“Mack!” Jenna said.
Willy flashed his deep dimples and straight white teeth. The Handly boys could be walking dental ads. They should have their own calendars. They’d make a fortune.
“Seriously. No disrespect, Ms. Collins, but you are smokin’ hot.” Charlie got the same arm punch his brother had received.
“Listen up, Thing One and Thing Two! Jenna is in charge here. We take our orders from her. Got it?” Mack growled.
Jenna looked at him. Did he really say that? Mack Riley acknowledged that she was in charge?
“Sorry, ma’am.” Willy dropped his head sheepishly, but when he gazed at her under his long bangs, she saw nothing but mischief in his eyes.
Charlie put his hand out for a shake. “Nice to meet you, boss.” His hand was warm and strong, and he held on just like his brother had.
When Mack took a step closer to her, she pulled her hand back. “So? Do we wait here for the others?”
She’d barely got the words out before a man as silent and dark as midnight approached them. Jenna thought the other boys were tall, but this man was enormous. Towering at least six inches over Mack, he was half again as wide and looked as solid as a rock. The man’s muscles had muscles. He was amazing to look at with his powerful rock hard body, shaved head, and black beard with the shocking white strip down the chin. Jenna had never seen anyone quite so…impressive.
“Hello, boys.” That voice reminded Jenna of thunder as his dark gaze skimmed over her. “And girl.”
“Tavon!” Mack’s face burst with happiness. He shook the big man’s hand. “Good to see you, man.”
“Jeesh, Riles, you’re getting fat.”
“Shit, I know. You could use my ass for a helo pad.”
The big man leaned over and took a peek at Mack’s behind. “You could park a battleship on that sucker.”
Jenna frowned. What were they talking about? Mack was as lean and muscular as ever. And his ass looked fine to her. Better than fine. Darn it, was she blushing?
“All the more for the ladies to grab. Am I right?” Willy nodded.
Jenna mentally nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with Willy. She really was blushing.
Charlie high fived him. “When they don’t have the Handly endowments, I guess the ladies have got to hang onto something.”
“I guess so, Charles. I wouldn’t know since I am a Handly. Enormous endowments are all part of the package,” Willy bragged.
“Shut up, knuckleheads. We’ve got a lady present,” Mack growled.
“Yeah, Big T. Have you met the boss?” Charlie tipped his head toward Jenna.
“In more ways than I’d like to recall.” When the big man looked at her, uneasiness settled in her shoulders. They’d never met. She would remember meeting this man.
“I don’t believe so,” she said softly.
“No?” Tavon’s dark eyes pinned her. “Mack talked about you so much that I just feel like I know you.”
Mack elbowed Tavon in the stomach and instantly gripped his elbow. “Ow, Big T. I think I broke my funny bone on your abs.”
“Ha. That was funny. To me.”
Jenna had never heard a laugh quite like the one Tavon produced. If his voice was thunder, his laughter was the full-blown storm rolling over her, threatening to rattle her teeth. She wasn’t sure she liked it.
“Come on, let’s go.” Mack scooped up his silver cases and started leading them toward the helicopter pad. Charlie and Willy wrestled one another to carry Jenna’s silver case. Willy won. He hefted the case as if it was nothing more than a stack of towels.
“Careful,” Jenna said.
“Why, what’s in it?” Willy asked.
Jenna shrugged. “No idea.”
Over his shoulder Mack said, “My dirty laundry.”
“What! You made me carry your dirty laundry?” Jenna fumed. “That’s ridiculous! Why would you bring that on a mission?”
Charlie came up next to her. “He’s messing with you, Ms. Collins.”
“Oh.” Of course. Stupid. Her cheeks got even hotter. Mack loved to get a rise out of her and keep her perpetually off balance. He knew how much she hated that.
“Can I carry your pack?” Charlie asked.
She should have said no, but her arm was getting tired already. The thing weighed a ton. “Thanks.” She handed it to Charlie and smiled. He sure was cute. Not make her heart explode handsome like Mack, but pretty darned cute.
As if sensing her thoughts, Mack waited for her to catch up. “You coming?”
She shot him her best withering look. “You bet your fat ass.”
