“Hey!” a voice hollered through the door. “You awake?”
Asher groaned and pressed his forehead to her abdomen. “Your brother and his damn timing.”
She chuckled. “Tell me about it.”
“Why isn’t he doing the same thing with his wife?” He shifted to his knees and untied her.
“Yeah?” she called out.
“Can I come in?” Luke asked.
“One minute,” she answered, and Asher slapped her ass when she stood.
He handed her the belt once she slipped on her robe, and then, for himself, grabbed the white cotton robe that was courtesy of the hotel.
Jessica opened the door, and Luke rushed in. “Sorry, I—” His eyes landed on the bed, the comforter crumpled at the bottom. “Shit.”
“What’d you think we were doing in here?” Asher scratched at the back of his head when Luke forced himself to face him a beat later.
“Yeah, uh . . . POTUS called. We’re needed in Argentina.”
“What?” Her mouth rounded. “You just got married. You leave for Hawaii tomorrow.”
“Yeah, well, you know bad guys don’t give a fuck about my vows.” He crossed his arms.
“How many men do we need?” she asked, tightening the belt of her robe.
“Five. Maybe seven.”
Jessica placed her hands on her hips. “Asher and I can handle this. We’ll take Echo. You and Owen stay on vacation. Plus, this gives Harper a chance to get her feet wet.”
“You sure?” Luke’s arms tensed, the muscles flexing as his fingertips bit into his biceps while he considered her suggestion. He’d had a hard enough time giving up control during his paternity leave—but he sure as hell better do it for his honeymoon as well.
“What do you say?” She turned to Asher. “Want to save the world with me?”
Asher smiled. “Well damn, woman, when you put it like that, how can I say no?”
“See?” She faced her brother. “You go on your honeymoon, and we’ll handle Argentina.”
“I don’t know.” His arms dropped to his sides. “Maybe ask Liam or Knox to come with you guys, too.”
“I’ve got Jessica’s back,” he said while finding her eyes. “And she’s got all of ours.”
Luke expelled a hard breath, a slow roll of tension dropping into the room. “Shit, okay. Eva would kill me, so . . .”
“Good. Now, how much time until I have to round up the boys?” she asked.
“A couple of hours. But you might need to schedule in some time to find Liam. Knox is passed out, but I haven’t seen Liam since the reception last night.”
“Maybe he got hitched,” she joked.
“Funny,” Luke grumbled.
She pulled him in for a hug. “Now, go get laid. Your wife is waiting for you.”
Luke mumbled something before pulling away then found Asher’s eyes.
He gave him a reassuring nod, letting him know he’d keep Jessica safe. “Have fun in Hawaii. Make another baby.” He patted Luke on the shoulder and said goodbye before closing and locking the door.
“So.” He cocked his head to the side and strode toward her. Then he reached for the knot of her belt and tugged at it.
“What are you doing?” Her eyes lit with a smile.
“You heard the man. We have time.” He peeled off her robe, so she was standing naked in front of him. “Now,” he said and lifted her into his arms, “let’s get you back onto that bed so I can see how naughty you are this time.”
“I don’t know. I’m pretty tough to crack.”
“Yeah, and I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Chuckling, he set her down and dropped his robe to the floor. “But thankfully, I have the rest of my life to figure it out.”
Her eyes thinned, the color a hypnotic shade of blue that sucked him in. “You’re a patient man, aren’t you?”
“After six-plus years of waiting for you . . .” He wet his lips and smiled broadly. “Yeah, I really, really am.”
* * *
Stealth Ops Bonus Scene #3: Asher & Jessica’s story continues in an all-new bonus scene: Download.
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Continue for a sneak peek from the next book in the series, Finding Her Chance.
Extract - Finding Her Chance
*Not the final edited version. Subject to change.
Prologue: Recruitment (Six and a half years ago)
Coronado, California
“You know, you’re a walking stereotype.”
Liam’s gaze slid to the side to match a face to the voice. A pretty redhead with pale green eyes looked back at him.
“Maybe you should try a little harder to hide the fact you’re a SEAL?” A smile skirted her lips as if she were proud of herself for identifying him as a Teamguy.
His back straightened as his palms went to the bar top counter in front of him. He dragged his eyes to the wall of liquor before his attention veered to Brent Flannigan, the owner of the pub.
Brent gave him a light shake of the head, his silent way of letting him know the woman was trouble.
Yeah, Liam knew her type. Since joining the Teams at nineteen, a decade ago, he’d encountered plenty of women who loved to hook up with Teamguys. And it was a major turn-off.
“Oh really?” Liam wrapped a hand around his glass of Coke.
