Jackson raised his voice and said “Alpha Team, Beast Squad present.”
Ryleigh was surprised when each and every one of them jumped to attention. She almost saluted him herself. Jacks then introduced her to the rest of his team, and she had been right Frost and Green were the geeky guys.
Jacks then stated “at ease,” and they all looked right at her. Talk about intimidation.
“Ryleigh, I would like to introduce you to the Beast Squad, NAC’s team Alpha. You have already meet Cash, he is my second, demolition expert, and unbelievable chef. Dalton and Ethan are our enforcers.” Jacks continued. “While you are here, I would like you to spend some time with them. I don’t have all of your credentials, but I would like them to gauge your self-defense skills as well as your weaponry knowledge and ease of use. Next, we have Eli, our medic and requisitions specialist. If you need anything, let him know. I know you said that your team would be sending you the psychical therapy equipment, but if you require anything else, he is your man. At the end of the table, if you haven’t already guessed from their disheveled and grungy appearance, are Frost and Green, otherwise known as Wyatt Green and Sebastian Frost? Cash, I thought we agreed that while I was gone, you were going to make the terrible twosome shower at least every other day.”
It was the first time that Ryleigh had seen a menacing look from Cash. She could tell he wasn’t happy about not following orders and getting, as he stated, the terrible twosome to shower before they left for the mission.
“Sorry, Alpha,” Cash huffed, “their hose down time was schedule when you called up with the wheels up. It was either pack up and head out or fight with the fuckers. I choose to leave. How anyone has to be forced to complete basic hygiene procedures is beyond me. Bas, do you even own a comb or how about deodorant? You are rank man. And, Wyatt, man, red bull and Funyuns do not make for good breath. I swear if Rye weren't standing up wind from you guys I would be embarrassed for you.”
And just like that, as if seeing Ryleigh for the very first time, Wyatt and Bas stared at her for a minute then looked at each other and bolted from the room.
All Ryleigh could think was, how odd, but her stomach decided to growl loudly once again. Dang, she would have been embarrassed, but it smelled so good that she decided to just go with it. But when Jacks took it upon himself to help her to her seat at the table, she was embarrassed once again. Besides her Dad, no one had ever done that for her before. She liked it. She was thankful that no one seemed to notice her moment and starting passing around the dishes and filled the table.
Ryleigh also noted that Jacks hadn’t given Cash enough credit; the food was beyond fantastic. While they ate, Jacks brought the rest of his team up to speed on who Ryleigh was, her association with the Holly Group and NAC, Cassie Larson, and the fact that females with Shifter DNA existed. The delectable food engrossed Ryleigh’s attention so thoroughly that she was hardly paying any attention to what was going on around her. The spaghetti was unbelievable. If she didn’t know any better, she would assume the pasta was homemade just like the amazing red sauce. The garlic bread was beyond to die for and the dressing on the salad should be bottled and sold. She wanted to swim in it because it was just that good. She had just been eyeing the last piece of garlic bread on the table when she noticed the room was eerily quiet. Looking up, Ryleigh saw that all of the men were watching her with varying degrees of expressions on their faces. Jacks looked pained. Cash looked like he had just single-handedly saved the world. Dalton and Ethan, well, she couldn’t be sure what their expression was except she detected some fear or maybe disgust. Eli looked at her like she might be an alien or have a tapeworm or something.
All Ryleigh could say is “what?” with spaghetti hanging ungracefully from her incredibly full mouth.
Cash was the first one to speak, “baby sister, can you even taste what you have been shoveling in between your lips? It is like you haven’t eaten in years. And, honey, for future reference, little sisters should not be making noises like that at the dinner table with her brothers present.”
Ryleigh could feel her face getting hotter, but she was hungry and they needed to just deal with her happy noises. She didn’t know when she would get food like this again, and she was going to savor every moment.
Eli spoke up. “Honey, when is the last time you ate?”
