Flash Bang by Meghan March Page A

know once and for all.
    He leveled his don’t you fucking lie to me stare at her. “I’m going to ask you one time, and you better tell me the whole fucking truth or you won’t be leaving this room … who sent you?”
    She met his stare head on. “What are you talking about? No. One. Sent. Me. Are you dense?”
    “Then how do you know I served in the Corps?” Graham’s voice had taken on the deadly quiet tone he generally reserved for interrogations. But that didn’t seem to stem her attitude.
    “Are you serious? It’s obvious you’re military … or were. Everything from the camo paint to the M4 to sending guys out for fire watch to the way you make your bed! And I didn’t know you were a Marine. It’s just something my dad always says. You know, ‘There are no former Marines?’ So back the fuck off.” Graham could almost feel her grinding her teeth as she said the last words.
    He opened his mouth to speak when his radio squawked.
    “The boys are coming in fast. They’ve got a fourth. Being carried in by Cam. G-man, you copy?”
    Graham grabbed the radio but locked eyes on Rowan when he responded, “Roger that. Male or female?” He’d taken out the earpiece after his accidental soaking and turned up the volume, so she was hearing the report, too.
    “Female.”
    The word got her attention, and comprehension seemed to dawn. Her mouth dropped open. Speechless. Graham would bet a decent amount of money that it didn’t happen often. He also felt a warm rush of triumph—she wasn’t bait. Which meant that his instincts weren’t going to shit, and even better, she was fair game.
    Still staring at her, he replied, “Roger that. I’m on my way.”
    He clipped the radio to his belt, looked at Rowan, and did something he rarely did—apologize.
    “I’m sorry. I have reasons, but I won’t make excuses. You good to bed down for the night?”
    She looked stunned. “Yeah, I’m good. Did you ...” she trailed off. Apparently when she was stunned, she couldn’t form complete sentences. But Graham knew exactly what she was asking.
    “Yeah, I did.”

Graham left a speechless Rowan in his cabin and headed toward the command post. Jonah, the only married member of the team, would be waiting for him. Graham looked down at his watch; it was closing in on oh-one-hundred. Jonah had a bed with a warm, willing woman waiting for him, but tonight, so did Graham. Well, she was warm, at least. Willing was a stretch at this point.
    Graham made his way to the concrete structure they’d built to house the command post and the armory. It was centrally located and was one of the few buildings that weren’t already on the premises when he’d inherited the ranch from his uncle.
    Sure enough, Jonah was standing outside the door waiting for Graham.
    “Perfect timing, G. They’re just coming in the west bolt hole.”
    “If she’s in the shape I suspect, then she needs to go straight to Beau to get checked out,” Graham replied.
    “Already radioed him.”
    Three of the men—Alex, Jamie, and Cam—moved soundlessly into the compound. Alex and Jamie broke off and headed toward Graham and Jonah while Cam, woman in arms, headed toward the clinic.
    Alex and Jamie were grim-faced when they stopped in front of Graham and Jonah. Graham didn’t speak, just waited for the report. Jamie slung his M4 over his shoulder and pulled a bandana out of his pocket and started to wipe the paint off his face. Alex white-knuckled his rifle. Neither spoke for a long moment, and then Jamie, normally the happy-go-lucky one of the group said, “G, you know we’ve seen some fucked up shit in our day, but I’ve never felt so good about killing someone as I did tonight. I don’t know exactly what they did to that girl, but she’s practically catatonic.”
    “How many?”
    “Two.”
    “That all of them?” Graham needed to know if they needed to be ready for someone seeking revenge.
    Alex answered, “I don’t think so. There were four