Over the Top

by Cindy Dees

  A few SEALs had taken incoming fire and had minor injuries, but nothing life-threatening.

  At about dawn, Spencer took a phone call and then strolled over to have a conversation with the ex-SEALs who’d stuck around. As one, they all piled expectantly into their vehicles.

  “C’mon,” Spencer said to Gunner. “Get Chas and Poppy and load them up.”

  Gunner frowned. Spencer wasn’t usually the cryptic type. It was part of why he’d been a good team leader. He shared all he knew with his guys.

  Spencer drove, and Drago rode shotgun in the front seat. Gunner and Chas flanked Poppy in the back seat.

  “Where are we going, Spence?” Gunner asked when they reached the outskirts of Honolulu.

  “Kenji Tanaka texted me an address. He said to bring reinforcements.”

  “Does he know that means a whole platoon of SEALs?”

  Spencer shrugged. “I’m just doing what the man said.”

  Gunner got the distinct feeling Spencer knew something he wasn’t sharing. They pulled into a massive estate that sprawled beside the ocean, with several acres of manicured lawn stretching around a magnificent Asian-inspired home.

  A half-dozen silent Asian men in dark suits watched while all the SEALs piled out of their vehicles and surrounded Gunner, Chas, and Poppy in a tight phalanx. They made their way into the house, and Gunner was aware that for so many men, they moved exceptionally quietly into a huge living room.

  Six gray-haired Japanese men sat around a table in what looked like some sort of formal meeting. One man stood stiffly at the foot of the table, with no chair for him.

  A younger Japanese man, perhaps in his thirties, rushed forward when they came in, and Poppy caught sight of him and squealed.

  “I’m Kenji Tanaka. And that’s my daughter.”

  Poppy waxed more cautious when Kenji approached, eyeing him carefully. It took him a couple of minutes of speaking to her in Japanese for her to be absolutely sure he was her father. But she eventually held out her arms to him, and Gunner’s heart shattered as she threw herself into her father’s arms.

  Tears ran down the man’s face as he held his daughter tight. If he’d needed any more proof that this was Poppy’s father, the tears did it. Only a parent could react that way to the return of their missing child.

  Chas made a tiny sound beside him, a barely audible keen of grief and loss. Gunner looped an arm over Chas’s shoulders, pulling him close to his side. Only the two of them would understand the agony the other one was feeling in this moment of what should be a joyful reunion of father and daughter.

  One of the gray-haired men, the one sitting at the head of the table, spoke formally in English to the man standing at the foot of the table. “Sora Oshiro. Your grandson’s American gang of thugs stands accused of kidnapping my granddaughter. While I do not blame you for the sins of your descendent, you would do well to pass along this message to him and his people. Any further attempts to strongarm my business operations will not be tolerated. And any action that in any way endangers any member of my family will be met with swift and deadly force.”

  The man at the foot of the table bowed his head in a pose of humility.

  The speaker swept a hand toward the tight cluster SEALs still hovering close to Poppy and her father.

  “Not only has your grandson angered my family, but he has also angered this family. I assure you, Sora-san, the family of Navy SEALs is perhaps the only one more formidable than my own. And your grandson and his gang are now their enemy.”

  Gunner noted the SEALs around him going out of their way to scowl at the man being berated at the foot of the table. And if he knew them, the retired SEALs were memorizing the man’s face carefully.

  “My granddaughter not only has the full protection of the Tanaka Clan, but she also has the full protection of the United States Navy SEALs. The next time the Oshiro gang would target me or mine, tell your grandson to remember that and weigh how many more of his people he wishes to lose.”

  The man at the foot of the table bowed deeply and left the room without ever speaking a word. In a few moments, the sound of a motorboat speeding away broke the silence.

  Without warning, the stern man at the head of the table broke into a big smile and stood up. “Welcome to my home, gentlemen. I am in your debt for your protection of my Kamiko.”

  Well, then. Despite any differences with his son, Grandpa wasn’t immune to his adorable granddaughter, apparently. Gunner glanced down at Chas, who raised his eyebrows in response.

  “Which of you is the teacher who rescued my daughter?” Kenji asked.

  “Umm, that would be me,” Chas said, stepping forward. “I’m Chasten Reed.”

  “It is a great honor to meet you, Mr. Reed. And the soldier who helped you?”

  Gunner hated the attention but cleared his throat. “Master Chief Gunner Vance, Mr. Tanaka.”

  “Kenji, please. It would be my honor if the two of you would consider yourselves part of my family henceforth.”

  Gunner didn’t know a lot about Asian culture, but he suspected this was a rather big deal. “I’d be honored,” he replied.

  “Me too,” Chas responded. “Especially if that means I get to be Poppy’s—sorry, Kamiko’s—Uncle Chas.”

