"Gets a little tricky, because the direct order was verbally given by CIA Fuckface. Who then told Matt's XO to confirm. The officer nodded, but didn't give the verbal order. By which point Matt was getting back into his Humvee to head for Kabul. CIA Fuckface said if he left the FOB, he'd pay for it with his career, but at that point Matt was so pissed, he left anyway. By the time he got to Kabul, the shit had hit the fan."
"They blamed Matt?" Kay asked, appalled.
"No, all the SEALs were on his side, but the CIA guy, John Smith, had accused him of 'causing bodily harm to a crucial ally', making it sound like Matt had lost control. No mention of the kids, of the Bacha Bazi. A lot of US military personnel are tempted to break a lot of warlord jaws, so they decided to turn Matt into an object lesson. Smith was foaming at the mouth for a court martial but Matt is a hero. Has medals coming out his ass. No one would dare court martial him. And there was resistance to giving him a dishonorable discharge. So, he got an OTH discharge. Effective immediately."
"OTH?"
"Other Than Honorable."
"Oh my God, that is terrible!" A loyal Navy officer, a SEAL, a man who risked his life daily for his country, being discharged under a cloud … Kay could barely believe it.
Nick lifted Kay by her shoulders, kissed her gently on the mouth.
"Yes, it's terrible, honey. But ASI and anyone who knows Matt is standing by his side. And we're working to get the OTH discharge overruled. We're fighting back. Just like you're fighting back. Either you stand for something or you don't. You and I and our friends-my teammates, Priyanka, Mike Hammer-will live or die by what we stand for. We will never give up and we will never back down. But right now, to continue the fight, you need to rest, otherwise you'll collapse. Am I right?"
He was looking deep into her eyes, so deeply she couldn't lie. Kay wanted to continue tracking down the criminals who had infested her world of science. Not rest until she found the bastards. But she was exhausted. Her knees were trembling; she could barely stand. She needed to rest or she'd collapse, just as Nick said.
"You're right." No use in lying. Another half hour of work and she'd fall asleep with her face on the keyboard. She'd worked this hard before and there came a point when her body simply shut down. She was at that point now. "What time is it?"
"Four."
"Four what?"
He looked at her curiously. "Four in the afternoon. You've been working nonstop for almost 24 hours. Time to rest."
She nodded.
"Good girl. How long do you need?"
She looked up at him, strong and steady, waiting for her answer. He was clearly willing to roll with whatever she said. She knew enough of Nick to know he was protective, maybe even overprotective, like her grandfather. He'd want her to sleep around the clock, but he wasn't pushing for that. He trusted her to know herself, know how much rest she'd need to be functional. He wasn't pushing in any direction, just waiting for her to tell him.
They crossed the room, walked into the big corridor. She was a little turned around and wouldn't have been able to find their room without his help.
"I think if I could rest for about four hours, I'll be okay."
His glance was piercing, but he didn't say anything. "Four hours it is. I'll have coffee and some dinner waiting."
"A sex god and he cooks dinner."
"Let's not go overboard. A sex god, yes. Dinner, no. That would be thanks to Isabel and her minions."
They were in the huge bedroom. Kay turned around, linked her arms around his neck and lifted to kiss him, breaking away when the kiss got interesting. Sex would be wonderful, but it would wipe her out.
He held up the covers. "Get in, honey."
All the fatigue, all the horror and terror of the past day came down on her like an anvil. With barely the energy to move, she crawled into bed and felt him get in behind her, curling around her like a strong, warm wall.
Nick reached up, did something, and the light dimmed almost completely. He held her, one thick arm around her stomach, knees tucked in behind hers, a living blanket. He had a huge erection against the small of her back.
"Nick, I-" An enormous yawn overtook her.
"Shh." His lips moved against her ear, his deep voice sounding like it came from the pit of his stomach, vibrating against her back. "You're too tired. I just want you to sleep in my arms. I almost lost you yesterday, Kay. I need to hold you."
She sighed. It felt so good to be held. Desire was there but it was far away, beyond the fatigue. It could wait. She was falling, falling into sleep, but she knew if she fell too far he would catch her.
"Sleep, darling," he said in that dark dark voice, and she plunged straight down.