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“Are you finished yet?”
Sebastian winced, unable to help wondering how much of Josh’s ribbing was going to blow back on him. Marx was riding his ass hard enough about his team’s performance lately as it was.
Josh sobered in an instant. “Yes, sir, Marx. Very.”
“Good to know.” He cleared his throat, as if the action could somehow erase his momentary loss of control over the room. “That brings us to the final item of discussion. This organization will be going through some critical changes in the next few weeks. As you are all aware, SKALS has great potential. It’s time we stop contenting ourselves with comfortable and start reaching for the heights we are capable of, gentlemen.”
Sebastian’s eyes locked with Vince’s across the table. His heartbeat throbbed in his temples and his stomach clenched. It took a vast amount of effort to still the tremble of anxiety racing through him as he listened to Marx’s deep voice drone in his ears.
“Our field operations and outdoor training will expand. I realize this means more time and energy on your behalves, but the end results will be worth the cost. We have new equipment coming in that will aid in this process and perhaps add some enjoyment and variety to the experience as well.”
“What do you mean by expansion?” Bradley asked.
Sebastian studied the man. It wasn’t often his stocky teammate spoke up, and he couldn’t help but wonder about the sudden show of interest. Bradley’s usual M.O. was to lay low and cling to the adage that out of sight meant out of mind. Until now, that course of action had worked fairly well. Unfortunately, all traces of anonymity had just faded. As far as Sebastian was concerned, the man had just painted a glaring bull’s eye on his back. His eyes narrowed.
“For starters, we will be branching out more within your local communities. There’s been some new rules and regulations passed regarding the Patriot Act, and I see no reason why we can’t lend our local agencies a hand in seeing that these laws are being enforced.”
The bacon and egg croissant he’d scarfed down for breakfast threatened to reemerge. So did the steady stream of coffee he’d been ingesting all morning. Clenching his jaw, Sebastian fought against the rise of gorge in the base of his throat. Community action was a swift and decisive step in the wrong direction, and he couldn’t help but wonder what that would mean for the unsuspecting civilians around them. It was all happening too fast. The entire situation was spiraling completely out of control.
His troubled gaze swung to Marx as the director stood. His bulk cast a looming shadow across the table and the bold details of the skull and cross bone insignia burnt into the wood. Sebastian swallowed, not missing the ironic symbolism in the moment.
“Keep me updated, gentlemen. Enjoy your weekends.”
The thought almost made him laugh. Rising to his feet took effort. Catching his eyes, Josh offered an amenable shrug.
“Could have been worse,” he stated.
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“Come on, Baas. Expansion. New shit. A stronger community awareness and presence. What’s not to like? Maybe our pay will bump up a few scales as well.”
He studied his partner for a long moment as the rest of the team filed through the doors. The dread that settled over his chest was almost suffocating. Pushing his chair back in, he searched his partner’s eyes.
“We make more than enough as it is, Josh,” he stated softly.
“Yeah. I know that, Baas. I was just trying to look at the bright side of things here.”
He nodded and trailed a finger over the stitching adorning the back of the leather chair. “Do you really see SKALS branching through the community and doing door to door sweeps as a good thing?” he asked, without lifting his gaze.
A hesitant pause lingered between them as Josh thought things over. Sighing, he raked a hand through his dark hair and shrugged. “Look. I don’t know what the right answer here is, Baas. What I do know is we’ve been trained to follow orders without raising questions. Going against that now isn’t going to do either one of us any good.”
“You know what we are, Josh. You know what we do.”
“Yeah…I get that. But this isn’t about everyone else. It’s about protecting ourselves and our families.” Backing toward the door, Josh cast his arms open. “It seems like a pretty simple choice if you ask me.”
He stared after his partner for a long moment before lowering his head with a sorrowful shake. Josh was right. It should have been a simple choice—but in the end—it really wasn’t.
~*~*~*~
Taylor stirred, sensing she was no longer alone. Struggling to sit up, she smoothed her hands over her hair and straightened the blanket as her eyes darted around the room, trying to assess how long she’d been sleeping. The day had been as boring as it was long. There was only so much daytime television a person could stomach before they wanted to gouge their eyes out or stuff their ears full of cotton. By three, she’d opted to shut off the madness and lose herself between the pages of a book, but the small print made her head throb and the hours had continued to creep by.
She glanced up as Sebastian’s broad shoulders and lean form filled the doorway. The soft golden light spilling from the hall fell across his shoulders and played on the damp auburn highlights of his curls as he leaned against the archway and studied her. Gone was the long scruff that had covered his cheeks. A respectable five o’clock shadow stretched across his upper lip and chin in its stead, and the warm, chocolaty scent of his body spray lingered in the room between them. The sight of him filled her with an instant longing to close the distance and ease the loneliness that had consumed her for most of the day.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re home.” Smiling, she patted the seat beside her. He didn’t budge.
“Did you eat yet?”
Picking at the corner of the blanket, she lowered her eyes and shrugged. “Not yet. I was going to call something in, but I must’ve nodded off.”
His stare grew heavy and scrutinizing, but he said nothing. Searching for a way to break the silence, Taylor slowly released the breath she’d been holding.
“How was work?”
It seemed rhetorical given his mood, but it was all she had.
“It was a day,” he said, crossing the room.
Her wide eyes swung up to his as he settled onto the edge of the chaise lounge beside her. The muscles along his jawline twitched as he traced a finger over the top of her hand.
“Please, don’t ask about work right now, baby. We can talk about anything. Anything else at all, just not Marx and SKALS. I need somewhere, where even if just for a minute, I don’t have to think about them.”
He looked so lost and alone. Deep lines creased his forehead, and there was a lingering fear in his e
yes that scared the hell out of her. Her throat tightened with her nod. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Wrapping her hands around his, she gave them an affectionate squeeze. “Okay.”
Open relief washed over him, softening his handsome features. Leaning in, he caught her chin and stole a slow, drugging kiss. When he pulled back, he managed a trace of the dimpled smile that she’d come to crave.
“I don’t know about you,” he murmured, “but I’m starving.”
His stomach rumbled loudly, as if on cue, prompting them both to laugh.
“Nice one, Seb,” she teased, nudging his hip.
His expression hardened, but there was a definite sparkle in his eye as he leaned over her and rested his forehead against hers. “Watch it, darling. Sooner or later, you will be feeling better and there will be no baby between us acting as a buffer.”
She shivered at the husky menace in his voice. “That sounded an awful lot like a threat, Agent Baas.”
Releasing a low chuckle, he tipped her face toward his. “Have you learned nothing in our time together? I don’t make threats, Taylor. Only promises.”
Flushing a little, she hung her head.
“Get up,” he said, patting her thigh. “If nothing else, you can keep me company while I whip us up something to eat.”
A small niggling of guilt haunted her as she padded into the kitchen after him. It wasn’t so much that he was cooking; Sebastian often shared in the meal prep and clean up if he was home. It was more the feeling of uselessness hanging over her head. Lingering uncertainly in the broad arch between the kitchen and the hall leading to the dining room, she watched the play of the muscles in his back as he rummaged through the refrigerator.
“Sebastian, let me help. Let me do something. Please?”
