As soon as I turned eighteen, I’d enlisted in the Air Force. I’d quickly moved up the ranks, learning specialized skills, until I reached my goal of becoming a pararescueman. I’d served with that elite group for ten of my twelve years in the military before deciding to retire.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after that, but I had money saved which allowed me the time to figure it out. I didn’t have to wait very long though because almost a month after I’d left the military, I got a call from a man named Micah Hamilton asking if I’d like to meet with him to talk about a job with his company, Hamilton Security.
Intrigued, I got on a flight to Chicago the next day. Micah introduced me to his staff, which at the time included five other guys and his office manager, Mary, who he lovingly referred to as Southern Mama. Mary was older, with gray hair and delicate wrinkles over her mocha-colored face. Her eyes possessed a wisdom born of experience and a kindness rarely found in others and I immediately felt at ease around her which rarely happened for me.
Micah had shown me around the building and then I followed him into his office where he explained that I’d been recommended to him by my squadron commander and thought I would make the perfect addition to his team, which was comprised of all ex-military special forces members. When I asked why that was, he raised an eyebrow at me and asked his own question. “Wouldn’t you want the best of the best watching your back if your life was in danger?”
“Yes, sir. I get your point,” I’d responded. Micah corrected me, saying that the people who worked for him were like family and that he was not to be called sir. He waited for me to agree, which I did with a smile, then he went on to explain the various assignments I could expect to be given.
He told me that most of the time, I would be providing security to the firm’s elite list of clients which included politicians, musicians, and Hollywood’s biggest stars. Most of those went very smoothly, Micah said, but occasionally, I might be assigned undercover operations which could prove to be very dangerous. I assured him that I was up for the challenge.
After scheduling a routine psyche evaluation and drug screen, we shook hands. I didn’t need any further time to think about it. The job sounded exactly like what I’d been hoping for, and my instincts told me that Micah would be a good man to work for. Two weeks later, I moved into a tiny, studio apartment just outside of Chicago and started my new job.
My instincts had proven correct. Micah was a fair boss, an honorable man and someone I’d learned a lot from. Together, he and Mary had created a place which felt more like a home than a business. Micah had since added to our team until there were twelve of us working for him. We each had our own area of expertise that we’d learned through our varied military experience, and Micah used that to determine who would be the best fit for each job that came in.
Having served in different branches, we loved to give each other shit, but at the end of the day, we were all brothers and I’d trust any one of them with my life. And Mary was like a mother to each of us, often referring to us as “her boys,” and running the office with a firm yet nurturing hand. I loved my makeshift family back home and that was why I was there. Micah had asked me to do this job, a personal favor to him, he’d said, and that was all the reason I needed.
I’d agreed to the assignment nearly seven months before, with very little information to go on. So far, I hadn’t turned up anything worthwhile. Micah had warned me that this case would be very difficult, but I’d assured him that I’d found people before, using even less information. It had been my area of expertise in the Air Force and I was damn good at it. That wasn’t me being prideful, just honest.
A ringing noise pulled me from my thoughts and alerted me that the video conference was about to begin. A few seconds later, I could see Micah, along with Brandon, Greg and Nolan. Carlos and some of the others were out on assignments, like me, so they popped up in little boxes off to the side. I smiled when I saw them.
Brandon was born and raised in California and had the blond hair, blue eyes and laid-back attitude to prove it, but he was also one of the most intelligent men on our team. Greg was tall and broody with jet-black hair and steel-gray eyes. He could’ve very easily been a model for a men’s fitness magazine but had chosen a career in the military instead.
Nolan was a lesson in looks can be deceiving. With his small frame and lithe body, many people underestimated him, but he was highly skilled in mixed martial arts and deadly in his precision. After seeing him in action a few times, I was definitely glad that we were on the same side.
We were a hodgepodge of looks and personalities and most people probably wouldn’t have expected such a diverse group of individuals to be able to find any common ground, but somehow, we made it work. Not only did we work well together, but we all genuinely cared about each other and enjoyed hanging out with each other outside of the job. I’d missed them so much since I’d been gone.
“Hey! How’s everybody doing?” Micah asked. A chorus of goods and okays could be heard as we all answered at once.
“Carlos, have you made any progress on the senator’s case?” I watched as Carlos’s smile faded, his expression turning serious.
“Not really,” he responded. “This guy’s a smart one. He seems to be one step ahead of us at every turn.”
“Be patient,” Greg chimed in. “They always slip up. It’s a proven fact and when he does, you’ll be there to stop him.”
“Yeah, I know. This case just seems more difficult than others because the senator has made so many enemies with his disgusting views on homosexuality and women’s rights. It could literally be anyone making these threats,” Carlos explained.
“I can understand that,” Josh agreed. “There are plenty of politicians I’d like to see disappear.” We all chuckled at his joke and then Micah turned his attention to me.
“Speaking of difficult cases, how’s the search for Zane going?” he asked. I could feel the concern in my friends’ gazes. They knew the toll this investigation had taken on me.
