by Jaime Lewis
“Is that so?”
“Is that a problem for you, Lt.?” She challenged, and Ace grinned.
“No, ma’am.”
“Good, then we should all get along just fine.”
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Potter laughingly said as he walked to one of the other vehicles.
Alex looked at Stitch. “What is he talking about?”
Stitch shook his head as he too snorted a laugh. “Nothing.” He playfully bumped her shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for the day we got to work together.”
Her smile slowly faded as his words sunk in. "Wait, if I'm working with you guys, that means I'll also be working with Derek. Oh shit, I wonder if he knew." Even though Derek never expressed his opinion on her career choice, she knew he wasn't exactly excited when she informed him the NSA had recruited her right after college. What he didn't know wouldn't bother him, so that is how she kept it. But she knew he worried about her. If her uncle knew half the shit she found herself in over the years, he'd probably lock her in a room and throw away the key.
She and Stitch both looked at Ace for an answer, but he shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt it, or I'm sure he would've let us know."
◆◆◆
Ace was having a hard time digesting the news that the woman he'd been lusting after for the last thirty or so minutes is the commander's daughter and the Intel Analyst he was going to be working side-by-side with. Jesus, Potter was right; this was getting better and better. He just hoped he didn't fuck things up.
Knowing they needed to get on the road, Ace was about to start rounding up the troops when three men approached the vehicles, and right off the bat, Ace got a bad vibe from the guy dressed in the neatly pressed khaki pants and a button-up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled. He reminded Ace of some hoity-toity CEO that graced the covers of magazines. But when the guy walked over and put his hand on Alex's shoulder, his curiosity heightened.
Ace stepped closer, just as he heard the guy ask her where she had been, and Ace wondered why it mattered. It wasn't like Alex was a child. He did have to reign in his temper when the guy pulled off his sunglasses and blatantly raked his eyes up and down Alex's body, and he could tell from Alex's response that she didn't appreciate the guy's show of admiration. Ace couldn't blame her. Yeah, Alex was a beautiful woman, but damn, show the woman some respect. When she took a step back, putting some distance between them, Ace used the opportunity to help her out.
“You must be the agents from the agency. I’m Lt. Commander Chambers,” Ace interjected and held his hand out to the guy.
The guy shook his hand. “Bert McMahon. This is Mical and Roland; both are non-agents. At least for now. They are part of a new program the agency implemented and will be shadowing me.” Ace gave the two much younger guys a once over and swore the kids looked like they’d just graduated high school.
“What team are you with?” Bert asked.
"Does it matter?" Ace replied with a bit of attitude. If his agency didn't tell him specifics, he sure as hell wasn't going to offer any. When Bert's posture straightened, and he clenched his jaw, Ace knew he had hit a nerve with the guy. Anyone who studied body language could sense this guy thought he was the shit. If he had to guess, his eyes hiding behind the dark aviator sunglasses were shooting daggers at him right this very second.
"I guess it doesn't, just as long as we all agree we are on the same team." Ace narrowed his eyes. "For this mission, at least. Isn't that right, Alex?" Bert said, trying to close the gap between him and Alex, but it was evident by the look on Alex's face that she wasn't comfortable around the guy. Suddenly, Ace had a strange protective feeling come over him, and he stepped into Bert's path before he could reach Alex. He didn't want to start anything, but he also didn't want this guy bothering Alex when it was clear she was uneasy around him. Once he got her alone, he would find out why.
"It's getting late, and we are already behind schedule, so let's all head to the vehicles and roll out," Ace said to the group but made it clear to Bert that he wasn't getting access to Alex. At least right now.
Alex stepped up beside him. “I agree, Lt.” She looked up and threw a beautiful smile his way.
He smirked, then gestured to the waiting vehicles. "After you, boss." He couldn't help it, and he loved the reaction he got from her. The smile on her face and the sound of her soft laughter was priceless. The precious look was short-lived as Bert approached again and tried to convince Alex to move to his vehicle.
Jesus, he thought the agencies only hired smart people. Clearly, this guy wasn’t getting the message.
Her quick and snappy reply had everyone’s head-turning. “You think it’s best?” She reared back.
“Yeah, I do. You know so we can talk.”
She looked as if she were considering, and Ace held his breath, hoping she wouldn't cave. Was it bad he was feeling selfish and wanted her with him?
"The only subject we need to discuss is this mission, and since I consider all of us here a team, I think it would be best to hold off on that talk until all team members can be present. That is unless you know of a bigger vehicle that all of us can squeeze into.”
When Bert didn't respond, Stitch ushered Alex into the vehicle's backseat, and Ace had to hide his laugh when he heard her mumble something about how she didn’t have time for assholes with egos.
Bert started to say something, but Stitch slammed the door in his face, signaling that the conversation was over. Bert looked to Ace, and Ace lowered his sunglasses, pinning Bert with a look that told him to back off. Receiving the silent message, Bert stormed off and got into one of the other vehicles. Ace took notice when Potter slipped inside the front passenger seat of the same vehicle as Bert. He smiled as he was quite sure Potter would get a read on the asshole and report back to him.