“You’ve got an American flag on your shirt. Probably made by Forged.” She paused. “And the G-shock watch on your wrist and Gatorz sunglasses on your head are also a dead giveaway.”
He glimpsed her out of the corner of his eye before casually gulping down half his drink.
“Probably have a frogman or trident tatt somewhere beneath that T-shirt of yours, too. But . . . I’ll let you buy me a drink, anyway.”
Brent shot him another look, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. The guy was enjoying every minute of this. He had been on the Teams until an IED stole part of his leg.
Brent was a survivor, though. He’d gone on to train DEVGRU recruits for Green Team after that. And now, he ran an Irish pub, often frequented by women trying to score with SEALs.
“You’re right. You caught me.” Liam lifted his palms in the air and faced her with a smile.
And in three, two, one.
She scoffed and stood, then backed away like he was some disease carrier. “No way are you a SEAL. Clearly, you’re a fake.” She rolled her eyes. “No real SEAL would admit to being one.”
He waited for her to leave the pub before turning back to face the bar.
“Well played, brother.” Brent pressed his hands to the counter and stood before him. “But really, she was right. You look like a fucking Teamguy,” he said in a low voice. No one else was sitting at the bar, but there were a handful of couples wrapping up lunch at a few tables at the center of the pub.
“Why do you think I dress like this?” Liam laughed. “Hell, it doesn’t matter what I do. When I’m in Coronado, I get accused of being a SEAL, so—”
“Act like someone pretending to be a SEAL?” Brent smiled. “Brilliant.”
Liam finished his Coke. “But this is why I rarely come down here. No offense.” He loved getting laid, but sex with someone because of his job title—nah, he was good.
Brent wiped down the counter and tossed the rag over his shoulder and crossed his arms. “You have that look, like your skin is all itchy. You must be on standby.”
“It’s the worst, man. No drinking. Or partying. Nothing.” He spent most of his time prepping for missions that Washington would end up turning down. But on the off chance he got the call for an op, he had to remain sober at all times.
“I remember those days,” Brent said, even though it hadn’t been that long ago since he’d been active duty. “How’s your grandfather doing? He still living in Virginia?”
“Yeah, I owe him a visit when I get some time off. My mum fl
ew in from Sydney a few months ago to stay with him for a couple of weeks, but I was overseas, so I couldn’t make the trip.” Liam stood and scratched at his throat.
“Well, next time you see him tell him I said hello. He’s a good man. Served our country for a long time.”
“Yeah, and he left some pretty big shoes to fill,” Liam said with a smile.
“Pretty sure you’re not doing so bad yourself.” Brent nodded. “And when was the last time you went down under and saw the rest of your family?” He imitated Liam’s Australian accent when speaking.
“Too long.” He sighed and shook his head.
Brent’s gaze veered over his shoulder, and it had Liam pivoting to follow his stare.
Luke Scott, now a badass for DEVGRU—aka Team SIX—strode through the pub with another Teamguy, Wyatt Pierson, at his side.
He didn’t recognize the blonde off to Luke’s left, though.
“Flannigan. Been a long time, man,” Luke said once he closed in on the bar.
“You here for this guy or me?” Brent jerked a thumb Liam’s way. “Or is this a chance run-in?” He came around from the bar to embrace Luke in a quick one-arm hug.
“I’m here for Liam, but seeing you is a bonus.” Luke reached for Liam’s hand next. “This is my sister, Jessica.” He pointed toward her.
Brent shook Jessica’s hand, and Liam followed suit.
“Pleasure,” Liam said.
Jessica was gorgeous, but she was Luke’s sister, so he’d keep his dick in check.
He greeted Wyatt and then asked, “What brings you all here?” He wasn’t sure who to direct his question to, or why the hell a Tier One operative would be there on business with his sister.
Luke looked at Brent. “You mind if we steal him for a few minutes?”
Brent smiled. “Drinks on me when you come back.”
Luke nodded, and Liam followed the three of them out of the pub. “How’s it going man? I assume you’re on standby?” Luke patted him on the shoulder as they headed toward the beach on the other side of the street.
“Yeah, unfortunately.” The sun beat down on the water, and the golden sand sparkled, courtesy of the mica in it. He slipped on his Gatorz sunglasses and tucked his hands into his board shorts pockets as they walked. “So.” He dragged in a deep breath, suddenly feeling like a young kid again—nerves in his stomach that now trekked up into his throat.
Luke Scott didn’t make social calls. The man was a legend. And here Liam was, walking down a beach with him. And Wyatt, well, he’d all but reinvented what it meant to be a sniper for the SEALs.
Liam had mad respect for both of them.
The presence of Luke’s sister—that was still throwing him off, though.
“Wyatt and I left our teams.”
