CHAPTER TWO
NOAH
Present day
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“All right, all right. Quiet down. Jesus.” Josh curses, then lets out a rip-roaring whistle across the room.
Aidan plugs one finger in his ear.
He’s not the only one doing it.
“They teach you that in SEAL training?” Ryder asks.
“They didn’t teach you?” Josh lifts a brow and smirks.
“Nah, bro, we learned how to catch the bad guys,” Ryder replies, and those close to the banter snigger.
“What was your department called again?” Josh shoots back, knowing the former Delta Force operator can’t answer that. We all know it exists. But we don’t... if you know what I mean.
I suppress my yawn.
It’s just a normal Monday morning team meeting here at Black Hawke Security.
Except it isn’t.
Something feels different.
The room is filled with all the men and women who work in the organization, from the tech team, the paramilitary field employees and office staff.
There are also a bunch of new faces, which hasn’t gone unnoticed. Let’s just say by their bulk and the way they hold themselves, they certainly aren’t joining the accounts team.
I snort to myself, and Liam shoots me a quizzical look.
But yeah, instead of the usual field operators, like me, a few tech guys, and management, today, everyone is here.
“Christ, it’s like herding sheep. Phones off. Boots off chairs. Act like you had a mother and a father at some point in your childhood.” Josh takes another sip of his coffee, then places the mug on the desk and faces the room, hands planted on his hips.
Aidan steps up beside him, reading something on his phone, then lifts his face.
I guess we’re about to find out what this is all about. From the looks on the faces around me, I’m not the only one wondering.
“I know some of you had to move things to be here. Especially those on different shifts.” Aidan nods around the room. “Appreciate it.”
“We wanted as many of the team here as possible to make a couple of official announcements.” Josh looks to be making eye contact with everyone in the room. “First, Aidan is pregnant.”
Deep chuckles fill the room as Aidan shakes his head. “Even if that were possible, I have enough with the twins, thank you very much.”
Josh fights the urge to smirk but then turns serious.
I’m curious as hell.
“Black Hawke Security started as an idea when Aidan and I were ready to leave our posts and go private. I can’t tell you how unpopular we are right now, handpicking some of the best SEALs, Marines, snipers, pilots, and other experts from the armed forces.”
“And yet...” Aidan grins.
“And yet, they love us. Well, love is a strong word.” Josh laughs. “Some of you are more familiar with the black ops arm of the business. We’re doing less work in that area, but it’s not dormant.”
I lower my brows, wondering if they were looking to recruit bodies into that side of things. I, for one, am not interested.
Josh and Aidan, as rumor has it, stepped away from the dangerous offshore operations when they met their spouses. I respect that. Especially given they’ve done their time as a SEAL and Marine, respectively.
“With one side of the business bringing in less revenue, we began to look at what else we’d like to do to grow BHS sometime around a year ago,” Aidan tells the room.
It’s a reminder of why I chose to join Black Hawke Security. Not only are Josh and Aidan top-notch operators, but they also run a successful, tight ship.
I’ve enjoyed being in the private sector even if it’s only been six months. The freedom took a little adjustment, but being able to get things done without seventy-five forms and all the red tape is refreshing.
The increase in pay wasn’t horrible, either.
Oh, and there’s no lack of toys; the armory and garage are full of all the things we love to play with.
As a company commander, I thought I’d miss my days on the range, leading and training up to two hundred soldiers.
There’s only one thing—person—I miss.
There were multiple reasons it felt right to discharge, and that person was part of that decision. At thirty-four, I’m not old, but I did enlist young and have done enough time on enemy lands to feel like I’ve done my service.
Now, I’m eager to keep all my limbs and contribute in other ways to my country.
So, I’m all ears, listening to what opportunities are coming up. Just not Black Ops.
“Today we’re officially announcing the Black Hawke Security Bodyguard branch.
” Josh turns as a large logo appears on the screen behind him.
“Until now, we’ve focused services across the state of California.
Now we’re going national. Ryder St. James will head up the team with support from Jayden Rogers. ”
“That’s my boy.” Liam slaps his best friend on the shoulder.
Jayden grins, acting cool as a cucumber.
I had a rocky start with these two. One night at a beach party, I thought Jayden’s gorgeous sister was single.
She was flirting, or so I thought, and I needed to get over someone.
Turns out, Liam—Jayden’s best friend—and Jessie were having a secret affair, and I got a fist in my face for expressing interest. Later, I replaced Jayden after he stepped down from Tiffany Stallone’s personal security detail.
