Page 81 of Unmade

I frowned. “I’m not.”

He put out the cigarette. “Jewish? My nana on Ma’s side was Jewish. She knew her way around guilt trips too. If I missed out on a visit, I was breaking her heart. If I didn’t ask for seconds, I hated her food.”

I snorted in amusement. “I’m not Jewish either.”

“Then try something else, punk. You have more than one instructor, and you’ll survive without me for a while.”

A while was so damn vague, it wasn’t even funny.

“I’m not so sure,” I said. “I’ve grown accustomed to being surrounded by Becketts, and now I’ve lost two in a matter of five minutes.” Ish.

He smiled and sat down again. “If it makes you feel any better, Alex misses you. I talked to her before my briefing.”

That did brighten my mood a little. “She’s cool. I like her.”

“It’s mutual.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. “If you want, I can tell you I missed you like crazy when I get back.”

I grinned and mirrored his stance, and our elbows almost touched. “I already know you’ll miss me. No other recruit follows you around like a puppy like I do. It’s gotta be a good ego boost.”

He chuckled and glanced toward the door.

Nobody was there, but it did remind me of the cameras.

“Do the cameras here record sound?” I asked. “Because you’ve been kind of generous with sharing what I assume is classified information.”

His forehead wrinkled, and he eyed the camera in the corner above the door. “That’s not a camera.”

What?

“I mean, they are, but they’re aimed skyward.” He pointed at the other two. “They pick up movement on the helipad and drone activity.”

Whoa. “There’s a helipad up there?” I looked up on the roof, and I could obviously not see anything that would indicate a landing spot, but I guessed it was big enough.

“Yup. Not that it’s used often.”

“Badass.” I’d seen soldiers come down from helicopters on ropes at Fort Benning. That’d been cool.

Beckett looked at me with amusement in his eyes. “You’re easily impressed. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to take on an assignment with you.”

I lit up, ’cause that was the best fucking opening. “Why don’t you find out and let me tag along tomorrow?”

The mirth definitely reached a new spark level in those sexy peepers, but he didn’t laugh like I thought he would. “You just took a risk and asked for something.”

Oh, come on! I rolled my eyes. “Maybe because I’m half joking? And assume you’d say no?”

He shrugged and kept smiling. “Still. Good job.”

I waited. After all, he hadn’t said no yet.

“So…” I lifted my brows.

“Fuck no!” he laughed. “Not only are you so not ready for fieldwork, not a single higher-up at Hillcroft would approve it—and if you got injured, it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Hell, maybe I’d face federal charges. I don’t know. You’re staying put tomorrow.”

I scowled and leaned back in my seat. What an idiotic response, all logic and reason and shit.

Perhaps I wasn’t ready to be sent to Iran to sabotage an operation carried out against US forces, but I was an excellent shooter, and Operator Tenley was impressed with my fighting skills already. I could totally be a decent sidekick for a takedown of Hahn goons.

I was sure.

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