by Tiffani Lynn
Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Desiree Holt. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original The Omega Team remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Desiree Holt, or their affiliates or licensors.
For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds
Saving Summer
Tiffani Lynn
Contents
Untitled
Acknowledgments
About The Omega Team
1. Chapter One: Mike
2. Chapter Two: Summer
3. Chapter Three: Mike
4. Chapter Four: Summer
5. Chapter Five: Mike
6. Chapter Six: Summer
7. Chapter Seven: Mike
8. Chapter Eight: Summer
9. Chapter Nine: Mike
Epilogue: Mike
Untitled
Saving Summer
Cover Design by Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs
Editor: Twin Tweaks Editing
Dedication
This story is for all the couples who started out as friends and dared to cross the line to find a love deeper than they ever dreamed.
Acknowledgments
As always, my first thanks goes out to my husband and amazing daughters. Making you guys proud is what I strive for. Love you always.
I’m lucky to have a ton of support when it comes to the author side of my life. Special thanks go to Judy Swinson, Kat Mizera, Katharina LeBoeuf, Lexi Post, Mia Sparks and Sam JD Hunt. I love you guys and appreciate the special friendship we share. This would be so much harder without you.
Desiree Holt, I can’t thank you enough for the invitation to join Omega Team. I’ve enjoyed writing Mike & Summer’s story for your Kindle World. I was a fan before I was a member so it’s a great honor. Your generosity, encouragement and support have meant so much to me.
To my TLC Crew… Dilly Dilly and What you find is what you find. I love you guys and cherish the memories we have together even if the teasing is relentless.
Wolfpack… For you guys I will continue to wear some kickass pant suits. Be prepared for full awesomeness.
To everyone who Beta read, proof read and asked for ARC’s I thank you for your time and kindness. Your support is so helpful and means the world to me.
About The Omega Team
The Omega Team
Grey Holden was raised to believe in honor and duty and the dedication of men to fighting evil. Both his father and grandfather taught him the tradition of the Omega Male, men who carry a resourcefulness, cunning and strength to get a job done with their own skill. They take great pride in what they do without it manifesting as "ego." They differ from the typical Alpha Male who MUST absolutely be perceived by his peers as the toughest, most popular, and smartest. An Omega Male cares little for this recognition...but knows that he is all those things and more. It’s what made him a good soldier and what makes him a good security and covert agent. Athena Madero fits perfectly into his world. They meet when separately they are trying to prove that a wealthy and high profile political figure is actually The Snake, a shadowy arms dealer whose weapons armed the insurgents that Grey was fighting in Afghanistan.
They form The Omega Team, an agency that takes on even the most dangerous cases. They draw as members of the team former military such as Delta Force, SEALs, Force Recon Marines, Coast Guard, Night Stalkers and others, law enforcement and private security who have the same code of conduct and dedication they do. They will also work with similar agencies on some joint ventures. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, they accept assignments all over the world, no matter how dangerous.
Chapter One: Mike
The Florida sun warms my skin as I relax. This last mission took its toll and I’m in need of the two days of rest and relaxation I’m currently enjoying alone. The sound of the waves breaking in the background have lulled me into a comfortable trance. The best part about being back in the Sunshine State is the beach. I’ve always been a sucker for the sun and sand that surrounds me.
The ringing of my phone snaps me out of the zone and I lift my sunglasses up to glance at the caller ID. Summer Arden the screen reads. I smile to myself. She’s my younger sister’s best friend and we’ve been friends—best friends—for years. She pretty much grew up at our house so I know everything there is to know about her, and thanks to a hot affair one weekend last summer I know all there is to know about grown-up Summer too.
As soon as I hit the button to connect I ask, “M, how are you?” I started calling her M&M when she was a kid and somehow we’re now down to M.
“Mike…” Her voice breaks like she’s crying and all my senses go on high alert. Summer is one of the most positive, upbeat people I know so if she sounds like this, there’s a problem.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, unable to hide the worry.
She sniffles and I fight the instinct to yell at her to tell me what’s going on. “Come on, M. You have to say something.”
“Someone broke into my room while we were out filming this morning and left…stuff in my bed. God, Mike, I’m so scared. I know you’re finally off this weekend, but I didn’t know who else to call. I need you.”
“You’re still in Key West?” I ask, already standing and gathering my belongings as I wait for her to answer.
“Yeah. I’ve got a few more days here. The weather messed up filming two of the days so we had to add time. I’m so sorry. I know how little time you get off.”
“Don’t say another word, M. I’ve always told you that if you need me I’m there. Text me your address. Is there more to this story that you aren’t telling me? It’s not like you to get spooked like this.”
“Yes, but we’ll talk about it when you get here. I’ll pay your expenses.”
