Nori's Delta (Delta Team Three #1) - Lori Ryan Page 0,23

in and she, Heath, Beth, Zip, and Duff loaded in. Duff took the wheel. She looked behind them to see the others all loading into the other vehicle with Merlin driving that one and Jangles sitting in the back. She wondered how Ris and Nan’s team was going to get to wherever their next assignment was but no one seemed to be concerned about it.

She shook her head. Special forces. Knowing them, they’d just walk off into the woods somewhere and melt into the landscape until someone needed them.

Heath took the spot to the right of her and Beth and Zip sat behind them.

Heath leaned in. “Coming and going from the compound each day will be our most vulnerable times. When we load up each day, I want you to listen and follow directions. Don’t question anything the team or I tell you to do. Just do it. I’ll be right next to you when we come and go and we’ll be on alert.”

She nodded and he continued.

“Same goes for the hotel. Listen to what the team tells you to do. We won’t be ordering room service or anything like that. We have two teams here, so we’ll have our guys get food and bring it in. If you wake up and you’re restless, there’s no going out for a walk or going down to the fitness center or anything like that. You’ll stay in the hotel room at all times unless one of us tells you to leave.”

She bit down on her lips to keep from smiling. It wasn’t funny. What he was telling her wasn’t at all entertaining and her reaction wasn’t at all like her. She was professional. Always. She was the one who kept her head together during stressful times and always had a plan that was two steps ahead of those around her.

So why was she falling apart right now? This was her life and possibly the lives of her team on the line. Still, she couldn’t help it. He was sexy when he was being bossy and for some reason, that made her want to laugh.

He leaned in even closer and growled. “Are you laughing at me, Nori?”

She shook her head. “Not even a little,” she tried, but the choked way the words came out completely belied the statement.

And damn, now she was truly laughing and she didn’t know why. She waved a hand at him as her eyes started to water with the effort of holding back the laughter. “It’s nerves,” she said, but then she lost it and she was full out laughing as he glowered at her.

Jesus, this didn’t happen to her. She didn’t fall apart. Not ever. She held herself together through everything that could possibly happen in her work.

Beth was joining in on it in the back seat and Zip was smiling as he watched Heath growl at her while she and Beth lost it.

Eleanor wiped at her eyes and got herself under control. “Sorry, it’s not funny. It’s just been a long few days.”

She and Beth managed to hold it together for a few seconds and Eleanor thought maybe she’d salvage her reputation as one of the top negotiators for the United States.

Then Beth piped up from the backseat. “Like an alpha male,” and Eleanor knew she was talking about the romance novels she was always reading.

Heath shot Beth a look complete with growl and Eleanor laughed again.

It was all over.

Chapter 10

Two hours later, Eleanor was finally doing the work she should have been doing this whole time with her team.

While Zip and Duff stood guard in the corners of the hotel room, they were poring over every last detail the government had about Onur Demir and his rebels. Heath was watching from a nearby chair but he was officially off duty and supposedly resting. He didn’t look like he was resting to her. He’d taken off his sling but refused to leave the room, and she had a feeling telling him to go lie down wouldn’t have any affect so she didn’t try. She didn’t believe in wasted energy on lost causes.

She also noticed he was being particularly testy with the male members of her team. He’d actually growled at Geoff at one point when Geoff tried to hold the door for her.

She shook her head and focused on Demir instead. He wasn’t what you’d expect in a rebel leader. He came from a family who was nearly as wealthy and well connected as the monarchy in