CHAPTER TWO
Boone listened to Luna’s portion of the debriefing from their op last night and, as always, was impressed by her skills. Not only was she beautiful, but she was brilliant, too.
“With regard to the bio-patch data—other than a slight spike in heart rate at the moment you apprehended Al-Shamrami—all readings indicate you are all in peak physical condition.” She smiled at Calliope.
“However, Calliope’s heart rate was the only one that remained steady throughout the entire operation. ”
“Boom!” Calliope leaned across the table and knocked knuckles with Luna. She looked around the table at all of the large men. “Suck it, losers!”
“Way to go, babe.” Lucas high-fived her.
“Great,” Eddie said. “We’re never going to hear the end of it, are we?”
“No, you are not.” Calliope was barely over five feet, and she more than held her own with this bunch of alpha males.
Boone chuckled at his half sister’s cockiness.
He’d only found out he even had a half sister less than a year ago. She’d known nothing about him, either. When he originally called her to introduce himself, he had no way of knowing how much his life would change as a result.
She fully embraced the older sister role, even though they were only two years apart, and was determined to make up for all of the years that were “stolen from them” by their biological mother. Her words, not Boone’s.
Viking smiled and gave her a genuine, “Congrats, Calliope.”
The first time Boone saw Golden Bailey, aka Viking, the guy was walking toward him from across the compound parking lot.
Boone recognized immediately how he got his nickname.
At about six eight with long, wavy dark blond hair and shoulders broad enough to make him have to turn to get through a doorway, the dude looked like a damn Viking.
In contrast to his intimidating stature, he was probably one of the nicest, most polite humans Boone had ever met. And he was self-admittedly putty in the hands of his girlfriend, Marigold.
“Maybe your heart rate didn’t go up because you weren’t working as hard as we were.” Eddie lazily tossed a pencil at Calliope.
Lucas’s hand shot out, and he easily caught the pencil in midair, then set it on the table.
Calliope simply flipped him off.
“Anything else, Luna?” Cole crossed his arms on the table.
“Nope, that’s it.” She tapped a few keys and sat back.
Boone could tell by her sleepy eyes and dewy skin that she’d crashed at the ops center again. Was she really that busy, or was there something else keeping her from going home?
His curiosity about her was off the charts, and he’d tried to engage with her individually and within the group dynamic. But she had some serious walls up and was determined to keep him at arm’s length. She wasn’t rude or anything like that, just distant.
He’d started to look her up online one night and stopped himself. First of all, finding information about OSI employees online was impossible. Secondly, and most importantly, whatever details he learned about Luna, he wanted to hear from her lips and her lips only.
His eyes automatically fell to her mouth. Were those lips as soft as they looked? As warm as they looked?
“Boone, great job on restraining Al-Shamrami.” Cole’s voice snapped him back to the moment, and he dragged his eyes from Luna. “I can honestly say I’ve never seen it done quite that way before.”
“Using that method works well on a two-thousand-pound bull. A skinny, scumbag trafficker is a walk in the park by comparison.” Lassoing a human was much easier than roping steers any day.
Initially, his team gave him shit about carrying a rope on missions. Now, not so much.
“I’ve been meaning to ask if you can you teach me how to do that?” Calliope’s request did not surprise him.
She was a hell of a sniper and could handle herself in most hand-to-hand situations. That said, she was also acutely aware her diminutive size could put her at a disadvantage, so she was always looking for ways to even the playing field.
“Sure.” He lifted one shoulder. “Back home, a couple of our best ranch hands are women. They can ride the hell out of a horse, are incredibly adept with a lasso, and what they may lack in size, they make up for in determination.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.” Hawk spoke up for the first time as he side-eyed Calliope.
“Hey, whatever works.” She lifted one shoulder.
“How many cows does your family have?” Luna surprised him with her question. It was the first time she’d shown any interest in his personal life.
“Well, let me think.” He looked up at the ceiling and rubbed his hand down his jaw. “At last count, there were two hundred seventy-five head of Black Angus and a hundred thirty-seven head of Hereford.”
Her eyes rounded, and her mouth dropped open.
Eddie whistled low. “That’s a lot of steaks.”
“It most definitely is.” Boone chuckled, something he did a lot of around Eddie. “And some of the highest quality in the business.”
“Let’s wrap this up so you guys can get out to the obstacle course.
” Cole tapped the screen on the tablet in front of him.
“We liberated twenty-one kids last night, and they were taken to the hospital to get checked out. Other than a few cuts and bruises and a bit of dehydration, they’re doing okay.
Physically, anyway. ELC will make sure they’re returned to their families, if they have one, and will provide them with follow-on therapy. ”
ELC, Every Last Child, was a nonprofit foundation created by Dulce Lambert, Cole’s wife.
“What happens if they don’t have any family?” Boone had carried a little guy out last night who told him he didn’t have a mommy and daddy anymore and asked if he was going to live with him now.
His heart cracked wide open upon hearing that.
Didn’t matter how long he spent in a war zone or on this job; Boone was always shocked by the abuse people were willing to heap upon innocent children.
“They’ll be temporarily placed with caregivers specially trained on how to deal with kids who’ve been victims of trafficking.
But the goal is to find them a permanent home,” Cole said.
“To date, Dulce’s organization has placed over two hundred kids, either here in the States or in their home countries. ”
His voice was rich with pride for his wife.
“She’s an amazing woman.” Viking spoke from the far end of the table.
