Page 34 of Brooks

I handed Declan back his phone and fought the urge to punch the rat bastard in his stomach.

“Damn, it’s like she’s been a part of the team for years.” Max laughed.

“If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone call Z an asshole, I’d be retired living the good life. How long have you known Zane?” Kyle asked.

“A long time. I knew of him long before I met him in person. Russia was the last op I worked with him. After what happened, he refused to execute anymore CIA contracts. Not that I blamed him. That mission was a whole lotta fucked-up. Too much intel was held back. Bad plays were made. Jasmin and Zane caught the shit end of it. I worked with Linc after that. Almost two years behind the scenes on his trafficking case. I’ve worked with Leo and Eric, too.”

“Why’d you leave the CIA?”

My lungs seized and my brain told me to tell Thad to mind his own business. But I couldn’t, not when I couldn’t forget what Zane had said – these men would take a bullet for me. Not because they knew me, simply because I was a part of their team for this mission.

“Monroe asked me to.”

“The fuck?” Brooks grumbled.

“He said he wanted a family but my work was too dangerous. When he asked, things were still good between us. I wanted kids, so I agreed. After I quit, he found having a wife at home was too much for him. Things got bad. Let’s just say he’s a keep my private life and personal life separate kinda man.” Brooks stared at me, clearly not understanding my reference. I went on, “It’s rather difficult to hide your other women when your ex-CIA wife is home full-time.”

“He cheated on you.” Declan observed.

“Too many to count.”

“Too many to count,” Brooks repeated.

“In San Diego there’s a Frog Hog on every corner waiting to suck a Team Guy’s dick. He wasn’t even careful about it. He’d come home smelling like various different perfumes telling me he was working late. He’d already been sidelined from being deployed, so he was babysitting tadpoles at X-Division. He hated that command. The longer he was there the more of an asshole he became.”

“Fucking disgrace,” Max said. “Why didn’t you call his command? He would’ve been court marshaled and chaptered out.”

“Not the kinda woman who fucks with a man’s career. He did me dirty, but still, I’m a big girl. I didn’t need to go tattle to his commander.”

“You would’ve done the teams a favor. No one wants a cheat at their back. A man can fuck over the woman he’s promised to love, he has no problem stabbing you in the back,” Thad told me.

He was right about James. He had no problem breaking our vows, but he did have his team’s back. He was all about his team. He lived for the next mission. He believed he was the best man on the team and they wouldn’t survive unless he was there. He was a narcissist prick. Better than everyone else.

I was done sharing, so I asked, “Any of you been married?”

I got four nos and a mumbled response from Declan. I was getting ready to ask him to repeat his answer but when I looked at him, I stopped myself. Pain clear as day. I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d wanted to but never had married or if he had and was divorced. Whichever it was, I wasn’t touching it.

I felt like I had to come clean with the team on one more topic. “I have full workups on all of you. Nothing personal. I only went through your service records. I don’t know how much Tex gave you on me, but if you have any questions, I’ll answer.”

“Remember that first day we met you and you and Brooks were sparring?” Thad chuckled. “You said your accomplishments weren’t important. Care to share now?”

“Same as most of you. Only without all the dive, that’s water and air both, master quals. Master range officer, rifle and pistol. I went through modified sniper training. Close quarter combat, hand-to-hand. Same training you got at BUD/s.” I added the last part just to ruffle their feathers.

It didn’t take long for the banter to start. All of them calling bullshit on my statement.

“I don’t know, boys. Every facet of SEAL school has been publicized and made into History Channel documentaries. It’s pretty tough but no one really knows what happens at The Farm. For all you know, it’s harder.”

I couldn’t hold back my laugh when the four former SEALs’ mouths opened and shut not knowing what to say.

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Kyle was the first to break. “A fuckin’ documentary doesn’t tell you shit.”

“Like to see you try and get through Hell Week,” Thad added.

“Only those of us with the testicular fortitude to endure extreme conditions made it through,” Brooks said and I burst out laughing again.

I had been waiting for Declan to put in his two-cents. He was Army, not Navy. Former Force Recon, who had been recruited to the CIA and had trained at The Farm. But he remained silent. Which was puzzling. I wondered if his team knew he’d been with the agency. They all seemed tight, and it didn’t seem like something he’d keep from them. But if he was, then he had his own reasons for doing so and I’d keep my mouth shut.

“All right, all right. Sheesh. BUD/s is tougher than The Farm,” I gave in.