out a chair, and I yank it back and sit my ass down.
“How’s Moira?” Forest’s low rumble surprises me. It’s not a question I expect, but then I remember Forest’s past. He’s genuinely interested in the wellbeing of his rescuees.
“She’s good.”
“Is she talking?” Those three words say much about the way Forest thinks. He understands the trauma she endured, and like the rest of us, he knows what happened in that stateroom.
I desperately want to get Moira to confide in me about what happened back there. She killed the man she refers to as Bossman, and he didn’t go down easy. I can’t imagine the terror she experienced in those few moments, but I know she relives it each night in her dreams.
“No.” I cross my arms and try to look like I haven’t spent the past week fucking her brains out instead of dealing with her emotional trauma. I feel like a goddamn putz, arrogant, self-absorbed, and drunk on pussy. That changes today. “She’s still clammed up, but no triggers. No flashbacks. Only a few nightmares.”
“I see.” Forest leans back against the wall. “I assume you’ve taken responsibility for her wellbeing?” It’s a simple statement, but Forest lobs it out there as a challenge. I’m up for it. At least until I’m operating again. When I leave Moira, it’ll only be with absolute assurance she can defend herself, and I’ll get someone to watch over her. No way in hell will I leave her completely unprotected.
“I have.”
“That’s good. She’s been at the Facility too long, and with her abduction, staying there will only increase her reliance on the place. It’s supposed to be an aid, not a crutch. See to it that she continues to stay with you.”
“That’s my intent, but I can’t make her stay if that’s not what she wants.” I don’t mention my greatest fear. When I pick Moira up to take her home, will she let me? But I agree with Forest. She needs to get away from the Facility.
She needs to know what it’s like to live a normal, happy life. My hope is she chooses to include me in that future. I have a few ideas on how to keep her safe.
I see the Facility being far more of a hindrance than a simple crutch. Somehow, I need to help Moira figure out a way to feel safe outside the Facility walls. Right now, I have no idea how to make that happen, but I will. It’s just a matter of time, persistence, and perseverance.
Max gives me a look, then shakes his head. I’m not fooling anyone about our intimate relationship, but I’m not the kind of guy to talk about my woman like that. It’s disrespectful.
“Where is she now?” Max spins in his chair until he faces me directly.
“I took her to the Facility. She needed to get her things, and she has an appointment with a counselor.”
“Good. She needs to get it out there.” Forest concludes that conversation. His sharp gaze returns to the monitors at the other end of the room, which provide the only light.
“What’s going on here?” My attention shifts with the rest of those present.
“Mitzy was just about to show us what she’s found.” Max crosses his arms over his chest.
“If y’all are done shooting the shit, I can get back to it.” Mitzy gives a little snort of indignation. She likes to play things up, like we never pay attention to her, but the opposite is true. Considering our lives depend on the intelligence she obtains, we’re acutely interested in what she has to say.
I lean forward and keep my voice low, speaking only to Max. “Where’s the rest of the team?”
“At the range.”
“Why aren’t they…”
“Seriously, Griff, can you shut up?” Mitzy taps her foot while Forest chuckles behind me.
“My apologies.”
“As if.” She flicks through several screens. “This is probably the biggest boon we’ve had in a very long time, but it won’t last. I’m sure the people Sly Gabel worked for are plugging the holes in their operation, but we’ve been able to ascertain a few things.”
I sit on my hands, eager to find out what Mitzy and her tech-savvy team discovered with the phone Moira carried off that ship.
“Who’s Sly Gabel?”
“The man this phone belonged to. Seriously, keep up or get out. Stop wasting my time.” Mitzy glares at me.
I lift my hands in mock surrender and keep my trap shut.
For the next twenty minutes, Mitzy drones on about how they cracked the phone,