Collateral Damage

“You were so brave, baby,” he whispered, his voice rough. “So fucking brave, you broke my heart.”

She didn’t feel brave right now, she was shaking apart and her face was wet with tears. Liam murmured something else to her but she didn’t understand the words. Her body and brain were shutting down, trying to protect her from the horrors she’d seen tonight. She fought off the haze trying to envelop her, took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here.” Liam wrapped a heavy arm around her waist and she was glad for the contact. His touch helped ground her.

Safe in his solid grip, Honor walked away from Andrews’ body as fast as her wobbly legs would allow her.

****

Liam was worried as hell about her as he drove her home hours later.

Honor sat silently in the passenger seat beside him, staring out her window. She hadn’t said a word since they’d left the base ten minutes ago. He knew it was partly shock and partly exhaustion, but he was concerned it went a lot deeper than that.

She’d already been through her fair share of combat stress at Bagram. This was different.

From the bits and pieces of what she’d told him and things he’d heard over the past few hours, he’d been able to get a pretty clear picture of what she’d been through. Not only had she been hunted by that traitorous fuck Andrews, she’d also witnessed the drone strikes—there would have been more had the Air Force not managed to shoot a third drone down before it could attack the base—and seen two of her soldiers mowed down in cold blood.

Seeing those mothers and kids shot down had to be devastating for her. He knew it had taken a toll on her emotionally and psychologically, no matter how much she wanted to pretend it hadn’t.

He reached across the console to grasp her hand and squeezed it. Her fingers were ice cold. She looked over at him, gave him a tiny smile so forced it was almost brittle. “You’re freezing,” he admonished, angling the dash heat vents toward her.

“Can’t seem to warm up,” she murmured, tucking her free hand between her thighs and sinking down against the seat. The heaters were already on high and she was wearing one of his sweatshirts.

Liam rubbed her chilled fingers, wanting to get her home as soon as possible. They’d been stuck on base in separate areas for over seven hours after the shootout with Andrews. They’d both undergone questioning by base officials and various intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI and DHS. He’d hated being separated from her in the aftermath of something so traumatic but he’d had no choice. When he’d finally seen her again he’d taken one look at her face and known she’d reached her limit.

She’d stood there in the office hallway, quiet and pale, her i

Security had kept the entire base on lockdown until they could confirm all the shooters—five of them, including Andrews—were dead and the missing drones were accounted for. Medical crews had been kept busy helping the wounded. The hospitals in the area were overwhelmed with the number of casualties brought in. Clean up details had been dispatched on base to take the dead away to be identified at a warehouse now serving as a morgue. Authorities were looking for the people responsible for the three stolen drones, but initial reports kept pointing back to the same name.

Safir Khan.

Rahim’s former underling, working from either Afghanistan or the tribal region of Pakistan. Now presumed to be hiding in the mountainous region straddling the border between the two countries. The bastard had killed their president and killed dozens of soldiers and civilians.

His days were numbered. Every intelligence agency in the western world was looking for him now. Liam had good friends back at Bagram who even now were hunting that asshole down. Once they found him they’d send him straight to hell.

“Almost home,” he said to Honor as he took the exit that would take him to her place. By now the entire world would be feeling the shockwave of the attack. The Vice President would be sworn in as President shortly, but Liam wasn’t interested in watching. All he cared about was being there for Honor.

“God, it feels like weeks since I’ve been there instead of hours.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Felt like ages since he climbed into the cockpit yesterday morning.

He parked in her driveway and jumped out to open her door for her. She slid out and allowed him to help her down, didn’t say anything when he wound an arm around her waist and walked her to the garage door.

When he punched in the code she glanced up at him. “You’re staying the night, right?”

He hated that she’d even think he’d leave her now. “Baby, I’m not leaving your side for the next twenty-four hours.” And only then because he had to report back to work. His commanders had given him a little time off because of what had happened to Honor.

She seemed relieved by that and again Liam was floored that she’d been worried he might leave her alone after what she’d just been through.

He closed the garage door behind them while she went in through the mudroom. When he came into the kitchen he found her standing at the counter, her back to him as she stared out at the gray, pre-dawn sky. Liam set his keys and wallet on the island and crossed to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Honor sighed and leaned back against him, closing her eyes. He knew she had to be exhausted and he just wanted to take care of her. He nuzzled her hair and she turned in his arms, pressing her nose into the base of his neck and breathing him in as she slid her hands up his back. Liam hugged her close, his whole body tightening at the feel of her against him. It had been so close out there tonight. He’d almost lost her, would have died himself earlier if not for his body armor.

“Do you know how much I love you?” she whispered, her voice slightly unsteady.

“I’m hoping it’s even half as much as I love you,” he said, holding her tighter. God, he loved the feel of her. All warm and soft against him, her breasts cushioned against his chest and her belly pressed to his hardening cock. He tried to ignore it but having been apart for so long combined with the after effects of the firefight, he wanted to strip her naked and take her right here on the kitchen floor.

Lifting her head, she looked up at him, her expression turning fierce. “I love you so much I didn’t care if I died as long as I stopped him from killing you,” she said, the sudden fire burning in her eyes making his heart leap and his cock throb. She was staring up at him like he was the only man on earth, the yearning in her gaze spiking his building arousal. “When I saw him turn that weapon on you I went crazy. I would’ve killed him with my bare hands if I had to for daring to threaten your life.” She took his face between her hands, her eyes flashing with an intense mix of protectiveness and love. “You’re everything to me. Everything.”

Liam opened his mouth to respond but before he could get a single word out she pulled his head down and took his mouth in a ferocious kiss. Her words undid him, but the desperation, the frantic need he tasted on her lips obliterated everything else.

Liam groaned into her mouth and slid one hand into her hair, palming the back of her head as he tangled his tongue with hers, wanting deeper, closer. The kiss turned greedy, wild as she began ru