Page 1 of Finally

The sky was lit in a miraculous display of blue, pink, and orange as the sun began to make its appearance. Soon, the skyscrapers would take on an orange glow, making them look as if they were on fire. Around me were the sights and sounds of a city waking up. A store owner was sweeping the front sidewalk of his shop, a woman was out walking her Great Dane that stood almost as tall as she did, and a man rushed out of his apartment, briefcase in hand as he flagged down a cab to take him to work.

I drew in a deep breath then tucked my earbuds into my ears and let the steady beat of an Imagine Dragons song set the pace for me as I began jogging. After spending the last two months tracking down and eventually stopping the hitman that my client’s wife had hired to kill him, it was nice to finally be getting back to normal. While I enjoyed the traveling I got to do with my job, Chicago was my home and it felt good to be back there.

I picked up speed once I reached the entrance of my favorite park and focused on my breathing as I set out on my usual five mile run. In through my nose, out through my mouth. In, out. Keeping time with the rhythm of my feet slapping against the pavement. This was what I craved. That moment when everything else around me ceased to exist and any stress or worries I might have had were washed away, replaced with a flood of endorphins that left me with an almost euphoric feeling.

Sweat trickled down the sides of my face and my shirt stuck to my back uncomfortably by the time I’d finished my run, but my mind was clear, and my muscles had that warm, limber feeling that came with a good workout. I jogged back to my place and raced up the stairs instead of bothering to wait for an elevator.

After letting myself inside, I kicked my shoes off by the door then padded into the kitchen to get a pot of coffee going. Searching the cabinets for the filters, I made a mental note of some essentials I would need to pick up the next time I went to the grocery store. I looked across the counter that divided the kitchen from the living space as I scooped the coffee grounds into the filter.

My apartment building had gone through an update shortly before I’d moved in and looked modern with its stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, and wood laminate flooring throughout. However, I’d lived there for nearly two years and still hadn’t gotten around to decorating the place. With gray walls and only a couch, chair, and TV stand, it looked more like a doctor’s waiting room than someone’s home. I knew I should probably hang some pictures or get a couple of plants, but I didn’t see much point. They’d only end up withering away with no one there to water them each time I was sent on an assignment. Still, it was the nicest place I’d ever lived in and I was proud of it.

Once I’d set the coffee to brew, I made my way down the narrow hall to the bathroom and reached in to start the shower. Pulling my shirt up and over my head, I quickly undressed and climbed in, letting the hot spray beat down over my neck and back. My hands were slick with soap as I ran them over my body and my cock twitched in response. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone out on a date or even kissed a man, much less had sex, and my cock was making its displeasure known.

My job often required me to be gone for weeks or months at a time, depending on what the client needed and what their threat level was. That left little to no time for meeting someone. Still, I wouldn’t have traded my job for anything. Not only did I enjoy the work, but I got to work alongside some of the strongest, bravest men I’d ever met.

Knowing I could never afford college, I’d enlisted in the Marines right out of high school where I quickly moved up the ranks and earned myself a coveted spot with the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, otherwise known as FORECON. I’d served proudly for ten years, until I’d taken a hit from some enemy fire in Iraq, forcing me to retire earlier than I’d planned. I was one of the lucky ones and my leg only caused me a bit of discomfort now, but having to walk away from the life I’d chosen for myself had been a bitter pill to swallow.

Then Micah Hamilton had found me and offered me a job at his new company, Hamilton Security. Micah, a former Navy SEAL, had been putting together an elite team of his own, comprised of all former special operations members. He wanted to use our individual skills to provide safety and protection for private citizens. I’d always thought I’d be a Marine until I either retired or died. Having been forced out, I’d been struggling to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. Micah’s offer had seemed like the perfect solution to my problems, so I’d signed on immediately. In all the time I’d worked for him, I’d never regretted that decision.

I finished rinsing all the soap off and got out of the shower, drying myself quickly then wrapping the towel around my waist. After going through my morning routine of shaving and brushing my teeth, I went to my room and pulled on a pair of black slacks and a gray polo shirt with the Hamilton Security logo.

Thirty minutes later, with a travel mug of coffee in hand, I walked into the offices of Hamilton Security. “Welcome back, Greg. Did you have a nice run this morning?” A cheerful voice called out from behind a computer screen.

