Chapter 4
I’ve landed in a Norman Rockwell painting.
Annie couldn’t believe her own eyes.
After driving a few miles West pulled up in front of a rustic red and white barn, which must’ve been converted into a house. It sat atop a brick foundation on the edge of a hill, surrounded by a couple of grassy acres. There were large windows on the front of the structure. It was encircled by a brick patio with a large fire pit.
Annie liked the place immediately. It was homey, in a country way.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
While she was gawking, West must’ve gotten out and then opened Annie’s door for her. She didn’t know what to make of his stiff, awkward chivalry. And she was pissed that he’d gotten the jump on her. How do you learn to be so freaking stealthy? And where do I sign up for that training?
“You live in a barn.” She pointed, as though he’d somehow missed it.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t born in one. Move it.”
His teammates had already gotten out and headed inside.
Great, they’re all ninjas.
West was heading for the front door.
“I’m coming.” Annie trailed after him, taking it all in.
Annie hated to admit it, but she was jealous. This place looked like it should be featured in Architectural Digest. She’d spent the last six months in dingy one star hotel rooms, as she chased down leads and battled cockroaches.
The barn must’ve been recently renovated. Annie could smell the fresh paint and a faint hint of sawdust. Evidently, the business was just starting. It held the promise of a new beginning, a fresh start.
Too bad I’m stranded in the past.
In the foyer, a huge brick fireplace was situated in the middle of the room. Roughhewn stairs led up to the second floor. Another staircase led to a third floor, and when she leaned to the side, Annie glimpsed an open bedroom door.
Those must be living quarters.
West led her down the hallway, past an industrial-sized kitchen, a small gym, a comfy-looking living room, a bathroom, and eventually, they stopped in the doorway of a meeting room.
West opened the door for her. “After you.”
“No, after you.” Annie scowled.
“Are you goin’ in or do I have to toss your ass over my shoulder and carry you?”
Annie frowned.
They stood there, eyeballing one another, having a silent standoff. Finally, he went through the door, but he did it swiftly, striding away like an Olympic runner bursting out of the starting gate.
Oh, yeah, this is freaking fantastic. One pissing contest right after the other.
Like the rest of the place, the room was rustic.
There were three brick walls, and one large floor to ceiling window, with a breathtaking view of the woods behind the barn. It made Annie want to grab a cup of coffee and come in here during wee hours to watch the sunrise, maybe see a few woodland creatures milling around.
I won’t be here a few minutes from now, so what’s the point?
In the center of the room, stood a farmer’s table surrounded by several brown leather chairs. There were a series of framed posters on the wall, all of them featuring motivational sayings.
The only easy day was yesterday.
All in, all the time.
Don’t run to your death.
She gulped. Damned good advice, especially that last one.
Annie recognized another poster in the center of the rest. It was the Navy warfare special insignia—a golden eagle clutching a trident, an anchor, and a rifle. These guys must have been Navy SEALS.
“I’ve got a million and one questions to ask you, but we gotta do this first, for everyone’s safety.”
After taking off his earbud, West sat down at the head of the table and began disarming himself. First, he set a Glock down. Then he pulled a Bowie knife from a sheath at his waist, and then he unstrapped yet another gun from a holster on his ankle.
When she didn’t participate, he turned to face her.
“Are you armed?”
“Always.” Especially these days. She slept with a gun under her pillow. During the night, Annie sometimes grasped the steel handle, for a bit of cold comfort.
“Put your arms on the table, where I can see everything.”
“No.”
Annie felt naked without a weapon. She’d vowed no one would ever get the jump on her again. She didn’t perceive West as a threat, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She’d been duped before. Subconsciously she touched the wound on her chest.
His hand hovered over the gun instinctively. “I gave you an order. It wasn’t a request.”
“You’re not my boss.” Annie notched her chin and gave him a “what are you going to do about it?” look.
“Don’t make me take it from you.”
She flashed her teeth, but it wasn’t a smile.
West watched her with a irritated expression, waiting her out.
Annie knew she was being difficult, but couldn’t help herself. Annie was no longer the same person she’d been six short months ago. Everything had fallen to pieces around her.
Annie had lost her best friend in the world, and then she’d had to break the news to her other friend, Becky. Handing over the blood-soaked blue velvet box had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Becky had sobbed over the ring as Annie told her how Mike had planned to propose to her.
After an inquiry, she’d lost her job and hadn’t been able to find a new one in her field. In a couple of months’ time, her roommate had kicked her out when she’d met the latest love of her life, so the man could move in.
Annie was at rock bottom.
She worked a fast food job, while she hunted down those fucking fugitives. She’d put them back behind bars if it was the last thing she ever did.
West still stared at her.
A thin white line had developed around his mouth, and a vein throbbed in his temple. His right eye twitched just a little.
Excellent. She’d made the right impression.
And then he squared his shoulders and gave her a dispassionate once over. He systematically picked her apart with his unwavering gaze.
Under his scrutiny, her bluster fizzled, like air escaping an old balloon.
“Fine.”