His now-partner. Gotta say, I’m surprised the two ended up together. Talk about opposites attracting.
“News has leaked in the past week, so we have customers lining up in different states,” Josh continues, snapping me back to the meeting.
“First, we’re setting up the field offices.” Ryder rubs his forehead a few feet away. “We need to be set up properly before we take on too many clients.”
“I hear you, Ryder, don’t worry. As discussed, we are focusing on the New York office first. We have an important client there.
” Josh nods across the room to where a guy leans on the far wall, and my money is on him being ex-Special Forces, for sure.
“Everyone, I want you to meet Declan, a buddy of mine from the SEAL teams.”
Bingo.
Declan adjusts his black cap on his head and gives a sort of nod to the room. Not shy, just humble.
Classic SEAL.
“He’s heading to New York with Jayden and Ryder tomorrow to get things kicked off. We’ll be recruiting many others, so if you know any good operators who are keen to get into the personal bodyguard business, you know my number.” Aidan slips his hands into his pockets.
A murmur of interest ripples through the room. Phones will be buzzing after this. I know a lot of GIs keen to join BHS. This opens a door for them.
“But wait, there’s more.” Josh grins. “No steak knives, but we do have another arm of the business I’m really fucking excited to share.”
I lower my brows, wondering what the hell it could be. We do corporate security, personal security, and black ops.
Josh points the clicker, and another BHS logo appears on the screen.
“Black Hawke Security Training. We bought land an hour from Fort Irwin here in California, and it’s been set up as a training facility.”
We all share a surprised look.
“When the hell did you do that?” Marshall asks. “In your lunch hour?”
“Something like that,” Josh laughs. “This offering has put us back in the good books with our former colleagues. Or at least, they’re less pissed off.”
“That’s more accurate.” Aidan laughs with him.
“We have a handful of Tier One operators in our organization, from SEALs, Marines, and Green Berets,” Josh says.
“Across the Armed Forces, there’s a real strain on active-duty personnel at times, especially when deployments, rotations and other missions clash.
Training is essential, as you all know.”
Damn straight it does.
I was involved heavily in training my teams.
“While the GIs focus on operational readiness, we’ll provide training in our new world-class facility by those of us with real-world combat experience,” Aidan says, reading off the screen.
“We’re going to teach niche skills such as advanced urban warfare, executive protection, hostage rescue, the latest tactical tech that’s not readily available in standard military curricula, and so on. ”
That last point is not always true, but it can be.
“Isn’t it more expensive?” Cole asks the question that was on the tip of my tongue.
“Sometimes it’s about efficiency if they’re after surge training or specialized programs,” Josh replies. “We have it all in one place—shoot houses, mock cities, driving tracks, etc.”
“Whoa.” I hold up my hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Are you saying this is like Military Disneyland?”
A dozen guys around me laugh.
“You want to come check it out, Noah?” Josh asks. “I was hoping it’d pique your interest.”
He knows my training background and that I have combat experience.
“Tell me there’s cotton candy, and I’m there.”
“I’ll do one better than that. Couple of the GIs from your former unit are in our first training camp.”
My smile fades like the power went out.
Quinn.
I know it’s her. I know it like I know oxygen will fill my lungs when I finally take another breath.
Quinn Parker, my forbidden fruit.
Well, she’s not mine, but I’m not dead yet. For three years I was her CO, and during that time, both of us fought an intoxicating chemistry that existed but wasn’t allowed.
You were more than her commanding officer. Much fucking more.
I couldn’t cross the line, and with her father being the Colonel it would have been career-altering if I had. Month by month, I started caring less about the impacts to my life and more about Quinn. It took a while, but I realized I was in love with her.
A lot happened between us over those years, and I truly thought the day I discharged it would pave the path for us to be together.
I was wrong.
I was so fucking wrong.
Quinn ripped my heart out and squeezed it. The thing is, she did the same to her own vulnerable organ, but the stubborn little firecracker will never admit it.
She loves me.
I just haven’t found a way to get Quinn Parker to admit it. The thought of seeing her again has my body wound up tight. Without a doubt, I’m joining that team.
“Sign me up,” I rasp roughly.
A little too rough.
Declan watches me from across the room. One of his brows lifts an inch, and I can’t help feeling as if he can read my mind.
SEALs, man. Not much gets past them.