“Hey!”
Someone whistled from a helicopter that was doppled green and gray with camouflage paint. A man with a long dark braid leaned out the pilot door. “About time. If you all are finished with the hen party, I’d like to lift off. We’ve got a family to rescue.”
Jenna was shocked. Were all SEALs buff and handsome?
“That’s Ty Whitehorse,” Mack said to her. “The gang’s all here.”
Chapter Five
‡
Tavon opened the copilot door and hoisted himself inside the cockpit next to Ty. Good thing Tavon sat up front. Jenna had the distinct impression that he disliked her. Maybe more than dislike. A flicker of hatred flashed in the man’s eyes when he spoke to her. What in the world had Mack told him?
Mack opened the larger doors to the main cabin and climbed in. Willy went in, plopped down across from Mack, and dropped his pack into the seat next to him. Jenna peeked through the opening and paused. From floor to ceiling, everything was the color of gun metal. There was another large door straight across from her. Dear God, she hoped that the doors would be closed for the flight. Flying was stressful enough without worrying that she might fall out.
The cabin was bigger than the helicopter she’d flown in before, but it wasn’t spacious. There were three seats crammed in behind the pilot and copilot in the cockpit. Ty and Tavon had placed their packs in those seats. Back in the main cabin area, two rows of seats faced one another with four seats to a row. A walking aisle ran between. With big men and all their gear, it would be a little tight.
Where should she sit? Every molecule in her being ached to sit next to Mack, to let her leg brush against his and take comfort in his strength, and confidence. But she was determined to obey his rules. She wouldn’t touch him because she’d promised him that she wouldn’t.
“You go first,” she said to Charlie.
He jumped in, put his pack in the seat next to Mack, and sat on the other side of it. Good. That problem was solved. Jenna sat down at the end of Willy’s row, as far away from Mack as possible. It was physically impossible to touch him now.
Mack’s gaze flicked to her for a mere few seconds, but she felt the warmth on her face before he looked away.
“Hey, Ty! How are you, man?” Mack stood up and offered his hand to the pilot.
“Can’t complain. I’m still working and flying, even if it’s mostly a taxi service for politicians and their shit.” Ty grinned.
“I’m grateful Senator Tonell convinced the Ecuadorian Air Force to let us borrow the Knighthawk.”
“It’s not as stealthy as a Black Hawk, but it’s fairly quiet,” Charlie said.
Mack eyed the controls. “Everything looks new. Is it armed?”
Ty shook his head. “I wish. I think they just bought it and were focusing primarily on search and rescue.”
“If we blow it up, we buy it,” Tavon said.
Mack gave Willy a pointed look. “We’d better not blow it up. This is a snatch and grab. Our mission is to get the hostages and bug the hell out.”
“I see we have a new member to the team. Hello, miss. My name is Ty. I will be your captain. For your flying pleasure, I will play some tunes. Please sit back and enjoy the trip.”
Willy stepped in frornt of her and pulled the giant door closed. “Just keep us in the air this time. Nothing like what happened in Kosovo.”
&
nbsp; “Hi, Ty. I’m Jenna. Very nice to—” She was so happy to see that the doors would be closed in flight and that she wouldn’t be sucked out to plummet to her death that it took her a moment to hear what Willy had said. “Wait! What happened in Kosovo?”
“You don’t want to know. And we can’t tell you,” Charlie said.
Mack shook his head.
“Great,” Jenna groaned. She hoped Ty Whitehorse knew what he was doing.
Sitting back, Mack put his headgear on. Trying to mimic him, Jenna grabbed hers and stuck it on her head. It didn’t fit well with the baseball cap, so she yanked the cap off, shook out her hair and tried again. Ow, her hair was twisted up in the set. Trying not to yelp, she untwisted it and shoved the thing on her head again. There, that was better. No, it was still uncomfortable. She took it off pushed her hair back and tried again. She glanced up to see all eyes on her.
Mack shook his head. His deep voice came through her headphones. “You ready?”
Thumbs went up. Jenna quickly followed suit.
“Let’s rock and roll.”
Ty Whitehorse pressed buttons and flipped switches. The helo blades started rotating. Music twanged through the headphones. The guys played music on the way to war?
