Contract. Private security gig.
High-profile client, good money. He's putting together a team and wanted to know whether we're interested in freelancing.
I glance behind me at Emma. The thought of leaving her to go on a mission is unacceptable.
Riot
We’re interested in hearing the details, right?
Ace
We could use the money. Blackthorn's bleeding cash.
Riot
And Hendricks is offering serious money. Like, enough to cover operating costs for six months serious.
Shit. That’s significant. We sank a good deal of money into the down payment, and we're running lean.
Let’s talk to him after we check with Garrett to make sure the Turner situation is locked down.
Riot
Fair.
I'll tell Hendricks we're interested but not available for at least 3 weeks.
Ace
We need to think about what comes after. It’s more than cash flow.
I need something to train my sights on.
Emma stirs in the bed behind me, and I turn to find her sitting up, the blanket pooled around her waist, her eyes still half-closed.
Discuss this when I get back.
"What's wrong?" she asks, her voice rough with sleep as I set my phone next to my gun.
I move back to the bed and slide in beside her, pulling her against my chest. "Nothing. Security alert. False alarm. Just a deer. I had Mason check to be sure."
“Okay.” She relaxes immediately, her hand finding my chest. "What security alert? Did you already set up the alarm here?"
"Partly," I say, kissing her forehead. Now isn’t the time to tell her about the cameras.
“You woke Mason up over a deer?”
I laugh softly, running my hand down her side. “He doesn’t sleep much.”
She's quiet for a moment. "Are you guys good at that? Security systems? I don’t know what you did in the Army."
Even if it wasn’t classified, I wouldn’t tell her. Eliminating a threat to her is nothing compared to some of our missions. “We did what we had to do.”
“That’s descriptive.” She snorts. “You should turn it into a tagline for whatever you decide to do next.”
“Like ‘horses, we did what we had to do.’”
She laughs—a soft, sleepy sound that makes something in my chest tighten.
