat, no posturing. Youpreached.” He looked at Boomer with quiet fire in his eyes. “We kid you, Boom, we do. But what you said out there? That wasn’t just a beatdown. That wastruth.”