by Amanda Kay
Tempest jerked to attention at his harsh tone. She still had tears swimming in her eyes, but she pulled up her big girl panties and stood from the chair. Panic was still around the edges of her emotional spectrum, but the major was right. She had to pull it together if she was going to see the general.
“I can’t be booted out, sir. This is the only family I have,” she said pitifully as a single tear made a slow trek down her cheek.
The major did something then that was completely unorthodox and unprofessional, especially with a female soldier behind closed door. He pulled her into a warm fatherly hug. It had been years since someone had hugged her like a father would, and Tempest melted into it and returned it.
The major pulled back and stepped away. “Everything will be fine, Sergeant, and if it isn’t, I will fight for you. You’re an exceptional soldier, and you do this army proud. Now go before you’re late!” he barked at her again as he slipped back into his major mode.
“Yes sir!” Tempest said with more confidence. She respected the hell out of the major, and she deeply appreciated his support in this. She knew that if things went from bad to worse he would fight for her. However, he wouldn’t have much pull in that he was only a major, but it meant the world to Tempest that he would put his career on the line for her.
Twenty minutes and a few speeding violations later, Tempest was sitting outside the general’s office. She fought hard not to squirm in her seat under the curious and some downright mean stares of the other soldiers in the office. They all out ranked her by years, and they were all assuming she had done something wrong. It wasn’t helping her confidence at all!
The secretary put her phone back on the hook. “The general will see you now, sergeant,” the elderly lady said with the utmost professionalism.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Tempest said with more confidence than she felt.
She pushed open the heavy doors and walked into the office. She snapped to attention and saluted. “Sir! Sergeant Westfield reporting as ordered, sir!” she said in a firm voice. She was glad her voice wasn’t shaking and trembling like her knees. She stood at attention and waited for instructions.
The man behind the desk was amazingly distinguished. He had snow-white hair cut close to his head. His face was deeply tanned and had the look of dried leather from years of deployments and PT under the sun. He was a big man, too. He sat with impeccable posture and a calm, almost friendly expression. His eyes were a crystal-clear blue that probably noticed entirely too much about everything around him. His uniform was immaculately kept and pressed. He was a poster boy for success that the army could bring. He terrified Tempest and he hadn’t even spoken yet.
“At ease, soldier. Take a seat please,” the general said in a friendly voice.
Tempest took her seat and waited. She noticed that he studied her curiously and with a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth. It was almost like he found something comical. It scared and annoyed her just a little. There was nothing comical about this for her. She was terrified out of her mind.
He returned his all-seeing gaze back to his desk and opened a file. “I’ve been looking at your file, Sergeant. You have an impeccable reputation and glowing statements made by all of your commands, even your current one. You have reached the rank of sergeant at the tender age of twenty-one, and you’ve only spent four short years in the military. All in all you have an amazing record and a very promising and bright future in the army if you choose to continue on after your contract is up,” the general finished with a warm smile.
“T–t–thank you, sir,” Tempest stuttered, feeling flattered and a little awestruck. Why in the hell had he been looking into her career?
General Westin studied the pretty young woman sitting in his office. He couldn’t help but find the entire situation a little funny. He had gotten a call from Devin the other day informing him that a young female soldier by the name of Tempest Westfield didn’t need to deploy with her company. The entire conversation had shocked and astounded him, but he humored the boy. He was a longtime family friend and prominent business man who held some pretty hefty government contracts. Granted, the business Devin ran was started by his grandfather, but Devin was still a brilliant and ruthless businessman in his own right.
The request had intrigued him so he looked into the young sergeant. He was immediately impressed with her record and decided to see what would happen. The young woman in front of him looked positively terrified, but he had a feeling once she found out what was really going on and why she was going to be fuming. A woman didn’t get the name of Tempest by chance. She was a storm waiting to happen, and he almost felt sorry for Devin…almost. This was going to be fun to watch and he had front row seats.
“I got an interesting phone call the other day from one of the army’s big contracting companies. They help develop software for our anti-electronic attacks program. The CEO of the company has informed me that you are perfect for consulting on some of their current projects,” General Westin said with a smile that held secrets.
“M–m–me, sir?” Tempest squeaked, sounding like a stuttering mouse.
“Yes you, and he had requested that you be put on rear D so you can work with them.”
Tempest’s body tightened, and she sat up even straighter in her chair. “I’m very flattered, sir, but I can’t leave my soldiers. I can’t send them out on their own,” she said desperately.
“Sergeant, I’m sure they will be fine. Besides, they will have you here stateside making sure they get every possible bit of support they need while they’re gone,” General Westin said gently. He knew for a fact that any tried and true, dyed-in-the-wool soldier wouldn’t want to stay behind while their soldiers left without them. Oh yes, this young woman would have a fine career in the military.
“But, sir, I don’t think…”
“Don’t you even want to know what company is requesting your assistance?” General Westin asked with an arch of his brow.
“I’m sorry, sir. Of course, sir,” Tempest said grudgingly, not really giving a rat’s ass who was requesting her help.
“The company is Maddox Incorporated,” General Westin said, trying to suppress his smile.
