Protecting Tessa (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Brotherhood Alliance #6)

Chapter 2

2

F ord McCallum inhaled a deep cleansing breath of crisp autumn air, letting it fill his lungs before releasing it. He took one last look at his family’s home before getting into his truck.

The white Cape-Cod-style house with its green shutters was his sanctuary growing up, filled with the comforting aromas of his mother’s cooking, the sweet smell of his father’s cigar, and the creak of the porch swing on a summer’s night as fireflies flickered.

Love and laughter once filled this place. Now it stood silent and dark.

So many happy first memories were made there—the swing set he and his dad built; working on fishing lures together; the birthday parties and holidays; his first car—a sweet Ford Mustang—bought with money he earned; his first kiss under the stars with his crush, Melody; his first sexual experience in the back seat of said Mustang, also with Melody; and finally graduating high school and following in his father’s footsteps when he made his decision to join the Army.

Ford had sold the house and carefully packed up anything of sentimental value and placed it in the back of his truck. It wasn’t much—a couple of photo albums, his father’s watch and service medals, and his mother’s wedding ring.

The rest of the furniture and clothes were donated to charity. There was no sense in holding on to the past. Another family would hopefully benefit.

The funeral had been intimate, just friends of his parents and a few close friends of his from the military under a gray sky with threatening dark thunderclouds.

Thankfully, it hadn’t rained.

After the twenty-one-gun salute and presentation of the flag in honor of his father’s military service, he left.

He had no relatives—both parents had been only children, just like him. Now they were together for eternity, buried in adjoining plots under a sprawling oak in the local cemetery.

Loss seemed to be a constant in his life. First, he lost his parents in a tragic car accident. Then he’d watched Pete, his best friend and brother—not by blood, but still—die in battle. He’d talked Pete into giving up college and joining the service with him. The weight of that never left him.

Now haunted by ghosts, he drove south toward Haywood Lake, Florida, the familiar mountains of his hometown giving way to vast farms and wide-open farmland and finally to palm trees and sunshine. Hopefully, the sunshine would chase away the dark shadows following him.

A while ago, an Army buddy mentioned that a group of veterans was providing protection services in the area. The idea intrigued him. It called on his sense of duty to protect the innocent.

Before the funeral, Ford got the job at the Brotherhood Alliance after a brief conversation with the director, Chase Maddox. He was thrilled to be working alongside men who had walked similar paths as he and to put to good use the skills he learned in the service.

The best part was living rent-free on campus in a cabin nestled among the trees, which allowed him to splurge on a more secluded place just outside of town, deep in the woods, where he could retreat when life got overwhelming.

The Brotherhood Alliance was a melting pot of backgrounds, yet united by shared experiences. They were a tight-knit group of men, all ex-military. Some had girlfriends, and some were married, a condition he hoped to avoid. The pain of loss was still too raw.

He, Zach Rodgers, and Titus Finch were single and lived on campus. He and Titus had started there at the same time but didn’t spend much time together.

Not that it mattered now.

Titus had a woman and would be moving in with her. Ford had helped Emelia Wells move into her apartment above her bakery and then guarded her when she was threatened by her ex-boyfriend. Titus was one lucky man. Emelia was outgoing, funny, smart, a fabulous baker, and sexy. Although he’d never tell Titus that. Not if he wanted to keep his balls intact.

None of that mattered, though; he wasn’t looking for a woman.

Eight Months Later

Ford sat at the long conference table in the command center. It was after work hours at Paws for Caring, so the few employees who worked there had gone home. Titus had just finished giving his update, and Chase turned to Ford.

“How about you, Ford?” Chase asked. “Any issues?”

Ford took his time answering. “No. I got the mom and kids out of their situation and safely to the shelter. The director helped settle them in.”

“Any problem with the dad?” asked Chase.

“Nope.” Ford smirked. “He might have a case of swollen balls for a while. But yeah, he finally saw the light.”

Boy, that had been a stressful case.

He was always amazed how much trouble followed people who least deserved it.

The dad was drunk and thought he’d get away with striking his wife in front of his screaming kids, then threatening her with more of where that came from if she left him.

Ford intervened and got the dad in a chokehold while the woman took her kids and got in his truck. Then dad thought he was a tough guy. A well-placed knee to the guy’s balls was rewarding, especially when he curled up on the floor, crying like a baby. Ford left him in the apartment with a few choice threats and got the little family to safety.

The shelter in town was one of the Brotherhood’s pet projects. They did a lot of free protection work for women and the occasional man who were in fear for their safety. The Alliance just recently branched out and took on paying projects, which he liked better. Emotions weren’t necessary to safeguard a client, only expertise and focus.

In a couple of days, if he didn’t have an upcoming job, Ford planned to head out to his cabin. The stress of work and the constant camaraderie with the guys was getting overwhelming. He felt alone in his thoughts and the familiar weight of guilt and the past creeping in.

He needed to clear his head and refocus. Just him and the peace of the woods. Although he’d learned the hard way peace never lasted.