Ace slid into the front passenger seat and closed his eyes as he got a whiff of Alex's scent. Christ, two hours trapped in the vehicle with her coconut scented perfume or lotion, was going to drive him crazy.
◆◆◆
Alex’s patience was heading down a slippery slope as she climbed into the back seat and wedged herself in-between Stitch and Frost. Bert just didn’t know when to quit. She was trying to be professional, but she knew damn well that the mission was the last thing he wanted to talk to her about. He was acting as if he actually cared. But she wasn’t stupid. Bert was only considerate when he wanted something. She instantly suspected he was up to something.
As Ace slid into the passenger seat, she pushed aside Bert’s antics, at least for now. She owed Ace a huge thank you for intervening. Apparently, he had picked up on her agitation with her former boss.
Ace turned in the seat and pinned her with a look, and she was preparing herself for the onslaught of questions she knew was coming. Instead, she beat him to the punch.
“Thanks for your help back there.”
She had surprised him as his frown turned into a small grin.
“What is the deal with your friend?”
Friend? Was he referring to Bert as her friend? As if!
She narrowed her eyes. “Bert is an old colleague and nowhere near a friend.”
She turned to look out the window but was met with Stitch’s frown.
“What?”
“That’s it? Just an old colleague? I call bullshit.”
She sighed. "Stitch…" He arched his eyebrow, and she knew she couldn't lie to him. But at the same time, she wasn’t ready to go down memory lane. “Look, it’s a long story and not one I want to get into now.”
"But, you will explain later," he told her, leaving no room for an argument.
“Yes.”
When all three men seemed to be appeased with her answer, she pulled her iPod from her bag. With the sound of country music filling her ears, she tried to focus on the road in front of their vehicle, but instead, she ended up locking gazes with Ace. She felt the scrutiny from his eyes alone and knew Stitch and Frost weren't the only ones who would be a
sking questions later. She opted for the safe bet with nowhere else to look and closed her eyes as the music started to play, sending her into a relaxed state.
Alex felt her body being shifted, and her eyes popped open.
"Have a nice nap," Frost asked, smiling down at her. She must have moved in her sleep because her head was now resting against his side. Thank god she hadn't drooled, or that would have been embarrassing. Although he’d seen her in much worse conditions, like the night, they’d all snuck out and got drunk, and the night ended with Stitch holding her hair back while she puked in the neighbor's bushes.
She sat up and tried to adjust her shirt that had ridden up on the one side when Stitch peered down at her. His lips twitched.
“When did you get a tattoo?”
Damn, she hadn't realized the shirt had come up that far. He referred to the quote she had inked on her to help conceal the scar from the injury she’d sustained during that last mission. The quote read, “That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger."
"Last year," she replied and then saw the base up ahead and changed the subject. Stitch and Frost knew she had been injured, but they didn't know the specifics.
While they unloaded their gear from the vehicles, Colonel Johnson, the base commander, and his staff stopped by to greet them. She already knew she'd get along great with him. The longer they spoke with him, the more he reminded her of her uncle Derek. He went over some necessary information and explained where certain areas were located on the base, such as the gym and mess hall.
“We’ve set-up an area on the east side of the base that is more isolated. There are three buildings. Two larger ones have been converted into barracks. Lt., your team can choose whichever one you’d like, and then there is a smaller building like an efficiency apartment for you, Alex. I’ll have Staff Sergeant Hill show you to the area. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to get hold of myself or my staff.”
“Excuse me, sir? How about the other gentlemen? Where will they be staying?” Alex asked, silently hoping Bert would be housed as far away as possible from her.
The Colonel squinted his eyes as if he knew what she was thinking. “I’ve already spoken to Mason, and he has filled me in on the history between you and Mr. McMahon. Mr. McMahon will be housed on the opposite side of the base.” He nodded toward Bert and the other two, who were still unloading their things. “I’ll have one of the other staff members show them to their quarters.”
She smirked. Mason was awesome. She would make sure to remember to repay the favor with a brand-new bottle of aged Glenfiddich. “Perfect.”
"Well, I won't hold you up any longer. I'm sure you all would all like to get settled. I've cleared a room for your team to use over at base command. It should be equipped with everything you need. If not, just let my staff know, and we'll try our best to accommodate." He put his sunglasses on, turned on his heel, and started to walk away.
Alex bent down to pick up her bag when she heard her name called. She looked around and saw the Colonel waving her over. Irish was next to her and took her bag. "Go ahead; we'll wait."
“Sir?” She asked once she was in front of him. The Colonel was a tall man with light brown hair that was silvering around his temples.
He removed his sunglasses and took a deep breath. "I didn't want to single you out in front of the others, but I want to be straight up with you. This is a somewhat small base and not frequented much by females. I want to assure you that I expect nothing but respect from my men when they are in your company. If at any time you have any concerns or problems, I want to know," he said, raising an eyebrow.
“Understood, sir.”
