AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How interesting. I understand the reintroduction of wolfs to the ecosystem has helped to create a better balance for the plants and wildlife in the area.”
“We’re working through issues with local ranchers. The wolves don’t care if their meal is dear or beef. The ranchers do, and they tend to shoot the wolves.” Chelsea sighed. “It’s all a delicate balance. Speaking of which…it’s nice to have another female around this testosterone fest. Right, Kyla?”
The same height as Chelsea, Kyla’s lean, athletic body looked like she could take a full-grown man down with her hands. Yeah, she was tall and intimidating.
She took Breely’s hand in a very firm, almost painful, grip. “Breely,” she said with a curt nod.
“Kyla.”
“We like Moe,” the dark-haired woman stated, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t fuck with his head.”
The implied or else made Breely’s knees wobble. “You’re the assassin turned tech support.” Breely tightened her grip to equal the pressure Kyla was using.
“Don’t let Kyla scare you,” Chelsea said. “She’s retired from her work as an assassin. Now that she and Stone are a thing, she’s getting all soft and squishy.”
Kyla glared at Chelsea. “I’m not soft and squishy.”
Stone coughed, “Bullshit.”
“Look. I don’t go out and kill people with guns or knives. I know how to inflict more pain and never fire a bullet or wield a blade.”
“How do you manage that?” Breely asked. “Are your hands and feet registered as lethal weapons?”
“I guess they could be. But it’s not hands and feet I use to cut down my enemies.” She wiggled her fingertips and grinned, softening her features to an almost a squishy appearance. “I use my fingers.”
“Poke out a person’s eyeballs? Sever the jugular. Rip out a heart?”
Kyla’s brow twisted. She glanced over her shoulder at Stone. “She’s a bloodthirsty debutante.”
Breely’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not a debutante. That would infer I’ve been presented to wealthy social circles, attended a posh private school or gone to a cotillion. I’ve done none of that.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Now, if you need a fence mended, a bull calf castrated or someone with small arms to shoe them into a heifer’s hoo-hah to turn a breach calf…” she jammed a thumb toward her chest, “I’m your girl. I can’t dance, I’m socially awkward and I’ve never mastered smoky eyes. I bought this dress online five years ago and never had a place to wear it until now. And these gorgeous shoes are giving me a blister.”
“Tell it, sister!” Chelsea gave her a high-five and a fist bump.
Kyla’s eyebrows rose into the hair falling over her forehead. “Damn, girl. Remind me not to piss you off. You’ve got wicked skills hiding under that slinky dress.”
“You know you don’t have to dress formally here,” Stone said. “All Cookie asks is that your jeans don’t have huge holes and you wear a shirt and shoes to the table.”
Breely laughed. “I should be able to follow those rules with my eyes closed.”
Bubba pointed to a red scar on his forehead. “I don’t recommend it. This place is a maze. With the lights out, it’s exponentially dark and dangerous. Especially for those of us who are vertically challenged by six-foot-tall doorframes.”
A man with brown hair and brown eyes elbowed his way past Bubba and held out his hand. “Carter Manning.” When she started to take his hand, he pulled back, and his eyes narrowed. “You did wash your hands after sticking it inside that heifer’s hoo-hah, didn’t you?” He winked and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Another man with brown hair and piercing brown eyes stepped up. “Hunter Falcon.”
“You’re the Delta Force guy, right?” She shook his hand and looked around at the men. “Thank you for your service to our country.”
They nodded as one, all staring at her, expecting her to say something. These men had so much life experience, what could she add that would begin to sound interesting?
Not a damn thing. Silence stretched as Breely scrambled for something intelligent to say, her cheeks heating.
“Take your seats,” a booming voice called out, breaking the silence. “Dinner is served.”
Moe leaned close to Breely. “That would be Cookie.”
A short, stocky man with a shock of unruly white hair and bright blue eyes entered the dining room.
“That’s right. Make it quick before this food gets cold.” Behind him came an even shorter, wiry man with brown hair and brown eyes. “The second guy is Tinker, our master mechanic.”
