Brighter Than the Sun

Allie’s lips were pressed together and guilt shadowed her eyes. Rio didn’t look pissed nor did he look pleased. He was as unreadable as ever, though he said something, obviously to Allie, because she nodded and faded back into the stronghold of her team. Fine. Let her team protect her. That’s what they were there for. And let her team deal with the stick up her ass while they were at it. Her issues didn’t mean that the entire KGI organization had a problem, and Sam needed to get that memo pretty damn quick before P.J., who was more outspoken than Sky, peeled an inch of hide off Allie’s ass.

Joe’s gaze darted over to where Steele’s team was posted to get their reaction, but he didn’t even bother looking at Steele. The man wore the same expression twenty-four-seven. Except when learning his wife was pregnant, Joe mentally amended. P.J.’s eyes were dancing with laughter and she was staring at Sky. When Sky glanced in P.J.’s direction, P.J. gave her an exaggerated wink and a thumbs-up behind Cole’s back so it wasn’t witnessed by the entire room.

Cole met Joe’s expression with a pained one as he dipped his head toward P.J. and then gestured subtly in Sky’s direction. Joe nearly laughed. Cole was clearly praying for mercy. He’d probably had to bear more than one of P.J.’s pissed-off diatribes after both P.J. and Skylar had gone to great lengths to smooth things over with Allie the first time Allie had demonstrated concerns with levity in the workplace. Allie obviously hadn’t been appeased, judging by the way the next meeting had gone and her ever-increasing ire. And after today? And Sam being a giant-ass stick-in-the-mud to match Allie’s brand of stick up the ass? Joe was very glad he didn’t have to go home with P.J. or Skylar. Or Edge for that matter. Edge didn’t get pissed at much. He was too much of a live- and-let-live guy, short on words but big on action. But it was obvious Allie had rubbed him the wrong way and equally clear which side his loyalty was aligned with, given that Sky was his best friend, roommate and coworker.

“You and I will talk later,” Sam said icily.

Fuck no they wouldn’t. Joe had bigger fish to fry than listening to a goddamn lecture from his big brother. Besides, Sam really didn’t want to fuck with him right now. His temper was on a short fuse and his patience was in shreds. One wrong word from Sam and he would tell him where he could shove KGI and his job.

Not the best idea to enter a new relationship unemployed.

Joe turned back to his team and rolled his eyes, but Skylar looked at him with big, blue, unhappy eyes that shone with apology. Edge looked worried, and Swanny was just staring strangely at him. Nathan was the only one who seemed to be relaxed and unworried, but then he was the only one who knew the source of Joe’s short fuse and hot temper.

“Let’s just suck it up and get through this,” Joe said in a low voice. “I don’t have time to deal with Sam or any of this bullshit right now, but I will deal with it, I swear.”

“I’m sorry I ever opened my mouth,” Skylar said miserably, as she and the rest of the team tried to look like they were paying attention to Allie drone on about defusing bombs. “It was childish of me, and I won’t have you take the fall for my pettiness, Joe. You’re a great team leader and you don’t deserve this crap.”

He smiled gently at her. “You don’t think everyone else here is thinking exactly what you said, but you were the only one willing to give voice to it? Look, if Rio wants to let her ruin the chemistry of his team, that’s Rio’s business, not ours. I doubt he or any of his men have a sense of fucking humor anyway, so they likely don’t give a shit about her uppity, holier-than-thou attitude. But she’s not fucking with or intruding on my team. And no one on my team is going to be given time-outs like a fucking preschooler for speaking his or her mind. Jesus, do you know how insane that is? When has anyone in this organization ever been censured for speaking his or her mind? Hell, until now, it’s always been encouraged. And who in this organization has ever bitched about cracking jokes at ‘inappropriate times’ or criticized this organization for not being serious or whatever the fuck she has up her ass?”

“I’m not even navy, but that gets a serious hooyah from me,” Edge muttered. “Stupid serious pun intended.”

“Gotta say, couldn’t have said it better,” Swanny murmured out the side of his mouth.

Skylar’s lips quirked and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “We going rogue?”

Joe covered his laughter with his hand, rubbing over his lips until the sound in his throat diminished.

Ryker looked excited. “Man, have to say, my life was as dull as fuck before I joined up with you all. I’m guessing a normal day on the job is an alien concept to you folks.”

Nathan leaned forward, pretending interest in the diagrams Allie was pointing to, eliciting another round of snickers from his team. “We’re not going rogue,” Nathan said, impressively keeping his lips still as he continued his act of ventriloquism. “Sky will challenge Allie to a bikini Jell-O wrestling match, and Joe will challenge Sam to a thumb-wrestling, best-of-three match.”

“Oh hell yes,” Ryker said, his eyes hopeful.

Edge snorted. “I was hoping for a P.J./Allie throw down. Mud wrestling. Clothes optional. Sky’s like my sister, man. I’d have to bleach my eyeballs if I saw her naked or mostly naked.”

“I’m oddly offended by that,” Skylar drawled. “God, y’all sound like assholes. Y’all know that, don’t you?”