“I think I may have found him,” I answered. The shocked looks on their faces would’ve made me laugh, but I was too busy watching Micah as he jerked upright in his chair.
“Seriously? Where?” The excitement was evident in his voice.
“First of all, I said I may have found him. I haven’t been able to positively ID him yet.” I held my hands up to slow his enthusiasm.
“Okay, tell us what you’ve got,” Micah said, relaxing back into his seat. I spent the next several minutes explaining how I’d been on my way to Columbus when I just happened to run into a guy whose description fit Zane’s.
“The age and height look right, and the hair color is the same. He goes by the name Zach, which is pretty damn close, but the thing that really got my attention was his eyes. He looked at me for just a second and, I swear, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I’m telling you, my gut says he’s the guy,” I finished.
If it was any other group of guys, they’d probably laugh me off, but not those guys. They got it. Despite having been trained differently in our various branches of the military, one rule always applied; trust your instincts.
“So, what’s your plan?” Greg asked.
“I got a job where he works. That way I can get to know him better before telling him why I’m here,” I explained.
“Atta boy.” Brandon smirked.
“Why can’t he just ask the guy if he’s Zane?” Trevor, another one of my coworkers, asked.
“Because, if it is Zane, we can’t risk him getting spooked and taking off again. We need him brought back here, but without using any force. He has to agree to come on his own,” Micah warned. “There’s a lot riding on this, so it’s important that you be absolutely sure it’s him.”
I’d never seen my boss look so serious and I wondered once again who this Zane was and why it was so important to bring him back to Chicago. It wasn’t my place to question my assignment though, so I swallowed my curiosity
and nodded my head in agreement.
We talked for several more minutes, each man taking a turn to update the group on where he stood with his project. We were just finishing up when the conference room door opened behind Micah and Mary popped her head inside. I smiled when I saw her friendly face. She looked at the screen in surprise when we all called out a greeting and her face lit up when she saw us.
“Well, hello there. If it isn’t my heroes,” she exclaimed in a teasing voice. Brandon and Nolan each groaned at her words and Greg buried his face in his hands.
“What’s she talking about?” Carlos asked.
“You didn’t tell them?” Mary laughed at the exasperated look Micah gave her then stepped closer to the screen, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“These three thwarted a would-be bank robber a few days ago on their way back from lunch,” she explained, pointing to Brandon, Nolan and Greg. “The news stations got ahold of the story and ran with it. Once they discovered you were all former military, they dubbed you ‘Hamilton’s Heroes.’ Now, that’s what they’re calling you all over the city. I even heard the ladies talking about it down at the beauty parlor.”
My jaw dropped, and a chorus of groans could be heard around the room. Both in our jobs in the military and in our current line of work, we did the things we did to protect people and make sure that justice was served. None of us considered ourselves heroes. In fact, we were embarrassed by the notion. Not Mary though. She preened like the proudest mama.
“I know none of you like to be the center of attention, but you have always been heroes to me. I couldn’t possibly be prouder of my boys and it’s about time the rest of the world sees it too,” she said, looking each of us in the eye to make sure we were paying attention.
We’d all known that Mary cared about us, but the emotion in her eyes and her heartfelt words made it very clear just how much she loved us. It was quiet for several seconds and then Micah stood up and wrapped his arms around her.
“Thank you, Mary,” I said, swallowing around the lump in my throat. Everyone else followed with their own thanks and then Micah announced that it was time to get back to work. We said a quick goodbye and then my screen went black.
I sat there for a few minutes, thinking of how grateful I was to work with so many incredible people. It was nice to have someone be so proud of who you were, and it gave me even more reason to make sure I handled this job with the utmost care.
After I got my laptop put away, I grabbed my bag and, with one more glance around the room, I locked the door behind me. On the drive over to the lake, I thought about the task ahead of me. First, I needed to figure out if Zach was actually Zane Wilkinson and then I had to ask him to go back to Chicago with me, all without either of us knowing why he was wanted back there. While I trusted Micah’s reasons implicitly, Zane would have no reason to. Which meant that I was going to have to get him to trust me instead.
I pulled into the entrance of the lake and drove slowly up the lane towards the bait shop. I parked to the side of the building and got out, looking around as I walked to the door. The lake was surprisingly busy for a Monday morning, many of the same campers I’d seen the day before were still there. There were also several lone fishermen scattered around the lake, taking advantage of the beautiful day.
The smell of fish was strong as I opened the door of the bait shop and I had to force myself not to grimace. The owner of the lake was behind the counter, scooping something out of a bucket with her bare hands and transferring them into smaller containers. As I stepped closer, I realized they were leeches.
“They make good bait,” she said nonchalantly without looking up.
I watched as she finished and slapped lids over the containers, marking their contents with a permanent marker and then sticking them in a small refrigerator marked, Bait Only. She washed her hands and then turned around and faced me with a serious expression.
“You’ll have to get used to handling squishy, slimy things if you’re going to work here. You sure you’re up for it?” I could see the challenge in her eyes.
