Page 1 of Covert Mission

ChapterOne

Every bump in the road makes my knees bash against the truck’s dash. Six hours of this and I’m damned tired of it.

With a rumble, I rub the back of my neck. “You know what I hate about missions?”

Evan chuckles darkly. “Getting there.”

“That’s what I’ve always said. But this is the worst.” I shift my knees against the dash for the hundredth time today. “You cannot jam a six-foot-three frame in a passenger seat for this long.”

“Wouldn’t know.”

“I’m driving next time, asshole.”

Evan glances over and snickers.

“Payback,” I remind him. I’m already scheming.

He brakes to a stop, throws the truck in park, and continues to push his luck while smirking. “I’m taller than you, there’s no way I’ll fit over there.”

I could take him. He’s built, a little younger, and he’s fast. But my call sign is Beast for a reason. “You will if I stuff your ass in here.”

That is after I stretch my battered body. Being a SEAL for fifteen years was a helluva ride and I’ve got the battle scars to prove it.

As I sling my seatbelt off, I mutter pointlessly, “When will men over six feet tall start engineering truck interiors?”

We both shove open the doors and put boots to dirt. His ass is riding shotgun next time, I don’t care how much he whines.

Pins and needles attack my legs as I check out the small grouping of bungalows. Each of them is a tidy square structure that is painted a unique bright color. All are tucked against the edge of the forest. Eight in total. We rented them all, even though we won’t need that many.

Behind me there’s a lot of grumbling from my team.

“I didn’t think you’d ever stop.” Truck, also well over six feet tall, growls and twists to the side until something loudly cracks in his back. “Ah, now that’s better. Gonna need you to give me a massage, Chief.”

I refrain from flipping him off. Barely. “Don’t hold your breath. I only massage women on lazy Sunday mornings. And seeing as you got the wrong anatomy, and sure as hell aren’t ever going to be in my bed on Sunday morning, you’re screwed.”

Evan gets a smirk on his face. “Especially since you’re abstaining, bossman.”

The jerk always has something to say. Appreciate that most of the time. Not right now.

This time he’s nearly correct about my absent sex life.

I roll my neck and stretch my shoulders. “I’ve had enough deterrent in my life. My family has a history of crazy women, so I’m skipping the circus.”

Thankfully my back muscles start to rearrange as I hinge to one side, then the other.

Evan leans back against the truck. His grin deepens. “What you thinking about, Boss?”

“Nothing.” I’m definitely not thinking about how long it’s been since I hooked up.

He continues to goad me at the risk of his life. “Right. Definitely not thinking about women. I recognize the crater you get between your eyebrows.”

I scowl at him, pointing that crater in his direction. “If a woman even looks like she’s got attachment dreams in her eyes, she’s not getting anywhere near my cock.”

The second this is out of my mouth, I get a twinge behind my sternum. I sure as hell don’t want trouble in my life, but once upon a time, I thought I’d have a family. Especially by now. But life hasn’t panned out that way. I just can’t get myself to be interested in shallow frog hogs.

Now… now, I’m just old.Or I feel like I’m old.

Truck slaps me on the back hard enough to rattle my brain as he walks by. “You just haven’t met the right one.”

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