Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
“Me too, Cassie.”
“You boys want to brief us on the situation?” Major’s dad, Jim, asks.
“Only so much we can say. There will be a press conference soon.” Major recaps their day and their specific roles in the operation. When he’s done, Jewls looks at him cynically.
“Why do I feel like you just gave the watered-down version?”
He shrugs but I catch the glint in his eyes.
“Four badasses who scale buildings, rescue hostages in South America while taking out members of a drug cartel—two of which were shot… You expect me to believe you sat in a room running operations?” she hedges.
“She’s right.” Harley offers her support.
“No one said we sat in a room running operations.” Ace grins confidently.
“This mom will gladly accept the watered-down version, knowing all are safe and no one ended up in the hospital,” Celia declares. “This calls for a celebration.”
“The reasons for celebrating keep adding up,” Mom mentions off-handedly.
I freeze as all heads swing her way. She’s oblivious until Ford speaks.
“Adding up?”
“Yes, Rowan’s pro—” she trails off, her face paling.
Ford looks at me quizzically. “Baby? You got something to say?”
“Now’s not really the time.”
“Bullshit, you have something to commend, you share it,” Harley calls me out. “We are your family.”
I fidget, glancing through the crowd of curious stares, and take a deep breath. Why am I so nervous about this?
“I am producing my own product line. Dad and I finalized three formulas I’ve been testing.”
“Wait a minute. Back this bus up. You finalized formulas, meaning you created them?” Jewls’ southern twang is in full effect.
I nod.
“Maybe you should tell them the whole story,” Ford encourages, brushing his lips across my forehead.
I launch into my history with my grandmother, my college studies, and what led me to this path. When I’m done, jaws drop and eyes bulge. My skin tingles and stomach coils as all eyes bore into me. The room is silent until a low whistle comes from Talon.
“Wow, you’ve come a long way from lip balms and body scrubs. Congratulations!” Addie launches forward, hugging me tight.
The room erupts, questions and praise coming from all directions. Ford remains at my back, his arms around my waist protectively.
Over the commotion, there’s a loud pop, a cork flying in the air. Champagne is passed around, everyone tipping their glass my way.
“Fucking proud of you,” Ford whispers before kissing along my neck.
“I mean, it’s not being part of a special operations team that seized one of the largest drug shipments in Nashville history…” I tip my face to his.
His eyes turn to a glorious shade of green, his lips curling. “Love you.”
Emotions from the day swell inside and a lump forms in my throat.
There is no telling what will happen next. But being in this room, in his hold, with all these people I care about, is everything.
16
FORD
“That’s it? You should think about this, man, both of you.” Major flicks his fingers to Talon and me. “No hard feelings.”
“Decision is made,” I deadpan, holding his gaze and beating back the frustration.
“You could fuck up your chances,” Ace clips.
“We do it, we do it together.”
“End. Of. This. Fucking. Discussion.” Talon slams his locker, the force echoing through the room.
Major and Ace exchange a look, which pisses me off further.
“You two done?”
“Yeah.” Ace slices his eyes to me. “Your fucking life, your fucking choice.”
“You four got a problem?” Captain Boyd rounds the corner scowling. He takes in the scene and rocks back on his heels. “You told them?” His question hangs in the air, needing no response.
“You guys gonna fight it out, do it on your own time. You gonna shout it out, on your own time. You need to hug it out, definitely do that shit on your own time. But get your asses to my office in two.” He spins, storming the way he came.
I rub the back of my neck, staring at the floor, trying to ease the burn.
We had a plan. Complete our mandatory year on the force then move to SWAT. The interest in the division has applicants waiting years for an interview. But we weren’t worried.
Boyd called it cocky.
We preferred confident.
Either way, our experience and record put the odds in our favor
Until an hour ago when Ace and Major learned their time recovering from our mission in Colombia affected their active period on the force.
“It’s a bullshit technicality, but it won’t fuck up our agenda. We do it together,” I repeat.
“Right, but if any time you start resenting, you complete that goddammed application,” Major grates out.
At that, I’m really done. Major and Ace carry their own demons of what happened that day in the tunnel. Guilt has no place in this.
“Let’s get to the pow-wow.”
I can’t help but grin at Talon’s reference. It’s been a week since the raid and every day we’ve been called into meetings. The Governor is pushing for more information and the press is hounding for more news.