by Dale Mayer
“Maybe that’s not a bad thing,” Dave said.
“Maybe that’s not a good thing either,” she said.
He patted her knee. “You’re home, safe and sound. That’s what counts.”
She smiled and settled in. Brandon was in the back seat with Harrison and Stone. The others had gotten into the vehicles behind her. She was happy to be home. She just didn’t know if she was meant to stay. Dave took them directly to the estate, wasted no time on a sightseeing tour. Then again the trip was only a few minutes. The sun was still out, and all she wanted was a hot shower and some food and a dip in the pool. “The guys are hungry,” she said to Dave.
“Of course they are. Not to worry. I’ve got it taken care of.”
She smiled. “Good, I was shitty at cooking duties.”
Brandon leaned forward and said, “But she makes a mean sandwich.”
Dave smirked. “She can cook.”
“Don’t go telling him that,” she cried. “I’ll always be dumped on kitchen duty then.”
Behind them Harrison asked, “Food? Any chance of a meal, Dave?”
Dave gave a hefty laugh. “Indeed, there is. It’s waiting for us.” He twisted slightly, gave Harrison a good look and said, “Not to mention cold beers.”
In the rearview mirror, she watched Stone’s face light up like a candelabra. She realized it wasn’t just her who had suffered—all the men had had a rough few days. “I’m getting changed and going straight into the pool.”
“I saw the pool, but I never did get a chance to take a close look at it,” Brandon said.
“You should. It’s beautiful. Bullard designed the backyard himself and did a lot of the work too,” Dave added.
As soon as they pulled in, she hopped out, grabbed her bag, picked up one of the boxes and rushed inside. She carried on right through to the kitchen where she dropped the box. It was the leftover foodstuffs. Not that there was much. With a glance at the pool, twinkling so beautifully in the sunshine, she said, “I’ll be back in five.”
She strode down the hall and up the stairs. In her room she dropped her bag and, rummaging in her dresser, found a bathing suit. She changed, grabbed a cover-up and a towel, slipped her feet into thongs and headed back downstairs. She bypassed the kitchen and anywhere there appeared to be people. She just wanted to be alone. Outside she tossed her cover-up, dropped her towel and, walking around to the deep end, dove in. As soon as the water closed over her head, she could feel her stress melting away. God, she loved water; she loved swimming.
She rolled, flipped, came to the surface and then struck out strongly for the other end of the pool. This was exactly what she needed. She lost count of the number of times she went from end to end. Letting her body set the rhythm, her mind replayed all they’d been through. If she didn’t, the experiences would lock up inside, and she wouldn’t move forward.
*
Brandon still stood in the kitchen when he saw Kasha come down the stairs and head outside. He twisted so he could look out the window as she approached the pool. Seeing her in a tiny bikini, his eyebrows went straight up. Tall, lean, small-breasted, with legs that went on forever. She was damn perfect. She walked around to the deep end, completely unconscious of her beauty. She took a breath and dove in—a perfectly clean, crisp dive—and then proceeded to swim. She was obviously comfortable in the water and made good use of the pool.
Bullard smacked him on the shoulder and said, “What are you waiting for?”
Brandon shot him a sideways look and said, “You got any trunks for me?”
Bullard pointed to the small cabana on the other side of the pool. “That’s the changing room. It’s fully stocked. Go find something your size and get in.”
Nobody had to tell him twice. He was hot, tired and cranky. But seeing the mermaid, wow, talk about a mood changer. He walked away from the main house and headed toward the small cabana. When he stepped inside, he realized everything was sized from small to large on labeled shelves. He pulled on a pair of shorts that looked to be about right. They were a little loose but had a drawstring. Folding his clothes, he put them on one of the shelves and stepped outside.
Kasha was still doing laps. He walked to the diving board, took a couple experimental bounces and did a clean dive off the end. It had been a long time since he had any inclination to fool around in a pool. This was fun.
