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I cup her head and kiss her before I say, “A princess by my side with a Sig in her purse?”
“Exactly,” she says. “One I know how to use.”
“Now you’re just trying to get me hot and bothered, baby.”
“Is it working?”
“Hell yeah, it’s working. I’d show you how well it worked, but we have two assholes inside I don’t care to have watch.” I catch her fingers in my hand. “Come. Let’s go inside and finish up with that audio. Then we’ll go shoot our guns.”
“But not at people,” she says. “Right?”
“Not yet, baby,” I say.
What I don’t say is that a gun is not my weapon of choice. They’re messy in all kinds of ways. Killing doesn’t have to be messy. And I need to end this clean and fast, or Tag will.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Candace
Once inside, we find Smith still at the table in deep concentration, typing on his MacBook while Adam stands beside the coffee pot, holding a cup and talking on the phone. “I’ll call you back, you bastard,” Adam snaps, and then, ends the call. “That was Asher,” he says, clearly talking to me. “He didn’t think you’d know the military slang. He apologizes for not warning you. He thought the explanation would come after the recording. We’re all lining up to beat his ass when he arrives here tomorrow.”
“I thought he was watching Gabriel?” I ask. “Please tell me he’s not coming back.”
“Yeah, what the fuck?” Rick asks, his hands settling on my shoulders, and his touch grounds me in a calmer place despite my panic. I’ve just learned that my mother might have been murdered. I don’t want to see Gabriel right now.
“Gabriel isn’t coming back,” Adam assures me quickly. “We have a couple of guys doing surveillance in place of Asher.” His eyes lift and collide with Rick’s. “Asher’s the guy we want right here at our backs if this turns nasty.”
Rick steps to my side. “He’s not wrong. Asher’s a warrior.” He walks to the donut box, pulls out a glazed donut, and adds, “And a righteous bastard, but so are all Navy SEALs. Right, Adam?”
“Somebody has to be with the likes of you around,” he retorts. “For instance, I won’t beat your ass with your girl around. That’s how righteous I am.”
Rick snorts and makes a squawking sound. “You mean because you’re afraid.” He downs half a donut. “What did we miss on the audio, fish man?”
“I’m your man on that one,” Smith pipes in from the table. “I’ve listened to the entire recording, but Asher’s team is also transcribing it now for everyone to review.”
Smith has officially pulled my attention away from the donut eating man-fest by the counter. I step to the table across from him, leaning on the wooden surface. “What was on the recordings?”
Rick is instantly right by my side again, already done with his donut. If this was any other time, I’d laugh. Rick is just such a food whore and he’s such a big personality. Such a big talent, too. The man’s skill in the operating room was something whispered about in the hallways of Fort Sam. My father knew this and yet he pushed Rick into combat. Why? There feels like there is more to all of this, something that we’re missing.
“Candy, baby,” Rick says, his hand settling on my back. “You’re making Smith squirm, which isn’t that hard since he’s such a pussy, but he really does look a little scared.”
I blink and realize that I’ve been lost in thought while staring at Smith, who isn’t exactly squirming, but he is arching an expected brow at me. I straighten. “Sorry. I got lost in my own head. “What did you say was on the audio?”
“I didn’t,” Smith says. “But bottom line, there was a lot of conversation about you.”
“A lot of talk of you and your father being used for political arm candy,” Adam adds, joining us and setting his mug down in front of the chair he was in earlier.
“I thought there wasn’t talk about my father?” I challenge. “Isn’t that what you told Rick earlier?”
“No substantive talk about your father,” he clarifies, his gaze collides with Rick’s. “A lot of shit we think you’d prefer to read rather than hear. The transcript will be over any minute.”
“Oh really?” Ricks says. “Because I’m that delicate? How about this? I’ll read it right after I go play with unicorns in the backyard and sing nursery rhymes.” He scowls. “How about you just tell me before I throttle you?”
Certain Adam has a good reason for this suggestion, I join Team Adam. “Maybe we should read the transcript, Rick,” I say.
“No need,” Rick says, “when Adam and Smith can tell us now.”
I catch his arm. “Rick, please.”
“No need to say please,” he assures me. “You can play with the unicorns with me, baby. I’d never deny you that fun.” He pats my hand and eyes Adam. “Right after Adam tells us what we need to know.”