“You aren’t paying for shit. Text me the address. I’m sending someone over there to sit with you until I can get to you. I’ll text you his picture and name. Don’t open your door for anyone else.”
“I’m not in my room. I’m with Maggie, in her room. I can’t go back in there.”
She starts crying again and I’m wishing I had a jet I could jump in to make the trip faster. Six and a half hours is too long to worry. Fuck!
“Don’t let anyone into that room except you two. Don’t order room service until I have someone with you. That door stays locked and you stay put.”
“We have to shoot again this afternoon.”
“You can go to the set once I get someone with you. I’m hanging up to call my friend. I’ll text you what you need. Just hold tight, sweetheart.”
“Okay, I will. Thanks, Mike.”
“You’re welcome. Gotta go, hon.”
“Bye,” she says softly with a sniffle and hangs up.
Fuck! I dial quickly as I swing into my jeep and throw it in gear, switching to my Bluetooth.
“Hudson,” a deep voice answers.
“It’s Wade. Gotta call in a marker. You still in the Keys?”
“Yeah, I was leaving today for the Bahamas but I can hold off. What’s up?”
“I don’t know. My sister’s best friend is in Key West filming a movie. Some freak broke into her room. There’s more to the story, but I didn’t get all the particulars. She’s scared and I’m in St. Pete. It’ll take me six and a half hours to get there without traffic. Any chance you can go play bodyguard until I arrive? She has to shoot later today and I don’t want her going to the set without protection. I’m almost ho
me and can be back out the door in about 10 minutes.”
“Anything, man. You know that. Text me the address. I’ll send you a picture of me right now. Tell her not to open that door for anyone else. I’m in Marathon which is about an hour from Key West and can leave now.”
“Thanks, man. Call me when you get there and figure out what the hell is going on. I didn’t want to waste time with particulars until I had her covered.”
“You got it. See you soon.”
I hang up and spend the next several minutes calling around to find someone to look after Scooter, my basset hound rescue dog. Thank God for my neighbor. Last year when she wasn’t available I ended up with an overzealous ex-girlfriend half naked in my living room. That made things a little tense when Summer and I returned home together.
Summer. Her name rolls over and over in my head and my gut clenches. I haven’t seen her much since our weekend spent between the sheets last year, but that doesn’t mean I want her less. The timing wasn’t right for us to take things farther, but it’s not because I didn’t want it. In fact, it seems like I’ve been waiting my entire life for the right time with her. The end of our amazing weekend is the only heartbreak I remember suffering since high school. Of course, I’ll never tell her that. Our friendship was more important in the end than anything else—or that’s what I keep telling myself. More than anything I haven’t wanted the awkwardness of unrequited love to take away what little time I do get with her.
An hour and a half later my phone rings with Hudson’s number on the caller ID and I answer.
“Hey, you got her?” I ask, impatient to know she’s okay.
“Yeah, I’m with her and she’s fine, but you’re not gonna like this situation. This isn’t the first time she’s had an incident. This is number 10 and things seem to be escalating.”
“Ten?” I shout. “Same guy? What do you mean ‘escalating’?”
“Dude did a cum dump on her bed and used her lipstick to leave a little note on the headboard.”
“What in the ever-loving fuck?” I growl, ready to punch the shit out of something. No wonder she called me freaked out. “What did the note on the headboard say?”
“You’re mine.”
I drop a string of cuss words. “Don’t leave her side until I get there.”
“No problem, relax, you know she’ll be fine with me. Besides, it’s not a hardship. You didn’t tell me she was smokin’.”
“Back the fuck off, dude,” I growl, knowing I’d go to blows with my friend if he tried to take it there with her.
He laughs long and hard. “Sister’s best friend, my ass,” he says between guffaws.
“Fuck off. Don’t worry about anything except keeping her safe. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I disconnect without a goodbye, his laughter coming through the line as I do. Bastard.
Chapter Two: Summer
It was all I could do not to call Mike each time I received something that would send chills down my spine from this guy, but the mess in my bed ended that effort. There’s no one that makes me feel as safe as Mike Wade and I’m lucky enough that he was on a break from work. Since he retired from the Army Special Forces he’s been part of Omega Team—a private organization that specializes in a number of things that former military and police personnel do well. Security, personal protection, and information gathering seem to be Mike’s main duties and he’s been on an assignment out of state for three weeks. We had dinner with his family right before he left and he texted me yesterday to let me know he was home.
I’ve known Mike almost my whole life. In first grade his sister, Valerie, became my best friend and because they’re so close in age, Mike ended up hanging out with us all the time too. Before too long we were our own version of the three musketeers and I had two amazing best friends. Thank goodness we’ve all remained close as we’ve gotten older. The Wade family has been my biggest support system over the years and I feel so lucky to have them.