Slowly, she grasped her gun, from the shoulder holster and set it on the table. Annie grabbed the knife from her pocket and tossed it on the pile as well.
“Damn you’re a prickly woman.” He raised a brow. “Was that so hard?”
“Yes.”
He snorted.
Annie wished he weren’t so easy on the eyes.
West had to be in his early thirties. He had short-cropped blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His features were refined— high cheekbones, full lips, and arched brows. West had big quarterback shoulders, too. With the golden boy image he exuded, he’d probably been captain of the football team. And the prom king, too.
And then West’s gaze dipped to her breasts and then shot right back up to meet her eyes.
Annie self-consciously crossed her arms over her beer-stained chest. In all the anger, she’d forgotten how she must look. She’d purposely worn a thin shirt, and every inch of her breasts must be on display. Self-consciously, she tugged the sweater closed.
“Do you have a place I could clean up?” she asked.
“Yeah, we passed a bathroom down the hall.”
“Here, take this with you.” West walked to the drawer and pulled out a shirt wrapped in cellophane. It said “Black Star Security” on the back of the shirt in big, bold white lettering. Evidently, he’d gone all out to advertise his firm.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Want a cup of coffee?”
“Sure.” Annie never turned down java.
“When you get back, we’ll talk like two civilized people.” He crossed to the pot in the corner.
We’ll see.
Minutes later, Annie emerged from the bathroom with the shirt on. She’d been surprised to find several shower stalls inside the bathroom. Evidently, his teammates both lived and worked at the barn, which explained the bedroom upstairs.
Annie also removed the heavy makeup. It had been part of her disguise. Mascara made her eyes itch.
“Here’s your coffee.” West handed her a black logo mug full of it. “I don’t know how you take it, so doctor it up.”
She hit the inky blackness with some non-dairy creamer and threw several sugar packets in. Annie took an experimental sip. It tasted a bit weak by her standards, but it would do.
West sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, studying her. Annie bet he looked at terrorists exactly the same way—all steely-eyed and super professional. Annie noticed he even had a manila folder with Ryder’s name neatly typed on it.
He pulled a legal pad from a drawer and wrote her name at the top of the page.
“Let’s talk. You were guardin’ the fugitives when they escaped. Start at the beginnin’, I want to know everything.”
Wrapping her cold fingers around the mug for a second, Annie closed her eyes and centered herself. After pulling herself together, she opened them once more and then walked him through the botched prison transport.
West took a note here and there, asked the occasional question for clarification, but she didn’t notice any judgment in either his tone or demeanor.
And Annie deserved to be judged for what she’d done. Annie had started the chain of events which led to Mike’s death. She hadn’t even fought the dismissal from the Marshal Service.
“Weren’t you afraid Ryder would recognize you?”
“No.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“I have big boobs.” She lifted a shoulder. “Most men don’t even notice I have a face.”
West chuckled. Annie found herself smiling back at him and abruptly went stone-faced again. She was here for information, not to make friends.
“Besides, I was only wearing moisturizer and Chapstick the last time he saw me. Makeup has a way of changing your face, too.”
“You don’t need it.”
“What?”
“Makeup. You’re prettier without it.”
A flush crept up her neck, heating her face. Annie could feel it burning on her cheeks. It was the curse of being fair skinned.
West gave her a smug smile.
What a jackass. No, a hot jackass.
“Finish the tale.”
Annie continued, and when she finished telling West, he cleared his throat, before he spoke.
“I’m sorry about your partner.”
Annie nodded. “Thanks, but he was more than a coworker.”
It was an understatement. He’d been her best friend and her pace horse. They’d competed with one another at Glynco, trying to receive the best scores.
And she kept seeing Mike’s face, hearing the gurgling sounds he’d made. He plagued her thoughts, haunted her dreams at night.
“You loved him?”
Annie shook her head. “Not like that.”
They locked eyes and pain flickered in them for a moment. Although she didn’t know where his hurt came from, Annie recognized a kindred spirit. They were wounded, both culpable in a similar crime.
“I know all about guilt. The bastard’s an old friend of mine.”
“Even if I catch these guys, it won’t be enough. It’ll never be enough. Will it?” For a moment, Annie wanted him to offer her some comfort, a platitude.
Something to hold onto.
“No, it won’t, and you’ll have to live with what you did.”
Her chest ached. All Annie could do was nod in reply.
West laid a hand over hers. “Here’s a Navy SEAL quote I think about. Cowards never start. The weak never finish. Winners never quit. You can’t change what happened to your friend, but you’re finishin’ this, seein’ it through, and that means somethin’, Annie. Not everyone would hang in there.”
“Thanks.” Her voice had gone hoarse. Suddenly, she felt like an ass for giving him such a hard time. Annie wasn’t even angry with West.
I’m pissed at myself. And I’m taking it out on him.
“You never said how they found you.”
“I don’t remember much of it. Apparently, a truck driver pulled over, but by then I was already unconscious.” If he hadn’t stopped, they both would’ve died on the side of the highway. “By the time I woke up, I was already in the hospital.” Annie touched the scar. She could feel the puckered skin beneath her shirt. “They’d already taken the bullet out.”