Mack glared. “Whoa. Hold up. What in the hell is this?”
“It’s country music,” Willy said. “Since you’re working out there in the boonies, kicking shit and rescuing lost barnyard animals, we figured you’d be into it.”
Charlie covered his mouth and coughed.
“Well, crap, boys. I’m working for a P.I. Do I look like a shit-kicker to you?”
Tavon’s deep laughter drowned out the others.
At the moment, Mack looked like sex-on-a-stick to her. He caught her eye, and she realized she gave him one of those “hot looks” she’d promised to quit doing, at least during the mission. She turned toward the window and focused on taking calming, cooling breaths.
“Take us up, Ty, before I beat some sense into Willy,” Mack growled.
“Doubt it’ll work. But I’ll hold him down for you.” Charlie cracked his knuckles.
Mack whipped his finger through the air and the helo lifted.
The men around her seemed charged up. They were happy and joking like they were going off on a grand adventure instead of into battle. This is what they loved to do. They were just like her father. She gritted her teeth. Who loves going to war?
Snow covered peaks appeared outside her window. If she didn’t know better, she’d forget they were on the equator.
“Are we flying over those mountains?” She hoped the scratchy microphone obscured the tremor in her voice. She really didn’t like to fly. It wasn’t something she advertised, since she was a travel agent, after all.
“Some, yes,” Ty replied.
“That’s no mountain. It’s a volcano.” Tavon pointed at a snow loaded peak. “Let’s hope it’s not too active today. I’m in no mood for lava shit.”
She looked at Willy. “That’s Cotopaxi?”
“Yep. One of the world’s most active volcanos. Oh man, I’d love to see that baby blow,” Willy said.
“Great.” Her fear of flying raised its ugly head.
“We’re not flying over it, Jenna. It’s too far south. We’re heading northeast,” Charlie said.
“Oh. Good.” Tavon was messing with her? What was this, pick on Jenna day?
As the helicopter sped toward the jungles of Colombia, Mack’s guys put on their vests and ammo-heavy belts. They had helmets, gloves, and knee pads that matched their camouflage fatigues. Each one of them had packs loaded with survival kit supplies, knives, ammunition, hand guns, grenades, and rifles. It was warm in the helicopter. Jenna could only imagine how hot the men were under all that gear.
Studying the satellite images, they discussed the best places to set up camp to launch their attack.
“The call from Jacob came from here.” Mack pointed to a spot on the map. “I say we land in this ravine.” He pointed to another spot on the map and listed the GPS coordinates. “We’ll hike in. Agreed?”
Charlie nodded. “All’s clear on the satellite. We should be good.”
“Agreed.” Willy turned to Jenna. “The ravine will be a natural sound buffer. The guerrilla bastards won’t hear us land.”
“Hear that, Ty? Do you have the coordinates?”
“Roger that,” Ty said.
Jenna got up and sat closer so she could see the map. “The hiking is going to be tough. Thick brush, dense trees. I’ve taken expeditions through this sort of terrain before. Not fun. We had blisters on our feet for weeks.” Her new hiking boots, purchased yesterday, weren’t broken in. Already, the stiff leather rubbed her ankles.
“You up for the challenge?” Charlie asked her.
“Jenna won’t have to worry about blisters,” Mack growled. “She’s staying behind.”
“What? No way, Mack. I’m going with you.” Her voice exploded through the headsets.
Tavon turned around from the front seat. His dark eyes flashed. “You’re a liability, boss. We can’t let you go.”
“Exactly. Don’t give me that look, babe. You’ll stay near the helicopter where it’s safe. We may need to bug out fast if everything goes south. Got it?” Mack said.
“As much as I hate to leave a beautiful chick behind, they’re right. We want you safe.” Willy winked.
Charlie shrugged and nodded. They all agreed. She was to be left behind.
“But—!” All eyes were on her now. “Fine.” She bit off the words.
Crossing her arms, she leaned back and stewed. Her boss had told her to go to Colombia and bring the Harmonds back, not stay inside a hot helicopter. But she didn’t have to listen to Mack, did she? Let the SEALs go off on their own, and she’d go with the backup team she’d already arranged. With one team or the other, she’d rescue Jacob and his family.
