Page 24 of False Flag

Jake was assistant officer in charge now that Chris Flyte was OIC. He had the power to make the enlisted SEAL miserable.

“Hey, man. Don’t shoot the messenger! You know she works at the chain where waitresses give blowjobs for tips, right?”

Dillard said the last part just loud enough to catch the attention of the men playing pool at the next table: Commander Rand Fallon and former Green Beret Pax Blanchard.

Blanchard moved closer and spoke in a soft voice. “Do tell, Petty Officer Dillard. Which restaurant chain is this? The one where my wife worked?”

The man glanced from the angry former Special Forces operator to the group of women. His eyes widened.

Staci sat next to Morgan. Their physical similarity was unmistakable.

“I uh—I um… Sorry, sir.”

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to, but that would only make Morgan and Staci upset and uncomfortable, and I don’t want to spoil their night. As it is, I suggest you get out of my sight before I do something you’ll regret.”

“That’s an order, Petty Officer Dillard.” The statement was delivered by Rand, the highest-ranking officer in the room. They might be out of uniform and at a party, but it wasn’t the sort of thing an active-duty sailor could ignore.

Rand clapped Jake on the back. “I just crushed Pax if you need a new fourth.”

Jake returned his focus to the table, seeing his shot. “Right after I sink the eight in the side pocket.”

He took the shot that won the round, and they started a new game with Rand and Jake playing against Kramer and Meyers.

Rand leaned against the wall while Kramer took a shot. “Staci’s great, by the way. We stayed friends after the breakup.”

“None of my business,” Jake said, meaning it. But also, he hated himself a little for being relieved. Rand was obviously ass over teakettle for his fiancée, but what about Staci? Did she still have feelings for Rand?

Was it possible she’d thrown herself at Jake because she was uneasy being around Rand and Kira?

No. She’d thrown herself at him because she wanted to shoot him. That wasn’t much better, but at least it was about Jake and not another man. Another SEAL.

Shit. The prick had gotten into his head with his sexist bullshit.

“Unfortunately, given the way guys on the teams talk, they’ll make it your business if you get involved with her. Not a lot of people know we dated. I honestly don’t know how Dillard knows. Staci never visited me in Little Creek. Our relationship was casual. We broke up because there was no spark and figured it would be better for our group of friends if we ended things before one of us found someone we did have feelings for.”

“That was wise.”

“And it was Staci who made that call.” Rand turned his gaze to the table where his ex-girlfriend laughed with his fiancée. “I met Kira about a year later, and the day we met, I knew she was it for me.”

Jake hadn’t joined the team until after that first meeting, but he’d been on board when Kira had been targeted on their Navy base and Rand had followed her to Malta to protect her.

He ignored the game—Kramer was running the table anyway—and kept his gaze on the women. Anastacia looked utterly beautiful as she relaxed with friends. She must’ve sensed his gaze, because after avoiding him since the postgame award ceremony, she finally looked in his direction.

He was reminded of the first time their eyes had locked. It had also been across a room, but a far more crowded one than this. Her direct stare had landed like a blow to the gut, and he’d slowly smiled, daring her to maintain eye contact.

She’d folded but had lasted longer than he’d expected and there had been a moment, a pulse of energy before she looked away.

He’d felt that same energy a thousand times over when she lured him into the blind.

Twenty-four hours ago, he hadn’t known who Anastacia Allen was. If anything, she’d taken mythical form in his mind. A fever dream.

“No, Jacob. I have your number already.”

Her words had haunted him.

She thought she knew him, but she had no idea. Last night, his brother had told him she was going to take over the technical aspects of Campbell’s expedition.

Could his brother snag an invitation for Jake to drop in on the project? How would she react to seeing him then?