Live By The Team (Team Fear Book 1) by Cindy Skaggs

her forehead was starting to scab and bruises marked her cheek and chin. God, she looked like she’d gone two rounds with a bouncer.
    She climbed into the shower and let the hot water soothe away the worst of the aches. Dried blood and dirt flowed down the drain along with the cheap motel shampoo. The wound on the back of her head started to bleed mildly as she gently brushed away the clots in her hair. The pounding in her temple matched the throbbing wounds on her face and knees.
    Out of nowhere, the shakes started. Chills wrecked her body and her legs trembled. No longer able to stand, she sat down hard. Water pounded on her from the shower. Tears came from nowhere, followed by sobs. The more she tried to hold the blubbering inside, the more her cries echoed in the small room.
    Ryder stepped into the bathroom, his boots quiet on the tile floor. He reached in and turned off the water before covering her in a towel. He led her to the bed where he wrapped her in the blanket and bedspread. If anything, the shaking in her limbs increased.
    “ And this is why you shouldn’t go to work.” Ryder stripped off his shirt and boots and climbed into bed with her. His heat surrounded her, better than the blanket or the hot shower. He spooned her and curved his arms around her waist. For several minutes, he simply held her and let her fall apart. When the sobs stopped and the trembling eased, he gave her a gentle squeeze. “It’s adrenaline letdown. Gets you every time.”
    Lauren wiggled closer to his heat, the denim of his jeans the only thing separating them. “You seem fine.” Her words were slow and soft and shivered much the way her body did.
    “ I—” His breath brushed her bruised cheek.
    “ Finish. The sentence.” Did they have to do this every time?
    “ I don’t feel it anymore.”
    “ Feel what?”
    The muscles of his chest tensed against her back.
    “ What?” she insisted. “You don’t feel the adrenaline letdown anymore?”
    “ That either.”
    Lauren twisted to face him. Her heart thumped against her chest so loud it was all she heard. “Tell me.”
    “ Fear.” The deep green of his eyes was as unfathomable as a murky lake. His expression bland, because they’d trained him to show no emotion. “I don’t feel fear anymore.”
    Was that possible? Did he feel any emotions? “Is that a result of combat?”
    “ Partly. I—” A knock sounded. “That’s Rose. I asked him to come over and patch you up. He was a medic, so he’s trained, and he carries a professional first aid kit.”
    Lauren sat up and clutched the blanket to her chest. “We need to finish this discussion.”
    “ If you’re going to work, you need to get patched up so we can hit the road.”
    “ A few minutes ago, you thought I shouldn’t go to work. Now you want me to work so you don’t have to finish this conversation.” Different day, same story. “Avoidance much?”
    Ryder threw the covers off and stood. “We will finish the conversation.” The annoyed frown said he’d rather eat glass. “But I’d already decided to let you go to work.”
    “ Let me?” The anger heated her body and fast.
    “ Yes. Let you. Because when it comes to your safety, you don’t get to decide. While we’re on the subject, I told you to stay down and stay safe. You did neither.”
    Because she’d been afraid, cowering alone in the dark ditch. Ryder might tick her off, but he’d protect her every time, so she’d been naturally inclined to follow his footsteps, but Lauren would wrestle a bear before admitting it to him. Instead, she wrapped the towel around her as she left the warmth of the bed. “You’re an arrogant jackass. I’ve been taking care of myself most of my life.”
    “ And last night is the result.” He rested his hands on his hips, drawing attention to a gash through his toned abs.
    Her breath caught. Despite the stabbing, he hadn’t even slowed down, so it didn’t occur to her that he was truly hurt. Her heart