“You mean, they want to make sure I’m not a liability.” My gaze sliced to Drake and his stone-faced stare pissed me off even more. “You don’t think I’m good enough to go out with you and your team.”
It wasn’t a question and Drake didn’t take it as such. He didn’t even blink when he turned his big body to face me, didn’t show a single inkling of remorse he’d offended the shit out of me. No, instead he stood taller, stone-faced turned into a vicious stare, and Drake transformed into a deadly combatant ready to battle.
Two could play this stupid game. I might not ever be able to best him physically, but I was more than competent, more than capable of completing this mission. I didn’t work my ass off to cower. I didn’t sweat and bleed to be benched because some asshole thought I wasn’t good enough.
“I don’t know, Lieutenant, are you?”
Ass.
“Hell yes, I am.”
“Then what’s your problem?”
“My problem? I don’t have one. The problem is, we don’t have time for games. We have a shot to take out Lore and we need to move. Not in a few days when you’re done with your assessment and evaluation. If you’re curious about my training and skillset, I’m sure the general can fill you in. We can’t afford—”
“We can’t afford to go in weak,” Drake cut me off and before I could stop it, my torso jerked back, giving away too much. “Unprepared means we’re dead. Unrehearsed means we’re compromised from the start. Rushed means the mission fails. Before every operation, we train, we practice, and we run then rerun every possible outcome. It’s what we do, and no disrespect, ma’am, but if you’re taking my six, your ass will be training with us.”
My face heated, not from anger but from embarrassment.
I knew.
I was better than this.
My bad attitude was going to rightfully get me cut. As pissed as I wanted to be at Drake, he was right—a rushed mission meant people died.
“There’s an active R and S unit in the area of interest,” Wick cut in. “As soon as they report in, we’ll begin planning. Until then, we don’t have enough to send you in.”
“When do you expect the team to report in?” Trey asked.
“First check-in, five hours…”
General Wick said more but when Drake caught my eyes, all thoughts about the recon and surveillance unit and the check-in times fled my mind. All I could do was stare at the man—he was an anomaly. Kind and caring then cold and calculating. Conventionally good-looking in an all-American badass kind of way, yet unconventionally dangerous.
Drake Hayes was a riot of opposites. He ran the gamut from one extreme to the other and for a brief moment I wondered what it would be like to have all that intensity under my palms. What would it be like to touch him—attempt to harness all his focus from his action-hero to lover? What would that type of power feel like?
The better question was, why in the hell was I thinking about undressing him?
Drake’s brown eyes softened and it was then I remembered why I was fantasizing about him unclothed. Because I’d gotten a small taste of what his big body felt like pressed against mine. How gentle he could be as he’d laid behind me. How safe I’d felt. Normally his presence was overwhelming, but cuddled around me, protecting me from the demons that lived in my head, he became something more. Something that made my chest ache and body come alive.
It was too bad Colonel Sykes was already on her way back to Germany. I’d lost what was left of my mind.
I needed a second appointment—quick, fast, and in a hurry.
Drake’s lips twitched and I was damn near certain he could read my thoughts. When that twitch became a full-blown, cocky-as-all-get-out grin, I knew for fact he’d caught on to my internal musings.
I should’ve cared, really I should’ve. It was highly inappropriate on so many levels—but right then, looking at Drake, all I could think about was all the ways he could make me feel alive. All the ways he could make me feel good. And all of the ways I could make him crazy with my hands and mouth.
There were bad guys to kill and revenge to exact.
But damn if I didn’t wish we could have a timeout.
14
There was something seriously good going on in Liberty’s mind. Whatever she was thinking about, it wasn’t the mission, terrorists, or intel reports. There was a sexy as fuck blush painting her cheeks and I wanted to rip her uniform top off to see if it covered her chest. I also wanted to pin her down and demand she tell me her every thought because she was looking at me like I was her next meal and I was a-okay with that.
“Will the team be ready?” Wick asked.
I didn’t have the first clue what he was asking about, thankfully Logan did.
“Depends on where Lieutenant McCoy’s at.”
Liberty’s eyes cut to my teammate and my gaze followed. Only, Logan wasn’t looking at Liberty, he was staring at me. He knew I’d zoned out and he was covering my ass.
Shit.
“We’ll start with the range,” Matt added. “Give the lieutenant some time to rest physically before we start doing mockups.”
“Range hours are sun up to sundown. IDF has offered to take you out if you’d like to do some field work,” Wick returned. “McCoy, go to medical. I want daily progress reports on your recovery. The rest of you, dismissed.”
Wick turned from our huddle and made his way over to the TOC battle captain.
Dismissed.
Then why the hell were we all standing around? I jerked my chin to the door and moments later, we were all outside.
Logan’s loaded stare was burning a hole in the side of my head. First Trey, now Logan. I had no doubt as soon as Liberty headed to medical my team was going to light into me. They’d been on a low simmer all morning just waiting to pounce.
“Do you know where the range is?” I asked Liberty.
“Yeah.”
“When you’re done with the major, come find us.”
“Do I need to go to the armory first?”
“Armory?” Matt asked.
“To check out weapons.”