He looked so concerned that Ryleigh couldn’t help but reply, knowing he asked out of concern for her, “This morning I swear. It is just so delicious. I have never tasted anything like it, and I couldn’t help myself.” Ryleigh explained.
Before her face could go nuclear Bas and Wyatt bolted back into the room freshly showered and shaven. Ryleigh thought, dang, they might be geeks, but they were really good looking geeks. The quick clean-up has done them well.
Cash declared, “We are so keeping her, Alpha. If she likes my food that much and can get the geek squad to shower on a regular basis, she is staying forever.”
Ryleigh was still embarrassed, but she decided to just let it go. None of these men were trying to embarrass her. They were just treating her like they treated the rest of the members of the team and she liked that.
“Sorry, guys,” said Ryleigh. “I just realized how Jacks and Cash introduced you; the ‘Beast Squad’, really? Couldn’t you come up with something a little better, maybe like the Phoenix Squad or something like that? You know, like rising from the ashes to protect the helpless and needy.”
Ryleigh wanted to be a part of the fun; and not just the side show that she always seemed to be. Every time people found out about her past they looked at her differently and treated her differently. She didn’t want that with these men, especially Jacks.
“Baby, we are beasts through and through. No need to try and make it pretty by using fancy names,” Jacks all but preened.
“Yeah, and little sister, a Phoenix is a myth. We are all real and all beast. Just watch us roar,” Cash was practically crying with laughter before he got the last part out.
It made her think that there was more to the name than what the guys were letting on. She would have to ask Jacks later. Not being able to help herself, she decided to nudge them just a little bit.
“But guys, my dad, and your boss, is a dragon Shifter. Are you saying he is a myth or just a fancy type of Shifter?” she said.
Ryleigh could barely contain her giggle at the looks on their faces. They all looked scared to death.
Jacks was the first come to his senses, “Okay, everyone, we need to get to work. We are on a short timeline and an even shorter leash. Ethan, I want you to set Ryleigh up with some of our fancier gadgets. The necklace, earrings, and bracelet combo are a definite. That way she will have a means of defense if needed. We will also need some kind of low-emitting video surveillance and bug detection. We can download the contents for facial recognition when we download the device her tech girl has made. I want to know all the players in this house. Even if we can’t use it while we are there, we can pursue it at a later date. I also want a tracker implanted. Eli, if you could do that after Ethan sets Ryleigh up I would appreciate it. Dalton, I want you to do a full assessment of Ryleigh’s strength and weaknesses and report them to me immediately. Cash, you and I are going to be testing out the safes. We are going to have to check the corrosive for not only odor but reliability. I need to time cracking the safe to the minute. We are going to go with a 50-minute window; in and out and all locked up. Have you set up the mock up yet?” Jacks asked.
Cash mockingly looked offended. “Yeah, all ready when you are, Alpha. We have a complete replica of the ground floor of the Franklin’s house in the warehouse. What, you doubted us after all this time? You know we are awesome.”
Jacks knew his men were the best and would have everything he had asked for set up. He just liked to keep them on their toes; it was the Alpha’s job after all.
“Thanks, Cash. I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Okay, everyone, you have your orders let’s hit it,” Jacks said.
; When everyone went to leave the table, Ryleigh spoke up. “Wait a minute, guys, I had an idea regarding the odor of the corrosive. Is there a way to mix in methyl salicylate, wintergreen oil, or menthol in your compound? That smell can be associated with topical pain relievers that I can use on Mrs. Franklin. Everyone from athletes to grandchildren will associate that smell with sore muscles, or physical therapy in this case. When I am working Mrs. Franklin out, I can use a lot or possibly spill some. And I can guarantee the smell will be lingering throughout the house. That way, even if they smell it in the office, there won’t be any questions on how it got there.”
