Whiskey River, Drown my Soul

Chapter Forty-Five

When I met Ip's beautiful blue eyes, I felt like I had been stabbed directly in the heart. His heartbreak was clearly visible there and it was tangible.

I knew he wasn't like Brad or Rev. He actually felt his emotions and he didn't process everything as anger. He was nearly as transparent as I, even when he was trying to hide it, and I was willing to bet he was doing his damnedest to hide his feelings at the moment.

God, I loved him. I wished I didn't. I wished I hadn't seen and felt what I had discovered in our week together. It would have been simpler for everyone.

...........................................................................

"Set me down", Rev grunted to Thompson as they approached Ip.

"They're around that corner", Ip said in a low voice, pointing to where a tall female figure was standing. "The water offers us some secrecy but we still want to keep it down".

"Six?", Rev asked.

"We followed six here and we don't know how many, if any, were in the tent already".

"You said there's weapons near the tent?", Rev clarified.

"Yeah, right against the wall around the corner".

"I'd like to see that", Rev said. He slowly brushed past Ip with one hand against the snow dusted rock wall for support.

He distinctly felt dampness against his leg within the Carhartt overalls as he moved, which confirmed he had ripped his wound back open. The bandage and his jeans felt saturated with blood.

He got to the corner where the tall woman had been waiting and she moved away so he could peer around.

She pointed over his shoulder. He easily identified the camouflaged sentry she was showing him.

There were dozens of crates against the cliff wall only a few feet away from them. Rev easily identified grenades, high powered rifles, automatics, and semi-automatics.

He backed away and slowly limped back to the rest of the team. Everyone was looking to him for instructions.

He pointed to Long and Ip, the youngest, fastest, and most nimble of the group. "You two- I want you above".

He turned to Mark. "What's the best way for them to get up there?"

Mark motioned with his head and turned away. Ip and Logan silently slipped after him, Ip nearly colliding with Paige, who had been stationed at his elbow as he turned. She glanced up into his face as he grabbed her arms to prevent the collision then silently moved past her. Her face and eyes were expressionless, completely open and vulnerable. As Ip had glanced down into her gorgeous face, Rev was guessing he could see down to the very bottom of her soul in those eyes.

Rev ground his teeth. She loved that boy, all right. Like she had loved Brad, yet with none of the drama, none of the heartache. This was going to be good for her.

You keep telling yourself that.

Yeah, I will, he answered himself snidely.

Rev knew he wasn't good enough for her, never had been, but he knew he was better than Brad. He had simply been banking on the only thing holding him back from taking her away from Brad was that he hadn't retired yet.

He did not bank on someone else stealing her away, and even if someone had, he would have bet his life on that someone not being Ip.

"Steph", he said quietly over his shoulder.