Luke’s words had him halting and lifting his hands from his pockets.
Liam’s job as a sniper was to recall every possible detail from any setting, at any given time. Snipers were intelligence gatherers first and foremost, which most civilians didn’t realize.
But at the moment, he barely even noticed the two women in matching red string bikinis off to his left.
“What? Why?” He scrubbed a hand down his beard, which he’d finally had trimmed upon his return from Kandahar four weeks ago.
“Technically, we’re still SEALs,” Luke said once the two hotties in bikinis were out of earshot. “Just on a different team.”
He shook his head, trying to absorb his words, then focused on Luke’s sister for some clarity. “What’s going on?”
Jessica put on a pair of black sunglasses. “We’re forming a team of covert operatives to run missions for the president, CIA director, and so forth. A handful of people will know what we do, and our ops will be off the radar.”
“Some ops could be on U.S. soil, as well,” Wyatt added.
Liam lifted his head skyward, attempting to corral his thoughts. If they were telling him about some secret group that meant only one thing: they wanted him.
“You’re one of the best bloody snipers in the world,” Wyatt said in a steady tone. His words meant a hell of a lot since Liam revered the man.
“We’d like you to join our team,” Jessica said.
Liam still wasn’t sure how Luke’s sister fit into the equation.
“I was CIA,” she said softly, reading his thoughts. “And, in part, forming this team was my idea. I want us to lead missions that won’t get caught up by red tape. And we’ll use an alias, Scott & Scott Securities, as our cover for what we do.”
That explained her role, but he still had a lot of questions.
But the idea of sidestepping bureaucratic bullshit was appealing.
Hell, how many missions had his people presented just in the past few weeks that’d been blocked because of suits sitting comfortable in Washington?
Of course, would working directly for POTUS or the CIA director be any better?
“We’re creating two five-man teams to be led by my sister and myself. Bravo and Echo,” Luke explained. “But I’ll also be Bravo One. I can’t sit on the sidelines and not be part of the action.” He smiled. “And Wyatt’s Echo One.”
“Some ops will require all of you,” Jessica added. “Some only a few. It’ll depend on the situation.”
“And between ops, what will we do?” He hated idle time.
“We’ll take on legit jobs for our security company,” Jessica answered.
“This is a lot to take in, but—” Luke started.
“I’m in,” Liam cut him off.
“Told you he’d be down.” Wyatt slapped him on the back.
“Welcome to the team, Bravo Four,” Luke said. “The president will be speaking to your CO this afternoon to explain your departure.”
“Will my CO be told the truth?” He hated not being the one to tell his platoon why he was leaving.
“No, he’ll get an alternate version of the truth,” Jessica said. “No one outside our team can know what we do. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I figured,” he replied.
“Why don’t you enjoy the surf today,” Luke suggested. “We’re gearing up for our first op. We head out tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah?” A burst of excitement traveled up his spine, and he arched his shoulders back. “Where to?”
“Argentina,” Jessica said. “Short notice, I know. Not much time for goodbyes, but—”
“No, I’m game.” He’d miss his platoon, but damn, he couldn’t pass up this opportunity. “Let’s do this.”
Finding Her Chance - May 2019.
Also by Brittney Sahin
Check out this handy reading guide, which features a Stealth Ops breakdown/timeline. This link is regularly updated with each release!
Hidden Truths
The Safe Bet – Begin the series with the Man-of-Steel lookalike Michael Maddox.
Beyond the Chase - Fall for the sexy Irishman, Aiden O’Connor, in this romantic suspense.
The Hard Truth – Read Connor Matthews’ story in this second-chance romantic suspense novel.
Surviving the Fall – Jake Summers loses the last 12 years of his life in this action-packed romantic thriller.
The Final Goodbye - Friends-to-lovers romantic mystery
Stealth Ops SEAL Series
Finding His Mark - Luke & Eva
Finding Justice - Owen & Samantha
Finding Her Chance - May 2019
Finding Their Way Back - July 2019
Becoming Us - the series that inspired Stealth Ops
Someone Like You - A former Navy SEAL. A father. And off-limits. (Noah Dalton)
My Every Breath - A sizzling and suspenseful romance. Businessman Cade King has fallen for the wrong woman. She’s the daughter of a hitman - and he’s the target.
Dublin Nights
On the Edge - Travel to Dublin and get swept up in this romantic suspense starring an Irish businessman by day…and fighter by night.
On the Line - novella
Stand-alone (wi
th a connection to On the Edge):
The Story of Us– Sports columnist Maggie Lane has 1 rule: never fall for a player. One mistaken kiss with Italian soccer star Marco Valenti changes everything…
Connect
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Finding the Fight: A Stealth Ops Novel Page 28