by Casey Hagen
Or finishing the action he had started.
“No, it’s fine. I only just started with the weights so I can take a minute, but look, if this is about the proposal—”
“It’s not. At least not directly. I have a situation that’s come up, and I don’t feel right moving forward without talking to you about it.”
“Okay. I’m all ears. What’s up?”
“I’d rather talk in person if you don’t mind. Could you meet me at Roast in an hour?” he asked, opting for a local coffee shop where the rest of the team wouldn’t walk in on them. Not that he minded them knowing, but Dylan was the head of the group. Fierce was his brainchild that he turned into a partnership. The other guys were easygoing. If anyone was going to have an issue with what Jake was doing, it would be Dylan.
And because of that, he was the only one he trusted at the moment to give it to Jake straight and know just what to do to protect Fierce, while Jake did what he promised he’d do.
“I’ll be there, but for making me miss my workout, you’re buying.”
“Deal,” Jake said.
An hour later, Jake sat in the corner booth with both of their coffees, his eyes trained on the door.
He forced himself to stop fidgeting with his cup the minute Dylan stepped in. He slid out of the booth, stood, and reached out a hand to Dylan. “Thanks for coming.”
Dylan’s mouth remained in a straight line, giving no indication as to what he was thinking.
Typical Dylan.
The guy had mastered the art of keeping others on edge. Well, only when he wanted to, and clearly now was one of those times.
Fair enough.
Dylan slid in the booth and grabbed the cup waiting for him. “You’re welcome. It better be a kick-ass coffee. I haven’t had a good workout in three weeks.”
“I don’t know, chasing around an eleven-month-old hell-bent on running instead of walking seems like a solid workout to me.”
Dylan winced at the first hot sip, blew on the cup, and took another. “It’s cardio. The only thing it does is burn off the piles of baby goldfish crackers he’s been stuffing in my mouth every chance he gets.”
Jake grinned. “Come on, you love it and you know it.”
Dylan’s eyes danced a bit over the rim of his cup. “You’re right, I do.” With a sigh of satisfaction, he eyed Jake again. “Time to come clean, Jake. I know you didn’t call me here to talk about diapers and bottles.”
“Right now, I’d almost rather talk about your wife breastfeeding.” Holy fuck, that did not come out the way he intended it.
Angry wrinkles big enough to park tanks in formed between his eyes. “Guy, that is not the way to get on my good side. Get my wife’s breasts out of your head, right now.”
Jake put his hands up and shook his head. A rising flush burned his cheeks. “Bad choice of words, sorry.”
Dylan reached for his cup and sat back, his elusive smile finally breaking out. “Wow, whatever it is must be good if it’s got you this off-balance. I almost feel like I need to make it easier on you.”
“Easier?” Jake asked.
Dylan leaned in and propped his elbows on the desk. “Listen, it’s no surprise that you pissed me off yesterday, but I’ve taken some time to think about it, and after seeing you in action last night, I’m willing to consider your idea.”
The air whooshed out of Jake’s lungs, only to be followed by the dread that came with knowing that you’re loosely holding your dream in your hands and you were about to do something that might obliterate it for good. “Okay, by consider…”
Dylan shook his head and rolled his lips inward. “I don’t feel comfortable fronting that kind of money. I have to think of my family here. I’ve got a son to keep in goldfish and a daughter eying Sarah Lawrence College awfully hard. Between the two, I’m going to be hemorrhaging money in a way I’m not used to. But, if we can get three or four more investors on board, it’s worth a shot.”
Jake laid his palms flat on the table, letting the cool wood under his hands anchor him. “The other guys are okay with this?”
“You saw them in there. They were okay with it from the jump. We’ve been looking to build something with Fierce, but with so many people needing help, protection, investigation, umpteen surveillance details, extra muscle on operations for the military and some of our SEAL buddies operating similar businesses in other parts of the country, narrowing it down was all but impossible.”
“This isn’t really like that, though,” Jake pointed out, not sure why he was trying to shoot clean holes right through his own plan.
“No, and that’s exactly why it might just be the right thing,” Dylan said.
“You’ve managed to come around to that in less than twenty-four hours?” Jake asked as he studied him.
“Of course. I’m evolved,” Dylan said with a dismissive shrug.
Jake laughed. “Your wife is making you do it, isn’t she?”
“Shut up,” Dylan barked with little heat.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but… don’t agree to it unless you absolutely want to. I don’t want to tell people this was all made possible because Harlow had your sac tucked in her pocketbook right next to her car keys.”
“Look at you, you just wrote the brochure,” Dylan said.
Jake bit his lip and forced his rigid shoulders to relax. “I’m serious, Dylan. It’s too important to me.”
Dylan’s smile slipped away. “I get that. And it’s not just because of her. Once she talked me off the money ledge, I saw the potential. I just want to see more donated dollars going into it,” he said as he kept his eyes on Jake.
