Barrage

by Lea Hart

  “I have a team of twenty-five people. Isn’t that enough?”

  “Not even close. Ultimately, we’d like to have a person who is solely responsible for clients and their network security needs in each office with the appropriate support personnel. Since I stole Phoebe away from you, the Texas office already has one. We still need seven more.”

  “So, what is my role in all of this?”

  “Selfishly, I’d like you to oversee the intelligence operations company-wide, but I’m not sure if you’re interested in that.”

  “You want me to be more of a manager?”

  Ivy tilted her head and nodded. “How horrible does that sound?”

  “I can’t decide yet.”

  “There’s more.”

  Groaning, Lucky laid back and closed her eyes. “Rip the Band-Aid off and tell me everything at once.”

  Hearing a deep chuckle, Lucky opened her eyes and saw the last person she wanted to encounter standing in the doorway…Sam Barton. “Please, shoot me now,” she mumbled.

  “No shooting, Lucky. Maybe just some hugging,” Sam called out as he walked into the room. “Ivy Bellows, how the hell are you?”

  Standing, Ivy slung her hands on her hips and laughed. “You never called me.”

  “Because Ryan got to you before I could,” he replied as he wrapped her in a tight hug.

  Groaning inwardly, Lucky tamped down the ugly streak of jealousy that coursed through her veins and realized her feelings made no sense. There was no reason for her to concern herself with who Sam hugged or flirted with, and the best thing she could do was leave them to it. Shoving herself off the couch, she smiled at Ivy and then stepped around her. “I’ll let you two catch up.”

  Sam released his hold on Ivy and stepped back. “I don’t want to interrupt your meeting. I just stopped by to see Hank.”

  “He’s in the gym with my husband and the other guys, so go on back,” Ivy said as she smoothed down her dress.

  Tipping his head in acknowledgment, he stepped closer to Lucky and tried to take her hand. She shook him off and crossed her arms and tried to act like it was no big deal. “You should go.”

  He crossed his arms as well, then leaned forward. “I’m not running, Lucky, so you better get used to having me around.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she replied airily.

  “Yes, we will.” He stepped away and then gave them a smile before walking out of the room.

  Ivy turned slowly toward Lucky and blew out a breath. “The tension between you two is as thick as my Aunt CeCe’s pudding, and given the fact that the stuff could be used to hold a house together, that’s saying something.”

  “We don’t get along well.”

  “Because he has a major crush on you and has no idea how to behave. His hungry eyes were crawling all over you, while his mind was coming up with ways to devour you.”

  “No such thing was happening; he’s only just decided to start being friendly. Before this, he made it a practice to insult me in some form or fashion every time we were in one another’s company and, as far as I can tell, that doesn’t indicate someone’s attraction or affection.”

  “Honey, that’s not always true.”

  Collapsing back onto the couch, Lucky stared at Ivy and wondered if she’d lost her mind. “If someone likes me, then I expect them to be nice. Call me crazy, but I don’t want a man who doesn’t know how to behave.”

  Ivy sat down next to her and shook her head. “I have a theory that alpha men act like jerks when they first meet the woman of their dreams.”

  Snorting, Lucky crossed her arms. “And, why would that be?”

  “Because for the first time in their lives, they’re confronted with someone who makes them feel out of control, someone who, given the right circumstances, could destroy them. It brings them to their metaphorical knees, and so they behave badly until they accept it.”

  Staring across the room, Lucky reluctantly saw a small grain of truth in Ivy’s theory. Granted, a lot of men didn’t fight the initial attraction and simply embraced it, but she’d seen more than a few who had done exactly what Ivy had just described. “What did you think of Ryan when you first met?”

  “I thought he was a pompous jerk with absolutely no charm and, before you ask, he thought I was an uptight woman without a sense of humor.”

  “How long did it take for things to change?”

  “A couple of weeks. We snarled at one another for a while and then when he dropped his jerk façade, I saw a man who I wanted to kiss.”

  “There was a time that I wanted to kiss Sam, but it didn’t last long.”

  “Maybe he’s done behaving badly and ready to show you his true self. Who knows? You might like what you see and decide you want to kiss him after all.”

  “I doubt his alleged interest will last the week and, before we know it, he’ll be on to the next shiny object.”

  “Doesn’t seem possible because, by the looks of it, he’s accepted his fate and is getting himself ready to do something about it. Which means you’re in for it, girl.”

  “I’m confident that’s not the case and any civility Sam is displaying is because he wants to get his hands on my intel.”

  “He wants his hands on you, alright, and it’s nowhere near your intel.”

  “Let’s not talk about Sam anymore and get back to work.”

  “Is there still a nugget of a crush left, or did his snarling kill it dead?”

  Lucky stood and walked over to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water and then returned. “I’m not interested in someone who doesn’t like me or feels comfortable insulting my clothes and skills. Call me crazy, but I want to be with a man who finds me irresistible.”

  “Sam is a charming man with impeccable manners and a good-sized brain, so I’m thinking his insults are the result of him feeling insecure or scared. And since you’re the only person he acts that way with, I’m guessing my original theory is absolutely, one-hundred-percent correct.”

