Chapter 35
“You look damn good for a woman who died three different times.”
Before I could volley a comeback to Zane, Brooks growled.
“Too soon?” Zane laughed.
“Yeah, too soon,” he answered.
“It’s been like three months,” Zane reminded him.
“It could be three years or thirty years and it’d still be too soon.”
I closed my eyes and tilted my head up, relishing the warm Southern California rays.
I’d never thought I’d step foot back into San Diego.
I’d left embarrassed, with my tail tucked between my legs.
Actually, I didn’t leave so much as I fled.
As soon as my divorce was final, I packed my stuff into a storage unit and got out of Dodge.
Now I was back, even if only for a few days.
Commander Storm North had requested a meeting with the team.
NCIS and the FBI had already closed the case on now-deceased Captain Isaac Chambers, the man the Bitoo brothers had been working with.
We had been correct, the Bitoos had doubled-crossed Lucre and gone out of the auction.
The mistake had cost them their lives. They’d thought they’d keep the holding fee Al Issa had paid them and they’d get a cut from Captain Chambers once the tablets were sold.
“Zane,” Ivy, Zane’s wife, scolded. “It’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was giving her a compliment. Everyone’s so sensitive.”
Before Brooks could defend himself, I jumped in. “Thanks, boss, glad you noticed.”
Zane smirked and I knew he was getting ready to piss me off, or Brooks. He only got that gleam in his eyes when he was gearing up to be a sarcastic asshole. “You ready to start earning your keep? After months on my payroll, I’ve yet to get my money’s worth out of you.”
God, he was a jerk. Or at least that’s what he wanted everyone to think.
When I woke up after my surgery, he’d been sitting by my bed with the rest of the team.
As soon as I was stable enough to move, he demanded I be taken to Germany for recovery.
My team never left my side. Then there was Brooks.
My guardian. He’d stood watch over me like a sentry. He’d been loving and patient.
Zane had put the Omni case on hold, I guess this was his way of telling us we had work to do. “I’ve been ready. You’re the one who ordered me on bedrest. Not that I’ve minded.” I wagged my eyebrows for emphasis and Ivy laughed.
“She’s not?—”
“I am, Brooks. And you know I’m right. I was cleared two weeks ago. We have a mission to carry out. And I need to get back into the fight.”
“But—”
“Wasn’t it you who reminded me how strong I was? You who told me I was brave? Don’t take that away from me. So what, I have two new scars. A wise man told me to wear them proudly. I’m ready.”
“You’re right.” He pulled me close and tucked me under his arm. God, I loved when he did that.
“Great. We done with the touchy feely shit? We got work to do.”
Ivy rolled her eyes at her husband. “He likes touchy feely shit. He just pretends he doesn’t.”
“Ghost’s team hit pay dirt when they found Al Issa’s laptop.” Brooks went solid at Zane’s reminder. He was still struggling with what he called a failed mission.
In the beginning, when I woke up and was told a Delta team had been sent in to take out the man whom I felt was supposed to be mine, I’d felt cheated.
I wanted to be the one who ended his miserable life.
Brooks had thought I’d be disappointed in him that he hadn’t exacted revenge.
Why he’d thought that, I had no clue. He chose me.
Instead of leaving and completing the op he stayed by my side and had been there when I came out of surgery.
He was the first thing I saw when I’d opened my eyes after my heart had stopped beating three times.
I was grateful Ghost and his team were able to finish what we’d started.
The first step in the destruction of Omni was complete.
And with the intel they’d found at the prince’s palace, Tex and Garrett had been able to piece together more of the puzzle.
Militrix and Lucre were both dismantled.
Zane had decided to leave Falcon Holdings untouched.
We’d all agreed they held the answers we needed.
“You’re headed to Mexico,” Zane told us. “But before you head out, I was hoping you could talk to your friend, Faith, at the animal rescue. See if she can give you any insight into how these dogfighting rings work.”
“I can’t believe we’re looking into dogfighting.” Kyle shook his head. “I would’ve never believed there're millions of dollars running through underground fights.”
“And where there’s illegal money, there are men who don’t want to lose their piece of the pie. These men aren’t to be underestimated,” Zane warned.
“Is that Rocco?” Max cut into the conversation.
We all turned to look. A man was walking across the parking lot with a woman tucked close to his side. Much like how Brooks held me.
“Yeah, that’s him.” Brooks belted out a loud whistle and I cringed.
“Damn. Warn a woman, would you?”
“Sorry, Doll.” Brooks kissed the top of my head just as I knew he would. He was predictable if nothing else.
Rocco glanced up, but not before he stepped protectively in front of the woman, hiding her from our view.
The men chuckled as if they weren’t the same kind of men.
I’d never seen Ivy more than a foot away from Zane, he was always near her, ready to jump in front of her if the need were to arise.
And Brooks? He was as caveman as they came.
His attentiveness went beyond societal politeness, it knew no bounds. And I was all right with that.
“I heard you guys were in town. I was hoping we’d run into you. This is my girlfriend, Caite McCallan,” he proudly introduced.
This was the famous Caite. The woman who had single-handedly rescued three SEALs and had started the domino effect that had caused Captain Chambers’ plan to unravel. Good for her. And by the looks of it, she’d caught herself a good man out of the ordeal.
More introductions were made and pleasantries exchanged when Rocco spoke again. “If you guys aren’t busy, there’s a barbeque down at the beach tonight. Every couple of months?—”
“Yeah, I know what happens every couple of months. I just got done reading the SITREP from your last beach party. While I think that a little shootout at what’s equivalent to a company party is perfectly acceptable fun, even I’m not?—”
“Goddammit, Zane. You’re scaring her,” Ivy admonished. “I apologize on my husband’s behalf. He’s been hit in the head too many times.” She was talking to Caite but then looked at Rocco. “We would love to join you at the beach. Zane has promised me a vacation out of this trip. We’ll start tonight.”
“I’m not scared of him.” Caite waved her hand in Zane’s direction.
What had started out as a few chuckles from the guys turned into an all-out roar of laughter.
“Great. Just perfect. I’m losing my edge. Baby, you have got to stop telling people not to be afraid of me,” Zane grumbled.
He was so full of shit.
“Do I know you?” Caite asked me. “You look familiar.”
“We actually met in Bahrain.”
“Yes. When I was arranging the job fair.” She was correct. I’d gone to check out the museums that would be attending, hoping to find new leads on artifacts.
“Good memory.”
“So, we’ll see you tonight?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
A picnic on the beach sounded awesome. Tomorrow we had a full day planned sorting through the contents of my old life. It was time to junk the past.
“Come on, ma petite fée. Time to go home.”
Rocco smiled down at Caite as a pretty blush graced her cheeks.
“I think it’s time we go home, too,” Brooks whispered.
Damn, I loved the sound of that. Home with Brooks. Even if home was a hotel room.