“Honey, you ain’t in the regular Army. There’s no checking out firearms,” Logan huffed.
Logan’s bad attempt at a joke fell flat. Liberty had no idea what his jab at the regular Army meant, mostly because she’d never been in the regular Army to begin with. She’d graduated college then joined—she’d never been enlisted. Never had to work alongside the unmotivated leeches that were in the military to collect a paycheck, free housing, and medical insurance.
Fucking hell, Liberty McCoy was still a baby—four years in and most of it had been spent in schools and training. No deployments, two missions. One successful, one fucked.
“What does that mean?”
Her question hit me and I wondered if this was the real Liberty McCoy. Not the lieutenant, the Ranger, the Special Forces Operator. Just her. And make no mistake, there was a difference. Everything about her had changed. Her voice had softened, her body lost some of its rigidity, she looked open and interested.
“It means that we’re given a certain level of professional courtesy,” Luke answered before I could. “We’re never asked to relinquish our weapons.”
Liberty nodded. “That makes sense.”
“How many times have you been out?” Luke continued.
The shutters slammed down over Liberty’s openness and back was the lieutenant.
“Twice.”
“Ever been on a foreign post at a FOB?”
“Briefly. Both times my squad was inserted.”
“Training?” Luke pushed.
“INCONUS.”
What in the fuck was the Army thinking? Liberty and her squad had no business being set free to perform operations without actual field experience.
Matt’s gaze caught mine and he was thinking the same thing I was.
“How smart are you?” Matt inquired.
“Excuse me?”
“Smart. You k
now, in college, in training, where’d you place?”
“Valedictorian. Summa Cum Laude. In training I excelled in land nav, weapons systems, languages, PSYOP—”
“So the Army saw another brilliant McCoy and thought they’d hit the jackpot.”
Liberty’s torso swung back and she jerked to attention. Wounded eyes narrowed on Matt and she closed down further.
“What does that mean?”
“Your dad and his team are legendary. Their skills, tactics, and success rate are still praised.”
“So you think because my last name is McCoy I was given special treatment?”
“Hell no. Just the opposite. There’s nothing special about sending a soldier on a mission they’re not qualified for. Carter ran into the same issue—he was the unicorn the teams had been waiting for. The Lenox name isn’t just recognized in the Army.”
“I passed Ranger training and special forces training like everyone else. I’m qualified.”
“I’m not trying to offend you, ma’am. But every operator’s passed training, doesn’t mean that they’re battle-ready. And that is not a dig, that’s a fact. There’s a reason why after we earn our tridents we’re not just thrown into the mix. We’re eased into it. You got fucked.”
I watched with fascinated regard as Liberty McCoy assessed what Matt told her, processed it, examined, then came to a conclusion.
“So what are you going to do to get me battle-ready?” she invited.
Trey chuckled. Luke and Logan made some sort of choking sound. And Matt flat out smiled.
“You think you’re up for it?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I’ll meet you at the range.”
Liberty turned and without another word or a glance back, she marched her ass in the direction of the med building. Something I wished I could’ve watched but I didn’t dare risk getting caught—again.
Trey blew out a long exhale that whistled between his lips. He shook his head. “You think she’s ready?”
“Yes,” I answered.
Despite her injuries—and there were a lot of scrapes, scabs, and bruises—Liberty would push herself.
“You sound awfully sure for someone who was reading her the riot act not even twenty minutes ago.”
Pointing out that rushing a mission without proper consideration wasn’t anywhere near close to reprimanding or chastising her.
“We do her no favors if we baby her,” I pointed out.
“Baby her?” Trey muttered.
“The five of us have worked together a long time. We know each other’s thoughts, we move together without thinking twice about it, we’re a cohesive unit. Liberty needs to find her place in that. Either she fits or she doesn’t. And if she doesn’t then I’m not putting lives at risk so she can finish an objective just so she can check a box in the success column.”
“You know, I can’t get a read on you,” Luke announced. “And I don’t like it. One minute you’re making googly eyes at her like a teenager in love, the next you sound like you don’t like her very much.”
“Googly eyes? I’m not making any sort of eyes at the lieutenant.”
“So now she’s the lieutenant?” Luke’s brows pinched together. “And, brother, you need a mirror. For a man who’s known as Ice you sure are having trouble keeping that disguise in place.”
My eyes sliced to Trey who was giving me an “I told you so” look that pissed me right the fuck off. He’d basically said the same thing to me the day before, only he told me I was breaking character.
“Don’t look at me, I didn’t say anything.” Trey put his hands up and snorted. “As you said, we’re a unit, we don’t need words, we read each other’s body language, expressions, hell, most of the time I think we have some sort of telepathic connection we’re so smooth. If that wasn’t enough, you bringing her into the barracks with some bullshit about her staying to learn to move as one with us. Then through the night she wakes up with nightmares, you coax her awake, get her through, then you get into bed with her and wrap her up like you can physically absorb her demons. None of us are stupid, but you sure as fuck are if you don’t think we don’t know what’s going on.”
