AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The doors open, and we walk into the lobby, passing the reception desk that’s staffed by one of the D-squad guys. They’re the guards who haven’t proved themselves worthy of being B-team or even C-team, so they do the grunt work. Poor bastards.
Fortunately, I bypassed that and went straight to A-team— not affiliated with the show or movie franchise— since I served with Big Al and a few others in the Rangers. It was sort of like having a fast pass to the front of the line.
Once we’re out of the guard’s earshot, Shep says, “Fine. You shagged Mia. Big deal. Why all the angst? Was it shitty or something?”
“Shagged? Are you channeling Sawyer or something with the fucking accents and Brit-speak?”
“Sometimes I hear British shit in my head, and it comes out of the round hole on my face. Whatever. Never said I was normal. Stop deflecting. Back to the question. Why are you so pissy about Mia? So you fucked, and now you work together. Not ideal, but no big whoop. Consenting adults have sex all the time. Hell, Kri and I have had sexthricein the last twelve hours, and you don’t see me all broody and ornery about it.”
His grin grows obnoxiously, overtaking his entire face, so I shove his shoulder, knocking him off-kilter. He’s intentionally dicking with me. Either to make me laugh and lighten the fuck up or to just dick with me. You never know with my Redleg brothers.
When I don’t answer his question fast enough, he puts his arm against my chest to slow our pace and catches my gaze with faux concern. “Did you have performance issues, buddy? I know you’re an old soul and all, but I didn’t think you had the willy of a ninety-year-old too. Maybe Big Al has some blue pills for you. I’m happy to give you some tips, because I’ve done some freaky-ass shit in my day. And don’t forget you can always rely on other body parts to do the job when your pecker isn’t playing nice. Vibrators are also great additions to your arsenal. I’ll send you a link to one that—”
He can’t finish his sentence through his laughter, which cracks me up too. All my earlier tension fizzles.
Once he can formulate words again, he makes it worse, because he’s Shep. “Was it whiskey dick? Were you drinking whiskey?” Shaking his head, he adds, “Never drink whiskey when you’re trying to hook up. Recipe for disaster. Have I taught you nothing?”
I flip him off as my shoulders shake with laughter.
Outside now, I take in the fresh sea breeze and bright sun rays, letting it lift my spirits. I love living in Clearwater. Sure, it’s hot, and we get nasty afternoon thunderstorms half the summer, but it’s also freaking paradise.
Guess it’s time to explain myrealissue with Mia and why she’s dead to me. Maybe he’ll have some sage advice. He managed to navigate romantic entanglements with a coworker for a few years.
“You’re wrong on all accounts. It was not a badshag. No performance issues. In fact, it was the most amazing night of my life.”
Wow. I just said that. Shit. Damn. Hell.
Note to self: invent a time machine so I can go back and stop those words from escaping. And while I’m at it, go back in time and never sleep with Mia.
Shep’s feet stop moving, and his face grows serious. “Holy shit. Youlikeher, don’t you?”
The furrow of his brow catches my attention. Rather than looking him in the eye, I focus on that spot while I confess, “I did. I liked her a lot. She made me think we had something special.”
Until I found out I’d been played. My throat thickens when the memory of that gut punch chokes me as acutely as it did a few weeks ago.
Sucker. Fool. Chump.
That’s me.
As Sinatra and the boys would say… a Harvey.
Can’t be on the intel team when you’re a Harvey.
“And then?” Shep prods.
“Then I realized she knew who I was the entire time but never told me. She was screwing with my head just like she did with that little hack. She played me for a fool.”
“So that night, you didn’t know she was down here to interview for the position?”
“No.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but did you guys talk enough— with actual words— for her to have the chance to tell you? Maybe she really didn’t know who you were.”
“We spent a few hours talking in the Sassy Parrot that night before we left together. I told her my name and that I worked for Redleg. We talked about my childhood and what I could about my time in the Rangers. All kinds of shit. She was so damn curious about me. Asked a million questions.”
Shep cringes as realization dawns on him. “You were a mark.”
My stomach cramps. “Now it makes sense how she dodged questions about herself, always pivoting back to me. At the time, I thought it was because she was interested in getting to know me, which was refreshing. But now…”