Tempest sucked in a startled breath. Maddox Inc. was one of the biggest army contractors. They held contracts in almost every division the army had. Some of their biggest, though, were in the way of developing programs and systems that detected and guarded against electronic attacks against the U.S.
“I see you’ve heard of them.”
“Of course, sir, everyone knows about Maddox Inc.,” she said, a little overwhelmed.
“The company is run by a young man by the name of Devin Maddox. He is a third generation CEO of the company. His grandfather actually started the company back in World War II. It has an amazing history—”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir, but did you say Devin?” Tempest asked after she picked her stunned jaw up off the floor.
“Why yes, and I do believe he is located down around where you were raised. Do you know him by chance?” General Westin asked innocently.
“I believe I may have met him briefly, sir,” Tempest said, her voice tight with anger.
“Well what a coincidence!” he said with cheer and a suppressed laugh. Ah, there is that spark of anger! Devin is in for one helluva pissed-off woman very soon.
“Yes, sir, quite a coincidence indeed,” Tempest all but snarled.
“This would be an amazing opportunity for you career-wise, Sergeant. It would be a very big step toward staff sergeant and farther. Plus I would consider it a personal favor and would be instrumental in pushing for promotion if you perform well,” he said calmly, but on the inside he was laughing hard as hell. This young spitfire was going to rip Devin a new asshole.
“Thank you, sir, I appreciate the support. I will of course do as ordered and do my best to perform all duties above the army standard,” Tempest said as her temper simmered and boiled.
; “I have no doubt of that, Sergeant. I appreciate your cooperation in this endeavor. Is there anything else?” he asked, hoping like hell there was.
“As a matter of fact, sir, there is. I would like to respectfully request a couple of day off to take care of some personal business?”
“I don’t see any harm in it,” he said, and a little chuckle broke out. He reached for his phone and dialed. “Colonel, this is General Westin. Yes I’m fine, thank you for asking. Yes, I’m sitting with her now, and I must say I am very impressed with Sergeant Westfield. No, no, no, nothing at all wrong. I was going to tell you I’ve given Sergeant Westfield permission to take a couple of days off to take care of some personal matters. Oh no nothing wrong, but I would like for you to let her immediate commander know that she will be absent for a few days. Don’t worry about it. I’ll have my office draw up the proper paperwork. I wouldn’t want Sergeant Westfield to be reported AWOL. Thanks again. I’ll speak with you later. No I’ve given her permission to leave on her personal business from my office. Y’all should probably find someone else to cover her daily duties until she returns. Okay, thanks again,” General Westin finished as he hung up the phone. Sometimes it was good to be the boss. He turned back to Tempest and noticed the fire simmering behind her eyes. She was plotting something big time. “Uh, Sergeant, should I be worried about this business you need to take care of? I don’t need to inform the MPs to be on alert, do I?”
Tempest turned a dazzling smile on General Westin and gave a little chuckle. “Of course not, sir, I have no intention of causing anyone any bodily harm,” At least not any long-term damage. “Thank you, sir, for being so understanding. Will that be all, sir?” she questioned as she rose from her chair.
“That will be all, Sergeant. I expect you to be back in this office in two days. I will have Devin here so that we can discuss what he will need you to do and how the army can be of help. I will let your commander know and will expect to see you here at 1000 hours sharp,” General Westin finished and dismissed the fuming female. There was no way in hell he was going to miss the volatile responses of the young lady. He was going to be personally involved with this, and if Tempest managed to not kill Devin, he was going to personally see to it that she skipped the rank of staff sergeant and went straight to sergeant first class and quickly on up the ranks. That young woman was going to be pissed off on so many different levels. It was going to be fun to watch. He wondered for a moment if it would be inappropriate to have popcorn for the show. He laughed as he got back to work.
* * * *
Tempest got to her car and only succeeded in making herself angrier. She was fucking livid and ready to commit murder. She unlocked her car and reached into the middle console to grab her phone. She hit the button and waited for Mark to pick up.
“Heeeey, Temp. How’s it—”
“Where the fuck is he, Mark?” Tempest said heatedly into the phone.
“Where is who, Temp?” Mark asked, confused.
“Where is that asshat you call a friend, Mark? I want to know where he is right fucking now!” Tempest screamed.
There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute and then a sad sigh. “He called Westin, didn’t he?” Mark asked, sounding irritated.
“Where is he?” Tempest said, refusing to be deterred.
“Well, Temp, you’re in luck. He is at his offices close to your base. He is only about thirty minutes from where you are,” Mark said with overzealous cheer.
“Mark, if you tell him I’m coming, I will rip your balls off and feed them to you. Do you understand me?” She growled.
“Oh don’t you worry, Temp, I’m not warning him about shit. We told him to leave you alone, but he didn’t listen. Sweetie, you go in there and you kick his ass and know that you have mine, Samuel’s, and Phillip’s blessings. Just don’t kill him. We draw the line at murder,” Mark said helpfully.
“I promise not to kill him. I’ll talk to you later,” she said and hung up the phone. In the next couple of seconds she got a text from Mark with the address to Devin’s office buildings. God she loved Mark. He was so helpful and supportive.