He’d been a SEAL. For him that said everything. There was a lot of tension and leftover fatigue from what they’d been through. A good workout would make him feel better. He fell into a rhythm beside her. She hadn’t acknowledged his presence in any way, but he knew she had to have known he arrived.
Or at least that somebody had joined her. With the two of them keeping abreast of each other, they moved strongly through the pool, lap after lap after lap. Finally he wondered if she would ever tire because he was already feeling it in his muscles. He hadn’t swum like this in weeks. He hated to think he was getting out of shape, but it wasn’t so much that as dealing with unfamiliar movements.
Muscles that hadn’t been worked in a while needed to be worked again. Levi and Ice had talked about putting in a pool, and he knew it was in the works, but he didn’t know when the plan was set to start. A pool in Texas would be ideal. If they did it right, maybe with solar panels and proper heaters, they could run that pool most of the year. He’d have to mention it to them when they got back to the compound.
The pool was also a big expenditure, but exercise was important, and he loved swimming, so loved the idea of having those plans move forward. Ice herself was a strong swimmer. She had bemoaned the fact many times that there was no place for her to have a good swim without driving forty-five minutes into town.
Sure, she had a lot of hand-to-hand combat workouts, and the weight gym and all the fitness equipment they needed were available at the compound, but, as Brandon was finding out, those used a different set of muscles than swimming. Finally he realized Kasha had slowed and came to a stop at one end. He pulled up beside her, crossed his arms and rested against the pool’s edge. He glanced over at her and said, “You’re a strong swimmer.”
She flashed him a smile. “I used to be a competitive swimmer in school.”
“That explains it,” he said. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up,” he admitted.
She laughed. “No worries there. I was starting to run out of steam a while ago. I figured, if I could get myself exhausted enough, I wouldn’t keep having the last forty-eight hours on an endless loop in my mind instead of sleeping tonight.”
“None of us got much in the way of sleep the last couple nights.”
“No. We’ll probably all need to crash early tonight. Food first though.” She looked around to see Dave standing at the other end. “Is dinner ready, Dave?”
He nodded. “We’re going to eat outside, so maybe just throw your cover-up on and come and join us at the table.”
She nodded. They walked out at the shallow end, and she picked up a towel. He hadn’t even thought of a towel. She pointed at the cabana and said, “There’s a whole stack of them over there.”
He pulled out a towel and dried off. In a low voice he said, “Do I need a shirt to show up for a meal?”
She laughed and said, “No, but you can throw on your T-shirt if you want.” She threw her cover-up over her head. It hid most of her bikini and bare skin, but it enticed with the peekaboo holes that showed just enough to tantalize and tease.
He donned his T-shirt and walked barefoot with her to the table. He stopped for a moment and just stared. The others were looking at him, big fat grins on their faces.
“It’s only because Dave is a really nice guy that he called you to eat with us,” Stone said. He nodded toward the laden table. “Otherwise, I would have waited ’til I was done.”
Brandon chuckled. “Not even you can eat all the food here,” he said, grabbing an empty chair.
Stone said, “Maybe not, but I would have given it a good try. Besides, I know
Dave. There’ll be dessert after all this too.”
Brandon stared at the tableful of roast beef and roast chicken salads and cooked vegetables and potatoes, then turned his head to Stone. “Dessert?” he asked with hope.
Stone nodded. “Dave always bakes.”
The laughter slowed down as everyone filled their plates and started to eat. For ten minutes there were just the sounds of happy people munching away.
Brandon didn’t really want to fill up too much on this course if dessert was coming, but, once his stomach realized real food was in the offing, he couldn’t get full.
Dave sat benignly at one end with a big fatherly smile on his face. Bullard had showed up and sat at the other. Brandon noticed the fatigue pulling at him, but then they all looked the same. He felt much better mentally after his swim in the pool, but the physical tiredness remained inside. It was what happened when you went too long without adequate sleep. It was hard to focus on anything.
