Dixie Under Siege (A Warrior's Passion #2) - Natasza Waters Page 0,12
head over heels for the young gal the teams called Cricket. Wouldn’t be long until he’d be standing next to his friend in church, providing Eli wanted him as best man.
Josh wove his way toward Coronado Bridge. The traffic light at this time of night.
“Nina’s really worried too,” Rayne added.
Nina Callahan. He gnashed his teeth. The bane of his friggin’ existence. If the woman wasn’t so god damn good at her job, he would have transferred her after the first week he’d taken Ghost’s command at NAB. But, he wasn’t a total fool. Josh understood why the SpecOp guys thought she walked on water, but he and Mace Callahan’s wife continually butted heads. What irritated him more was when it came to tactical analysis, she knew her shit. Little Creek, Virginia, where he’d last been stationed, had their own Base Command but it was one hundred percent male operators.
“Miss Levy, you can assure Nina that I’ll find this guy.”
“What if he wants to hurt Dixie? Don’t leave her alone,” Cricket fired back.
The SEALs liked Rayne. She’d been hired while Josh was away on a special project. Although still green, she took her job seriously, and with the other talented staff at the Command Center, she had plenty of mentors.
“Please assist Mrs. Callahan tomorrow when the video arrives from Dixie’s shop.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you, Cricket. Now, can you put Elijah back on the phone?”
“Right here, Commander,” Eli said after the cell changed hands.
“Do me a favor and keep the fairer sex off my backside. It’s bad enough I have to deal with Mace’s fire-breathing dragon at work.”
Elijah chuckled. “What’s a matter, man? Something got your chauvinistic nuts in a clamp?”
“You’re a fuckin’ riot. I want to concentrate on how I’m going to catch this bastard bothering Dix.”
“Yeah, well, if you don’t, she can always move again.”
A barb of uncertainty sprang into action. “She’s not moving!” No way would he let her run. She’d done enough of that.
The sound of a body shifting and the barest of sighs told Josh this convo was wrapping up.
“Listen, Commander. We’ll get this guy. In the meantime, Rayne wants you and Dixie to come over for our housewarming party this weekend.”
“Sure. I’ll be there to help christen that white picket fence you’ve built around your ass. I can’t force Dix to come, but I’ll ask.”
Elijah chuckled. “I’ll give ya a paint brush and you can kiss my ass, Frog.”
Josh disconnected the call just as he hit the Coronado Bridge. Glancing in his rearview mirror to see if he had a tail, he noted a few headlights followed. Changing into the left lane, he took the off-ramp for the freeway westbound.
His stomach growled, a reminder that he hadn’t eaten in ten hours. Using voice command, he called a Chinese food joint he liked to haunt. The owner answered in her recognizable singsong accent.
“Evening, Mrs. Ling. It’s Josh Hunter. I’m lookin’ to pick up some grub.”
“Ahhh, Commanda SEAR. You wan numba fo-teen?”
“Please, but throw in an order of broccoli and beef, would ya?”
“You bet. You got a date? Should bring her here. I make dinner for you.”
He chuckled at her comment. Mrs. Ling was a sweetheart and didn’t mind sharing her thoughts on his bachelor status. In her sixties, the woman already had several grandchildren she adored. Mrs. Ling also didn’t mind letting him know she had seven daughters and the youngest was very available.
“Maybe I will, Mrs. Ling, but tonight my girl is tired.”
“Ooooooh,” she cooed in a high-pitched tone. “You got steady girfriend? That’s good.” She paused for a second. “You betta marry her!”
Shifting into the right lane, he took Exit 19, then slowed to stop for a red light. “What makes you think I want to marry anyone, Mrs. Ling?”
A brief burst of Cantonese interrupted their call. The restaurant owner was like a whirlwind of energy, shouting orders to staff. Seating guests and manning the till.
“You marry a good woman. She take care of you,” the proprietress said, returning to their call.
When the green-means-go light glared down at him, he accelerated then took a left, traveling the street that crossed under the freeway.
He chuckled. “She’s an old friend.”
“Aww, go on. You marry her, and I cater the wedding.”
Josh waited for two cyclists to cross the intersection. “I’ll keep that in mind, Mrs. Ling. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
After picking up his order and going another round with the middle-aged powerhouse with traditional family values on the miracle of marriage, he got back on the road.