I probably should have called Mike when this all started, but I didn’t want to overreact. At age 43, I didn’t expect to have a new career in acting and modeling—that just seems ridiculous—and even more so, I didn’t expect to have a crazed stalker. But apparently, I do.
For the past few weeks I’ve been getting emails and handwritten notes with ostentatious bouquets of flowers from a person named “C”. With the first bouquet I was flattered that someone would send me flowers. When the second delivery came, I blew it off because another actress I was working with said it was normal. I’m sure it’s more common with the younger actresses and models, but after her assurances that this happens all the time I tried to forget about it. Considering the notes were always signed “C” I wasn’t certain it was a man until today when I found the “present” he left me. It wasn’t so freaky when the gifts were coming to the door. I felt like there was a barrier between me and whoever was doing this; a false sense of safety, I guess. Today’s mess feels like a violation of my space and my privacy and is so disgusting it makes me want to puke. What kind of person does something like this?
The guy Mike sent over here to watch out for me is no joke. Hudson has muscles on top of muscles and looks like he might even be able to break Mike in half. Mike is no slouch in the big badass guy department, but Hudson is a whole other level of tough guy. Silent and deadly without a doubt. He’s also younger than Mike and me by almost 10 years if I had to take a guess. The muscled beast is a handsome devil, that’s for sure, and I bet he’s lethal when he needs to be.
Tired of sitting in silence while Maggie’s in the corner typing on her laptop, I turn to Hudson. “You Omega Team too?” I ask.
He nods. “Freelance for now.”
I figured he was, but I needed somewhere to start the conversation with him. The silence is driving me nuts.
“Do you live in the Keys year-round? And don’t you dare give me a one-word answer. The quiet in here is making me batty.”
He cracks an unexpected boyish grin that I don’t expect and I relax slightly.
“No, I inherited my grandparents’ house in Marathon when they died. I come down here for R & R. Wade happened to catch me before I took off for the Bahamas.”
“I’m sorry this messed up your trip,” I tell him, feeling bad for taking away from his off time with my situation.
“I’m not. I can leave later tonight or tomorrow. No big deal.”
“Got a girlfriend or a wife or something?”
“Nope. You looking to apply for the position?” He grins again and if I hadn’t grown up with the Wade boys and their flirty smartass ways I’d be surprised by his comment. But one thing you learn around a bunch of smartasses is how to throw them off balance with a response they don’t expect.
“Actually yes. I’ve been sitting over here thinking about what our kids would look like and if you’d like my cat or if we’d have to get a dog. How do you feel about cats? Butterball is a sweet cat, although she’s fat and likes to sleep on top of the head of my lovers. She really is a great cat.” I feign sincerity. “She’s only interrupted sex a few times so I can feed her. It wasn’t too bad until she clawed the last guy’s ass in the middle of doing the business.”
The smirk slips from his lips as I stare at him, straight-faced, waiting for his response.
“I…I…I…” he stammers.
I bust out laughing so loud the whole floor can probably hear me. Maggie glances up from her computer and glares at me. She’s too uptight; I should be the one with a bad attitude here. She didn’t come back to find some guy’s baby-batter all over her sheets.
“I’m just fucking with you, solider. Stand down. I’m tired of sitting here in silence so I’m trying to find things to make you talk. One word answers don’t cut it. I thought if you had a girlfriend you might have something to talk about.”
“Nah. I don’t have a girl. With my line of work it’s hard to keep someone in my life steady. It’s been my experience that women like to be able to plan dates and trips an
d want to know where you are when you’re not with them. There are too many times when we’re put on a job in the morning and it’s wheels up by lunchtime, with no certain end date. It’s hard to have and plan a life with that kind of schedule.”
“You could do something else for a living, I’m sure.” I state the obvious.
“Nah, I’m pretty happy with my life. If you tried to put me behind a desk I’d wither and die. Besides, I don’t have a problem finding companionship.” He grins again.
I blush a little because I’m certain he doesn’t have that problem and I get a brief mental picture of him having “companionship” with someone. After that I remain quiet and wait.
A couple of hours later Maggie’s phone alarm goes off and I put down the magazine I’ve been mindlessly flipping through. It’s time to return to the set.
“Ready?” she asks.
I nod, standing to stretch and slip on my sandals. Hudson stands in front of the door waiting for Maggie to grab her bag.
“How did you plan to get to the location?”
“The producer is sending a car for us. We’re supposed to meet him outside by the valet stand,” Maggie answers.
“She can’t stand out in the open like that. We’ll stand inside until you see the car, then we’ll go out together.”
“I doubt she needs that kind of protection,” Maggie scoffs, and I kind of agree with her. I’ve never been approached before. Everything has always come to my hotel room or home through a delivery person. Well…until today.