There it was—I was officially fucked. Everyone knew. Though I didn’t know what they exactly knew because I didn’t understand it myself. There was so much shit swirling inside my head, I couldn’t keep it straight. And damn if Luke wasn’t right—one second I was pissed as hell that Liberty had been sent out before she was ready. The next I was impressed by her determination and proud at what she’d accomplished. Then I slipped into a savage role and wanted to drag her back to a cave, protect her, provide for her, and make babies with her.
What in the hell was wrong with me? Babies? Protect and provide? When the fuck had I turned into a caveman? The woman drove me to distraction and that made me furious with her. It was her fault I couldn’t get my shit sorted.
“Then tell me, Trey, what’s going on?”
“You’re gone for her.” He smirked.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“I agree,” Logan put in. “He’s got that same look Church had when he finally brought Delaney around.”
Now, that was impossible. Carter Lenox was a man in love and there was no missing it. Not from the first time we’d all sat down together for dinner to all of the subsequent times they’d come up to Virginia Beach to visit. Carter looked at his woman like rainbows shot out of her ass. He was a different man when Delaney was around. In all the years I’d known him, the only time I’d truly seen him happy was when she was with him.
“You’re so full of shit.”
“Logan’s right.” Matt entered the conversation. “The look’s not quite the same but close enough.”
“Why try to hide it?” Luke asked.
“Hide what?”
“Dude, seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.” My hands went to my face and the heel of my palms pressed against my eyes. I felt a headache coming on. All this junior high shit made me queasy.
“Let him be,” Trey snickered. “It’ll be more fun watching him muddle his way through it.”
“Agreed. Let’s roll out.” Matt flashed me a snide grin and strolled away patting the concealed firearm at his hip. “The day hasn’t dawned until gunpowder’s filled my nostrils.”
“Christ, sometimes I think Kessler thinks he’s starring in a major motion picture of The Life and Times of Matthew P. Kessler: Billionaire Turned Team Guy,” Logan jabbed, causing the rest of us to chuckle.
“That’s millionaire, actually,” Matt shot back. “And am I sensing some jealousy?”
“Jealousy? Brother, with you being rich and Trey looking like a GQ model, you make my life easy. The bitches sniff that shit out, swarm, and all I gotta do is ride your wave until they fall on my dick. Easy day.”
That was not a lie. That was exactly what Logan did.
“Logan’s over there talking about riding a wave like he actually gets pussy.” Luke chuckled. “Lefty Lucy don’t count, friend.”
“That’s Righteous Rhoda, asshole. Do I look left-handed?”
Matt’s ridiculous comeback was too much. I had to stop walking so I didn’t trip and fall on my ass as my head tipped back and all five us roared with laughter.
* * *
There were no two ways about it—Liberty was a damn good shot.
Offhand, kneeling, prone, running, standing still, on her back through her cocked spread knees. She nailed every shot from fifty yards to five-hundred. And it didn’t matter the optic—iron sights, red dot, laser aiming, or scope. The woman had shot everything we handed her and she handled each weapon with practiced ease.
“Goddamn, dead eye, is there anything you can’t hit?” Matt’s brow was cocked up and he was smiling.
Big praise from the sniper.
“Not much at sighting in beyond five-hundred yards,” Liberty told him. “Spindrift is not my friend.”
Sweet Christ, hearing her utter the word spindrift while she was on her stomach in the dirt, her hand still stroking Matt’s prized Barrett, with a spent .50 BMG cartridge at my feet, had to be the sexiest fucking thing I’d ever heard.
“We can talk about aerodynamic jump over dinner.” Matt winked, Liberty giggled—fucking giggled, and jealousy pierced my gut.
The fuck Matt would talk about anything with her over dinner.
“How ya’ feelin’?” I asked Liberty.
“My muscles are a little sore, but in a good way.” Fucking shit, why did she have to say that? “It feels good to sweat and move around.”
I swallowed a groan at the mental images her words flashed in my mind and wordlessly turned to the wooden bench that displayed all of our hardware.
I did that to conceal the fact my dick was getting hard. No, scratch that, there was no getting, it was there. Hard as a rock and ready to pound nails. I’m not sure which is worse, being seventeen in math class popping a hot-for-teacher boner. Or now, with a throbbing erection hot-for-the-lieutenant. Neither were good, both painful, and unfortunately, just like the first the second would be taken care of manually—alone with my hand.
“You okay, buddy?” Matt choked on his words as he chuckled.
Fucker.
“I think he’s ignoring you,” Trey jabbed. “Bet his mind’s on that tower of power.”
Stupid fuck.
“Tower of power? Where’s that? I didn’t know there was a rappel tower.”
Christ. That was fucking hilarious until it wasn’t.
“N…n…no,” Trey stuttered. “T..t…tower of power is a—”
“Shut up,” I growled and turned before Trey could explain he was talking about my fucking hard-on.
I locked eyes with Liberty’s—hers were bright and warm and happier than I’d seen them. Jesus, she was goddamn beautiful. Her eyes dropped to my chest before they flicked lower. There was no hiding the tent in my pants and any move to cover my obvious reaction to her would only draw further attention. Her gaze snapped back to mine, wide in shock, then her lips curved up into a seriously wicked smile.
Taking Liberty: The Next Generation Page 10