"You," I hiss.

Captain Sawyer Mathis has an intensity and calmness around him that infuriates me, especially when I think of how detached and cold he was at Mikael's funeral, like saying farewell to my brother was a chore. His brown eyes are on me.

He's as handsome as he is good at taking out the men of my family. Why Petr and Baba like him, I have no idea.

"Ma'am," he replies.

"You here to make sure my other brother ends up six feet under?"

"No, ma'am. I'm here to check in on him."

"These are family only visiting hours." I slam the door closed, or try to.

His foot is jammed in the door. "With all due respect, ma'am, your brothers saved my life, which makes them more than family in my book."

"With all due respect, Captain, I think you've done enough for my family."

I swing the door open, realizing his foot isn't about to budge. Planting my hands on my hips, I'm not about to move from the doorway.

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Seeing him reminds me too much of Mikael and how I'll never see my brother again. I'll be damned if I'm going to let the man who got Mikael killed come near my Petr.

Captain Mathis' jaw is clenched. I'm not sure what he can be thinking, but he sure as hell isn't expressing anything that makes me think he's more human than he was at Mikael's funeral. I don't know why he bothered showing up that day.

"If you want in, you'll have to move me out of the way," I tell him.

"You can't weigh more than one thirty. I've carried packs heavier than you." His gaze sweeps over me. "I'll be out of your way in five minutes, ma'am," he adds calmly. "But I won't leave until I get that five minutes with your brother."

"Violence and threats are the weapons of choice, I see. Guess it comes naturally to someone who thinks invading some sovereign country over oil and getting innocent people killed is the right thing to do."

A flare of something crosses his gaze and vanishes quickly. "And I imagine you think saving the whales is more important than funding the equipment people like your brothers needed to stay alive in a hostile environment."

"There wouldn't be a hostile environment if we had a policy of peace rather than war," I point out.

"I didn't start the war, ma'am, but I will win it so people like you can maintain your way of life."

"You aren't going to win if you keep killing off your own men!" God, what an asshole!




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