CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LIAM
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I’m going to guess Josh and Aidan would be pissed if I walked over and broke Noah and Cane’s necks. There’s only a fifty-fifty chance I’d succeed, given they were both Special Forces.
Then again, I have a weapon on me.
I should never have brought Jessie to the party. There was no way the guys would ignore her and not make a move. As far as they know she’s single, fucking gorgeous and is flirting right back.
Which I essentially encouraged.
The fact that she’s doing a really fucking good job of it is not lost on me.
We will be having words.
Aren’t you supposed to be winning her trust to find out who her assailant is? You aren’t her boyfriend.
I toss back my beer.
Semantics.
“How’d the setup go at the Warners site?” Josh asks when I join him and Aidan down by the water.
Watching Jessie is only making me crazy.
She’s in a bikini and see-through white coverall, which leaves nothing to the imagination. I don’t need to use mine anymore. I’ve seen all of her.
I’ve tasted all of her.
I just haven’t sunk deep insi—
Do. Not. Go. There.
“Good,” I take another swig and glance out over the water. “I need to review the data, but I think I’ve identified where the weakness is. Shouldn’t be too hard to resolve and line up with the police records from the burglary. I’ll have a report with a recommendation to you by lunchtime on Monday.”
“Good. I want to keep Warners happy. If we can sort this out without a glitch, then we can get the rest of their business,” Josh says.
“Then you can have your fancy drones.” Aidan shoves me with a grin.
“I thought they were on order.” I shove him back.
Josh laughs.
While I have the two of them, I take advantage.
“So, black ops,” I say, taking another sip.
The two men share a look.
“I’m keen. I know I don’t have a special ops background,” I say, referring to their SEAL and Marine experience. “But I’m missing the action a little after a year out of the Force.”
“Was wondering when you were going to ask.” Aidan slides a hand into his pocket.
“I know you’ve worked on some high-level operations,” Josh says, and I nod. “You looking to get on the ground or back in a jet?”
I know why he’s asking.
He wants to know if I regret leaving the Air Force and might leave. I won’t. The money is good, having more freedom and resources is handy, but I need more purpose. After working with Jake to take down the sex trafficking offender recently, I’m ready for more of that.
More action.
“I want to contribute to getting more of the bad guys. Be on the front lines where I can. Here. Offshore. Wherever.”
“Black Ops is shifting as the world is.” Josh slides a hand into his pocket. “You only need to scroll through social media for an hour to see that.”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“Well.” He glances at Aidan momentarily. “There’s some interesting things crossing my desk right now.”
Waiting for more information, I stay quiet, but he doesn’t expand on his comment.
“We don’t want to lose you. I just can’t spell it out tonight,” Josh clarifies.
I know the drill.
Classified operations aren’t beach party conversation, nor can they be discussed with anyone who doesn’t have clearance. In or outside government.
Josh and Aidan are given access when contracted by the military, or whoever hires them, which then extends to the team they put together. But it’s on an as-is-required basis.
“Okay. So where does that leave this conversation?”
Josh studies me for a minute, glances at Aidan again, who I see nod out the corner of my eye. “We can offer you some operational work if the skill set you possess is required. I’m not putting you anywhere you could get killed or risk the lives of others.”
I sip my drink, nodding. “Fair.”
“It may mean getting you up in a Blackhawk,”
Yes! That’s the shit I’m missing.
“I’m there in a heartbeat.” I grin, feeling the excitement thrumming through my veins at the thought.
“I get you, man; I miss it, too.” Aidan sighs. It’s no secret the US Marine is eager to get back into the action, but Josh keeps reminding him he has two little babies who need their father. I suspect Briar would be a mess if he started working in the black ops part of the business again.
Josh glances up the beach to where Cassy is dancing.
“I do, and I don’t. Leaving the house each day knowing I have an almost one hundred percent chance of returning to my wife is something I don’t take for granted.”
My gaze drifts to Jessie and I wonder who she will marry. The thought tightens my chest and has me questioning everything.
Noah spins her around I know it won’t be long. She’s funny, gorgeous, a little vulnerable, and that’s a seductive and toxic mix for men like us.
Turning back to Josh, I look him dead in the eye. “You’ve done your time, man. You deserve the peace.”
“Perhaps. Side note, how’s Jayden’s job working out for him?” Josh tilts his head. “I want him at BHS.”
I shake my head. “I dunno. He seems to like the fucking sales job. I’ve been trying.”
“Can’t think of anything more boring.” Aidan shakes his head too. “Is that his sister with you tonight?”
“Yup.” I empty my bottle and stifle a growl as Noah and Jessie fall to the sand together.
Is she fucking kidding me right now?
They both lie there laughing as Grohl bangs out another hit. Noah leans up on one elbow—
Oh, fuck no.
My body turns.
I know that fucking move. Classic, wait for the girl to get drunk, drop her in the sand and kiss her.
“Fuck.” I drop my bottle and storm up the beach, ignoring Aidan’s don’t break any bones, for gods sakes, and reach them just as Noah’s mouth meets Jessie’s.
I can’t see enough.
But I don’t see her fighting.
Fury fills every pore in my body.
I grip a handful of the back of Noah’s T-shirt and pull him off her.
“Oh my god!” One of the girls cry.
“The fuck, man!” Noah yells, clambering as I toss him onto the sand.
“You. Get up; get your stuff. We’re leaving.” I point at Jessie, yelling.
Her face is pale.
“That’s my best friend’s sister. You do not touch her.”
Noah is a Marine. He’s drunk but not that drunk, and he’s smart enough not to come at me. Straightening his shirt and dusting the sand off himself, he glances between us.
“No one said she was off limits. What gives, Rutherford?”
I plant my hands on my hips. “I just told you. She’s Jayden’s sister.”
“Liam,” Jessie closes the distance and tugs at my arm.
I’m fucking furious with her.
She fucking kissed him!
“Get your shit. Now.”
She blanches.
“How about we calm down here,” Ryder says, walking over with a beer.
My pulse is off the charts, heart pounding as I glare at Noah, ignoring the former Delta Force.
“Liam.”
“We’re good.” I shoot Jessie a look. “We are leaving.”
She swallows, glances at Ryder, and then nods.
Cole joins the party. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Noah just wasn’t informed that Jessie is off limits.” I say, glaring at the guy. “Isn’t that right, Noah?”
I can see he wants to fight me but is carefully taking in the dynamics around him. Then his eyes move and start watching Jessie walking up the beach.
She’s mine!
I move before I know what’s happening and launch at Noah.
But the fucking military hotshots behind me are faster. Or rather, they knew what I was going to do before I did.
Assholes.
“Whoa,” Noah holds up his hands as Cole and Ryder grab my shoulders.
Josh walks between us and faces me like the big boss fucking SEAL he is.
“Think you should head home, Liam.”
I shake off the guys, panting, and snarl at Noah. I’m pissed at him, myself, and Jessie.
“When Jayden gets back, you might want to have a chat about what’s going on,” he says under his breath as the guys move away, looking me dead in the eye. “Am I right?”
Fuck.
“It’s nothing.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t look like nothing. Trust me on this, talk to him.”
Jessie walks back with her things and hands me my jacket.
“Put it on.”
“I’m fine,” she says as Josh steps away.
“Fuck’s sake, Jess. Put it on.” I grab it, force her slim, sun-kissed arms into it, zip it up, then take her hand and drag her up the beach.
It’s only when we get to the car that I realize what I did.
Friends don’t walk hand in hand.
Jesus fuck.