In the wake of his exit, Sherri joined in with the collective exhale of relief around her. SEALs were violent people who lived in a violent world, but they were also honorable to the core. A criminal betrayal by someone who had come close to becoming one of them seemed to shake everyone in the room.

Good. She wasn’t alone in being appalled.

The Smurfs burst out cheering and pounding Sherri on the back enthusiastically as the wall of SEALs around her broke up and people headed back to their breakfasts.

Grimacing in discomfort, she begged, “Easy, guys. My Hell Week only just ended. I’m gonna need a few days to recover. In the meantime, I’m a wee bit sore.”

Her teammates laughed and herded her over to a table, insisting she sit down while they fetched breakfast for her.

She spied a familiar profile heading for the exit beside Ray Peevy. Griffin pointedly didn’t look over at her as he passed by her table.

She got the message loud and clear. When push came to shove, and any other SEALs were present, he wasn’t about to be caught showing her any feelings. He would step back from her every time, setting her away from him the way he had in that valley.

Right. As long as she was in the SEAL pipeline, her love for him was futile. And doomed.

Chapter 24

Before her training review hearing, Sherri called Schneider and asked him to bring her dress uniform and makeup kit to the Training Center. If she was going to be thrown out of the SEALs, she was darned well going to do it on her own terms.

She went full beauty pageant, hair done, makeup flawless, dressed in hose, white skirt, and her perfectly tailored white summer uniform blouse. She knew how intimidating her beauty could be when she put it on full display, and she did so today.

At ten minutes before one o’clock, she stepped into the large classroom where she, her instructors, and the admiral would convene in a mockery of a hearing to determine her future in the SEALs.

Or out of the SEALs, more accurately.

Cal Kettering already sat at a small wooden table facing a larger table at the front of the room. An empty seat waited beside him. For her, obviously. Rows of chairs stood behind the small, forlorn table stuck out there, all by itself, for everyone to stare at. And jeer at, no doubt. The whole setup looked like a miniature courtroom.

Great. The bastards were even going to stage a monkey trial to pretend like this was all fair and aboveboard. What a travesty.

“You’ll sit here beside me,” Cal said quietly.