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“No.” He walked over and handed his phone to Kyle. “Take a look at these.”
Kyle frowned. “Where did they come from?”
“A contact of mine at the FBI. And they were taken yesterday. Looks a hell of a lot like our Natalie, don’t you think?”
“Who’s this contact?” Kyle gave him a wary look. “Can they be trusted? Are you sure the time stamp hasn’t been tampered with?”
“Her name’s Hayley Stevens. She works on their cyberintelligence team, and yeah. I think we can trust her. She’s got her own reasons for wanting to find Natalie, so she’s got plenty of incentive to play nice with us. She knows we can help her.” He crossed his arms. “But if you want to get your own take on her, you’re in luck. We’re due to meet her at McGruff’s.”
Kyle gave Scotty a pointed stare, then concentrated on the photos again.
“Hayley, eh?” Spencer pushed to his feet and moved in beside Scotty. “Is she hot?”
“Shut up.” Scotty gave his friend a dirty look. He’d barely had a chance to get to know Hayley himself. Meeting the rest of his team so soon would likely be overwhelming for her, but it’s what she’d wanted. “She wants all of you to come.”
“Cool.” Gage said. “Always a pleasure meeting one of your girls, man.” He grinned. “Plus, it’ll give us a chance to make sure she’s trustworthy.”
“Of course she’s trustworthy.” Scotty did his best to keep the edge from his tone and failed miserably, if the impassive look Gage gave him was any indication. “I’m not a fool.”
“Don’t get your undies in a wad.” Spencer slapped him on the back, then tossed his empty beer bottle across the room and into the recycle bin. “If she falls for one of us instead, you’ll just have to deal.”
“Hayley’s not falling for anyone. She’s got a job to do, that’s all.” A small muscle jerked near his clenched jaw, and he forced himself to relax. Why the hell he was getting so worked up about a woman he barely knew? Yeah, Hayley seemed smart and funny, and that body… A man could lose himself in those wicked curves and die happy. But that was no reason to get tangled up in his head and snap at his team. They were the ones who had his back. They were his family. Women were temporary, and so was love—you sure as hell couldn’t count on it to last. He’d learned that lesson more times than he could count, in one foster home after another. But brotherhood? That was forever.
He turned and headed for the door. “Well, if you jackasses are ready, let’s go. And try not to act like your usual selves.”
“Whatever. Girls can’t get enough of me,” Spencer said as he passed by.
“Right.” Scotty waited until they’d all exited, then secured the door behind them. “As evidenced by the fact you haven’t gotten laid since mullets were in.”
“I get laid plenty.” Spencer followed Kyle and Gage out into the overcast afternoon.
“Sorry, bud. Your own hand doesn’t count,” Gage said over his shoulder.
They walked half a block down to the corner pub. McGruff’s was dark and smoky and served the best bar food this side of the Potomac. After securing a table in the corner, Gage headed to the jukebox to complete his usual survey of the room and hopefully pick out some good tunes. Spencer excused himself to go to the bathroom and double-check the exits. And Kyle ordered them a round of beers, then hiked his chin toward the door. “Looks like your gal’s right on time.”
“Dammit. She’s not my—” Scotty swiveled toward the entrance, and his breath caught in his chest. With the daylight behind her, Hayley’s red hair looked like a halo around her angelic face. All the blood from his head shot straight to his groin. “Yeah, that’s her. How’d you know?”
Kyle didn’t answer.
Scotty waved Hayley over, and she approached their table, her smile a little hesitant as Gage and Spencer rejoined them. He fought the urge to scoop her up in his arms and hold her close, instead fisting his hands against his thighs as he made the introductions. “Hayley, these are the members of SEAL Team Ten.” He went around the table: Kyle, Gage, Spencer. Each stood and gave her a crisp handshake—Spencer’s accompanied by a slow once-over. Hayley didn’t seem to notice, but still. He was gonna have to kick Spence’s ass later.
“Have a seat.” Scotty gestured to the chair beside him.
He caught a whiff of her sweet strawberry scent as she settled into her seat, and his pulse kicked higher. Not helpful. Not helpful at all. The other guys stared at him, so he did his best to make useful conversation. “We, uh, saw the photos you sent. Pretty interesting.”
“I’ll say.” She glanced at Kyle, then lowered her voice, speaking directly to Scotty. “I had a feeling after we searched the house last night that someone had planted that newspaper article, but it never occurred to me she might have done it herself.”
“Wait. You were at Nick’s house last night too?” Kyle scowled, looking at Scotty accusingly.
“What? You told me to check the place out again.” Scotty narrowed his gaze.
“I meantalone.” Kyle started to say more, but sunlight sliced over the front of the bar as the door opened, making all of them look up and cutting off whatever else he’d been going to say.
“Aw, hell,” Gage said, sinking lower in his chair. “We’ve got company.”
Scotty scanned the new arrivals, a bevy of black-suited clones, then glanced sideways at Hayley. “You were followed?”
“My boss assigned me some backup when I told her I’d be doing fieldwork. I thought I’d lost them.” Color blossomed over her cheeks. “Sorry.”
