Rising Storm (Westin Force #2) - Julie Trettel Page 0,73
my hand out to caress her cheek. “Best birthday ever.”
“You busted up illegal animal cage fighting, tried to pick a fight with a gorilla, rescued a bunch of shifters and animals, and blew up a building. That was your best birthday ever?”
“Yeah. Because I found you.”
She sighed and smiled. I leaned in to kiss her just as someone banged on the window next to me interrupting us.
“We were making bets on whether you’d even make it out of bed for debrief tomorrow and here you are. You’re starting to lose me a lot of money,” Baine argued.
Emma shook her head, but she seemed to be humored by my idiot friends.
I got out and then walked around to let Emma out.
“Are you teaching her to drive?” Tarron asked.
“He is. I’m a natural,” she said answering for me.
I shook my head behind her back, making them laugh.
“What are you guys up to today?” I asked.
“Don’t know. Thinking about crashing Grant and T’s place for a barbecue later if you’re up for it,” Baine said.
“Did you ask them this time?”
“Nah. It’ll be fine. You guys in?”
“I’ll call ahead to be sure,” Tarron assured me.
“Party pooper. Come on and hang with us.”
Baine was balancing on the railroad ties outlining the flower beds as we walked and talked. He started to wobble and crashed right into Emma, sending her face first into the concrete.
I let out a deep growl and started stomping my foot. I saw red darken the edges of my vision as I homed in on him.
“Shit! It was an accident,” he shouted.
Tarron laughed. “How many times has Taylor warned you not to touch his mate? She should earn extra from the pot for calling this one. Are you okay, Emma?”
“I’m fine,” I heard her say, but I was already encroaching on Baine, ready to hurt him if there was so much as a scratch on my mate.
“Could you calm him please?” Tarron asked.
Her arms wrapped around me and she kissed my shoulder. The anger instantly left me.
“I’m fine. You don’t have to kill him, this time.”
Tarron laughed.
Baine was stuck between two bushes pressed up to the side of the building.
“Is it safe?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I grumbled. “Just be more careful next time.”
He jumped down to the sidewalk. “Well, there’s good news at least.”
“What’s that?” Emma asked.
“Don’t encourage him,” Tarron warned.
“Well, your mating period must have finally kicked in or something. I knew you’d eventually go ape-shit on someone. The others thought you were different somehow, but a mating male is a mating male. You should really consider sealing that bond before someone gets hurt.”
“By someone, he means him,” Tarron clarified.
“He already bit me. We’re bonded,” Emma boldly told them.
I beamed proudly at my mate and put my arm around her shoulder as we entered the building.
Baine stood there stunned. “But wait, that means it's not going to get better and he could go ape-shit like this anytime?!”
“We’re gorillas, not apes,” Emma clarified.
“And I do believe you have some payouts to make now,” I added.
“You suck, Painter.”
*****
Emma and I had decided to stay in for the rest of Sunday. I was definitely glad we had. I couldn’t stop smiling through Monday morning workouts and was still ridiculously happy walking into morning debrief. I was grateful they had postponed it and given us what was left of the weekend. It was certainly one I would never forget.
Patrick O’Connell walked in and sat down next to Silas. “Good morning. I hope you all are rested. Now, do you want to tell me what the hell was going on and why I was stuck on commercial flights for a seventeen hour trip home this weekend?”
My smile faded. No one looked around. We all stared straight ahead. Silas would have to be the one to talk.
“It was need to know,” our leader finally said.
“Need to know? And you didn’t think I needed to know?” I was sure I’d never seen the redheaded Irish wolf quite so pissed.
“No sir,” Silas said. “To do so could have jeopardized a lead.”
“And do you feel I need to know now?”
Silas stared him down. “No sir.”
“All of you feel this way?” Patrick asked.
“Yes, sir,” we all returned in unison.
“Great, just great. When you get your heads out of your asses, call me. Until then, I don’t have time for this.”
Patrick stormed out. I looked to Silas, praying he knew what the hell he was doing.
The door slammed shut. “Lock it,” he barked. “We’ve got work to do.”