“I can work on it. If you don’t mind, I’ll start with Abe, Dude, and Mozart. I can messenger the plans to them—”
Dylan held up a hand to stop him. “I’ve already got calls into them.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I don’t mind doing the legwork.”
“Oh, you’re going to do most of it,” Dylan assured him with a laugh. “If we make this happen, you’re going to have your hand in it every step of the way.”
Jake took a sip of his coffee, the flavor of dark roast lingering on his parched tongue. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I watched you last night. You didn’t put on a show for me. Actually, you seemed to forget I was even there, and you focused on the women.”
“I would be doing them a disservice if I’d done anything less,” Jake said, wanting to change the subject before Dylan could examine Jake’s motivation too closely. Dylan had already figured out that Jake’s drive had something to do with his mother, and it wouldn’t take much more discussion to have it all out there.
Jake wanted that shit in the shadows where it belonged. The little boy might be screaming inside him, but he sure as hell didn’t need his team looking at him with pity because they knew the details of his childhood.
“Yeah, you would. A couple of them were survivors; I could see it in the way they moved. So could you. You noticed and without calling attention to it, you modified your moves, your demeanor, and your voice to make them as comfortable as possible. It’s what you’re meant to do. I suspect I know why. Now, I’m going to do everything in my power to see that you’re doing it with Fierce.”
Too close. Too fucking close. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. It’s not a done deal. We have a lot of people to talk out of their savings accounts first, but I’ll do everything I can. Now, what has you calling me up at four in the morning?”
Jake turned his focus to the line at the counter, the people scrolling their phones, answering emails, while he waited for the humming in his ears to subside. His knee bounced under the table, and his palms grew damp. “Listen, I can’t believe I have everything I want all but right there waiting for me to take it, and I’m going to say this, but since I’ve made this proposal, I don’t feel right keeping it from you.”
Dylan leaned back an
The bastard.
“Did you notice the woman standing next to the ring watching the lesson?” Jake asked.
“Yeah, petite thing, skittish and pissed off all at the same time.” Dylan tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“She came to me after everyone left. She, uh, she asked me to train her,” Jake said right before taking a chug of his coffee.
The minute he set the cup down, Dylan’s invasive stare awaited him. “Why is this news?” he asked before shifting in his seat. “Wait, what exactly do you mean train her?”
“I told her I would do it,” Jake blurted the words like he was ripping off a Band-Aid.
“Jake,” Dylan growled out.
Jake met his gaze and slammed a hand on his knee to stop the bouncing. “She wants me to train her to fight.”
Dylan flexed the hand resting on the table. “Fight who?”
“Her husband,” Jake said quietly.
“Christ.” Dylan shoved a hand through his hair and stared out the window at the dark city. “You tried to talk her out of it?”
“In a way,” Jake said.
Dylan scoffed.
“There’s more.”
“Of course there is. Might as well hit me with all of it,” Dylan said.
Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. His brain hurt. It actually fucking hurt. Not a headache. But just deep-set pain that came with his memories colliding with Destiny’s uncertain future. They collided, fused, and then dropped in a cluster from between his ears to dance on his churning gut. “Her husband is Navy.”
“She needs to report it,” Dylan said, his words sharp and unbending.
“She tried,” Jake said.
“She needs to try harder.”
“His superior officer told her if she’d been a better wife, her husband wouldn’t have had to hit her.” And there was the burn. The searing pain with realizing that not only had one of their own done this to his wife, but his superior made excuses for it and allowed it to continue.
Jake didn’t fool himself. He knew this shit happened all the time. But to have it right there, in their branch, so close, and to not be able to punish the men who abused others and those who perpetuated it had Jake seeing red.
It had Jake saying yes, even when it might just cost him everything he’d ever wanted.
A muscled ticked in Dylan’s cheek. Jake recognized that dark look. “Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
“Why is she hell-bent on doing it this way?” Dylan asked.
“My guess, to prove that she’s strong. That if he dares lay a hand on her, he better be ready for the consequences. The system failed her. The look in her eyes last night, the way she spoke—she won’t live one more day like that with him. She’s done. Even if facing him kills her,” Jake said quietly.
“You have to do it,” Dylan said with resignation in his voice.
“I know.”
Dylan scrubbed a hand over his face. “I have to hand it to you, when you step in it, you really step in it. I don’t even know where to start. I mean, if this goes wrong, you’re tied to it. Fierce is tied to it. He’s Navy. We could all be in some serious trouble here. We may be out, but we work with the military all the time. We have close ties to people still in. If this goes bad, it might just take Fierce down with it.”
“Which is why I quit.” He didn’t know he was going to say it. Hell, he hadn’t realized he was even thinking it. But in light off all the obstacles, all the ramifications not just for the business, but for his team, men he called friends, he couldn’t take the risk with their livelihood.
