It looks so stupid that a laugh rattles out of my chest. Fuck me. I didn’t know I could still laugh. Marcus rolls off the slab, leaving it on the ground. “It’s all right, boys, I’ve negated the threat.”
Hudson chuckles, and we both laugh. Marcus grins and punches me on the shoulder. “Knew I could make you laugh, bro.”
I shake my head, smiling at the wiry man before me. It’s a misconception that SEALs are big and burly. They come in all shapes and sizes, and Marcus is proof of that. He’s five foot eight and wiry as fuck. The man’s got strength like I’ve never seen before. His entire body is a hard slab of muscle.
He jokes around and swears like a trooper, and his New Zealand accent makes him sound like he’s always ready for a nap. But don’t underestimate the fucker. I never met anyone with a cooler head under fire. And his average height and dark complexion, from Maori ancestry somewhere in his family tree, lets him blend in on certain missions in a way a six-foot something white man can’t.
We’ve worked together in SEAL Team Four for the last several years, and there’s no one better on a mission.
He’s only out because he couldn’t dodge the medic any longer. One minor injury won’t get you sent home, but many over time add up.
He’s never said what finally got him sent home, but he’s as pissed as I am not to be back in the action. He just hides it better.
“I’m not paying you to slack off.” Joel’s voice booms from the sorry excuse for a doorway. His expression is every bit the SEAL Team Commander who scared the shit out of me as a new SEAL. Now I know him better, and the flicker of his eyebrow is the tell that he’s not serious.
Next to him is Paige, Hudson’s little sister. She’s carrying her baby in a carrier around her waist.
Hudson’s expression goes soft when he sees his sister.
“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” He strides over and peers down at his nephew sleeping on her chest. “How’s the little guy?”
“He’s good.” Paige smiles down at her baby and rubs the back of the sling. “But he could wake at any moment so, not meaning to be rude, but can we…”
She trails off and looks at Joel, who says, “Paige is going to design the landscaping.”
Hudson frowns. “Can you do that with a baby?”
Paige glares at her brother. “I still want to work, Huds.”
His expression goes dark. “You wouldn’t need to if the fucker who did this to you owned up to having a son.”
Paige takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “We’re not doing this now. I’m here for a job.” She turns to Joel. “Show me the space and what you have in mind.”
Joel leads her out of the building and around the compound, talking about his plans. Hudson watches them go with his arms folded across his chest.
“If I ever find out who the fucker is who got my sister pregnant and then fucked off, I’ll kill the worthless piece of shit with my own bare hands.”
It’s not an idle threat coming from an ex-Navy SEAL.
Paige refuses to tell Hudson who the father is, and it’s driving him wild guessing. His eyes narrow on Joel as he watches them.
Joel’s got to be almost twice her age, but he’s got a natural charisma about him that women find appealing. His wife passed two years ago, and he’s raising two teenage daughters on his own. It would be a reason to keep it secret.
Paige leans into our old commander, listening intently to what he says. But Joel keeps a respectful distance. And besides, the man is the epitome of SEAL values. He’d own up to his actions.
It’s not him.
“Contact!” shouts Marcus, jumping onto the pile of rubble.
On instinct Hudson and I both hit the deck, rolling into ready position before realizing where we are. In a dusty old building in the middle of the North Carolina mountains.
“Fuck you.” Hudson scrambles to his feet
Marcus laughs hysterically as I pull myself up and shake the dust off. “Good to see you still know how to move your sorry assess.”
“Fuck you, Marcus.” Hudson grabs a load of rubble, but we’re both smiling.
11
