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Sinclaire “Sin” Sevier held up a hand. “No, no, no. What the hell kind of toast is that? We need something stronger, more masculine—”
“And kickass?” Their waitress, Danielle French, propped her tray on one hip and her fist on the other. “How about, To inflated egos, muscle-bound, spitting, farting and beer-drinking men who’ve taken Bayou Mambaloa by storm?”
Gerard laughed. “That’s closer to the truth.”
“No, it needs to be something grand and memorable,” Sin said.
“What Danni said was memorable.” Lucas LaBlanc lifted his mug. “Here! Here!”
The others joined him, shouting at the tops of their lungs.
Sin’s lips curled in disdain. “I’m in with a bunch of ingrates who wouldn’t know pomp and circumstance if it bit them in the butt.”
“We can’t toast anyway until Remy gets here,” Beaux Boyette noted. “He’s our leader. He needs to be the one to bless this motley crew.”
The others nodded and drank their beer.
Rafael “Romeo” Romero set his mug on the table and wiped the foam from his mouth. “So, who do you think will get the first assignment?”
“Remy and Gerard had the first assignment before the rest of us got here,” Valentin Vachon reminded them.
“True,” Beaux said. “Now that the building is cleaned out and we’re all settled in either the boarding house or other accommodations, we need to work to earn the pay we’re getting from Hank Patterson at our higher headquarters in Montana.”
“It’s only a matter of time,” Gerard said. “Hank’s got connections. I’m sure he was waiting for us to settle things here before he opened the floodgates.”
Romeo clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly. “I hope I’m assigned to guard a rich heiress. Be nice to live the high life after digging foxholes in the sandbox.”
Jacques Jardine snorted. “Won’t that put a crimp in your efforts to woo the pretty gift shop owner?”
“I’m not wooing anyone,” Romeo said.
“You spend a lot of time in that gift shop,” Jacques said.
Romeo frowned. “She has interesting things to look at.”
Jacques laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“I’m not wooing her,” Romeo insisted.
Xavier Xander leaned forward, his eyebrows arching. “Then you won’t mind if I go after the gorgeous Gisele?”
Romeo’s eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a straight line. Finally, he shrugged. “She has a mind of her own.”
“Fair game,” Xavier said with a grin.
“I’d go for protecting a rich tycoon on his yacht in the Mediterranean.” Valentin brought them back to their wish lists. “Been a while since I’ve been on a marine mission.”
“I wouldn’t mind being a bodyguard to a wealthy financial advisor,” Beaux said. “I could use some good tips to increase the value of my investment portfolio.”
Gerard lifted his beer. “I’ll take anything I can get. I don’t like sitting around twiddling my thumbs.” As he lifted his mug to his lips, his cell phone vibrated on the table in front of him.
Romeo leaned over and grinned. “It’s Remy. Maybe he’s got something for you…?”
Gerard lifted the cell phone and received the call.
Before he could say hello, Remy jumped in with, “Gerard, I have an assignment for you.”
Gerard glanced up at the men all staring at him. “Great. I’m ready. What do I have to do?” His mind sped ahead of Remy with thoughts of guarding an heiress, a politician or a celebrity.
