way he could miss it. Though she’d scaled
back from the big parties, birthdays, holidays and other celebrations mattered
to her. He’d always felt more like a family during those events, even though he
hated the fuss that went into planning everything. Now he missed her lists, the
last-minute dashes to the store and even dressing up.
They’d planned for her to go with them this year so they
could do Vegas together. It was one of the few things they’d discussed doing as
a couple in the last year.
“You could at least act like you’re paying attention to what
you’re doing.” Cole tossed a rag at him and pressed his own timer, writing the
digits down and starting over again.
The task was to break the gun down and put it back together
ten times. All the slots were full on Jake’s sheet.
“You do realize I was cleaning guns before I could shoot
them?” Jake took the rag Cole had thrown at him and used it to wipe his station
down.
“Dirty rotten country boys,” Aaron said in his best drawl
from the other side of Cole.
“Girls, you do realize you could do this faster with less
gossiping?” Becca set her handgun down and turned toward Jake. She was their
team’s other sniper, besides Jake, and specialized in manning the robot used to
defuse bombs and other suspicious items.
“Shut it,” Aaron called out as he began to break his piece
down again.
“Done.” Cole scrawled the last time on his sheet and tossed
the pencil down.
“This is bullshit,” Aaron said.
“It’s okay to not be good at something, precious,” Becca
cooed.
Aaron muttered a curse Jake couldn’t hear. Becca winked at
him. The woman enjoyed nothing better than getting under Aaron’s skin. It was a
wonder the two weren’t all over each other the way they picked and fought. It
was like watching two children on the playground.
“I’ll see you guys later.” She gathered her things.
“Where you off to?” Aaron asked as he got the pieces apart.
“Is that any of your business? Try to not get too drunk
without me tonight, boys.” Becca took her personal kit with her and strolled
out of the room, leaving the three men alone as the last group through the
range today.
The door thudded behind her, sealing them in a soundproof
tunnel. The work area they were currently set up in seemed to have been added
on as an afterthought by whoever designed the building. It could have been a
wide, L-shaped hall before you entered the armory and the small gun range.
Instead the walls were lined with cabinets and there were stools at small work
benches that made it a tight fit if seven people were working away at once.
“How’s your head today?” Cole asked, swiveling his stool
toward Jake.
“Good enough.” He’d woken to a splitting headache, sprawled
over the couch with two trash cans next to him and a plastic drop sheet spread
out on the floor. He didn’t know when Cole and Aaron had left his drunk ass
finally, but they’d locked up after themselves. It was a pathetic way to wake
up, but he’d at least managed to get to the station on time and run drills.
“Talked to Nicole yet?” Cole leaned against the counter,
Aaron still going through the exercise on his other side.
“Not yet.”
“Thought of a plan?”
Jake shifted on the stool. His plan was basic—seduce Nicole.
The hows were tricky. He’d lucked into doing it right the first time. There was
no way he’d do it a second without a road map and checklist. Too bad he hadn’t
been able to order either at the bar last night.
“Dude, marriage is a trap,” Aaron interjected. He’d said the
same phrase since he’d gotten engaged. He turned toward Jake, the exercise
momentarily forgotten. “Have you considered that divorce might be the best
thing for you?”
Jake’s reaction was immediate. Visceral. An invisible hand
clenched his gut and he tasted bile. Divorce was the last thing he wanted.
“Shut your mouth, Aaron,” Cole ordered.
“Hey, I’m just saying.”
back from the big parties, birthdays, holidays and other celebrations mattered
to her. He’d always felt more like a family during those events, even though he
hated the fuss that went into planning everything. Now he missed her lists, the
last-minute dashes to the store and even dressing up.
They’d planned for her to go with them this year so they
could do Vegas together. It was one of the few things they’d discussed doing as
a couple in the last year.
“You could at least act like you’re paying attention to what
you’re doing.” Cole tossed a rag at him and pressed his own timer, writing the
digits down and starting over again.
The task was to break the gun down and put it back together
ten times. All the slots were full on Jake’s sheet.
“You do realize I was cleaning guns before I could shoot
them?” Jake took the rag Cole had thrown at him and used it to wipe his station
down.
“Dirty rotten country boys,” Aaron said in his best drawl
from the other side of Cole.
“Girls, you do realize you could do this faster with less
gossiping?” Becca set her handgun down and turned toward Jake. She was their
team’s other sniper, besides Jake, and specialized in manning the robot used to
defuse bombs and other suspicious items.
“Shut it,” Aaron called out as he began to break his piece
down again.
“Done.” Cole scrawled the last time on his sheet and tossed
the pencil down.
“This is bullshit,” Aaron said.
“It’s okay to not be good at something, precious,” Becca
cooed.
Aaron muttered a curse Jake couldn’t hear. Becca winked at
him. The woman enjoyed nothing better than getting under Aaron’s skin. It was a
wonder the two weren’t all over each other the way they picked and fought. It
was like watching two children on the playground.
“I’ll see you guys later.” She gathered her things.
“Where you off to?” Aaron asked as he got the pieces apart.
“Is that any of your business? Try to not get too drunk
without me tonight, boys.” Becca took her personal kit with her and strolled
out of the room, leaving the three men alone as the last group through the
range today.
The door thudded behind her, sealing them in a soundproof
tunnel. The work area they were currently set up in seemed to have been added
on as an afterthought by whoever designed the building. It could have been a
wide, L-shaped hall before you entered the armory and the small gun range.
Instead the walls were lined with cabinets and there were stools at small work
benches that made it a tight fit if seven people were working away at once.
“How’s your head today?” Cole asked, swiveling his stool
toward Jake.
“Good enough.” He’d woken to a splitting headache, sprawled
over the couch with two trash cans next to him and a plastic drop sheet spread
out on the floor. He didn’t know when Cole and Aaron had left his drunk ass
finally, but they’d locked up after themselves. It was a pathetic way to wake
up, but he’d at least managed to get to the station on time and run drills.
“Talked to Nicole yet?” Cole leaned against the counter,
Aaron still going through the exercise on his other side.
“Not yet.”
“Thought of a plan?”
Jake shifted on the stool. His plan was basic—seduce Nicole.
The hows were tricky. He’d lucked into doing it right the first time. There was
no way he’d do it a second without a road map and checklist. Too bad he hadn’t
been able to order either at the bar last night.
“Dude, marriage is a trap,” Aaron interjected. He’d said the
same phrase since he’d gotten engaged. He turned toward Jake, the exercise
momentarily forgotten. “Have you considered that divorce might be the best
thing for you?”
Jake’s reaction was immediate. Visceral. An invisible hand
clenched his gut and he tasted bile. Divorce was the last thing he wanted.
“Shut your mouth, Aaron,” Cole ordered.
“Hey, I’m just saying.”
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