“You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Yeah, I’m the lucky one,” she said bitterly.
“And you’re huntin’ these pricks down in your spare time?”
“Yeah, but I work as a floater for Juicy Burger. They’ve got a half dozen restaurants in the area, so it pays the bills.” Barely. Sometimes she didn’t have enough for a crappy hotel room and ended up sleeping in her car.
However, it was the best she could do under the circumstances. Her first priority was finding the fugitives and she wouldn’t have time to pursue them if she worked a regular nine to five job.
“How would you like a job?”
“Are you serious?” Annie thought she must’ve misheard him.
“Absolutely. Although to be clear, this would be a contract position, not a full-time gig.”
Annie just gaped at him.
***
West was a little shocked himself, but the offer had flown out of his mouth, and he couldn’t, or didn’t want to take it back.
He got a feeling it was that last one.
West doubted she got by on a minimum wage salary. He could practically feel the desperation wafting off of her. She’d been backed into a corner but was too proud to ask for help.
And while she’d been forthcoming, West got the impression she hadn’t told him the whole story either. He wasn’t sure what else had happened with her partner, but Annie was holding back, he could feel it.
“For the moment, we’re a skeleton crew, but I expect to hire more members after the business gets up and runnin’. I think we should combine our resources. Work together.”
West didn’t know where he would find the funds, even for a temporary employee who wouldn’t have fringe benefits, but he’d somehow make it work. He’d financed Black Star by emptying his savings account, using the inheritance he’d gotten from his old man, and cashing in some of his investments.
Things would be tight for the foreseeable future.
And, if he were honest with himself, it wasn’t completely about finding the fugitives. He’d been moved by her story and could relate to the guilt she felt. He’d been carrying his own burden, too. Annie deserved a second chance.
Although, it wasn’t all about empathy.
West was intrigued by Annie and wanted to keep her around for a bit longer. It was insanity because this was a place of business, not a dating service.
And yet here I am.
Finally, she found her voice. “Why on earth would you give me a shot? My screw-up led to this fiasco.”
“Because you have inside knowledge of the case, you’re trained, and you’ll be twice as careful now. What do you say?” He held out a hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, she shook it.
“Yes, thank you.”
Her hand was small in his own, delicate. When the handshake was over, West had to force himself to let her go.
“Welcome aboard. To be clear, I’m in charge, and you’ll take orders from me. Understood?”
Her lips thinned for a moment, and West thought she might throw him more sass. The thought didn’t irritate him. No, it turned him on.
Instead, she nodded stiffly.
“Was that a yes?” He couldn’t resist teasing her. West wasn’t used to people getting in his face, especially a gorgeous woman with curves in all the right places.
Her nostrils flared. “Yes.”
“Glad to hear it, Rook. And you can call me Chief.”
“Rook?”
“Short for Rookie. Whenever we got a new man on my SEAL team, we gave him the same nickname, until he’d earned one of his own. Sometimes it’s your last name, other times it’s an attribute, but everybody’s a Rook until proven otherwise.”
“Yeah, but I’m not a SEAL.”
“No, but you’ll be workin’ with us, so get on board with our habits. By the way, we live and work at HQ for the time being. On the third floor, there are bedrooms. They’re small but better than barracks, and at least you’ll have some privacy.”
“You want me to stay here?” Her eyes widened.
“Why? Is bunkin’ here a problem?” Did she have a boyfriend? A lover?
“No, not at all.”
“Glad to hear it.” He pulled out a checklist. “In addition to the usual paperwork, I have a few quick questions for you. Ready?”
“Sure.”
“Do you have a will?”
“No.”
“Then we’ll have to fix that. I have a boilerplate one, we can file with my attorney.” Her brows lifted. “It’s standard operating procedure. After all, this is a dangerous profession.”
“Understood.”
“What’s your blood type?” he asked.
“B positive.”
“Really? Are you sure?” Most people didn’t know theirs.
“Yes, I’m a donor.”
“Me too. It’s a rare blood type.” He crossed an item off on his list. King was their staff medic so West would let him know, in case she was injured in the field and needed immediate medical care. They were in a rural area, and the nearest hospital was forty-five minutes away. “And you’ll have to fill out a medical history sheet as well.”
“Sure.”
“But before I get ahead of myself, I’d better run this by the team, to make sure we’re on the same page.”
While this wasn’t a democracy, it would be a lot easier if they didn’t fight him on this decision. Before she could reply, he walked to the door and pounded on it. Hard. There were several gasps from the other side.
“I know you were listenin’ in. What do you guys think?”
When he opened the door, Mack, King, Zane, and Storm casually lounged in the hallway, as though they’d just been passing by.
“Spill it.”
“That depends, Chief,” King said. “Do we have to take a pay cut?”
West glanced at the others. The rest of them nodded. Evidently, it was the biggest point of contention.
“Nope.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” King elbowed him aside and rushed over to congratulate her. “Welcome to the team, darlin’!”