Code Name: Nina's Choice (Warrior's Challenge) (3 page)

Naked.
Unsure.
She removed another floor tile of distance between them.
His head turned, and as long as she lived, she would never forget the look in
his eyes. Everyone saw Mace as the heart of the team;
the
nice guy with an uplifting word. For the first time since she’d known him, the
warrior glared at her, and he was angry.

“Leave me be, Nina.”

Chapter Two

Mace struggled to his
feet with a tight wince. “Stand by!” he barked when another thump
landed on the apartment door.

“Move faster SEAL,
we’re late,” Tony yelled from the other side.

With only a few feet
to go, Nina shot past him and pulled it open.

“Morning, kids, looks
like you survived the night together. No bloodshed.
Smiles all around.”
Tinman
elbowed him in the gut. “Morning, Nurse Hatchet.”

Nina sauntered into
the kitchen and picked up a knapsack leaning against the cabinet. “Ready,” she
said, slinging it over her shoulder.

“Let’s roll.” Tony
held the door open.

“Roll where?” Mace
wonde
red out loud. Tony was going to give him a lift
to the physio clinic. Wasn’t he?

“Need some help, bud?”
Tony jibed.

“No,” he grouched.
“Where are you going, Nina?” She said she had the day off, but she hadn’t
mentioned coming with him. The last thing he wa
nted
Nina to see was him struggling.

“Morning
run
, man,” Tony waved his hand in a
hurry-get-the-lead-out motion. Nina waited in the hallway. “She runs like the
wind. She can almost kick my ass.”

“Almost.”
Nina snorted.

Mace shook his head in
confusion. “Yo
u’re running with the guys?”

Nina shrugged. “That
was the deal. They wouldn’t let me do it by myself with the Shark hiding in
corners.”

“We’re adding another
mile today, Nina. Think you can handle it?” Tony leaned against the door,
holding it open.

She cuf
fed him. “No problem, I was wondering when you were all
going to finally step it up so I can break a sweat.”

Tony broke into a huge
smile. “I bet.”

Mace watched their
banter with a heavy weight filling his guts.

Nina shook her bag and
patted the pocket. Wh
en she heard the keys jingle,
she nodded. “I can’t swim as far, but…”

Mace cocked his head
and gave his buddy a look. “You swim with them too?”

“I cave around half a
mile. I don’t have the strength in my arms to keep up with them.”

“Huh.”

Tony burned a
grin. “Talkative this morning, aren’t ya?”

“Back in a couple,”
Tony said, leaning over the passenger seat after parking in front of the San
Diego Physical Rehabilitation center.

Nina held the door
open, and gave him a faint smile. “Work hard.”

“Yeah,
you
too.”
She watched him enter the building like
a mom making sure her toddler made it inside. How the hell did this happen? He
could barely pull his own pants down, while his sexy siren was doing six miles
with his squad.

He’d lain awake half
the night on th
e couch. Nina had argued, but he
insisted she take his bed. He should be sleeping with her. If there was a God,
she should have begged off running because he’d loved her so hard she couldn’t
walk, but instead it was him who couldn’t. Anger started to churn
in his belly. Why was Tony so happy all the fucking time?
Had they gotten closer while he peed in a bottle?

“Good morning.”

Mace looked up to see
a beautiful woman standing by the receiving counter.
“Hey, Mace Callahan reporting for torture.”

The brunette
grinned at him with warm, friendly eyes. “Just the SEAL I
was waiting for. I’m Tricia Harper. Let’s go down to my office, and I’ll
explain what we’re going to be doing over the next few weeks. Dr. Seivers will
be in later to speak with you and check on ou
r plan
of recovery. Follow me.”

Mace settled in a
chair obviously meant for the handicapped. Higher and wider, it made rising and
sitting easier. Tricia pulled up a chair in front of him and placed the
clipboard with a thick wad of paper attached onto her
lap.

“What’s the failure
rate?” he asked, his thoughts still on sizzle thinking about Nina running with
his guys and Tony.

Tricia gave him a long
contemplative look. She seemed friendly enough, but those warm, brown eyes also
appeared determined. “There is
no failure, Mace, only
progress. I’m willing to work with you, if you’re willing to do the same. I’m
certified in Physical Therapy and Psych Therapy. You’ll need both to reach your
goals.”

“Nothing
wrong with my psych, Nurse Tricia.
My groin got blown to
kingdom
come and took ligaments, flesh and…other moving parts with it.”

“Are you angry about
that?”

“Jump right in there,
don’t you?” He stared at the wall, painted in
a soothing
beige with a few pictures of the beach
tacked up.

“If your answer is
yes, the
n psychological evaluation as you progress is
necessary. Trauma for any serving member during combat leaves a residue. No
matter how strong or able you are to handle the emotions, they are still
present.”

“Mmph.”

“Do you have family? A
wife?” she asked.

“I
have a huge family.
Brothers, sisters, a truckload of nieces and nephews.
They’ve already started to badger me.”

“It’s concern, not
badgering. What you went through affects them too. Obviously not in the same
way, but their fear can only be resolved
knowing you
are on the way to recovery.”