When Bullard was done, he pushed his plate back with the happy sigh. “Damn, it’s good to be home.”
“Then why is it we left?” Kasha asked with a smile.
Bullard laughed. “I thought it would be a good idea to have a second holding somewhere.”
Levi piped up, “How do you feel about it now?”
Bullard’s face sobered. “That’s a good question. It’ll take a lot of money to bring the second holding up to snuff. I could turn around and sell it, but I’m not sure I would get anything for it right now.”
“You got it cheap as it is,” Ice said. “Think about it. Don’t make a hasty decision either way.”
Bullard nodded. “If nothing else, it’s a home away from home. A place to go when we need to get away or when we need a refuge.”
“You’ve already got several of those,” Kasha said.
“Sure, but none around here. I’ve got places—houses—one in Miami, one in California, Hawaii. One over in Scotland. But you can never have too many of those.”
She smiled. “Most people would be lucky to have just one.”
“Unless you’re in trouble and need it, then one is never enough,” Levi said.
Bullard glanced at him. “Have you picked up any extras yet?”
“We’re starting with safe houses first. The market in Texas has been up and down. But we found a couple good spots with cheap housing.”
Bullard looked interested. “That’s an idea. Safe houses. Such a government-espionage turn of phrase.”
Several of the men grinned.
Brandon was interested. And these men had enough money to buy into the housing market. Their businesses must pay them well. Brandon was paid well, but it had never occurred to him that there was enough profit off the top to invest in things like this. At least in Levi’s case, he funneled the money back into the company, one way or another. Putting in that pool, the size they were talking about, was no cheap project. Brandon looked at Bullard. “What’s next for you?”
“Tidying up,” he said. “There could be a shit ton of paperwork for the government with that gunrunning mess. I’m still fighting the drugs in my system. I’ll need a couple days just to relax. I won’t open my clinic for another few days. Then I’ll see how I feel. But the more I was away, the more I realized how much I wanted to be home.”
“Life is like that,” Ice said. “It’s not just about having somewhere to get away to. It’s about making sure you have the right place to come home to.”
Ice and Bullard shared a special smile, and Brandon could see how they were the best of good friends. She was completely comfortable beside Levi who didn’t appear to be bothered in any way. That was the level of trust Brandon hoped to have with his partner one day. Speaking of that, he glanced at Kasha to see her laying her fork down gently and pushing away her plate. She sat back with the happy sigh. “Dave, that was absolutely lovely as usual.”
Dave smiled. “You’re always a pleasure to feed, my dear. You never complain, and you eat everything on your plate.”
“It would be better if I didn’t,” she said. “But your cooking is so damn good.” She stood and helped clear off the table.
Brandon contemplated the rest of the food and wondered if he should have seconds. Then he remembered Stone’s comment about dessert. He glanced at Dave. “Is there dessert or should I have a second plate?”
Dave looked at him in surprise. “You should have a second plate and dessert.” He picked up his load of dishes, turned and walked into the kitchen. Brandon looked at the food and nodded. “He’s right. Why should I not avail myself of this bounty?” He dug in for a second round.
Chapter 13
Kasha helped Dave in the kitchen. He kept shooing her away, but she refused. He motioned to the men outside. “It could be your last evening to spend with Brandon.”
She shot him a sideways look. “And?”
He didn’t say a word, but his quiet little knowing smile and eyes said enough.
She sighed. “Does everybody think I’m sweet on him?”
“Well, everybody knows he’s sweet on you. The question is, is it mutual?”
She gave an irritated shrug. “He’s leaving.”
“And you’re trying to leave,” Dave said. “Does it really matter? You were looking for a place in the US. You have family in New Mexico. Levi’s compound is only about forty-five minutes away from Houston.”
“I don’t know what I want to do,” she said. “It’s not like I can go without a job.”
“You know there is one if you want it.”