Discreetly, she pulled out her cell phone and sent a text message to Roberto, complete with the GPS coordinates. “We’ll be landing here in a ravine. Meet me. Bring your men.”
“Did you guys get the photos and satellite recordings I sent you?” Mack’s voice was loud and clear through the internal communication system.
Jenna’s head shot up. He was watching her.
Ty gave him a thumbs up. The Handlys nodded.
“Any questions?”
“Just one. Can I try out my Willy Special on those guerilla bastards?” Willy wiggled his eyebrows.
“After the hostages are freed, I don’t see any reason why you can’t light up the CRAF’s world. Do you, Jenna?” Mack’s gaze was intense.
Repocketing her cell phone, she hoped he wouldn’t question her about the text she’d just sent. “Um. Okay?” She still had no idea what a Willy Special was.
“Thanks!” Willy rubbed his hands together.
“So, Jenna. You’re a travel agent, huh?” Charlie leaned over, his shoulder bumping hers. “I’d like to take a trip. How much would it cost me?”
“Nothing. I’ll send you to the moon right now.” Willy shook his fist.
“Like you could, puny man.” Charlie leaned closer, his gaze on her lips. All the testosterone in this helicopter made her head spin. “I’m serious, Jenna. Ballpark figure.”
“It depends on where you want to go. The Harmonds were on a year-long vacation, until…you know.” She frowned. “I usually make all the arrangements, every stop, every adventure, for the entire trip.”
“Around the world? That’s got to be a few pesos,” Willy said.
Charlie blinked. “Yeah. I might have to save my pennies for one of your trips, Jenna.”
“What do you want, Charles? She’s flying us to an EXtreme, dangerous get a way in the unique jungles of Colombia.” Willy sat back and crossed his arms. He had a tattoo of a red dagger on his bicep. “My brother can be ungrateful.”
“Corporate will be grateful to get the Harmonds back. I’ll see what I can do.”
The smile Charlie gave h
er melted her heart. “Thanks, Jenna. I’ve always wanted to take my mom to Costa Rica. Do you think you could arrange that?”
“Wait! Oh, no.” Willy shook his finger. “He’s not getting brownie points with Mom again. He’s already got her in the palm of his hand. If Charles gets to take mom to Costa Rica, I get to take her somewhere too.”
“Whatever. You know she loves me more.” Charlie crossed his arms, revealing a black bird tat on his bicep. Jenna wondered what it meant.
“I’m sure we can arrange something that your mother will love,” Jenna said.
“You guys ready to discuss business?” Mack asked. He had on his scowling face.
“Sorry. Yes, of course,” Jenna said.
“Good.”
They all leaned forward and discussed the plan—land the helo, find the hostages, strike fast, and bug out. The men talked quickly and over each other. They discussed strategy, weaponry, and how best to pull off a jungle surprise attack. She pulled her notepad out of her backpack and started writing as quickly as she could.
Mack’s eyes were on her again. She could almost feel his heat. “What’re you doing?”
“Taking notes.”
“Is there going to be a quiz?” Willy patted her leg. “’Cuz I want to cheat off the hot, smart girl.”
“What else is new?” Charlie razzed. “He’d still be in third grade if not for the smart girls.”
Mack’s nostrils flared. “Done yet?”
Willy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Yeah, sorry, Mack. Jungle warfare, surprise attack, got it. I was listening.” To Jenna he whispered, “Can I look at your notes?”
She ripped out the page and handed it to him.
When they started arguing over which ammo and gun would be best for the situation, she zoned out. On her cell phone, she Googled “Colombian hostage rescues.” She read about a military operation in 2008 that had succeeded in freeing fifteen hostages without a single shot being fired. The rescuers had gone undercover to trick militant guerillas into thinking that they were part of their network.
On her notepad, Jenna wrote: “Rescue without gunfire. Would it work?”
Maybe if they used her men on the ground as the undercover contacts, no one would get hurt. She chewed on her pencil. Feeling Mack’s gaze on her, she dug through her backpack to look at the transcriptions again.
SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style Page 85