Jacks was impressed. Ryleigh was always thinking and coming up with solutions that he hadn’t even thought about yet. He wondered how it would feel to spend a day in her mind, then decided he probably wouldn’t like it. From what she had explained before, she needed to be constantly stimulated to function. He could think of a few ways to stimulate her that didn’t involve the mission or getting more knowledge, and he couldn’t wait to try them out. Adjusting his perpetual hard on for the millionth time since meeting her, he was glad Cash responded to Ryleigh. He couldn’t get his mind off her luscious body or the things he wanted to do to that body.
“Actually, Ryleigh that is an excellent idea. I could use a synthetic form that will not mess with the properties of the corrosive, kind of like putting perfume in it.” Cash said.
Ryleigh smiled at Cash, silently thanking him for his acknowledgment.
Jacks wanted one of those smiles for himself. “Good thinking, baby, that solves one of our problems before we have even gotten started. Anything else?” Jacks questioned.
Ryleigh liked the praise; she didn’t need it but enjoyed it.
“Yeah, actually, if someone could make a dummy of sorts, sand would work best, I need to teach Jacks proper lifting techniques,” Ryleigh requested. “From the medical reports, I have already received, Mrs. Franklin is about 5”4’ and weighs about 250 pounds. She will be a deadlift patient. I realize that Jacks and all of you have the ability to lift that kind of weight, but we need this to look like the real thing; no manhandling the patient or showing your extreme strength.”
Ryleigh didn’t want to raise any red flags while in the Franklin household, and having Jacks lift the women without even breaking a sweat would be a big red flag. She continued.
“There are lifting and positioning protocols that I need Jacks to know like they are second nature to him. I also want to know more about this tracking device you are planning to use, Eli. I’m not thrilled by the aspect that anyone could track me for any reason. The Holly Group and I have acquired quite a few enemies over the years, and I would feel better about it if I knew all the detail.”
Eli responded immediately, “Roger that, ma’am, and I will make the test dummy. I can also help Jacks with the positioning and lifts since we are closer to the same size.”
“Thanks, Eli, that sounds great. I don’t have anything else, so I guess it is you and me, Ethan,” said Ryleigh.
Jacks dismissed the group much like her Dad had at the meeting prior.
Chapter 26
Ryleigh asked Ethan on the way, “Do you think it’s wrong of me to be a little excited to go shopping in your secret store?”
Ryleigh was happy for the reprieve from Jacks. She needed to think about everything that had happened so far and get her head on straight. Ethan and his secret store were the perfect escape.
Ethan giggled, “No, honey, all the girls like to shop in my secret store, but this time you only get to see the tech stuff. Next time I will show you the real secret store,” he said with a wink.
Ryleigh looked at him in a confused fashion but decided to just go with it. That was until she heard the snarled growl coming from Jacks. Ryleigh noticed that his eyes had a certain light behind them, just like her Dad’s did when he was really pissed.
“You are messing with what is mine. Think fucking hard about what the next words out of your mouth should be,” Jacks snarled.
The air was thick with his dominance and all the guys showed their necks in varying degrees. Ethan caught himself quickly backing away from his Alpha and Ryleigh. His head was tilted to the side in submission and he was holding his hands up.
“Sorry, Honey. Guess that secret store is just going to have to remain a secret. Come on let’s play, ‘I have a feeling you are going to like what Jacks has in mind for you’,” said Ethan.
Everyone splintered off to complete their assignments leaving Jacks and Cash alone.
“Hey, Jacks, did you mean it?” Cash probed. “Is Ryleigh yours? Has your bear bonded to her?” Cash didn’t want to have this conversation; they were men. Men didn’t do the whole talk about your feelings thing. They grunted and drank beer, occasionally scratching their asses or balls. They did not talk about feels, but if Ryleigh was his Alpha’s mate, then Cash would plead his protection and loyalty to her just as he had to Jacks years ago.
