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“We extracted Diesel’s replacement from his assignment, and he’ll be joining us tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Why would that make me yell at you? Who is it?”
“Max.”
For a moment, static seemed to fill my head and my eyes lost focus. And then everything rushed back and as my heart started to hammer in my chest I sucked in a deep breath.
“What the fuck made you think I wouldn’t yell in a room full of people?” I shouted. “Max! Max fucking Browning. Are you kidding me?”
“Well, so much for that,” Zane muttered as he grabbed my arm and dragged me across the room and out into the hall.
“You can’t be serious,” I said.
“Look, we need a shooter on the squad and Diesel needs to take some time,” Zane explained.
“There are a hundred other guys you could have picked,” I reminded him.
“Max is the best.”
“Second best,” I corrected him.
“Yeah,” Zane agreed. “Second best. Look, I know you two have a history—”
“We fucking hate each other,” I said firmly.
Actually, that wasn’t quite true. I mean, we irritated the hell out of each other, for sure. Max Browning was cocky and arrogant and just…drove me insane. The real problem was that I could never figure out if I wanted to punch him or fuck him. Plus, I was more than a little bit totally fucking in love with him, while he just couldn’t stand me.
Which was why I did my best to stay the hell away from him. Having him on the team was going to be a nightmare.
“Look, I don’t want to hear it,” Zane said firmly. “It’s been three years since he worked with us and I’m really hoping that in that time both of you have grown the fuck up. We’re ass deep in…we don’t even know what. And I’m not going to fucking tolerate bickering and bullshit. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” I agreed.
“Good.” He relaxed his posture and softened his glare. “What the fuck is up with you two anyway?”
“I couldn’t explain it if I wanted to,” I admitted. Because how do you explain that you both love and hate someone in equal measure? It made no sense. “But I’d never let you down.”
“I know.” He clapped me on the shoulder and pushed me back toward the party. “Where the fuck did Merlin go?”
“He and Dane Acker went off for a tour of the White House,” I answered.
“Fucking magic man,” Zane said, chuckling softly.
“Right?” I laughed too and followed him back inside.
Zane was right. I needed to grow the fuck up and accept that Max was going to be part of our team. And I’d be civil and polite…as long as he was.
Chapter Two
~Max Browning~
Code Name: Pony
“This must be what it feels like to get called up to the majors,” I said, grinning as I looked around the Situation Room at the assembled Phoenix Squad. “Good to see you boys again.”
“Holy shit,” Brian said, laughing as he got to his feet and pulled me into a hug. “We’re just letting anyone in here now, huh?”
“Apparently,” Seamus muttered, though he nodded politely enough toward me. “Pony.”
