12. Excerpt from my newest series.
Excerpt from my newest series...
SEALing Her Fate - Book One - Operation: Curves
Ryan
I swipe my Aviators from across my brow, allowing the dusty heat of my hometown to kiss my bronzed skin for the first time in over a year.
“Home,” I whisper, searching across the landscape where I grew up.
Neat family homes line the streets. Each of them with a perfectly maintained front lawn. Giant towering trees shadow the road splitting the street. Everything is as green as the deep rainforests of Myanmar and a shiver trickles down my spine at the memory of our latest mission.
It’s top secret - of course. I couldn’t tell you if I wanted to. Being part of the top SEAL team means I’m sworn to secrecy. Divulging any facts of the General’s orders would violate the code that I’ve held my heart and sworn to uphold.
I jumped from a helicopter into a dark world of unknown with my brothers two months ago. They aren’t figurative brothers either. No. Not like my ‘NAVY Bro’s’ or anything like that. My family is a proud SEAL unit. All three of my brothers are on Seal Team Four alongside me.
The day my youngest brother, Jack ‘The Rig’ Brooks completed his BUD/S training we knew he was destined to join us at our post, which at the time was deep in the Middle East.
That’s what it’s like being a SEAL.
I’ve given my heart to my country.
I’ve sworn to protect my citizens and my homeland. No matter the cost.
And being on a team with three of my brothers, I’m protecting my own flesh and blood with every mission we’re assigned.
A shiny red vehicle slowly drives past, and the window rolls down. A whisper of a breeze cools my cheeks as an arm slides out of the car and waves. I lean down and see my old school friend Nate Jennings gripping the wheel.
“Ryan! Welcome home, mate!”
I tilt my head, allowing a tight smile. “Nate. Thanks.” I look over the roof of his flashy sports car to the family home I grew up in. “It’s good to be back.”
“I’ll say! You hanging out in Falls Creek for a while?” Nate’s brows shoot up and I notice the Championship Ring on his finger. “It’d be good to catch up. Maybe we can see a game? Those new hockey players are making an impact in the league.”
I snigger. I’ve been cut-off from the world of competitive sport while on assignment, but I’ve still heard about the bad boys of Falls Creek’s new ice hockey team.
“Sounds good to me, man.”
Nate flashes a grin. I know he’s a football man, but jocks are jocks, right?
“I’d better roll on. Welcome home, Ryan.”
The gentle hum of the expensive sports cars exhaust fades down the street. I cross over to open the tall white gate, strolling past the plush green gardens that my mother tended with her own bare hands. Gardening was her passion right before her and dad took of to Hawaii for a well-earned retirement.
“Storm! Oi, STORM!”
My heart races at the sudden yelling. My sensitivity to any sudden movement is still heightened. You try spending two months inside a jungle trying to decipher the difference between a monkey swinging through the trees and a guerrilla terrorist trying to stealth kill you from behind.
A slap on my back forces me to twist on the spot. My boots grip in the grass, but I manage to clench a fistful of the giant figure sneaking up on me and force him back with a hard shove. My heart is racing, and my teeth are clenched so hard they’re grinding out a squeaky noise.
“Whoa… Whoa…” Benjamin holds his hands up, his grey eyes pleading innocence. My older brother stumbles back and we’re inches away from squashing the blooming lilies. “Relax there, bud. Hold up.”
Benjamin finds his feet and pushes back against me. The second my brain focuses on his shaved head, the salt and pepper hair leads my narrowed gaze towards the scar above my older brother’s right eye. It’s unmistakable. I was there when that fucking asshole gave it to him – I thought he was done for.
“Shit,” I breathe, brushing down Benjamin’s shirt with shaky hands. “Sorry, man.”
“I know we just got back home, but you need to find a way to wind down.” Benjamin rolls his arm around me and leads me inside the front door of the house. We all share the family home mom and dad left for us whenever we return to Falls Creek. “It was tough out there. I get it.”
Tough? Tough?!
We were on the verge of being held prisoner, but yeah… it was tough.
“Here. Have a beer.”
Benjamin slides a beer across the counter, and I settle down at the breakfast bar. The familiar smell of home fills my lungs as I force deep breaths in. I remember sitting at this very bench with the man who’s pouring a bowl of tortilla protein chips into a bowl. We were kids. Teasing and tormenting each other so much we’d end up rolling on the floor, punching the shit out of each other. Mom would throw a bucket of water over us like we were wild dogs – it was the only way we’d stop laying into each other.
Ben’s always been someone I’ve looked up to. He leads by example. Both at home and on mission. He’s a natural leader, and someday, I know he’s going to make a damn good father.
“So, you going to catch up with that old flame of yours?” Ben sips his water and looks over the top of his glass to me, clearly trying to help my mind to relax.
“Who? Sarah?” I scoff, shaking my head at the thought of seeing my ex-girlfriend.
“Was that her name?” Benjamin looks away, but I know damn well he knows her name.
I swear when we were dating, Sarah and my brother had better chemistry than I ever had with her. We weren’t a good fit.
It’s always been that way with the ladies. I’ve never been in love. I’ve had girls. Women. It’s difficult to maintain a healthy relationship when you’re a military man, though. Not to mention the training I pushed myself through to become a SEAL. It takes up so much of your time and before you know it, you’re in a gun battle in the dusty backdrop of the Iraqi deserts.
“Yeah. Sarah McBride. She’s some sort of event planner or something these days…” I draw on my beer and lift my head to Benjamin. “Where’s your beer? What’s with the water?”
