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“Of course I do. She’s a damn good soldier.” He smirks at my answer.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it, Maverick. You like this woman. She means something to you. I can see it all over your damn face. There’s no denying it. Shit, man. I hope to god you know what the fuck you're doing.” I stand there for the longest damn time, my gaze darting back and forth between my two best friends. My brothers.
“Listen. I’m not going into details with the two of you about what’s happening between Jade and I, but come the fuck on. Do you really think I would jeopardize anyone’s life? This woman knows what the hell she’s doing, and for the two of you to say otherwise is nothing but pure bullshit.” I sink my ass down in the chair and let them think about their reaction to what they are actually saying. It’s wrong.
“We know you wouldn’t put anyone’s life on the line. That’s not what the problem is here. The problem is you. I’m concerned for you. Can you handle being out there with her? Watching her back while still leading this team?” Kase asks. Then he slugs down the rest of his beer.
“I get it. And I’m damn happy for you, man. I truly am. I hope she’s the one; hell, I would gladly welcome her into our family if she is. We just need to know that your head is clear and that you shoved aside the fact you care about her. If you can look at us and tell us you can, then great. This conversation is over. Done. But if you lie to us like you did when you said you weren’t fucking her, then man, we have a serious fucking problem here. These orders come from The President. You need to keep your shit under control. Let her do her job and get all of us the hell out of there.” Kase rubs his hand across his forehead in complete testiness.
“I can handle it. She was with me once before, remember? That’s where it all started. I completed my mission, successfully I might add. Trust me, I know what I’m doing. The choice is yours to believe me or not. And I get where you're coming from. Who knows, if the tables were turned, I might feel the same way. I’m asking you this though. And listen to me, okay? She doesn’t want you two to know. In fact, I gave her my word I wouldn’t tell you.” Kase’s lips twitch. Pierce doesn’t hesitate to lean his head back and fucking laugh. The bastard. This shit means something to her and he’s laughing.
“What the fuck, asshole?” I lean forward and punch him in the gut. This is serious shit.
“You, man. Your head’s tripping over this chick. I fucking love it. Now I really can’t wait to meet her. Hell, I’m counting the days down now.” And fuck me. Just like that, the three of us sit around, finish up our business, and call it a night. The last thing I say as I walk out the door is, “Keep your eyes off of her. If you even look at her ass, I swear to fucking god I will shove a stick of dynamite up yours and light that bitch.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JADE
Kaleb reached out to both Harris and I, saying he needs us to fly to the compound. He's sending a private plane, and we’re supposed to be there tonight to meet the entire team and organize the Intel they've received on our guy. My nerves are a little shot about this mission, but I'm sure it's just that I'm going in with only Harris and Maverick at my back as of right now. I'm hoping I'll feel better once I meet them all.
My emotions are mixed with the nerves of the mission and with meeting Kaleb’s two best friends.
“I wish you weren't leaving. Can you please promise you'll call me as soon as you can? I can tell you guys are all up to something big, and I'll respect you enough to not ask any questions.” Mallory throws her arms around my shoulders before she pulls me in tight for a nice hug.
“I'll call when I can.” I hold her just as tight.
“I know you will eventually, but shit, I'm worried, so please make it soon.” I need to go. My head needs to be in the game, so I pull away from her. I can’t be touched right now, not even in a caring way. It’s time to get my head on straight for this mission.
“Be ready for that pamper day you keep asking me about. I'm due for one soon, and it would be a great thing to look forward to when I get back,” I say truthfully.
“For sure. Now please be careful, and if you get a chance to talk good about me to Beau, I'd really appreciate it.”
“You know I will, but you have to tell me how it all went at the ranch.” My phone begins to vibrate mid-sentence. It's Harris. Shit, that was fast.
“Elliott, I'm pulling onto your street now, we have to leave, so meet me outside.” He seems stressed and bossy as hell, but I begin to grab my single bag of belongings, knowing I won't have much room for anything on this mission.
“Mal, I have to go now. I love you, girl, and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.”
“Love you too. Be safe.” I turn and walk out the door as I let the rush of the situation wash over me. I didn't dare tell her how dangerous this mission is. I could never deal with the look on her face if she realized the severity of this. My mom and dad kept telling me to be safe too when I called them to cancel. Of course I'll be safe. There's no other option.
“You ready to do this?” Harris is walking up the driveway when I step outside.
“You bet your ass.” Confidence and clarity are vital. I'll be using this flight to get my clarity in check. My confidence comes easy.
We both start talking about what we know about the mission, which isn't much. The drive to the private plane is very short, and there's an oversized hanger we’re instructed to pull his truck inside of. I grab my bag and take a deep breath. Harris just moves without a thought, so I draw from his courage at the moment and step out of the truck to start this journey.
“Morning. Captain Harris and Captain Elliott, I'll be your pilot.” I watch a massive silhouette walk into the hanger out of the bright sunshine. His swagger is cocky and confident, and I'm instantly intrigued.
“Name is Trevor. We don't have time for you to gawk at me, ma’am. We have to move.” Harris smiles as we both walk, directly following this Trevor guy. My eyes do fall on his perfect ass for a short second before I catch myself. Shit, I’m going to have to watch that.
The flight takes a few hours, and Harris and I don't talk much. He talks to the pilot as we fly across part of the US, and I find my peace and clarity.
This is my life now. Exactly what I'm trained to do and the very thing I prayed I'd have the opportunity to be a part of. A mission like this only comes to an elite group, and I'm now going on two back to back. Going AWOL was an easy decision once I found out who we’re going in for. My superior didn't give me any issues when I reported my status. I didn't share any details about this mission with him, which he didn't ask about either. He seemed more concerned about me having clearance from the psych evaluations.
My mind shifts to Kaleb. Honestly, I'm excited to see this side of him. Not many men can lead something like this using only private resources. His dedication to his career is evident in the way this is all playing out, and I can't tell you how sexy that is to me. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it is a man who gets things done. He's determined, and I can only hope he continues to be focused on me once we all return from this mission.
We land before I know it, and this is when everything goes quickly. We follow Trevor into a Hummer that's waiting for us, drive a few minutes across a field, then pull up next to a log house that appears to be very new. I'm working overtime to pull in all I can as I look around to know my surroundings. Three more log cabin style homes in view and a dog on my left. Two men standing next to a helicopter and another three in front of the house we pull up to. Movement toward us pulls my focus back to the men by the helicopter.