  “That circular logic makes my brain hurt, and even if you are correct, it doesn’t matter because I’m not wasting my time on a man who can’t positively express his emotions.”

  Ivy held up her hand and grinned. “Totally agree. I’m just noodling with this because I find human nature fascinating and I like to figure out why people do what they do.”

  “But knowing doesn’t always change the outcome.”

  “True, but I can’t rest until I know the full story.” Ivy uncapped her water and drank some down.

  Lucky didn’t want to think about Sam anymore, so she decided to find out what else Ivy had in mind. “So, beyond creating a cyber-security team, what else is on the horizon?”

  “We’d like to create a team that exclusively supports the men when they go out on missions. Max wants to mimic what they had when they were on the Teams more closely, which means body cams, better access to aerial surveillance, and live support that can be fed to them as intel develops.”

  “You want to replicate what the Defense Intelligence Agency provides the operatives in the field, then?”

  “Pretty much. You’ve acted as the mission coordinator for some of the ops, and if we want to become the best in the business, then we need to have at least five coordinators throughout the country and someone to oversee the team.”

  “Makes sense because we’re getting more and more cases that require live intel updates each week,” Lucky responded. “The best places to have the mission centers located would be San Diego, Florida, Texas, and San Francisco.”

  “All port cities, as well as the locations where snatch and grabs are weekly occurrences,” Ivy responded.

  “The person who oversees it ideally would be someone who’s been in combat and has commanded a platoon.”

  “I think you’re right because field experience would allow them to make the appropriate call about what intel would be useful for the team.”

  “Sam Barton would be perfect for the job,” Lucky adm
itted reluctantly. Seeing Ivy’s shocked expression, she let out a laugh. “I may not like his behavior, but it doesn’t make me blind to his attributes.”

  “I’m assuming you’re not talking about his beautiful face and very fine physique,” Ivy responded with a straight face.

  “You would be correct.” She slid her eyes over and saw Ivy waiting for more. “He was on Delta and then the HRT teams, so his combat and field experience would make him a perfect choice. Add to that the fact that he may not be as happy as he pretends to be at the FBI. I’ve always had the impression that being the head of the organized crime task force is not his dream job, and I know Hank has asked him several times if he’d like to join the team and Sam hasn’t outright refused.”

  “He’s too twisty for the FBI and probably doesn’t like all the rules and regulations.”

  “I’d have to agree with you because every time I’ve worked with him, he’s colored outside the lines with impunity.”

  “So, you do like him?” Ivy asked.

  “I respect his professional skill set, but truthfully, he’s never shown me a side of him that’s worth liking. The crush I harbored was all about his physical attractiveness and not his personality. Once I spent time with him, the infatuation died a slow and horrible death.”

  “As is so often the case when reality intrudes.”

  Hearing the men coming down the hall, Lucky decided not to say anything more. “Let’s go up to my office and sketch out an outline of what we want to accomplish and then prioritize it.”

  Ivy stood and held out her hand. “A woman after my own heart.”

  Lucky took Ivy’s hand and heaved herself off the couch. “What did you expect? I’m a mathematician at heart and embrace linear thinking whenever I can.”

  “Which makes love hard to understand because it’s the opposite of that.”

  Leading Ivy out of the room, Lucky waved to the guys as they passed and knew truer words had never been said. Noticing the warm smile Sam gave her as he walked by her made her wonder if she would ever understand how things worked between men and women.

  So far, nothing in her life indicated it was possible, but who knows…miracles happened every day.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Thursday Evening

  Sam walked into Lucky’s domain, looked around, and saw her working in the corner. The guy who he’d seen earlier wasn’t there, and he hoped to get an answer as to who he was and what he meant to Lucky before the end of the day. “Hey, Lucky.”

  He watched her head spin around and blonde hair fly across her shoulders as she greeted him with a frown. “What are you doing here?”

  “I just got done talking to Jason about the asset he helped out with a couple of months ago, and since we didn’t get a chance to speak earlier, I thought we could go have a drink or something.” Venturing further into her domain, he decided to gamble and grab a seat next to her. “Are you almost done for the day?”

  “Yes, in fact, I should order an Uber in a couple of minutes.”

  “I’ll take you home.”

  “Not necessary,” she replied as she turned back toward her keyboard.

  “We live close to one another, so let’s grab something to eat and then I’ll take you home.”

  “You live in Bucktown?”

  “Yes, less than a mile from you, in fact.” He smoothed out his tie and then smiled at her and prayed like hell she’d spend some time with him. “Maybe we should try the Bristol or Club Lucky for dinner. Do either of those appeal to you?”

  “Sure, but we ate together last night, and I think that fills our quota for the year.”

  “I disagree,” he replied as he lifted his hand and pointed at the monitor. “What are you working on?”

  “Something for a client. Don’t worry; I’m not trolling the FBI network.”

  “I didn’t think you were and I’m not your enemy.” When she rolled her eyes and then turned back, he took her hand. “Let’s go to Club Lucky since it’s your namesake and have something to eat.”

  “Why are you harassing me?”