Folks around the table nodded in agreement.
“She is that.” Cole gave a quick nod.
“So, what’s the status of Al-Shamrami?” Luna turned her head to their boss, and her long ponytail whipped around to drape over Boone’s bare forearm where it rested on the arm of his chair.
Just as quickly, she shifted and it slid off, but not before a weird electrical charge scurried across his skin.
Shit, he was much too aware of this woman, and it was fucking with his concentration.
“He isn’t talking, just keeps asking for a lawyer.” Disgust dripped from Cole’s words.
“Guess he doesn’t understand how things work around here.” Lucas lounged back in his chair and clasped his hands together behind his head.
“He’s about to find out,” Cole said. “Andi should be here in about an hour, and she’ll take a run at him.”
One of the things that convinced Boone to come work for the O’Hallerans and Dark Ops was their freedom to operate by their own set of rules.
The O’Hallerans understood that life was seldom black-and-white, that justice was often found in the gray areas.
He also appreciated that they put an extremely high value on family, honor, and loyalty.
When you worked for them, you became part of their extended family. Having spent the first twenty-eight years of his life as an only child, Boone was still adjusting to having so many people in his sphere. He didn’t mind it, just—there were a lot of them.
“I’m looking forward to watching Andi in action.” He’d met most of the O’Hallerans—the ones that weren’t away on an op—when they first invited him to join the organization.
Andi was married to Jonathan O’Halleran, one of the five brothers.
He’d heard about her from some of the guys during his various deployments, long before he even knew OSI existed.
She’d served in some of the most dangerous territories in the region and had a reputation for getting information from less-than-cooperative individuals, especially captured enemy combatants.
“Is she bringing the munchkins?” Lucas was Jonathan’s cousin, and family connections were important to all of the O’Hallerans.
“No, she’s dropping Ashling and Declan off at Jeffrey and Maya’s place,” Cole said. “I guess the kids love hanging out with their daughter and her pygmy goats.”
Eddie slapped his hand on the table and laughed. “I still can’t believe badass Jeffrey Burke has pygmy goats.”
Cole looked up from his paperwork and one eyebrow—the one with a scar cutting through it— lifted. “I wouldn’t let him know you were laughing about that, if I were you.”
“Shit. You’re probably right.” Eddie’s smile fell, and he dropped back against his chair. A very uncharacteristic move for a typically unflappable, chest-out kind of guy.
Burke was the extremely powerful head of the NSA, National Security Agency, and not a man to be messed with. He was also close personal friends with the O’Hallerans. Beckett O’Halleran, the oldest sibling and founder of OSI, credited Burke with encouraging him to start the organization.
“We’ll see what Andi can get out of Al-Shamrami.” Cole pushed back from the table and stood. “Okay, we’re done here. Head to the range for some target practice, then finish with a timed run through the o-course. When you’re done with that, I want everyone to take a couple of days off. But—”
“Keep our cell phones handy,” they all said in unison.
One corner of their boss’s mouth lifted.
“Calliope and I are heading to the Turnbuckle for dinner later.” Lucas draped his arm over her shoulders. “Anyone want to join us?”
“Can’t tonight. Dulce’s folks have Carter for the whole night.” He tapped the edge of the file on the table. “So, I’m taking my beautiful wife out for a nice dinner.” Eddie opened his mouth, and Cole quickly added, “At a place that isn’t wrestling-themed.”
“Well, I’m in.” Eddie seemed to have all kinds of free time lately. He’d been out to Boone’s ranch three times in the past week—even helped muck out the stalls and throw fresh hay down for the horses. Strange for a guy that usually spent most nights wrapped around a woman … or two.
Boone appreciated the help—he just wondered what was up with his friend.
“Let me check with Charlotte, and I’ll let you guys know.” Hawk slipped his phone from his pocket and walked out of the room.
“I just texted Marigold, and she’s in,” Viking said. “After we’re done here, I’ll dash home and pick her up, then we’ll meet you there.”
Lucas turned to him. “Boone?”
“Count me in.” He’d take Sassy out for an extra-long ride tomorrow.
His big brownish-red mare was officially named Sassafras, but she’d earned the nickname Sassy after trying to toss him off the first time he tried to mount her.
Once she learned she could trust him and that he was the boss of her, she settled down and became one of the best horses he owned—and he owned several.
Though, aside from Sassy and Patience, the other horse he transported here to Virginia, the rest of them were still back at his folks’ place in Wyoming.
“Luna?” Calliope snuggled against Lucas’s side. “Can you join us?”
“Um, I have a few things to finish up here.” She gave Boone a sideways glance.
He lifted one eyebrow, silently challenging her to come up with an excuse not to go. And, dang if she didn’t surprise the hell out of him with her response.
She lifted her chin to look him straight in the eyes, drew her shoulders back, and said, “But, sure, I’d be happy to join you.” She gave him a so, there kind of look before turning to the others. “See you out at the o-course.”
He almost chuckled but didn’t want to risk her changing her mind.
She hugged her laptop to her chest, skirted around him, and walked out of the briefing room.
“Patience is a virtue, my man.” Lucas clapped him on the back, then he and Calliope followed Luna out.
Boone headed to the locker room to change. He’d enjoyed seeing the spark in those blue eyes of hers. Her being mad at him was better than her shutting him out completely. It told him he was making some progress on breaking through that stranglehold she kept on her emotions whenever he was around.