Rising Storm (Westin Force #2) - Julie Trettel Page 0,77
usual. They were barely up but in great moods laughing and playing nicely when Shelby came home.
I smiled at her as she collapsed down on the couch. Zachary climbed up to snuggle her.
“No tears today? The house is spotless. The kids are alive. What is happening?”
“We had a great day.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“You’re not screaming and running for the hills yet, and turning in your notice?”
I shook my head. “I think we’re going to make it.”
“Thank you, Emma.”
“Anytime, boss lady.”
“Enjoy your time off.”
“That I definitely will.”
At home, Painter and I enjoyed a quiet evening just being together.
“This was almost a perfect day.”
“Almost?”
“Well, you haven’t given me one of those orgasms yet.”
“My mistake. I’ll fix that right away,” he said with a chuckle, and he did.
The next morning, I woke up after Painter had already left. I took my shower and got dressed more out of habit than necessity. I fixed breakfast and packed his lunch.
When he came back, he went straight to the shower. I frowned, waiting for him to join me at the table. He came back freshly shaven in travel clothes.
I frowned. “You’re being deployed again?” I didn’t want to whine about it. This was his life and the one I’d signed on to. I wanted to support him, but it was my day off and I’d been looking forward to the weekend.
“Yes, but Ben’s sitting this one out and we need an extra set of hands. It’s a surveillance mission only. There shouldn’t be any danger and Silas approved you coming with me. Are you up for it?”
“You want me to go on a mission with you?”
He nodded. “It’s going to be a long flight, but I think you’ll enjoy it, and you can get a little taste of what I do when I’m gone.”
“Really?” I squealed.
“Really.”
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. “Yes! That sounds amazing.”
“I’ve already packed for the both of us, so let’s get a move on it.”
I looked back at the table while he looked at his watch. “We have time for a quick breakfast. This looks great.”
I was pleased when he sat down to eat the breakfast I’d made for us.
“Do we need lunch?”
“No, we’ll get that on the flight.”
The second we were done eating, time started to blur. We met the team in the parking lot and piled into two large black vehicles that took us to a small airport. We boarded the plane. We were on the plane for what seemed like forever.
I had no idea what time or day it was when we finally landed.
“Remember. This is surveillance only. We go in, we monitor, we leave. Martin is onsite as our local guide. He’ll take us to the rendezvous point. Setup surveillance quickly without being detected.”
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked.
“Stay with your mate. The two of you will be working with Martin,” Silas barked.
“Is he always so gruff?” I whispered.
“Always,” Baine assured me with a wink.
There were several Jeeps waiting for us. We piled in and they took us deep into the jungle. I wasn’t sure where we were, but everything about the area reminded me of home. My heart was heavy with memories of my days as a gorilla.
Once the vehicles stopped, the guys spread out, heading even deeper into the jungle. Painter took my hand and laced our fingers together as we strolled along trying not to disturb the local environment.
“Over here,” a man whispered making me jump.
“Martin, this is my mate, Emma.”
“Emma, it’s so nice to finally meet you. You’re quite the celebrity around here.”
“I am?”
“Come on.”
For some reason I was getting nervous. I knew better than anyone what dangers lie in the jungle.
He took us to a small clearing with a human camp set up. The far side was lined with cameras and a long telephoto lens.
“What’s all this?” I asked.
“Come and see,” Martin said giving Painter a big smile.
Painter squeezed my hand encouraging me to follow.
“Take a look.”
I hesitated but leaned in to look through the camera. I saw them and gasped. My heart recognized what my eyes were seeing before my brain could catch up. Tears slid down my cheeks as I watched my band interact with their new leader.
They were here. They were alive. They were thriving. It was all I ever wanted for them.
A rustle behind me reminded me I was not alone. I stood up and looked around.
“You did this for me? All of you?”
The guys had joined us, finished with whatever they had been tasked to