She put the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and turned, leaning against the counter. Dave was like a younger version of Alfred, she imagined. He was tall and lean and worked like a crazy man around this place. But he loved it. He also had a missing leg like Stone. The two men had adapted so well that she wondered if she would have even half the grace they did in the same circumstances. “In what capacity though?”
“What capacity do you want?” Levi asked, leaning against a doorway.
Kasha turned, feeling the heat roll up her cheeks. “I’m not even sure,” she admitted. “I couldn’t do a desk job.”
“Maybe you should tell me what you prefer to do, and then we’ll see how you would fit into the company.”
She wrapped her fingers against the cupboard door. “I hate killing.”
“That’s a plus. Because nobody should like it,” he said quietly.
She flung out her arm. “You know what I mean.”
He nodded. “I do. And there’s been a lot of it these last few days. But, speaking for myself, I haven’t had to kill anyone in a long time before that,” he admitted.
She studied him carefully. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really. We have a lot of women working for the company, and most don’t go out on jobs. Except for Ice, who goes on missions with me.”
“I’m not of Ice’s caliber,” she said.
He gave a warm chuckle. “Not many women are, but you’re very close. So, if you want a job, I’d be happy to take you on. Give it three months, if you want, just for a trial. Maybe you’ll get homesick and come back here to this ugly mug.” He tilted his head toward Bullard, who was now leaning on the opposite side of the doorway.
She looked over at him and sighed. “Yes, that’s part of the reason why I don’t want to leave.”
Bullard blustered, “Enough of that. We talked about it and decided it was time for you to go back to the US. For all you know, I’ll open up another holding there.”
She brightened. “Why would you do that?”
He chuckled and pointed toward Levi. “Because I’d be giving him a run for his money.”
“But you could also share a company together. Levi could manage it with his men because he has more than you do apparently.”
Bullard winced. “Okay, now that was a low blow.”
“You’re the one looking for mercenaries to help you out.”
He raised both hands in mock surrender. “Okay, so sta
ffing issues are a slight problem if you want to open up a second holding in Africa. But there are a lot of good men over here. They’re landless, familyless, countryless. They need jobs and some focus.”
“A lot of them are ex-military,” Levi said.
“Which is most of what your crew is,” she said.
Ice joined them at the doorway. “Maybe what you should ask is, what do you really want? We’re happy to put you to work. Lord knows we’re always looking for good men and women. With the bloody holidays right now, we’ve got people coming and going all the time. The staffing is a nightmare. We never know from one day to the next whether we’ll have two or fourteen jobs and what kind of manpower we can count on.”
“Now that would be a headache,” Kasha said. “You know what I really like …” She stopped, self-conscious. “It’s kind of stupid, considering I hate killing …”
“What?” Levi asked.
She glanced at Levi and Ice, who both remained unreadable, then at Bullard, but he had a smile playing around the corner of his lips as he leaned against the wall. The three of them together were such a power trio that she just couldn’t imagine not working for at least one of them. There was just something special about being in their company. “I really like weapons,” she admitted. “But it’s stupid because I can’t stand what they do.”
“But you also recognize that, when they are needed, not having them is a death sentence.”
“I hate the necessity of them, but it’s the world we live in,” she said. “I’m not a fool, and I’m not naive. But it would be my choice to never have to kill a human being again.”
“So how do you feel about maiming?” Levi asked. There was no humor in his voice.
“I can maim just fine,” she said drily. “Especially if they open their mouth and show what kind of an asshole they are.”
Ice laughed out loud. “We have a lot of men working in active positions. But we don’t have any field operatives who are women. Although Kai might be hired on, if we persuade her. She has her own business, so she’d only go out on the odd mission here and there. That goes for a couple other women at the compound too. But they’re mostly specialists in forensic accounting, military self-defense, whatever. There are secondary roles we can put you into if you want. If no fieldwork is on your list, that’s fine. We have lots of other work too.”