“Good, glad we got that out the way. Also, I received a message from Commander Connors. He would like for you to call him once you’re settled. He said it didn’t matter what time it was. You’re welcome to use one of the phones over at base command.”
She smiled. She would have loved to have seen her uncle's face when he found out she had been assigned to his team. "Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to give him a call. I have my phone that I can use, but thank you for the offer."
He nodded his head. "Go ahead; your team is waiting on you."
She turned around and was shocked to see every single one of them standing there, watching her with a careful eye. She had to remember these guys have trust issues and examine everything and everyone. Either way, they looked fierce, not to mention they were all hot as hell.
She walked over, and Irish handed her bag, and she slung it over her shoulder before lifting her other bag. Once she felt balanced, she looked at the guys, "Ready?"
"Everything okay with the Colonel?" Stitch asked, and she really hoped they weren't going to question every little action. That was the last thing she needed, eight highly trained warriors up her ass and in her business every second of the day. However, she had a couple of girlfriends who would jump at the chance to be holed up with a team of SEALs. But for Alex, it was more like a nightmare. She was all too familiar with SEALs and their egos, not to mention how bossy and demanding they were. However, some Special Forces guys she had befriended over the years during her career were pretty cool. So far, these guys seemed okay. Again, it helped to have Stitch and Frost around, but time would tell.
"Yeah, it's all good. I need to give Derek a call." She gave them a smile, and her answer seemed to appease them as they started walking.
She kept a lookout as they made their way to their barracks, making mental notes on specific landmarks. The Col. wasn't lying when he said the area was isolated from the rest of the base. It was a small contained area surrounded by chain-link fencing topped with barbed wire. It reminded her of a prison yard, and in the center were three concrete buildings, arranged side-by-side with about thirty feet in-between each one.
They stopped in front of the buildings, and she overheard the guys talking about heading over to the chow hall to grab dinner. She yawned, even with the sporadic naps on the plane, and in the truck, she still felt utterly exhausted. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. The first day of mission planning was always the worst and long, and she wanted to be on the top of her game. Her stomach seemed to disagree because she felt it rumble.
“Alex, you want to grab some chow with us?” Stitch called out to her.
“Can I meet you there? I want to call Derek first.”
“We can wait.”
“You don’t have to.”
"Of course, we do," Skittles said. "You're part of the team." Even though all the others nodded in agreement, she found herself seeking out Ace's approval. With a grin, he winked at her, and she couldn't help the smile that crept up, knowing they were welcoming her into their inner circle.
“Thanks, I promise I’ll make it quick.”
As they went to their building, she entered the smaller structure that would be her home away from home. When she opened the door, she was hit by a burst of cold air, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
She dropped her bags onto the floor, glancing around the place. The small cot made her laugh as she wondered if the guys had the same. There was no way they would fit with their sizes. Next to the bed was a small side table. Across the room sat a small table with a chair. It wasn’t exactly homey, but it would do.
She sat in the chair and pulled her phone out of her bag, then dialed her uncle. It was already morning back in Virginia.
"Hi, princess," Derek's loud burly voice came through the phone, making her smile.
“Hey ‘D.’”
“I take it you made it to the base.”
“Yeah, we are all here.”
“Everything okay? No issues?”
"So far, so good. The guys are waiting for me to head to dinner, but I wanted to call you first."
“Stitch and Frost must have been shocked when they saw you. I know I was floored when I got the paperwork early this morning and saw your name.”
She chuckled. “I think we were all surprised.”
“Everyone treat
ing you okay?”
She rolled her eyes at his protectiveness. “Yes.”
“Good…Do you know anything about the NSA agents?”
“Enough.”
“What does that mean?”
"The one guy Bert wouldn't have been my first pick. I'm not sure about the other two, but I know the division head who they work for, and she wouldn't have sent them if they weren't vetted. According to Bert, they are newbies and part of a new program the agency implemented.”
“Tell me more about this guy Bert.”
She rolled her eyes. What was it with these guys? "Remember, my former boss, who I told you a little about."
“Yeah.”
“Well, it’s him.”
“Shit. And how does he feel about you being appointed the lead?”
“Eh, I can sense some animosity.”
“Well, don’t let him bully you. You’re the boss, remember that.”
She laughed. “I will, don’t worry. If he doesn’t want to cooperate, I’ll sic my eight newly acquired brothers on him.”
Derek laughed, but then he got serious. "Those men are some of the best, and they have your back, so don't hesitate to use them how you see fit." Hmm…without a doubt, she knew how she could use one of them. She slapped her palm against her forehead. Don’t even go there!
“I won’t. Listen, I need to go.”
“Okay, honey. I’ll talk to you tomorrow morning. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
Chapter Three
Alex was laughing so hard, she was trying not to spew her half-eaten brownie all over the table. Dino had her rolling as he told her about a past mission in southern Africa that resulted in poor Irish being shit on by a rhinoceros.
Irish grimaced. “Dude, that animal didn’t just take a shit. It was projectile. To this day, I still have nightmares about it.”
Alex wiped the tears from her eyes. “Oh, my gosh! I think I would’ve died. I couldn’t imagine. What did you do?”