“I did have a family. A lifetime ago.”
Her heart clutched at the grief in his voice. It may have been a lifetime ago, but it was obvious the wounds were still raw.
“My dad was an ambassador to Libya. I grew up in the embassy. Me and my brother. Griffin.”
She sucked in her breath, knowing that whatever he was going to tell her was horrible. It was in his tone, in every line of his face and most pronounced in the darkness that had invaded his eyes.
“They were killed in an embassy bombing. A Marine saved my life, but he couldn’t save my parents or my brother. He tried. And then he later apologized to me that he hadn’t been able to save them. I wasn’t angry because he couldn’t save them. I was pissed that he’d saved me.”
“How old were you?”
“Seven.”
“Oh wow,” she whispered. “What happened? Who raised you?”
“My dad’s sister took me in. She was quite a bit older than he was and she was never in great health. She passed away right after I graduated high school.”
“So is that why you do what you do? Because of your parents, I mean?” she guessed.
He shook his head. “Actually I’d always planned to be a doctor.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Yeah. I think it’s why I love watching you so much. I was always interested in medicine. But after my aunt died, there was no one to help out and the thought of all those years in medical school not knowing how the hell I’d afford it, well, I joined the service thinking that I’d do my time and have them pay for medical school.”
She leaned farther forward, fascinated by his story. That he’d wanted to be a doctor intrigued her. He would have made an excellent surgeon. So focused and intense. She could definitely picture it.
“Once I got in, I loved it. Everything just clicked.”
“Let me guess. You joined the Marines?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Even though I was pissed at the Marine who saved my life back then, he became my idol as I grew older. Once I got over my initial grief, I was grateful that he’d not only risked so much to save me, but that he’d risked his life and had been injured trying to save my family. His job was to protect my father, but he was willing to give his life for all of us. That made a huge impact. I joined the Marines to honor him. To prove that his saving me meant something and that maybe I could give back. Help someone else.”
“So how did you end up with KGI, then? I mean, if you loved the Marines so much.”
He smiled. “I was at a crossroads. I loved the service. Loved my fellow Marines. But I was restless. Wanted to do more. I just wasn’t sure what. By accident I overheard a conversation about Sam Kelly and that he was recruiting for a private special ops team. I called him and then took leave to meet him. We talked it over and I knew I wanted to give it a shot. So when my time was up two months later, I left and joined KGI. Rio was already there and was leading a team. Sam was forming another and wanted me to lead. I handpicked my own recruits and they trained under me. I’ve never looked back. Never regretted my decision. The Marines made me who I am, but KGI made me better.”
“How old was your brother?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t pushing too hard.
“He was sixteen. Nine years between us. I looked up to him. Wanted to be just like him and my dad. My brother wanted to be a Marine. It was all he talked about. In a way, I did it as much for him as I did for the Marine who saved my life.”
“Sounds like you had a wonderful family and that you grew up around the globe just like I did.”
He smiled. “Yeah, they were the best. My mom was just this warm person that everyone loved. It wasn’t the fake politician polish that so many wives have perfected. She was genuine, the real deal. Everyone who met her was instantly charmed. And she could remember anyone’s name after meeting them once. No matter how long it was before she saw them again. She made everyone feel special. Like they mattered. From the lowest ranked to the highest. Didn’t matter to her. She had a smile for everyone.”
Her heart squeezed a little at the instant warmth that had flooded his eyes when he spoke of his mother. She reached over to lay her hand on top of his, and he immediately turned his palm up so he could capture her fingers.
He stroked over her knuckles with his thumb, sending little tingles of delight up her arm.
“I think it’s also why I like the Kellys so much, even though they kind of baffle me. Especially Marlene. She reminds me a lot of my own mother. It’s a catch-22 for me to be around them, though. I like them a lot. But they also remind me of what I lost.”
“Yeah, I get that,” she said softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without my parents and my brother, even though I don’t see them that often. But if I didn’t have them, it would devastate me. I email them regularly and we try to talk on the phone at least once a week.”
He nodded, continuing to stroke his thumb over her hand. It was nice. Just sitting and talking and him touching her intimately. It wasn’t sexual, but she liked it even better because she got the sense that he cared a little at least.
“What about you? You said you grew up all over the globe. Your parents travel a lot? Were they doctors like you?”
She nodded. “Yeah. They both were. My brother is a doctor too. They worked for an organization for years that offered free healthcare and vaccinations in third world countries. They stopped for a while when my brother and I were younger. We’re only two years apart, so they stayed stateside and went into private practice until we were old enough that they felt comfortable bringing us to some of the rural, far-flung corners of the world.”