Page 10

Laryn found it impossible to hold back a giggle. “Zip-lining, I’d do. The other two, definitely not.”

When she glanced at Tate, she saw a look on his face she couldn’t interpret.

Her belly swam. She’d learned to live with her crush on the man, had managed her feelings quite nicely for the last few years.

But somehow in one evening, after he’d shown up unexpectedly, fed her, asked how she was doing, leaned in to smell her, all the shields she’d put up to protect herself had crumbled like dust.

He could hurt her. Really hurt her. And the weird thing was, even knowing the possibility of getting crushed existed, when he decided she wasn’t…enough for him, and despite her protests last night, she’d still say yes if he ever made her feel as if he truly wanted to go out with her.

“We have about fifteen minutes, you want to show us anything in particular on the chopper before we have to go to our meeting with the colonel?” Pyro asked.

Forcing herself to concentrate, Laryn nodded. She’d just arrived, but she had the utmost confidence that the other mechanics wouldn’t have messed with anything. They were a little scared of her, to be honest, which was perfectly all right with her.

Switching into work mode, she stepped to the open back door of the chopper and bent to reach for the small stool she kept nearby, to make it easier for her to get in and out of the helicopter.

Before she could grab it, she felt hands at her waist.

Then Tate’s deep voice was next to her ear, saying, “Jump.”

Instinctively, she did as he requested, and before she knew it, she was standing in the chopper.

Tate and the other pilots leaped up without any issues, and even though the back compartment could hold at least a dozen fully equipped special forces soldiers, Laryn felt crowded with the larger men all around her.

At five-five, she wasn’t exactly a shrimp, but she definitely felt at a disadvantage being around pilots who were all taller than her.

Tate and Pyro sat in the pilot seats, while the other men hovered behind Laryn as she began to point out the upgrades.

“The terrain-following/terrain-avoidance radar has been improved. The controls are just a little more to the right than they used to be.” She nodded as Tate’s hands reached for them without any difficulty.

“The AN/ZSQ-2 sensor turret has a more robust cover, making it almost impervious to icing over, or any stray bullet that might try to take it out.”

The pilots nodded, and she could hear murmurs of appreciation from the four men behind her.

“The FLIR’s been calibrated and the turret also has the standard laser range finder that all the choppers have, and can be armed with laser-guided missiles and rockets.

Those, obviously, haven’t been installed yet, but they’ll be put in as soon as the trials are over and before it gets sent over to the Middle East.”

“Assuming that’s part of what the colonel will talk to us about. The timeline. Gotta get this baby where we need her before the upcoming mission,” Pyro said.

“You’ve also got the usual jammers, warning sensors, and satellite communication antennas. As long as you don’t decide to run into any RPGs again, you should be good to go,” Laryn told Tate and Pyro.

Everyone chuckled.

The next ten minutes, Laryn listened to the pilots talk about the functionality of the chopper and what they might expect from the trials.

They would take place tomorrow night, and would include simulated missiles being fired at them from ships offshore.

Which wasn’t anything new for the Night Stalkers, but horrible storms were also in the forecast. Laryn hated when any of her pilots had to fly in bad weather, but that was partly what the Night Stalkers were known for.

Flying in crappy weather, in difficult terrain, and getting in and out of locations without being detected thanks to their flying skills.

Tomorrow would be harrowing for her, and fun for Tate and Pyro, of that she had no doubt. But she’d do what she always did and pretend the risks they took didn’t affect her in the least. It would take every ounce of acting ability she possessed, but she’d convince them. Just like she always did.

“We’re all set. I’m ready to take this baby up,” Pyro said, as he turned to climb out of the copilot seat. She took a step back, almost tripping over Edge, who was standing right behind her. He caught her arm, keeping her from the humiliating experience of landing on her ass in front of the guys.

“Sorry ’bout that,” he said with a small grin.

Laryn nodded and returned his smile…but when she turned back around, she saw Tate staring at the hand still on her arm, his eyes narrowed.

As the other man moved back, she frowned at Tate. “What?” she said.

His gaze whipped up to hers, and she swore she saw his cheeks pinken.

“What, what ?” he returned.

Shaking her head, Laryn let it drop. Tate was confusing the heck out of her.

He’d always sniped and griped at her like a brother would to an annoying little sister.

And she’d reciprocated because she had no idea how else to act.

But this was all new. This…concern. Jealousy?

