AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We have evidence that someone on the property contacted representatives of the Siachoque Cartel to give away your position. At this moment, we don’t have any evidence that someone on the plantation is running drugs through there. We’ve been following and conducting surveillance on all members of the Navarro family. Someone fucked with our mission to get our hands on Nacho. We were compromised in some way, but at this time we don’t know what happened. We’re still sifting through everything.”
“And our mission?” D-Day asked.
“Three-fold,” Joker said, shifting to the front of the room. “We’re going to be deployed to La Buena Tierra Plantation to protect against the Siachoque Cartel’s retaliation for the Navarros’ assistance in giving us safe haven after the helicopter crash, and we’ll be looking for Nacho, but…” He trailed off and gave Buck a quick glance. “Our main reason for being there is information gathering. Buck has developed a close relationship with Maritza Navarro. He will be going undercover while there to acquire information that may be helpful to the investigation.”
Buck made a disgusted noise, and Joker shot him a stern look. “You’ve got eighteen hours before wheels up.”
“Welcome back to the cycle,” Professor said.
“Dismissed,” Joker said, but D-Day didn’t immediately rise. He thought about how he’d left Wyoming and that he hadn’t spoken to Buck regarding Helen. He still wasn’t sure he even should. He’d knowingly crossed the line, and although he felt like it had been something out of his control, it did reflect on his honor and his commitment to his team.
She hadn’t contacted him since they parted ways, and it was both painful and a relief. He decided it was how it should be since getting involved with her would be too difficult, and her connection to Buck’s family problematic.
“Buck, you stay,” Joker said, which was his cue to leave.
He couldn’t seem to let go of his concerns, especially with the way Buck looked. So, instead of going home, he drove over to Buck’s townhouse and sat in his car waiting for him. Blitz pulled up behind him, then Professor, Gator, Zorro, and Bear showed up, taking slots up and down the street. Buck pulled into his garage, and when D-Day and his other teammates stepped out of their vehicles, Buck set his hands on his hips for a moment as if gathering himself, then he waved them in.
Buck went through the house to the stairs that led to his roof patio, muttering, “Nosy bastards.” He went to the small fridge there, and as the guys came onto the roof, Buck tossed them a beer. D-Day caught the bottle with ease and settled into one of the many deck chairs facing the spectacular view of the ocean. For a moment, he was back at BUD/S, leaping into the dark ocean, gasping reflexively as the water closed over his head. Although he hated the cold, he couldn’t hate BUD/S or that rotation. All his life he knew a desk job would kill his spirit. He wanted to do something bigger than himself, expand his consciousness, and here it was, aching in every bone, coursing through every strained muscle, and in every beat of his heart. The bite of the ocean, the briny smell of rotting kelp, the sand abrading his legs—it all pointed to one glorious conclusion: he was living his dream. A smile broke out on his face as he watched the waves wash to shore.
That feeling during BUD/S increased tenfold when he was in Wyoming. Nothing, other than his service to Uncle Sam, lived up to it. The sheer guts, the required physicality, the hard work, and the satisfaction of a job well done filled him with a craving for more. There was something so honest and clean about the Bucking Horse ranch that drew him back there as often as Buck would let him visit. Not to mention how much he loved his teammate’s family…Helen. The guilt filled him again. The thought was wistful and much too painful as he pushed away her image and his emotions and needs surrounding her. Nothing would be right now that he’d transgressed on their sacred oath. Was their relationship permanently tarnished?
He twisted off the top and chucked the disk into a bucket near him, the sound of it hitting made a tinkling metal sound. He took a swig, the heat of the sun beating down on him. It was cold and refreshing as he swallowed.
“Close relationship?” Blitz started the conversation. “How did that happen? We thought you were in Wyoming.”
Buck looked solitary with his Stetson still on his head and his expression fixed. He could tell by the look in Buck’s eyes that the very last thing he needed today was this.
There was a strained silence as all eyes fastened on Buck. “He wants to tell us that it’s none of our goddamned business,” Gator said, his accent thick, sending Buck a contentious look. “And, in part, he’s right. But he knows that’s not going to fly now.” He leaned forward, his expression full of intent. “I know what it’s like to be caught up in a situation you feel powerless to affect, and throw into the mix a woman of such exceptional quality that you can’t keep your hands off her…” He looked at Blitz and Professor, and if Joker had been here, Gator would have looked at him, too. “First and foremost, we’re here for you, Buck. Always and forever. Hoo-yah!”
That got to D-Day, and his throat got tight. He wanted to support Buck as well, fully and completely, and the guilt eased a little at Gator’s fierce tone. This is how he felt regarding Helen, a woman of exceptional quality. “So, fill us in so our nosy bastard radars are appeased, and we can support you in whatever it is that you have to do.”
Buck’s mouth tightened, and the deep green eyes, which had moments ago glowed with the bright lights of anger, hardened like emeralds. “We ran into each other in a dress shop.” He delivered this news like it wasn’t a big deal.
Scoffs and amusement erupted all around the circle. Professor slid his sunglasses down his nose, his brows lifted a notch, and a smile hovered around his mouth. “A dress shop? You going to the prom?” he asked.
Gator leaned back and eyed Buck as dubiously as if he had announced he was from the planet Krypton. “I think pink is your color.”
“I hope you did swatches before picking it out,” Blitz said, giving a snort and waving off a buzzing fly. He chuckled.
“Three thousand miles and some change between you, and she drops into your lap. Sounds like fate,” Zorro said.
Scowling ferociously, as Professor started singing “Buttons and Bows,” Buck gave them looks that most men would have heeded. They weren’t most men. “The dress was for my sixteen-year-old sister,” he gritted out, no humor in his tone.
“We,” Gator said, encompassing Blitz and Professor in his looks, “know what you’re going through. We’ve been there. It’s a hard maze to navigate, and that’s something you’ll have to work out as you go.” He sighed. “If it’s any consolation, I wouldn’t give up Izzy for anything.”
Blitz nodded. “Bree is my foundation and my life. But it was touch and go there for a while, a personal journey. But I didn’t have to deal with wondering if the woman I was involved with was the enemy.”
Gator sniffed and met Buck’s eyes. “Izzy was…challenging. Supremely annoying and complicated, and pushy, and…wonderful. But she was fully on our side.”
“There’s no evidence, not a shred, that Maritza is involved in drug trafficking. She’s a skilled and passionate businesswoman, but my hands are tied here. This mission is classified, and I can’t share anything with her about it. She’s going to think we’re there to protect her, her family, and their plantation. It goes against everything I believe to be dishonest, but my loyalties lie with Uncle Sam, first and foremost. If she’s guilty, she will be brought to justice along with anyone else who put us all in danger and obstructed our mission to get that fucking Nacho.”
“That’s got to be the most ridiculous name on the planet for a drug-dealing, murdering scum-sucking fucker I’ve ever heard,” Zorro said.
There was a chuckle around the circle and Buck nodded. “Yeah.” He sobered, then said, “I spent some time with her.” His voice lowered into an aching whisper. “Intimate time with her, and I like that girl. Dammit.” He looked away and let out a hard breath. “Lying to her won’t be easy. None of this will be easy.”
“The only easy day was yesterday,” Blitz intoned.
“Well, you’ll put on your Big Frogman Pants, and you’ll do the job. We’ll all be doing the job, Buck. You can count on that,” Gator said.
