two bowls, filled them with oatmeal, and handed one to Hope.
Austin spared a glance at Wade. “Man, you look like shit.”
Mouth full, Wade flipped him the bird even though he really wasn’t offended. It was the kind of smack he and his siblings had given one another all their lives. And considering his brother had taken the first shot, he felt no guilt in returning fire. “This tastes a lot better than that slop Austin made yesterday. What kind of nuts did you use, Navarre?”
“I’m not sure; I think they’re pecans.”
“Nuh-uh, they’re walnuts,” Jackson said as he scooped more oatmeal into his bowl. “So what’s the plan for today?”
Wade had been thinking about that ever since he left the tent. A number of factors came into play, especially in light of Hector’s betrayal. “If they know we’re coming like Hector said, we’re going to need a lot more intel before we move on the compound. But first, we need to bring Hope to the consulate.”
“No, you don’t,” she said between bites. “I’m staying with you guys.”
“Oh, hell no.” Every protective instinct in Wade’s body screamed to life. It was bad enough he was dragging Austin and the guys straight into a firefight. They were trained warriors who knew exactly what the hell they were getting themselves into. Hell, they got off on this kind of shit. But no way was he putting Hope in a position where she stood the chance of suffering the same fate as Carmen.
Hope frowned. “Why not?”
“Do you really need to ask that question?”
“It might not be a bad idea to have a medic on the team,” Navarre said, and Wade glared at him.
“Can you fire a weapon?” Jackson asked.
Her chin hitched up. “I was in the Army.”
“As a doctor,” Wade ground out.
She shot him a look that would have sent a lot of men packing. “I was trained to work in combat situations. It’s been awhile, but I know how to handle a pistol. And a rifle.”
“I don’t care if you’re fucking Rambo,” Wade snapped. “You’re still not going.”
“Dude, no offense,” Austin said, “but we’re at a serious tactical disadvantage. I understand your concerns, but we need all the help we can get. And considering how far the compound is from any kind of medical facility, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a medic on the team. If she wants to go, we can utilize her in a modified—”
“I said no.” Wade glared at his brother, his hands half-curled into fists. At home, they occasionally sparred in the ring, but this was the first time since they were teenagers where he felt close to coming to actual blows with Austin. He’d do it in a heartbeat to keep Hope out of danger, though he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to think about what that meant.
“How about we put it to a vote?” Navarre suggested as he scraped the last spoonful of oatmeal from his bowl. “Best out of five wins.”
“Fine.” Hunger forgotten, Wade set his bowl down a little harder than he’d intended, and some of the food sloshed over the rim. “I vote no.”
“And I vote yes,” Austin said.
“So do I,” Hope added.
Austin glanced to his left. “Jackson?”
The big man’s wary gaze traveled from Austin to Hope, and then swung to Wade. “Like the boss man said, we could use the help, and a doctor would come in handy if the op goes south. Hell, even if it don’t go south, the odds are pretty good that somebody’s going to get hurt. But if she’s going to be a distraction for you, it could threaten the entire operation. I vote no.”
That left Navarre, who looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but there. Funny, considering he was the one who suggested the vote in the first place. On a heavy exhale, he dragged a hand through his short brown hair. “I totally get where you’re coming from, Wade. Having someone you care about exposed to danger has a way of screwing with your head. But if we’re going to make a run on that compound, you’ve got to think like a soldier. That means finding a way to cram all that shit into a deep, dark hole so it doesn’t affect your ability to perform. She wants to help. Having a medic on the team might mean the difference between life and death for one of us. Sorry, but I vote yes.”
It felt as if every last molecule of