“Yes, ma’am. I worked alongside the medics in the Air Force. I’ve seen my fair share of squishy and slimy,” I responded.
She stared at me for a moment and then her lips quirked up in a half smile. “Okay then,” she replied.
I smiled back at her. I’d liked Edith as soon as I met her. The silver streaks in her dark hair and the subtle lines around her eyes were the only indications of her age. Other than that, she was as fit and trim as any woman half her age. In just the brief time we’d talked, I’d already seen that she was feisty, with a devilish glint to her eyes. I could only imagine what a wild-child she must have been as a teenager.
“I’ve got Zach over at your cabin, getting it set up. You can head on over there. I’ll give you some time to get your stuff moved in and then I want you to work with him while you learn the ropes. I already told him what I need done today,” she told me.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said.
Edith narrowed her eyes at me. “And don’t call me ma’am. I’m not that old,” she said, sternly.
“Yes, ma’a…sorry, it’s ingrained from the military. I mean no disrespect,” I rushed to explain. That’s when I saw the sparkle in her eyes and I realized that I’d been had.
“Oh, you’re going to be fun,” she said with a smirk. I couldn’t help but laugh as I shook my head.
“I can see I’m going to have to be on top of my game around you, aren’t I?” I teased.
“You’re not the first man to say that to me. Probably not the last, either,” she joked back, making me laugh again. I definitely liked her.
I waved goodbye to her and went back out to climb in my Jeep, rolling the windows down since the day was starting to warm up. I saw the old blue Ford as soon as I made my way around to the back portion of the lake. It was parked in the driveway of what I assumed was my new home, and I pulled up next to it and grabbed my bags out of the back seat.
The windows and doors were wide open as I walked up the short path to the cabin and as I got closer, I saw movement inside. I stepped up on the front porch and watched the man as he swept the wooden floor, piling the dust into a small pile.
His back was turned, and he had yet to notice me, so I took the opportunity to observe him. He bent down to gather the dust into a dustpan and my eyes zeroed in on the way his jeans hugged his tight little ass. I swallowed back a groan then chastised myself for perving on the man when he didn’t even know I was there.
Suddenly, I heard a sharp gasp. “What the…?” He put his hand to his chest as he spun around to face me, and I quickly took in his features. “Oh my God! You scared me!”
There was a bump along the bridge of his nose and his cheekbones were higher and more rounded than the kid in the photo, almost as if they’d been sculpted. His bottom lip was pink and full, and I watched as his tongue darted out to wet it.
He blew out an impatient breath as he waited for me to respond and his hair caught the movement and for just a fraction of a second it shifted away from his face, exposing him to me. There was a jagged scar that ran along his right eye, pulling the delicate skin downward, but that wasn’t what had my pulse racing. It was the look in those blue eyes. The same haunted look as sixteen-year-old Zane Wilkinson.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” I held my hands up in a placating gesture.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
“My name is Jeremy O’Brien and I’m pretty sure this is my new cabin,” I explained.
My heart beat wildly in my chest as I stared at the man standing in the doorway. My face flushed with embarrassment and I ducked my head, so he wouldn’t see. He remained silent and I figured he was probably waiting for me to introduce myself.
“Zach,” I mumbled. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No, it was my fault. I should’ve made more noise; let you know I was there,” he answered kindly.
His voice was deep and not at all unpleasant. I looked back up and saw that he hadn’t moved from his position, probably afraid of scaring me again. He was taller than me by nearly a foot and with his height and broad shoulders, he nearly filled the entire doorway. His hair was cut short and matched the auburn scruff along his jaw.
His skin was the color of cream and I found myself wondering if he tended to burn in the sun or if he would turn golden. He had nice, full lips and a dimple in his right cheek that deepened as his mouth lifted into a smile. My eyes darted to his and I could see the amusement in their emerald-green depths. Shit! Had he caught me checking him out?
I needed to get a grip. The guy may have been sexy as hell, but I had to work with him which meant he was off-limits. I didn’t need or want anyone around here knowing my personal business. That was why I preferred to travel to other towns whenever I had an itch that needed to be scratched.
Besides, the guy probably wasn’t even gay, and I’m sure he would have torn me apart if he’d been able to read my mind. Despite his friendly smile, there was something about him that immediately had me feeling cautious. Maybe it was the size of him, or maybe it was the way he was looking at me, as if he were trying to uncover all my secrets, but it was enough to make me wary.
“Anyway, I was just finishing up in here,” I explained. “As you can see, you have a kitchen and a living room. There’s a bedroom and bathroom just down the hall. No one has lived in this cabin since last summer, so I’ve cleaned it up the best I can, but the cabinets and fridge are empty. You might want to stock up on groceries and basic supplies.” I rarely talked to anyone other than Edith, so I was out of practice and my voice sounded rough to my own ears. I wondered if he noticed and I felt myself blushing again.
Found_Hamilton's Heroes series_Book 1 Page 3
