Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?” I offer.
Her smile stays in place, but her eyes flash with warning. Her words are slow and deliberate. “I’m fine, Bodie. It’s just some minor morning sickness. I feel better already.”
I stare at her dubiously. Her face is tinged green, I think.
Not sure.
“Well, let me run out to your car for you,” I say as I extend my hand for her keys. “I’ll get your gum.”
Rachel doesn’t hand me her keys. Instead, she steps closer to me. Her voice is low, so no one can hear. “Bodie… I’m fine. I’m also perfectly able to walk to my car and back. Don’t treat me like I’m fragile.”
And then I understand.
Rachel is a tough cookie, for sure. I get that part. But more importantly, we are standing in front of all her coworkers, some of whom she’ll be on a mission with next week. She can’t show any weakness at all, in any form.
Giving her an understanding nod, I step back from her. I sweep my hand toward the patio door. “Go get your gum.”
She smiles at me gratefully and moves past me. My hand flies out and slaps her on the ass and not gently, either. She yelps and tucks her butt under, shuffling quickly away from me. Looking over her shoulder, she levels a heated glare my way.
I just grin in return. “Not going to treat you fragilely, and don’t bother looking at me like that. I happen to know you like having your ass slapped.”
And Jesus… fucking adorable.
Pink stains Rachel’s cheeks.
She spins away and trots through the door, and I know my laugh follows her all the way.
CHAPTER 12
Rachel
Hard copies of schematics of the diesel tanker are spread across the huge conference room table. There’s a projected image on the screen that is suspended mechanically from the ceiling. It’s got several pictures of men—all headshots—laid out in rows. It’s the main crew of the tanker. Kynan stands at the screen going over their bios, arms crossed as he rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet. He’s in his element, having effortlessly stepped to the helm of The Jameson Group after its founder, Jerico Jameson, retired to run The Wicked Horse full time.
Doesn’t mean that Jerico is fully out of the game, though. He’s sitting at the other end of the conference table, scribbling notes on a legal pad while Kynan talks. Jerico will often come into our intel and planning sessions as a consultant. He doesn’t get paid to throw in his expertise and advice, but does so only because he still loves this company even if he’s not running it anymore.
We leave in two days to escort the tanker through the Strait of Malacca, an incredibly important trade route between China and India. A quarter of the world’s seaborne oil travels through the strait and thus makes it a very tempting target for pirates. There will be almost twenty-four hours of commercial travel to Singapore, four days on the tanker where we’ll work in three-to-four men, twelve-hour shifts patrolling and guarding the ship with fifty-caliber mounted machine guns. All in all, we should be back to the States within a week if all goes well.
Which it should.
Not all merchants are willing to pay the hefty price for private security, but those who do make sure it’s well known they are protected. I fully expect our ship will be left alone, but that’s no guarantee.
I’m satisfied with our team and I’ve been on ops with all of them before at one time or another except for our newest member, Merrit Gables. He’s only been with Jameson for two months, coming to us straight out of a Navy SEALs enlistment.
Cage, Sal, and Benji will be on the mission, and the last member of our team is Kara Hathaway. She’s a ball-busting blonde who saw a lot of combat action in the Army as a member of a cultural support team. Her main purpose was to question Afghan women, but her job was every bit as dangerous as the special forces she attached with. She went on all raids with them and has some of the most harrowing war stories I’ve ever heard. She also has four black belts in different martial arts and I think she’s personally hoping the tanker gets boarded so she can beat the shit out of some pirates.
“Benji will lead Team One. Bodie, Kara, and Merrit will be under him,” Kynan says as he uncrosses his arms and leans over to place his palms on the table. He looks around the group and continues, “Team Two will be led by Rachel. Sal and Cage… you’re with her. Team One will cover night shifts since that’s the most likely time for an attack. Two has the day shift.”