those smart brains and observant eyes to the West Coast.”
“I thought you gave me that friendly fire case because I was convenient.”
“No. I talked the director into giving you that case because I knew you could handle it. We just had to be hush-hush about it. I’m sorry for what you went through. If something had happened…”
“No, Chris, it wouldn’t have been your fault. I did my job because I wanted to do it. So don’t go there, and besides, it all turned out for the best.”
He nodded, kissed her on the cheek and hugged her hard. “So, make sure we get a wedding invitation.”
As he walked out, she laughed and shouted, “He hasn’t asked me!”
Chris turned back and said with a smile, “Oh, he will.”
Amber had already settled into Tristan’s new home and given her opinion on the decorating. But her first on-the-job alarm hadn’t gone off on time. She burned her breakfast, navigated a traffic jam, and by the time she got out of the elevator, she was forty-five minutes late and mortified.
As she came around the corner, two men and a woman were huddled around a small table in the middle of the office. Two widescreen monitors were situated on the wall straight ahead.
The woman turned her head and gave Amber the once-over. She was Hawaiian, with a cascade of long black hair and straight bangs. The woman smiled and walked over.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Supervisory Special Agent in Charge Kai Talbot. Traffic?” Her delicate mouth lifted at the corner in a wry smile.
“Yes, I’ll get used to it. I worked in DC.”
She turned to one of the men. His hair was a shaggy sandy blond, the poster boy for a California surfer dude, accentuating his really gorgeous whiskey-colored eyes. He had a tight, compact athletic body, and she made a wild guess he was the resident geek. He wore a plain white T-shirt with a black hoodie, black jeans and deck shoes. “This is Special Agent Austin Beck.”
He nodded and smiled. “Welcome to the team.”
The second man sat back on the table. He looked as lethal as Tristan. He had very dark hair that he wore short and brushed off his forehead. With intense gray eyes and an elegantly trimmed goatee, he was taller than Austin, with broader shoulders. He wore a stylish suit and gorgeous silk tie that said he didn’t buy either on an agent’s salary. Looked like expensive Italian shoes, too. He wore a thick, silver band on each thumb. He resembled the actor who had portrayed the raspy-voiced dark knight, but younger. “And this is Special Agent Derrick Gunn.”
Where Austin had been friendly and open, this man was anything but.
“Heard you took out a human hunting ring in the Sierra Nevada,” he said, his voice deep and smooth.
“Unarmed,” she said.
Austin laughed and nudged Derrick. Austin looked at Kai and said. “She’ll fit right in.”
Russell “Rock” Kaczewski pulled off seven successive rounds into the target. Tristan raised his pistol and bam-bammed his way through seven as well. Then Rock’s brother, Dexter Kaczewski, peered at the target. He let out a little laugh, raised his weapon and shot bull’s-eyes every round.
“Dammit, Dex, you are an A-hole,” Rock said.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, nudging Tristan. “See what I have to put up with. Are you sure you want to go into business with this guy?”
The Kaczewski brothers resembled each other, from their piercing blue eyes to their tall, hard-muscled bodies. Rock was bulkier and didn’t have an ounce of flab on him, still in Marine fighting shape, his biceps huge. Dex wasn’t as imposing as his big brother, but as a Navy SEAL he was battle-tested, tough, and the kind of guy you wanted covering your six.
“Shut up with that brother bullcrap. Tris and I will take Rockface to the next level.”
“I have no doubt,” Dex said, loading his weapon with quick ease.
Lieutenant Dexter Kaczewski was currently serving as a US Navy SEAL stationed out of Coronado. He was on leave, but they expected him to be deployed any day.
“How is your little hottie NCIS agent settling in?”
Rock cuffed Dex, who gave him a scowl. “Hey, what was that for?”
“You don’t talk about a brother’s woman like that, man. Have some respect.”
“Sorry, Tristan.” He gave his brother a sly look and said, “What about one of those fine, Coast Guard active duty twin sisters of yours. Which one is here again?”
Dex knew exactly which sister was stationed in San Diego.