Sinjin (HC Heroes #9)

Chapter One

I f his presence hadn’t been needed in Texas, Sinjin Acothley would’ve stayed in Mexico a few extra days after his assist in ridding the world of the dangerous scumbag who’d abducted the sister of his military brother, Holden.

He’d earned a little R and R.

A sneer twitched his top lip. That was crazy thinking. Not the ridding part, the R and R part. He didn’t rest or relax, he worked.

Two jobs.

One was on an as-needed basis for an off-the-books operation he’d joined after leaving the military; the other was temporary for a Delta Force buddy who owned a security and investigation company an hour southwest of Houston.

Sinjin had left active duty around the same time as Mac and a few others, but instead of heading to Texas, he and another Delta brother, Hunter, had started working shadow ops for a former colonel.

Since then, the only R and R Sinjin had known was ridding the world of madmen without regret.

His mother had died at the hands of one. Sinjin was fourteen at the time and ever since that day, he’d vowed to be an instrument of justice.

There hadn’t been any for Evangeline St. John Acothley.

His father hadn’t done a damn thing except hide behind his badge.

“You’re doing it again,” Hunter said, snapping him back to the present. “Get out of that headspace, man. It’s toxic.”

He blinked the bar and grill—Texas Pub—back into focus, and the sound of laughter and chatter returned to his ears.

Agreeing to meet up with a few of the guys upon his return from Mexico was a stupid idea. Hell, he wasn’t going to eat or drink anything, anyway. Sinjin only consumed what he prepared himself. It was too dangerous…in his other line of work.

“Sometimes the past is best left in the past.” The concern wrinkling his friend’s brow was as earnest as his words.

A few months back, Hunter had walked away from the shadow organization and began working for Mac. Sinjin had found it odd. He was under the impression the only way a person left black ops was in a black bag.

Suited him just fine. Not Hunter.

Still, the colonel had accepted his buddy’s resignation and had even sent Sinjin to Texas to help Hunter when his woman and her young son were targeted by Tate Ackerman, the leader of a biker gang. The bastard was bad news. An arms dealer, drug dealer, murderer, rapist, with a reach too long for charges to stick.

A madman.

The kind Sinjin normally took out—on foreign soil.

Sanctioned ops excluded anyone in the United States. Colonel Bateman was currently lobbying for an exception where this one percenter leader was concerned, even though the bastard was now behind bars. It was the reason Sinjin was still in Harland County and temporarily employed by his friend.

“Your loner days are over. We’ve got your six,” Mac said, his gaze steady with an unspoken offer to make his position permanent.

The guy was the only other person besides the colonel who knew the real reason Sinjin was in Harland County.

Working for Levi “Mac” McCall at ESI—Eagle Security and Investigation—alongside several of their military brothers, had been a bit of an adjustment from Sinjin’s actual job. But surprisingly, it didn’t suck.

What amazed him the most was how easily he slipped back into his old Delta Force training and had no issues working as part of a team. The past two years, only relying on himself to complete missions hadn’t interfered with any of his ESI orders. Other than his eating habits, he was practically back to his old Delta self.

He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

Still holding Mac’s gaze, he nodded. “Roger that.”

Although he appreciated the offer, he had no intention of staying once his original job was completed. The world revolved around the sun. Life moved on, and so would he.

Just like his neighbor.

The college kid had moved out last week and today, Sinjin had noted, already there was a new car in the driveway. A new tenant had moved in during the few days he’d been gone.

Since experience had taught him that it was best to know exactly who resided nearby, he’d committed the plate number to memory and intended to run it when he got home.

With luck, this new neighbor would be a lot quieter and less disturbing than the previous party hearty dude.

“Good. Now that we’ve got that settled, tell us again about Griff and Holden’s sister.” Carter, one of his former D-Force brothers leaned closer from across the table. “They really hooked up?”

Never one to gossip, Sinjin shrugged. Besides, he’d just delivered a SITREP on his recent vacation in the Yucatan.

The others were aware he’d gone to assist another former D-Force buddy at the request of one who was still on active duty. In that briefing, he’d also mentioned Griff and Hope were together, and that Holden approved of the relationship.

“What’s so odd about that?” Dex, another army brother asked, shifting his gaze to Carter. “I think Rylee and me and Cooper and Abby have proven there’s nothing wrong with dating the relative of a buddy.”

He agreed. Griff was the perfect match for Holden’s adventurous sister. Sinjin had also expected the other two matches Dex mentioned to happen. The undercurrents were always apparent to him, so the unions of his friends to the sisters of their military buddies had never come as a surprise.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Carter said with a grin. “I just didn’t remember Griff and Hope ever meeting before.”

“Don’t think they did,” Dex said, reaching for his beer.

“Ah. I see.” Carter sipped his own then nodded. “Griff was captivated at first sight like I was with my wife.”

“That’d be my guess,” Mac said, breaking his silence. “Happened to me when I first saw Stef.”

“Well, duh.” Carter smirked. “Didn’t you find her in your bed?”

Mac chuckled. “Yep.”

Sinjin felt his brows shoot up. Apparently, he’d missed that story.

As Mac filled him in on how he’d met his wife, Sinjin’s lips twitched. The motion wasn’t as foreign as it had been before arriving in Harland County. Being around his buddies and their women often made him smile, even though he didn’t always show it.