Tempest made it off post and headed to see Devin. She was glad she had a little bit of a drive. If she showed up at her office in her current condition, she wouldn’t make it past the lobby. She seriously needed to calm down or she just might kill the stupid bastard when she got to his office. She had to make a plan. Evidently Devin was a little more prominent than she first thought. She was going to have to find a way to get to him. A plan formed in her mind, and she smiled. She decided that simple was her best option. There was no point in having a complicated plan when she only had thirty minutes until she was at her destination.
She pulled up to the building and counted six floors. It was more than likely that Devin’s office was at the top since he was the boss. She noticed that a lot of uniformed soldiers were coming in and out of the office. She smiled and looked down at her own uniform. She was going to fit right in. She grabbed a manila folder from her car and headed inside. She noticed that there was a girl at the receptionist’s desk and she was completely focused on a tall, handsome soldier. Perfect!
She found the information board, and hot damn she was right. Devin’s office was on the top floor, and security was on the fifth. She walked up to the front desk and the girl was still talking to the hot and sexy soldier.
“Ma’am, I was told to bring these by and drop them off at the security office,” Tempest said in her most professional voice.
The girl looked at her for like three seconds and then handed her a visitor’s badge. “They’re on the fifth floor,” she said absently with her attention still on hot and sexy.
Tempest rolled her eyes and headed for the elevators. She could rob his building blind if all of their staff was like that. She got herself a pass and was seen at the front desk talking to the receptionist. Even if there were security cameras with live feed, the guards would assume she was there on legitimate business. Devin had a serious problem, but it was one she was going to exploit to the fullest. Her only issue now was going to be getting into his office. Her plan there was to be like a raging bull. Spot the target and then take the target. Only two steps were needed.
She got off the elevator at the sixth floor. There wasn’t one damn camera on the entire floor. Tempest snorted in disgust. The closer she got to the executive suite, the angrier she got. By the time she was at the doors, she was once again livid. She pushed open the doors, and a hot young thang sat stunned at her desk.
Tempest stormed across the room and watched as the young woman lifted the phone off the hook. She stormed over to the desk and yanked the phone from her hand. “Sit!” she commanded and gave a haughty sniff when the young girl plopped back down in her chair. She took the phone line that was in the back of the phone out, careful not to break it. She ripped the other end out of the wall. She looked at the young girl again. “Stay!”
Tempest took the pair of scissors off of the girl’s desk and cut the cord in half so that it was completely useless. She noticed another phone in the corner of the office and walked toward it keeping, her eye on the secretary. She quickly cut that line in half, walked back over to the desk, and put the scissors back in their original place.
She turned back to the door that Devin was standing behind and growled in the back of her throat. She headed in the direction of the door, intent on causing Devin serious injury. She opened the door with a calm around her that was just a little eerie. She placed a sweet and serene smile on her face as her gaze landed on Devin. His eyes caught hers, and he stared in shock for a minute. When he caught her expression, his face lightened up and a slow, sexy smile spread across his face.
He slowly stood from his chair and walked like a sleek predatory cat. Tempest couldn’t help but feel a pulse of power. She slowly pulled the Velcro strap of her ACU cover open and then slid the zipper down, exposing the standard green army shirt underneath. She watched with sharp, keen eye
s as Devin answered by sliding his jacket off his muscled shoulders and tossing it over the back of his chair. He then reached up and loosened his tie.
“I’ve got a meeting in about thirty minutes,” Devin said, his voice thick and husky with lust.
Tempest let her cover slide to the floor and gave Devin a cock-teasing smile. “You’re going to be late,” she said and slowly licked her full bottom lip and then tugged it slowly between her straight white teeth.
“I’m going to be late, huh?”
“Oh yeah, you’re going to be real late,” Tempest crooned as she trailed one of her hands over her large, firm breasts and down her side.
“Yeah? Why am I going to be late, baby?” Devin said with a cocky grin as he rested his ass on the front edge of his desk.
Tempest slowly walked toward Devin and gave a throaty chuckle. Once she was standing in front of him, she raised her left hand and rested it on his cheek. “Because, baby, you’re going to be bleeding,” Tempest said. A split second later her right elbow connected with the side of his face.
She watched with an obscene amount of glee as he hit the floor on his hands and knees and a single drop of blood trickled from his split lip down his chin. She watched with great satisfaction as Devin snapped his startled and unbelieving gaze to her face.
She looked down at him, anger burning in her eyes. “I told you to leave me the fuck alone. I told you that if you didn’t you’d be on the wrong end of my temper. Well, baby, let me introduce you to the wrong end of my temper. You couldn’t help it, could you? You just had to show me how much control and influence you had! You just had to go and call the fucking general! You are fucking around with my career, you clueless bastard! I have soldiers that are under me that have never been deployed before, and now, thanks to your inability to listen and your unnatural need to fuck with other people’s lives, they are going to that damn place without me! I can’t do a whole fucking lot to help them with my ass stuck here in the States babysitting a stupid corporate fuck like you!” Tempest was yelling for all she was worth. She didn’t care who burst through that door. She was ready to do some serious damage to his male ego. He just better be damn glad she wasn’t carrying her gun.