Ben lifts the glass of water to his lips and winks so the scar above his eye crinkles to a fold. “I’m not putting that shit in my body. We might be on leave, soldier, but your body is still your number one weapon.” Benjamin smirks and as he does, he looks over my shoulder and I feel that weird urgency rising in my blood again. “Speaking of weapons, here he is!”
“Boys.” Maverick, the other ‘middle child’ struts up and pulls a stool out beside me. He looks down at my beer and meets me with a confused frown. “Did the Commander give permission for intoxication?”
My eyes pop. “We’re on leave, right?”
“Yeah… I dunno, man. Here, hold it up next to your face and smile. I’ll send it to the General and ask him what he thinks.” Maverick’s expression is deadly serious. He grabs my beer and tries to push it against my face while he dives in his pocket for his phone.
“Fuck off!” I growl, forcing the freezing glass of my beer away from my cheek.
“What? Do you want us all to get in shit because you’re too much of a greedy fucker that you can’t abstain from alcohol the second you arrive home?”
Maverick pins me with a hard look and a gut-wrenching feeling twists in my stomach. He might be the shy brother, but he’s got me on edge right now.
“It’s… I’m…” I gasp for words and turn to Benjamin, begging him to back me up. He simply holds his hands up like he did a few minutes earlier in the garden. I turn back to Maverick and stare down at the beer.
I’m about to grab the bottle and tip it out when Maverick’s mask drops. He slaps me on the back and cackles a tormenting laugh.
“Just fucking with ya, Storm.” Maverick beams, his deep voice a different tone to his usual straight edged manner as he exclaims my ‘on-duty’ nickname. “I’m about to head out for another case. I assume you’ll be chipping in to cover the next one if you plan on drinking them all?”
Before I can reply, the youngest of us all bursts into the kitchen with a skip in his step. “Fuckers, fuckers, fuckers! How good is it to be home?”
I guess everyone is more relaxed than I am.
“What’s the plan, Jack?” Maverick spins on his chair and greets our younger brother.
Jack’s already stopped shaving. His beard is getting thick, and it’s only been four days. He knows the second the Commander in charge sees it when we return to California, it’ll be stripped off his face quicker than he can say ‘terrorist’, yet he insists on growing it every time we’re given leave.
“There’s a movie premiere in town,” Jack says.
Benjamin chokes on his water behind me. “A premiere? In Falls Creek?”
“Yeah.” Jack nods, holding the olive-green military hat he’s wearing. “Apparently some local chick did a lot of the voice over and special effects work, so they’ve come to town for a one-night special airing.”
Maverick and Jack start chatting about the movie. I sip my beer and sink into the chair. I’ve been set on getting the house to myself for a few hours ever since we arrived home. Judging by the way Benjamin’s face is lighting up at the animated description that Jack is giving about the new action film, I might just get that chance tonight.
“So, I’ve got four tickets. Here…” Jack reaches in his back pocket and passes around tiny white tickets which are stamped ‘PREMIERE’.
I grab mine and look down. Fuck.
“Come on.” Jack waves over his shoulder. Despite being the youngest, Jack has that leading quality that made him an instant favorite among the platoons. “We’d better get going. It starts soon.” My brothers all follow closely behind Jack, and I hesitate. “Ryan! Come on, man. We’ll miss the start!”
I clear my throat, clenching the ticket in my fist. “I think I might just hang out here, boys…”
Benjamin’s large steps fall silent on the wooden floorboards. Maverick’s swaying on the spot and he’s stolen my beer without me even noticing, but he’s glaring at me like I’m the enemy.
Jack takes a deep breath and retreats to my side. My stomach gives a weird jolt and I know my brothers well enough to know they’re not going to just abandon me. Especially not after what happened…
Jack clutches my shoulder, dropping so my eyes meet the deep coffee brown of my youngest brother’s eyes.
“We know that last mission was tough on you,” Jack says, his voice gentle. “But we’re home now.”
I gulp down. All three of my siblings are staring at me. Three giant Navy SEALs. Three huge heroes who I admire every single day. I think it’s sympathy they’re offering, but I can’t be sure.
We were all there. They saw what I saw.
No matter what, the Brooks brothers are always side by side. We might be on leave. And technically, right now, we’re not a unit.
Except we are.
We always are.
“Fine.” I puff my chest out and force a smile. “Fine. I’ll come.”
Before I know it, we’re stumbling out of the Jeep and across the scorching hot pavement towards a bustling crowd gathering at the edge of the theatre on Main Street. Events like this don’t come to small towns like Falls Creek very often, and I swear everyone in town is beaming like an excited dog as they approach the red carpet.
“Holy shit!” Jack beams at the head of our group. “This is incredible.”
Maverick and Benjamin follow closely behind, but something across the roped off section has me stumbling across to get a better view.
“Fuck…” I breathe, my chest suddenly exploding like a fucking hand grenade has gone off.
A short distance that feels too far away, stands a beautiful woman. Not just any woman. No. She’s the most stunning, curvaceous girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. Long brown hair, wavy like the ocean is drenched with streaks the color of sweet, sticky caramel. My heart skips a beat and I’m gripping the rope distancing me from the flowing dress that’s flapping in the gentle breeze.
My body straightens beneath the burning desire to jump the rope and go across to the gorgeous girl, and as it does, she spins and I nearly fall flat on my face.
I swear she looks at me. The honey brown of her eyes lingers, searching and scanning. My muscles tense and my hands curl around the rope, gripping so tight they’re shaking.
For a moment, I feel the heat between us, and then it’s gone.