AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I know. Cope told me that too.”
“Where is he?” I asked at the same time he walked in the front door with Money McTiernan.
“Stella,” he bellowed, rushing over to me. Cope picked me up and hugged me harder than Ali had.
“Careful with my woman,” I heard Buck say as Cope set me back on my feet.
“Stella means a lot to me too,” said Cope. “I’m not going to apologize for that.”
“No one ever needs to apologize for caring about someone.” I put my arm around Buck’s waist, reached up, and kissed his cheek. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too,” he whispered back.
“If we could have everyone’s attention please,” I heard Decker say a few minutes later. “It might be easier if you all took a seat.” I looked around the room and didn’t see any of Buck’s siblings. “Where are your brothers and sister?” I leaned over and asked Buck.
“My guess is Decker asked them to give the group privacy.”
“What’s going on?”
“I think we’re about to find out.”
Decker and Doc remained standing when everyone else found a seat. “In the absence of two, I’m going to speak on behalf of the four founding partners of the Invincible Intelligence and Security Group,” said Decker, nodding at Rile.
“And in the absence of one, I’ll speak on behalf of the four founding partners of K19 Security Solutions,” said Doc, nodding at Razor and Gunner.
“What’s with all the formality?” I heard Razor say to Gunner but loud enough for everyone else to hear. “We aren’t getting married, are we?”
“We’re already married,” Gunner answered without cracking a smile.
“No,” said Doc. “We aren’t getting married. However, we are about to take on our first joint mission. IISG and K19 have been contracted by the CIA, backed by the full support of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to proceed full-throttle in a mission designed to wipe every last person affiliated with Operation Argead from the face of the earth.”
“I’m not sure that was the exact directive, Doc,” said Money.
“You say tomato, I say annihilation,” Doc responded. “Same difference.”
“Irish Warrick will serve as lead.”
Every person in the room clapped when Irish stood and joined them.
“Well deserved,” I heard a couple of people say. “Right decision,” someone else said.
“Irish,” said Decker, stepping to the side like Doc had.
“We’ll begin at zero eight hundred tomorrow, if that’s okay with Stella.” He and everyone else in the room looked in my direction.
“Um. Sure.” I shrugged. Irish motioned for me to join him.
“For the next three days, we’ll review all the leads we have so far, most of which Stella brought back with her today.” He leaned closer to me. “I’ve already briefed everyone in the room on the progress we made before you left.”
“That’s great,” I said, a little confused as to why I was standing in front of this particular group of people.
“Stella, if she agrees, will serve as my second-in-command,” Irish announced without looking at me. Once again, everyone in the room clapped.
He leaned closer. “Well? Will you?”
“Yes, Irish. I would be honored.”
“Everyone heard that, right?”