  “Because it’s the only way you’ll pay any attention to me.” Seeing her eyebrows raise almost to her hairline made him laugh. “I’m giving you one-hundred-percent honesty and no longer denying the attraction I feel. You’re more than I deserve, but it’s not going to stop me from trying.”

  “I think you saw a man kiss me and suddenly decided I was interesting, for some ungodly reason. Whatever attraction you allegedly feel for me is highly suspicious.”

  “Who is that guy anyway?”

  Slapping the table with her hand, she narrowed her eyes. “And there it is.”

  “Is he your boyfriend?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Do you want him to be?”

  “Not really.”

  “Are you going to tell me anything more?”

  “No way, it’s none of your business.”

  Seeing her fine features scrunch up and her frown made him want to hug her, and since he wasn’t hiding anymore, he rolled his chair closer and dropped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. “Let’s get out of here and go have a fun evening.”

  “You and fun are not words I put in the same sentence.”

  When she didn’t resist his embrace, he tightened his hold. “Not today, Lucky, but who knows about tomorrow.”

  Giving him an elbow, she moved away and started typing commands into her keyboard. “Fine, but only because I have an almost empty fridge and don’t feel like going to the market.”

  “I promise spending time together won’t be half as painful as you think.”

  “You’re right; it’ll probably be double.” Shooing him away with her hand, she said, “Don’t hover.”

  He stepped back and laughed. “You smell good, Lucky, so I’m not going to make promises that I might not be able to keep.”

  Looking over the top of her glasses, she studied him. “Who are you and what have you done with the Sam who is always throwing jabs?”

  “One and the same and the only reason I ever made comments was because I didn’t like the idea of men looking at you.”

  “That’s the biggest lie, and I hope when you get struck down by God that I’m nowhere near you.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem since it’s the truth.” Watching disbelief wash over her face, he decided to change the subject. “I know you’ve got a set up that’s at secure as the NSA, but I was wondering…”

  Looking up, she slid her hands on her hips. “Spit it out, Sam.”

  “Have you ever been hacked?”

  “Why would you ask?”

  Standing, he pushed his chair under the table. “My gut is telling me someone is jealous of your skills and might be setting you up, and it’s not happening within SAI because your team is extremely loyal, so that leaves the Intelligence Branch.”

  “I don’t interact with anyone over there, so why would they want to float my name around?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I will.”

  Turning back to her keyboard, she didn’t ask any more questions, which he knew meant she was going to take what he said under advisement and do some digging. He wasn’t sure if his line of thinking was moving in the right direction, but if it was, it meant he and Lucky had more to worry about than a couple of mobsters and her complete refusal to see him as anything more than a nuisance.

  Which of those was going to be the biggest challenge wasn’t immediately evident.

  ***

  Buttoning his suit coat, Sam moved around his car to open Lucky’s door and enjoyed the first signs of the changing season. The warm temperatures of the day always plunged dramatically during this time of year, and he appreciated Mother Nature’s slow slide into fall.

  Before he could get to the door, Lucky opened it, and the only thing he managed to do was hold her hand as she got out. When she gave him a funny look, he figured she wasn’t used to dating men with manners. Which might be something that worked in his
favor, and truthfully, he needed all the help he could get.

  “Doesn’t look too busy,” he commented as he closed the car door and then cupped her elbow. Leading her toward the restaurant, he opened the door and waited until she walked in. More strange looks were thrown his way, and he almost laughed because the snarky woman he knew Lucky to be was nowhere in sight.

  They were led to a table, and he took her coat, hanging it on the hook near their booth, and did the same with his own. As he took a seat across from her, he noticed for the hundredth time how beautiful she was. Her heart-shaped face framed by blonde hair and beautiful navy eyes had caught his attention from the moment he’d met her, add to that a body that was his idea of perfection; well, it was no wonder he’d fumbled as badly as he had.

  “Thanks for the ride, Sam. My car is still in the shop, and I should get it back by next Monday.”

  “Happy to do it.” He took her hand and held it. “I can give you a ride tomorrow as well, so you don’t have to grab an Uber.”

  “Not necessary, but thank you.” She slipped her hand away as the waiter came up and handed them menus.

  At least she didn’t kick me when I took her hand, he thought as he took the menu from the waiter. “What would you like to drink, Lucky?”

  The waiter grinned and held up his hand. “Since you share the name with the restaurant, you have to have the Always Lucky martini.”

  “Sounds good, but I usually drink whiskey, what do you recommend?”

  “I’ll have the bartender make you the Club Lucky Manhattan.”

  “Perfect, thank you.”

  “And for you, sir?”

  “I’ll have the Always Lucky martini since that’s how I feel.”

  The waiter looked between the two of them and winked. “With a beautiful woman sharing a meal with you, that sounds exactly right.”

  After the man left, he watched Lucky frown as she took her napkin and spread it on her lap. Mimicking her, he did the same. “Should we have some calamari to start?”

  Leaning forward, she motioned for him to do the same. When he did, she gave him an impressive stink eye, so he decided to speak first. “I behaved badly and it’s going to take a long time for me to fix, but know that I won’t give up until I do.”