A smile tugged at my lips. Of course, Mary would know who I was without even looking, just as she knew that I went for a run every single morning. At seventy years old, she was more in tune with everything going on around her than a lot of people half her age. Mary was more than just our office manager. She had also become a surrogate mother to everyone who worked there, and as such, she made it her business to know what was going on with “her boys” as she lovingly referred to us.

“Greg doesn’t know the meaning of a nice run,” Nolan said as he walked around the corner. “He still treats his workouts like he’s in basic training.” I narrowed my eyes at the familiar teasing and he flashed me an evil grin. God, it was good to be home.

“Hey, don’t feel bad just because your Navy boot camp didn’t prepare you to be as tough as us Marines,” Brandon said to Nolan as he walked up behind him.

“Oorah,” I added.

Nolan scowled at the two of us. “Really? You want to go there? You know I could have you both flat on your backs without even breaking a sweat.”

I grinned. I could see Brandon wanted to argue, but he knew it was true. Nolan may have been smaller than the rest of us, but the mixed martial arts skills he’d acquired as a Navy SEAL were unparalleled. Still, it didn’t stop any of us from indulging in our favorite pastime, which was using trash talk to try and prove that our particular branch of the military was better than everyone else’s. It was something we all did, but it was always said in a teasing manner and none of us ever took offense. The truth was, we all considered the men we worked with to be our family and we respected the hell out of each other.

“Nah, I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of Mary,” Brandon teased back.

Nolan opened his mouth, but Mary cut him off from whatever he was about to say as she peeked her head around her computer screen. “How many times do I have to tell you boys that you’re all equally as special? Besides, if you tried to start anything in my office, I’d have to kick all your butts.” Her eyebrows lifted, daring any of us to argue with her, but we were smart enough to know when to keep our mouths shut.

“What’s going on out here?” Micah asked as he and Jeremy rounded the corner. Jeremy leaned his hip against Mary’s desk and watched us over the rim of his coffee cup.

“Brandon was just trying to tell me that the Marines are better than the Navy,” Nolan informed him. Brandon scowled at Nolan’s innocent grin.

“Whatever. The Air Force has you all beat,” Jeremy cut in, setting his cup on the desk and crossing his arms over his chest with a mischievous grin. The tall redhead had served in the Air Force as a pararescueman, or PJ as they were often called and was the most qualified man on our team when it came to search and rescue missions.

“And I just reminded them that if they didn’t knock it off, they were going to have to answer to me,” Mary said, once again from behind her screen.

Micah smirked as he looked at each of us. “Sounds to me like you better get to work before you end up in trouble with the real boss.” We all turned to look in Mary’s direction when we heard a satisfied chuckle coming from her desk. Micah may have been the owner of Hamilton Security, but none of us would ever cross Mary. “Besides, Nolan’s right. Everyone knows the Navy is the strongest team out there,” Micah whispered.

Mary let out a weary sigh, but her voice was warm with affection. “I heard that, young man. You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“Sorry, Mary,” he said with a laugh that said otherwise. “Come on, guys, let’s get going.”

Brandon and Nolan were still laughing quietly and giving each other a hard time as we followed Micah down the hall where our individual offices were located and into one of the larger conference rooms for our usual morning meeting. The work we did often put us in danger, and Micah knew how important it was to keep in touch with everyone, especially when we were out in the field. The meetings never lasted long but gave us an opportunity to check in with each other and offer advice when needed.

Micah sat at the head of the long conference table and waited until the rest of us were seated. His fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, bringing the large screen that was situated at the other end of the table to life. One by one, the faces of our friends and colleagues popped up in the squares on the screen. Tony, Carlos, Josh, and Trevor were all out on various assignments.

The meeting lasted about thirty minutes, with each of us having a chance to talk about what we had planned for the day. Carlos and Josh were on assignment together in Paris, protecting a supermodel who’d gained the unwanted attention of an obsessive fan after she appeared on a celebrity dance competition. Tony was in Mexico and Trevor was in the Bahamas, each keeping their respective clients safe from whatever danger lie in wait for them. My plans for the day however, consisted of something much less glamorous—installing a new security system in the home of a local businessman. Or at least that’s what I thought.

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