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“Then your team will be recalled without you, Staff Sergeant. And you and anyone else who refuses will spend up to three years in Leavenworth for dereliction of duty.” There was no malice in the words, merely a Marine giving Ty the answer he had requested.Advertisement

Ty was trying hard to keep his expression stony. “Thank you, Sergeant,” he finally said, voice tight. The Marine turned on his heel and rejoined the other at the elevator, leaving with as little fanfare as they had arrived.

“Did you just get conscripted?” Lassiter asked.

Clancy stepped forward to look at the papers. “Jesus Christ, can they do that?”

Ty subtly turned the papers away from her and nodded.

“You’re . . . you’re going back to the Marines?” Alston stuttered. “I thought SOCOM was defunct.”

“It’s MARSOC now,” Ty mumbled.

”But that’s special operations. You don’t have a choice?”

“No. I don’t.” He studied the orders. “I report in forty-eight hours. Immediate deployment.”

Zane stood. His hands shook as he gripped the edge of the desk. Ty looked up, seeking Zane out. Zane could see it in Ty’s eyes. There was no choice. No way to wriggle out of it. No way for anyone to save him.

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“Oh God, Ty,” Zane whispered.

Ty stared at him for a moment longer as the others broke into outraged babbling. Then Ty shook himself. He tossed the packet of orders onto the desk and stalked over to Zane.

He grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.

The room spun to a halt. The babble ground to a stunned hush.

Ty’s hands moved to the small of his back and he held him tight, bending him just enough for Zane to have to wrap his arms around him to keep from falling. He kissed him again. In front of their coworkers. In front of King and Country and anyone who would watch. It was the first purely honest kiss they’d ever shared.

And it was a kiss good-bye. pqdm.com