No, that couldn’t be it. Edge was one of his best friends.

And he wasn’t remotely interested in her. None of the pilots were.

Everyone hopped out of the back of the chopper, and when she started to sit down to make it easier to jump out, Tate said, “Hang on, Laryn.”

She hesitated, watching him easily jump down, then he turned around and reached for her. “I’ve got you. ”

She stared at him in confusion. He had her? What did that mean?

“Laryn? Go ahead and sit, I’ll help you down.”

Oh! That’s what he meant. She blushed at her lack of understanding. “I’ve got it.”

“Of course you do. But I can help.”

She would’ve continued to refuse his help, but she was just bringing more attention to them by drawing this out.

So she quickly sat, and his hands closed around her waist once more as he basically lifted her out of the chopper and set her on her feet.

For a split second, neither of them moved.

Tate stared down at her, while she returned the look.

Then someone cleared their throat, and both of them took a step back.

“I’ll call after our meeting and let you know what the mission timeline looks like, and if there are any updates to the trials for tomorrow night,” he told her.

Which was a very considerate thing for him to do…and something else he’d never done in the past. When pilots met with the colonel for any reason—meetings that often went on for hours—she normally learned any pertinent info the day after, when she arrived at work in the morning.

“It’s okay. I can find out tomorrow.”

“I’ll call. You need the info as much as we do. You’re as much a part of this team as we are.”

He wasn’t wrong, at least about the first part, and pleasure bloomed in her chest even as another blush warmed her cheeks. Yes, it was three years late in coming, but she wouldn’t turn down any intel if he insisted.

“Okay.”

“Shit. You’ve had to wait until the next day every time for updates?” Obi-Wan asked.

Laryn shrugged. “It hasn’t been a big deal.”

“Of course it is. That’s bullshit,” Chaos swore. “Honestly, you should be in the meetings with us. You have top-secret clearance just like we do.”

Laryn shook her head quickly. “No. I don’t want to have to go to your meetings!”

Everyone laughed at that.

“Good point. Well, I know it probably doesn’t mean much after all these years, but we’ll make sure you’re kept up-to-date with all the need-to-know info in the future,” Buck told her.

That warm feeling returned. Again, she had no idea what had changed in the last month since Pyro and Tate’s close call when the latter was rescuing his brother, but she liked it.

“Thanks.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll be right there,” Tate told his friends.

The other guys all gave her chin lifts, which made Laryn smile a little, then she braced herself as she turned to Tate. “Is everything okay, based on what you’ve seen of the chopper?”

“Of course. I wanted to apologize for being a dick.”

She blinked in surprise. “What? When?”

“The last three years.”

Laryn burst out laughing. “Um…okay.”

“I mean it. You’re an integral part of our team.

We couldn’t do any of the things we do without you.

Don’t think I’ve missed how often you’ve stayed up all night working on the choppers after we’ve returned from missions.

You always make sure everything is perfect before we have to go out again.

I haven’t thanked you enough for any of that. ”

“It’s my job,” she told him honestly.

“I know, but you’ve gone above and beyond what most mechanics would do.”

“I’m not most mechanics,” she said firmly.

“My dad taught me that a driver, or pilot, is only as good as the machine he’s driving or flying.

And if I wanted to work for the best, I needed to make sure he had the tools he needed to be the best. And you, Tate, are definitely one of the best. I’m not saying that to inflate your already huge ego, just stating facts.

And if I ever do anything to make your job harder, that would be the ultimate fail on my part. ”

Had he stepped closer to her? He had. They weren’t touching, but he was definitely standing closer to her than she could ever remember him being in the past, anytime they’d had a discussion.

“I was also a dick last night. I overstepped my bounds. It won’t happen again.”

Laryn wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“But I’m still going to do what I can to prove to you that I’m a better man than I’ve been in the last three years.”

“Tate—” Laryn protested. But he talked over her.

“I mean it. I don’t know why I’ve always been an annoying prick to you. But that ends now. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

And with that, he turned and jogged after his friends, leaving Laryn standing in the hangar next to the chopper, still utterly baffled at his change in behavior. She had no idea what she’d done, or not done, to make him do a one-eighty in his attitude toward her. But she liked it. A lot.

Feeling lighter than she ever had before a flight trial, which was one of the most stressful things she had to endure as head mechanic, she turned toward the chopper to see what else could be perfected before tomorrow night.