Jacks looked uncomfortable but answered, “Yeah, man, she is mine. My bear has been itching to mark her since the first moment I saw her. I thought all this true mate stuff was a bunch of bunk that parents and grandparents told their kids. I mean, come on man, how plausible is it to meet someone and just know they are the person for you? Not to mention the person, your bear wants to connect to over everyone else. Everything just feels right, and it is fucking freaking me out. I have met women and knew I was going to fuck them. That is lust, but this thing with Ryleigh; I want to wrap her in cotton so that I know she is safe. At the same time, I want to tie her to my bed so that I can have her anytime I want, but also know where she is at all time. What the fuck is wrong with me?”
“I was going to wait until after this op was over to talk with my Dad and Grandfather to find out if all the stuff I am feeling is a true mating, but after what you said about Jessie I am pretty sure I no longer need to have that conversation,” Jacks said, looking kind of sick.
He did not talk about his feelings and he just spilled a lifetime’s worth. It was embarrassing, but he knew that if he had to have a breakdown in front of anyone he wanted that person to be Cash, his second and most importantly, his best friend. He had no doubt that he would pay later by endless taunting and ribbing, but he really didn’t care. He was in over his head with Ryleigh. He also felt bad for never knowing about the bond Jessie and Cash had.
“Sorry, man, I know this has got to be hard, but how did you know at ten years old that Jessie was your mate? Shit, man, at ten we were still playing cops and robbers in the woods,” Jacks said.
Cash didn’t want to do this. He was all for helping Jacks, but his feelings for Jessie were his own. He also knew that once he opened the can in the parking lot Jacks wouldn’t let him close it without and explanation.
Wiping his hand down his face, Cash brought his elbows to his knees. Head down the big man slumped right before Jacks' eyes; a hard feat for such a large man.
“I don’t know. I mean, I was ten and there weren’t any lustful thoughts; just a feeling of lasting peace and connection,” Cash confessed. “I wanted her safe and protected, and I had an overwhelming need to be around her at all times. Do you remember how mad Lance used to get when I insisted that Jessie play with us?”
Jacks let himself think about their childhood for a little bit. It had been pretty great; there was a bunch of them that would play every day. Doing the things kids typically did; make forts, camp out, and play cops and robbers. But there was only one little girl, Jessie. When she was taken, everything changed for all of them. The fun and games stopped.
“Yeah, man, we made so many ‘No Girls Allowed’ signs and you destroyed every one of them. It was hilarious. We couldn’t make the signs fast enough and Lance would get so mad every time you tore up another one,” Jacks laughed, thinking of better times.
“You know, after the trial Lance and I went out for drinks and he said he was grateful for the time we all got to spend together.” Jacks said.
After her abdu
ction, the time they spent together playing in the woods became even more special to him, to all of them really.
“We made some good memories back then, didn’t we?” Jacks reminisced. “We didn't have a care in the world; evil didn’t exist to us. That is, until Jessie was gone and reality broke into our world.”
Cash remembered those times too. He got pissed every time Jessie’s brother tried to exclude her, but he was still a kid that wanted to play with his friends. He just wanted Jessie to be there too, so he tore up those signs and took the ribbing the guys gave him and he wouldn’t change that time for the world.
“Cash, did you guys ever, you know, complete the bond?” Jacks inquired as delicately as possible. “Jessie was only 14 years old, but you were 16 by that time and you guys pretty much spent every available moment together. That last year you and Jessie spent more time alone than with any of us. No judgment. We all knew that you two were together, even Lance and his family thought you were going to get married right out of high school.”
Cash didn’t want to think about those times. He had wanted Jessie so bad, but she was too young and he wasn’t going to make her choose him before she was ready. He had to admit that he wasn’t ready either. He was sixteen and knew that if they had had sex, the bond would have been complete; that was a lot to taken on as a teenager. Bonding, or claiming, was the same thing as marriage in the Shifter world, and he just wasn’t ready for that responsibility at sixteen. He did have plans, though, and even without Jessie being there he completed those plans. He bought a house in their hometown that currently sat empty, he had a nice nest egg waiting in the bank that would never be spent, and he dreamed of the life they could have had every day. Those were things he would never tell anyone else, even Jacks.
Jackson: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 1) Page 17