“Man, I can hardly wait.” Carter chuckled, sitting back in his chair.

Dex frowned. “Wait for what?”

“To watch the captivation of Sinjin,” the idiot replied, sending Sinjin’s brows back up.

“Not going to happen,” he muttered.

The goofball was loco for even thinking it. No woman in her right mind would want to be with someone who had no heart to give, and especially not a guy without a soul.

The point was moot anyway, since he’d never met a female with “captivating” qualities.

A second later, awareness skittered down his right side before a blur of blue tripped, probably on Mac’s chair, while trying to sidestep a waiter carrying a full tray of food.

Without thinking, he reached out and caught two white takeout bags with one hand, and a soft, warm woman with his other, pulling her down onto his lap to avoid the collision.

“Oh my God.” Her voice was breathless with an ethereal quality that triggered a shockwave to his brain, while she blinked at him with eyes the same shade as the scrubs covering her curves. “I’m so sorry. I-I don’t know how that happened. Did I hurt you?”

Hurt? No. Shock? Hell, yeah.

He inhaled and shook his head in an attempt to clear an unfamiliar fog rolling through him. Damn. She smelled like lilacs. Warmth spread through his chest. Lilacs were his mother’s favorite flower. The scent and the scrubs reminded him of a happier time in his childhood when his mother would pick blossoms from a bush in their yard and shove it in her hair after a shift at the hospice.

“Don’t worry about him,” he heard Carter say. “He’s just busy being captivated.”

That syphoned some of the fog from his brain.

“I’m fine,” Sinjin finally replied, wishing he could get his hands to obey his brain and set her on her feet.

She wore her brown hair back in a ponytail, giving him an unobstructed view of her delicate features. High cheekbones, full lips perfect for kissing, and azure eyes that beckoned like a tropical sea all increased her allure.

“You have great reflexes,” she said, still staring into his eyes. “I can’t believe you caught me and my bags. Thanks for saving me from causing a mess.”

He hadn’t prevented shit. The woman was causing a mess…with his pulse.

“Sinjin has many great qualities,” Carter said.

He flicked a hard gaze to the stooge who sat across from him grinning.

Dumbass.

“Oh, hi, Carter. Hi, Hunter,” she said, scrambling to her feet.

Relief mixed with a large wave of disappointment Sinjin immediately squashed. There was no room in his life for that foolish emotion. Besides, shock continued to rule his brain.

How did she know his friends? He was aware of everyone associated with each of his buddies. It was his job. His nature. A necessity to keep danger at bay.

“How was your first day at the hospital, Isla?” Hunter asked. “Had to be tiring after the full day you put in yesterday at the shelter.”

His buddy just provided the answer. This lady must be a new volunteer at the local animal shelter where Carter, Hunter, and their women all volunteered, too.

The guy also supplied a first name. Isla. Fitting. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Just like it was silent in the word “island”, the “S” was silent in her name, and her gorgeous blue eyes reminded him of a warm tropical sea.

Jesus.

He shook his head, hoping the whimsy fell out.

Perhaps he’d soaked up too much heat and sun in the Mexican jungle. He wasn’t thinking straight.

“It was good. Great, actually,” she answered Hunter with a smile while a pretty blush filled her cheeks. “A little scary and a lot exciting. Can’t wait for next Friday’s clinical.”

Hunter went on to introduce the nursing student to Mac and him, confirming what he’d already gleaned about the shelter, but she hadn’t been there to volunteer. She’d been there to adopt.

“I didn’t find a match,” she said with a sigh. “But I’ll try again in a few days. I’ll know her when I see her. Or him.”

Carter’s gaze slowly moved to Sinjin before transferring to Isla. “Matches have a way of showing up when you least expect them.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Your wife told me they get animals in all the time.” Her gaze flicked to Mac. “It was nice meeting you.” Then she turned to him and removed the bags from his hand he hadn’t realized he was still holding. “Thanks again, Sinjin, for saving me from making a complete fool of myself. I’m only mildly mortified.”

The way she poked fun at herself only added to her appeal. He fought the urge to answer her grin with one of his own.

Now that he knew of her presence, he had no intention of talking to her again. A wide berth would curb his unwanted reactions.

Still, not wanting to appear rude, he nodded. “My pleasure.”

Shit.

That wasn’t at all what he’d intended to say. In fact, he hadn’t meant to speak at all. Judging by the snicker coming from Carter and the smiles on the others’ faces, he’d just made a colossal mistake.

“Did you walk here?” Hunter asked Isla as she adjusted a small purse across her body.

She nodded, lifting her hand that clutched the takeout bags. “Yes, it’s not far.”

“Still, it’s getting dark,” Mac said.

“No worries.” She shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

A tingling sensation began to prick Sinjin’s shoulder blades. He didn’t like the gleam in the eyes of all four of his buddies.

“We know you will because Sinjin can walk you home.” The grin on Carter’s face only added to Sinjin’s annoyance.

Bastard.

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary,” she said, shaking her head. “No need to go through the trouble.”

A sinking suspicion settled over his chest and the reason he was volunteered became clear when Dex spoke.

“It won’t be any trouble at all because Sinjin lives across the street too.”

Her eyes widened and another rush of color flooded her cheeks. “You do?”

“Yeah,” Carter answered for him. “Meet your new neighbor.”

Aw, hell.

This one was definitely going to be more disturbing than the party dude.