Dylan’s nostrils flared right before he slapped his hand down on the table, making their coffees jump under the force. Several people turned their way, but within seconds, turned back to what they were doing. “The fuck you do. You got everyone all fired up with your grand plans and then poof, you’re gone? No. Not even close. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to buy the whole team coffee while I call everyone in. Then, we’re all going to hash out a plan where we all get what we want in the end.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Dylan looked at his watch. “For the next hour or so, it is. For my future ulcer’s sake. Now, go get that coffee.”
Chapter 5
When Dylan finished talking, four heads swung to Jake.
“Hey,” he said with an awkward smile.
“I’ll start the list,” Evan said as he scratched a pen over his yellow legal pad. “My first suggestion is calling Tex Keegan. We need more information on the husband and his superiors. Tex can get into delicate areas without getting caught.”
“And we can’t?” Jake asked.
Evan glanced up over the rim of his glasses. “Not like Tex. While we’re good, I’d rather he be the one to hack into the government databases. This is what he does, and he’s got all kinds of ways to go incognito to get it done.”
Evan glanced up at the team. “Next, we need a place for you to train Destiny.”
“Since we’re on hold while we look for money, I thought maybe I could use the space Fierce rented,” Jake said.
Dylan shoved his hand in his pockets. “Nope. It needs to be separate and not connected to any of us. I want to get this done and come out the other side unscathed if you don’t mind.”
“I know a place,” Josie said. “My friend Diamond just leased a place for a second club. He doesn’t plan to start work on it until the beginning of the year.”
“You’re sure he’ll go for it?” Cole said, glancing down at her with a smile.
She smiled back and winked. “Won’t be a problem.”
“Thanks, Josie. I’ve got the gym for the rest of the week, but I need to start working with her on navigating in the dark, working around obstacles, relying on the senses she has when she loses one of her others.”
“I’ll call Diamond when we’re done, and I’ll have a key by the end of the day.”
“We need an eye on Destiny,” Slyder said quietly. “I get that she wants to face him alone, and even if we were all cool with that, which I’m pretty sure none of us are, someone needs to be there to make sure he doesn’t kill her and get away with it.”
Jake’s blood ran cold. The thought of watching her battle it out, standing there and doing nothing, seized him with a familiar, unwelcome panic.
Flashes of his father’s meaty fist flying through the air, smeared with his mother’s blood, rode in on a wave, making the coffee churn in his gut and threaten to come back up. “He won’t kill her.”
Because he would step in. He’d have to.
The sound of his father’s knuckles crunching solidly against his mother’s cheek echoed in his head.
“Anything’s possible with a plan like this,” Dylan said.
“Then he dies, too,” Jake said, the words delivered with such an unfamiliar chill, it sucked him out of hellish memories that always waited to drag him kicking and screaming back into his childhood nightmares.
“Jake—”
“No,” he snapped. His voice grated against his suddenly raw throat. “He doesn’t get to take her life and walk away with his. That’s all I’m going to say about it. What happens if he kills her isn’t part of our plan.”
“What the fuck do you expect me to do with that?” Dylan shouted with a slam of the flat of his hand against the conference table.
Jake leaned down, his own palms against the table, and faced Dylan. “Respect it. And know that if our situation was reversed, I’d respect you enough to do what you thought was right, no matter the consequences.”
“I’ve never stood by while a brother took the fall,” Dylan said.
Jake pushed away and backed up to lean against the wall. “I’m not one of you. I’m not a SEAL.”
Dylan threw his hands in the air. “You think that matters? And you and I both know the only reason you never went full SEAL was because of a fucked up moment in time out of your control.”
His life, his direction, it had always been steered by fucked up moments out of his control. His mother, losing the SEALs, and now, Destiny.
He could live with that.
“I have to do what I think is right. You all have to think of your families. I don’t have a family. My mother is gone. My father—” His hands ached from clenching them into fists and when he released them, a sharp sting shot through his fingers. “I don’t have a family.”
The room went silent once again, and none of the men looked at him.
Good.
This wasn’t a goddamned support group. He didn’t need a hug. He didn’t need sympathy.
“Your father beat your mother, didn’t he?” Josie asked, stepping up to him.
He gnashed his teeth. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, I don’t believe that. I think right now, it’s the only thing that matters.” Josie laid her hand on his arm and looked up into his eyes, giving him nowhere to hide.
God, how he hated the instinct in him to even try.
“Is that how she died?” she asked, her voice gentle, but firm.
He tried to speak, but nothing came out so he gave her a jerky nod instead.
She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. “So we need to make sure it doesn’t happen to Destiny.”
“Yeah,” he ground the word out.
“We’re here to help. Whatever you need. Okay?” she said.
“Thank you,” he said.
A full five minutes of planning and list making passed before Jake realized just how easily Josie had diffused the standoff between him and Dylan.
Neither of them got their way.
Of course, they didn’t not get their way either.
What the hell had just happened?
Damn, she was good.
He glanced around the room at his team, their heads together as they planned, Evan making notes, and Dylan grabbing the office phone and setting it in the center of the table.
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