SNEAK PREVIEW

Sergeant Hardcore

Alpha Male Bad Boy Military Romance

By Pinki Parks

Chapter 1

Chelsea

I was sitting there enjoying a drink to soothe my nerves before my flight to Guam. My friends Lindsay and Harmony had convinced me to take off the shackles of society for a week of rest and relaxation.

“I haven’t done anything spontaneous. This is a first for me.” I was straight-laced never one to go against the natural order of things. Adventure was not my middle name.

“Chelsea, this is our chance to get out from underneath the domineering thumb of our ex-husbands.” We met in a support group for divorcees. Harmony got the beach house in Guam in the divorce settlement. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t enjoy our windfall.” Harmony looked like a blond bimbo and she used that perception to fool people. The girl had an intellect off the charts but knew how to use what God gave her.

I was in the mood to try something different and the spicy Caesar was stronger than I had originally thought it was going to be. The rest of the patrons were talking amongst themselves in tiny groups. There was a sense of relief on those faces getting away from the depressing cold and snow.

“I have the both of you to thank for opening up my eyes. I mistakenly believed I could work it out with Brent. He hid his true face for the first five years of our marriage. He was my first love, but I never did learn what it was like to play the field.” Although we married in our thirties, I never truly had a strong relationship with a man. Right after the divorce settlement was signed on the dotted line I began to notice furtive glances from the opposite sex.

“We are in the prime of our life. The settlement we all received is going to keep us flush for years. I doubt any of us will ever have to get a real job. I can’t believe neither one of you could guess the reason why I made you join the gym.” Lindsay was a raven-haired beauty standing at close to 6 feet. She could easily intimidate those Guys who dared to undress her with their eyes.

“I might be a little bigger than the average girl, but I wear it well. I don’t get out of breath as easy and I appreciate the reflection looking back at me.” I was feeling in the best shape of my life and the results from the gym showed it. I was never going to be a hard body with a tiny waist, but I had learned to accept my body type. My hips matched my D cups and that’s all that matters.

“Guys have a tendency to want a little more to their loving than a stick thin Barbie doll. We all have a lot to offer and there’s no reason why we can’t share the wealth. This is our one opportunity to try out other flavors. I’m looking forward to a more decadent chocolate to my diet.” I didn’t want to tell Harmony, but I wasn’t looking to throw my fishing line into the sea just yet.

The spicy bean dipped into the Caesar took my breath away. I never was one to indulge and had never been drunk in my life. I had seen my fair share of those acting like idiots after consuming a few stiff ones. Seeing them like I was a fly on the wall gave me a new perspective. I had this feeling I was going to make the acquaintance of other different drinks to numb my senses.

“The one thing Brent did give me was an appreciation for the arts. I’ve been to multiple plays in the big apple and have graced many different functions for various artists trying to break into the scene. The music of Mozart touches me in a way that I can’t even convey.” I was a flaming redhead, but I didn’t have the temperament to match.

“I can’t say my time with Jason was all bad. The man was an animal in the sack. If only I could keep his mouth shut after the deed was done life would have been perfect.” Lindsay always knew Jason relied on his good looks and I had to admit seeing him that one time, stirred things up inside. His dazzling smile and physical attributes made him wanted by the female population.

Lindsay had fallen for his lines without fully realizing his intellectual limitations. There wasn’t much going on upstairs. She finally had enough when she caught him sleeping with identical twins in their marriage bed. This was something we had in common for the reason why we had to cut the matrimony cord.

About six months ago, I walked in unexpectedly to find Brent in the arms of an 18-year-old college student. The noises coming from the bedroom was like something from the wild. I stood there and watched mesmerized with the way they were moving under the sheets. I didn’t say anything. I closed the door and walked out.

I stayed in a hotel for three days ignoring his text messages and voicemails. I had designs on getting a divorce and I went to one of the support groups to get the necessary advice to go forward. I felt guilty for making it necessary for Brent to go somewhere else to get what he needed. I was reminded by those in attendance in the support group it wasn’t my fault. Lindsay and Harmony became the loudest voices in the room with conviction behind every word.

I was going to suggest counseling to see if we could make it work. It was when I went to see him at the office things became abundantly clear. I barged in with the secretary breathlessly trying to stop me to no avail. The smell of sex was overpowering and his face contorted into a mask of euphoria gave me the courage to send him the divorce papers by messenger.

I hired a shark to represent me in court and I didn’t give Brent the chance to speak his mind. He tried to get me alone, but I refused to play his game. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without Lindsay and Harmony whispering in my ear.

I heard the announcement for those of our flight to begin boarding. I finished off the double Caesar and consumed the spicy bean with a guilty fascination. Any hesitation to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city had vanished with the liquor running through my veins.

“I have to admit the gym has toned me in all the right places. I’m ready to flaunt my stuff on the beach.” I was 5’7, 165 pounds with my red hair cascading like ocean waves down to the small of my back.

“Don’t think about the past when the future is right in front of us. There is a lot of fish in the sea. I don’t plan to be alone for very long after we land. I would suggest the both of you follow my lead. I have always been somewhat of a magnet for those looking for a one-night stand.” Harmony had this zest for life and she wasn’t letting her divorce define her.

I was a little unsteady on my feet and I began laughing for no apparent reason. My parents had raised me in a strict Catholic way never giving me room to breathe. They tried to fight me telling me it was against their religion to get a divorce. They hadn’t talked to me. Losing that connection to my family made it necessary to strike out on my own. I didn’t have any siblings.

Harmony and Lindsay became the sisters I never had growing up. I was hitting my stride at the ripe age of 40. A new chapter was being written without the need for a man in my life. Unwinding and catching my breath was necessary after the dust had settled on the divorce.

I moved seamlessly down the aisle to first-class accommodations with a champagne glass presented from a comely young stewardess with her uniform pressed to perfection. Her perfume surrounded her like a halo and her long legs would make any man think that they went to heaven and beyond.

We went through the prerequisite spiel of where the exits were and what to do in case of a crash. I had done my due diligence and found the safest form of travel was by air. The chances of a catastrophe were slim to none.

A couple of more drinks and I was seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.

I was blissfully unaware of the drop in cabin pressure until I heard panicked screams. The plane lurched and began to fall exponentially with the mask of oxygen falling in front of my face.

My fingernails were digging into the arms of the chair. The universe did have a sick sense of humor. I was going to die just when I was getting my life back. It didn’t seem fair, but the one thing that remained as strong as ever was my faith. I grabbed the cross around my neck and held it tightly leaving the imprint emblazoned in the palm of my hand. I looked around and found everybody white-knuckling their chairs while saying a silent prayer with their mouths moving and nothing coming out. There were pictures of loved ones in their hands.

Lindsay was hugging a photograph of her son Ethan with her eyes closed. Harmony was sleeping soundly courtesy of the sleeping pill and champagne combined. She wasn’t much for flying, but she had her ways of dealing with it.

The plane finally leveled out and there was a collective breath of relief. I heard my phone buzzing and I looked down to see the most frightening words I had ever seen in my life.

“We want the painting. What you have just gone through is how far we are willing to go to get it. Think about that and we will be in touch shortly.” It had to be a figment of my liquor induced imagination, but staring at it didn’t make it go away.