  “It does indeed,” Kenji said, smiling. “And you? Do you wish to be Uncle Gunner to her?”

  “I do,” Gunner answered without hesitation.

  Cheers went up around them.

  Into the general joviality, Kenji said, “Breakfast will be served shortly. Please stay and dine with us.”

  There was more laughter, and the Japanese men at the table mostly excused themselves from the room. Gunner suspected that if they were the local Yakuza bosses, they would rather not hang out with a bunch of SEALs, some of whom were likely cozy with local law enforcement agencies.

  It took a while, but the local SEALs cleared out, leaving only Gunner, Chas, Spencer, and Drago sitting on the lanai with Kenji. Kamiko was fast asleep in his arms, but Gunner didn’t blame the guy one bit for not wanting to let go of his daughter after just getting her back.

  Kenji asked Spencer, “So what are your plans now that you’ve rescued my daughter and restored my reason to live?”

  “Drago and I are starting a small private security business. Gunner here is considering coming to work for us. We hope to grow the business over time with more people of his skill.”

  “How can I help you?” Kenji asked. “You’ve already turned down a reward. May I at least help you launch your business?”

  Spencer and Drago looked startled. Spencer murmured, “What do you have in mind?”

  “I’m an architect. I would be honored to design and build you an office. Perhaps a training facility? Maybe some living quarters? You’ll need cash for equipment, of course. And a few high-profile clients to get you started. I have extensive business contacts to whom I will recommend your firm in the highest possible terms.”

  Gunner grinned as Spencer and Drago gaped. Spencer finally managed, “That’s more than generous. Really. It’s not necessary—”

  Kenji waved a hand. “I’ll hear no protests from either of you. I insist.”

  Drago said, “How can we ever thank you?”

  Kenji grinned. “Name the business after me if you must.”

  “Tanaka Security?” Spencer murmured.

  Kenji laughed heartily. “My father would never stand for his name being attached to such an honorable endeavor. How about my nickname within my family? I’m known as the Black Dragon. The bad seed within my clan, as it were, because I refused to join the family business.”

  Spencer and Drago exchanged nods. Drago replied, “Black Dragons Incorporated it is.”

  “And as for you two,” Kenji said, turning his attention on Chas and Gunner. “What can I do for you?”

  Gunner was shocked when Chas reached for his hand and grasped it. He clasped Chas’s hand right back. “We’re alive, and that’s all I could hope for. When we wer
e up on that mountain last night and it looked like we were all going to die, I knew that all I wanted in life was a little house with Gunner and a family of our own someday.”

  Kenji smiled down gently at his daughter. “I can’t give you children, but I can give you that house, and it will be my pleasure to do so. Also, I believe teachers do not make much money in your country. I would like to provide a retirement fund for you, Chasten. You should never have to worry about your future again.”

  Chas protested, “No, we couldn’t accept—”

  Kenji cut off Chas politely. “You two gave me my life, my future, back.” He glanced down at Kamiko. “I insist on doing the same for you.”

  Chas looked over at Gunner helplessly.

  Gunner responded, “You heard the man. I guess we’re stuck sharing a house together and raising a family. Are you okay with that? I’m still going to be working with the guys and doing violent stuff now and then.”

  “If it means I get to have you, I’ll find a way to tolerate it. Last night was… an epiphany for me.”

  Gunner asked cautiously, “How so?”

  “You guys used your skills last night to save lives. Specifically, mine and Poppy’s. I saw how intent the Oshiro men were on killing us. They had no care whatsoever for our lives, which begs the question of why we should show concern for theirs.” He frowned, searching for words, and Gunner waited him out.

  Finally, Chas said, “I guess I had to experience a situation where it was a choice between you guys killing or Poppy and me dying for it to really register why you do what you do.”

  Never in a million years did he think he would ever hear those words come out of Chas’s mouth. But then, he’d never in a million years thought he and Chas would find their way back to each other again either. “You sure about that? You’re not going to change your mind in a few months when I have to go on a dangerous job?”

  “I have so much to live for now,” Chas replied, squeezing Gunner’s hand. “In the end, I didn’t want to die. I want to see Poppy grow up, I want to live a long, happy life with you”—he smiled at Gunner—“and I want to have a family of my own. With you.”

  Gunner stared back, his heart so full he wasn’t sure he could speak past the lump it made in his throat. He choked out, “I want all of that too.”

  Kenji laughed. “There you have it. I’m building you two a house. Your happily ever after home. Oh, this is going to be fun. I can’t wait to get started.”

  Gunner smiled at Chas, so happy his heart hurt with joy. They leaned in simultaneously on the sofa to kiss each other. He murmured against Chas’s lips, “I can’t wait to get started either.”

  Chas mumbled back, smiling and still kissing him, “Count me in, big guy. Count me in.”