He sighed and lay back
in the chair. “I suppose.”

“What
about a wife, children?”

“No.”

“A
girlfriend?”

He hesitated. Did he?
Nina remained in his apartment for protection until the Shark was found. He
stared into hi
s lap. When she came into the bathroom
and offered to climb in the shower with him, he’d refused her. She’d covered
the hurt in her eyes, quickly swiped her clothes from the floor and backed out.
By the time he’d struggled his way to the table, he expected
her bags to be at the front door, and he wouldn’t have
blamed her. Instead, she’d hustled around the kitchen, served him, smiled at
him and brought him up to speed on what had happened around the base as if he
hadn’t rebuked her.

“Mace, a woman does
not d
efine a man by his sexual organs.”

“Really?”
His brows shot up with a sarcastic arc.

“My husband is a
functioning paraplegic. We’d just started dating when he was in a DPV during
the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom, and they ran over an IED.”

“Sor
ry,” he grunted.

“No sorry’s required.
He has the use of his hands and upper body, and his sexual organs are also
functioning. Not like every man, but we have workarounds. We also have two
beautiful boys.”

Mace’s gaze snapped up
to hers.

“You’re in a far
better place than he was when he came home, but you will
have to work just as hard, and be just as determined.”

“The doc in Germany
said I’d be fully functional, but nothing so far.”

“I suppose not, Mace.
It’s only been three weeks. Let’s lay out a plan of
physical therapy that will work on your specific injury. Are you willing to do
that?”

“Yes,
ma’am.”

“Good, now let’s get
through this paperwork, then I’ll show you the facility and give you your first
week’s activity.”

Tricia turned to
retrieve a pen from
a cup on her desk. “Did you ever
doubt?”

The warm smile
returned to her expression.
“Of
course.
My husband more than me, but I never doubted
him
.” She paused and narrowed her eyes. “I
would surmise that the lucky woman in your life is the same.”

“Her name
’s Nina.” He let her name roll off his tongue, but his
heart twisted hearing it. “We didn’t know each other very long before I was
sent on the mission and this happened.”

Tricia’s grin curled
even wider. “Love is a great motivator.
Making love even more so
.
I’ve read your doctor’s report from
Germany and so has Dr. Seivers. We both feel you will be able to recover and
most likely challenge the physicals to return to combat duty. I don’t know any
SEAL I’ve worked with who didn’t put that as his main focus.”
She raised a curled hand to her mouth and cleared her
throat. “That and making out.”

“You’re right about
that, Tricia.”

* * * *

“Why are we here?”
Mace asked, nerves biting into his recent motivation by Tricia. The base gym
and workout facilities were li
ke a home away from
home for a SEAL. The hours spent training sat in the thousands
.

“We haven’t finished.
Thought I’d grab ya and you could hang with us, maybe even workout on some of
the equipment if you’re not too beat.” Tony jumped out of the car while
he grunted and strained, biting down on the pain.

“Not too beat,” he
barked back. “Sorry. Listen, I’ll just walk back to the apartment.”

Tony swerved in front
of him, standing eye to eye. “You’re home. You’re whole. Now you have to work
your ass off, but n
o one sees you any differently,
buddy. You can be angry, but take it out on me, not Nina or any of the other
guys.”

His friend didn’t
blink nor shift one millimeter in his gaze. Why was he sticking up for Nina?
Had they talked?
Great
.
Was she sharing her f
rustrations with Tony? Maybe she should move in with him.

“
Get your ass
moving.
That way.”
Tony stretched out his arm, pointing
toward the doors as two Marines exited.

The place had to be
filled to overflowing, didn’t it? He grumped to himself. Every machi
ne clanked or banged. Guys curled hundred pound weights,
their thighs bulging with strain. Even the mats overflowed with activity. His
observation came to a full stop.

“My turn,” Tony yelled
out, leaving his side to join a sweating Nina. Her sleek, toned a
rms and legs glistened. She wore head gear, gloves, and a
tight body suit. She chewed on a mouthpiece, rearranging it, waiting for Tony.

Kendleton from Team
Three fisted Tony as they exchanged spots as Nina’s sparring partner.
Holy shit.
Nina launched with
a round out
kick, connecting with Tony’s right shoulder, sending him staggering backward.
Men and women gathered round the edges of the mat, and some chuckled with her
surprise kick. She grinned at Tony, then palmed her hands and bowed. Mace had
to take a
few steps closer to get a clear view. There
wasn’t much air time between them, and Nina was the aggressor. The Tae Kwon Do
match rivaled a professional competition.

Stepping in between
Caleb and Ditz, he watched. She wasn’t good, she was extremely good. T
he crowd cheered when she twirled, and a long, powerful leg
swung with complete control, connecting with Tony’s jaw. His head snapped with
the force and he staggered backward. Shaking it off, the warrior appeared in
his eyes. Now Nina would have to worry.
Tony had a
competitive nature that pushed him to win. Mace’s stomach rolled, hoping Nina
wouldn’t be hurt.