  More from Cindy Dees

  A Black Dragons Inc. Novel

  Hot SEAL. Hot spy. Hot reunion. Can they work together to find a notorious terrorist without killing each other first?

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  Drago regrets ending their torrid affair by pressuring Spencer to acknowledge their relationship publicly, and he wants a second chance. It’s always been a challenge to get the uptight SEAL to break the rules, but to eliminate a supposedly dead terrorist, they’ll need to operate outside the law. Tension heats up as they track their target, but can they find him before their attraction explodes out of control?

  A Stud Games Novel

  Surveillance, seduction, and extra-dirty politics.

  Christian Chatsworth-Brandeis has a problem. A huge one. The US senator he works for has run away with his latest mistress on the eve of a make-or-break fundraising event, and it’s up to him to cover his irresponsible boss’s tracks.

  Stone Jackson, Senator Lacey’s new bodyguard, looks enough like him that, with some extensive grooming, he might pass for the senator. Christian and Stone hatch a plan to substitute Stone for the senator, but Miami madness and the incendiary heat between them are throwing obstacles in their way. It’s a race to find the senator and pull off the con of the century before the attraction between them spins completely out of control.

  A Stud Games Novel

  Temptation, peril, and dirty poker.

  Love is a high-stakes game.

  When Collin Callahan, British secret agent, goes up against math genius turned surfer bum Oliver Elliot, the battle is epic—and so is the attraction. They’re pitted against each other in an exclusive, ultra-secret—and ultra-illegal—poker match in Gibraltar, but when players start dying and they could be next, they find a common goal: catch the killer before it’s too late.

  Evenly matched at poker and romance, they each wrestle personal demons that threaten to consume them as the stakes climb. It’s an all-or-nothing gamble with both life and love on the line as they fight to be the last seven-card studs standing.

  A Stud Games Novel

  In crime, like in love, there can be no half measures….

  Fashion model Zane Stryker needs money—badly. At almost thirty, his glory days are behind him, and he needs capital to start over. When his luggage is switched with a bag containing contraband he’s forced to deliver, it’s either the worst thing that’s ever happened to him… or the best.

  Enter Sebastian Gigoni, formerly of the British Special Forces, who has to decide just where Zane’s loyalty lies and why. Sizzling attraction erupts between them, but that doesn’t mean they can trust each other. They double down in a race for their lives—and their love—but are their purposes at odds? As they struggle to reconcile their goals, their consciences, and the needs of their hearts, one thing is clear—they must go all in or give up altogether.

  Readers love the Stud Games series by Cindy Dees

  Poker Face

  “The characters are well crafted and totally lovable, even Jack Lacey is the kind of character I love to hate. Thoroughly enjoyable story.”

  —Open Skye Book Reviews

  “This book is unique. I say that because even though there is a somewhat serious aspect about the book, there is also a huge amount of humor as well. I loved it!”

  —Rainbow Book Reviews

  Dead Man’s Hand

  “It’s entertaining and fun to read, has a good dose of mystery and intrigue with interesting characters, both good and bad.”

  —Paranormal Romance Guild

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author CINDY DEES started flying airplanes while sitting in her dad’s lap at the age of three and got a pilot’s license before she got a driver’s license. At age fifteen, she dropped out of high school and left the horse farm in Michigan where she grew up to attend the University of Michigan.

  After earning a degree in Russian and East European Studies, she joined the US Air Force and became the youngest female pilot in its history. She flew supersonic jets, VIP airlift, and the C-5 Galaxy, one of the world’s largest cargo airplanes.

  She also worked part-time gathering intelligence. During her military career, she traveled to forty-two countries on five continents, was detained by the KGB and East German secret police, got shot at, flew in the first Gulf War, met her husband, and amassed a lifetime’s worth of war stories. Cindy has turned many of her experiences into novels of military romance and suspense.

  Cindy’s hobbies include professional Middle Eastern dancing, Japanese gardening, and medieval reenacting. She can also be found often on various social media, hanging out with her friends and fellow readers.

  Winner of a Golden Heart and Holt Medallion for writing, Cindy is a five-time finalist and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award for Romance Fiction, two-time winner of RT Book Review’s Best Harlequin Romantic Suspense Novel of the Year, and is a Romantic Times Lifetime Career Achievement nominee.

  She has published over sixty novels, including thrillers, adventure novels, epic fantasies
, and many stories of military romantic suspense.

  By Cindy Dees

  BLACK DRAGONS INC.

  Out of Control

  Over the Top

  STUD GAMES

  Poker Face

  Dead Man’s Hand

  Showdown

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Over the Top

  © 2021 Cindy Dees

  Cover Art

  © 2021 L.C. Chase

  http://www.lcchase.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.