Prologue
Four Years ago...
“You are relieved of duty until further noticed. You have twenty-four hours to turn over your badges and equipment and exit the base.”
Asher’s words, coupled with the dressing down he received from Brigadier General Blackwell, devastated Jake. He’d always prided himself on being a good soldier who followed orders and could be counted on to take one for the team if a mission called for it. Jake prided himself on work ethic and also used his ability to break his emotional dependency on his familial ties so he could focus on the mission.
Of course,thatability also led to his divorce several years before, but damn it, he couldn’t allow his worry for his wife and daughter to cloud his judgement while he was out in the field. Allowing others on the team to do the same, Asher included, could mean life or death for all of them. Hell, Noah and Mateo were the perfect example of what could go wrong when everyone let their guard down. Why couldn’t any of them see the truth for what it was? All Jake had been trying to do was point out the obvious. Families had no business living at the base. They had no business knowing what their teams were doing. It put a big target on each of their backs when they were privy to the truth.
R.O.O.T. was a government funded Black Ops organization specializing in oversight. Which, in layman’s terms meant, they policed the other mercenary/black ops organizations who’d been given government contacts, most especially, when things went wrong. Barclay had been their biggest assignment to date. In fact, the case, in Jake’s estimates, wasn’t even close to being closed. Sure, they had Senator Lincoln by the balls for most of the shit, but the Uranium was still missing. There was the assassination plot still active, as well as offshore accounts that needed to be combed for other treasures. He figured, just in evidence alone, they’d have about three years’ worth of work, tracking down leads and finding bad actors.
Not your concern anymore.
No, it wasn’t.
If Jake wanted to, he could take his ass to the port, get on a fishing boat and sail to Florida to do some primo deep sea fishing. He could finally apologize to Ginger for leaving her in the dark, and at least spend more time with Fawn other than on holidays or birthdays—which he missed, more often than not, because of his missions. Instead, he sat in a security firms HR department, filling out forms to become an overnight security guard for a gated house community on the upper east side of Virginia Beach—where the money was. More specifically, the gated housing community where Ginger and Fawn lived. Not that he needed the job. Jake had more than enough money in the bank after working with Asher for seven years. He could have retired from everything permanently and lived a quiet life, however, the niggling guilt of his job, his family, and the fact he tried to ruin a relationship, kept him firmly planted in Virginia Beach, near his team and his daughter.
“Mr. O’Malley?” The HR Director, he thought her name was Pamela or Patricia or something starting with a P—he hadn’t paid her name any mind, stepped in front of him. Her kind smile and soft brown eyes drew his attention to her features, then down to her ring finger. Married.Go figure.“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He sat back, closing the file in front of him. “What can I do for you, ma’am?”
“Thank you.” She pulled out the chair across from him and sat. “I did a complete background check on you. You hold several military clearances, have special dispensation through the government, and you have an impeccable record for the Army...”
“Yes ma’am,” he replied, shocked his clearances were still in place. After the lashing Asher and Brigadier General Blackwell gave him, he thought he’d lose everything. “Is there a problem?”
“No, none,” she hurried to add. “It’s, well, Mr. O’Malley—”
“Jake is fine.” No one had used his first name in years. It’d be nice to hear someone use it again.
“Jake,” she replied with a small grin. “You’re overqualified for this position. I have a feeling you’d be better suited to becoming a trainer or a supervisor or in upper management. I mean, I wouldn’t be shocked if you opened a company of your own in the near future. So, why do you want to be an overnight security guard making less than twenty dollars an hour?”
She wouldn’t understand. If he said he was doing it so he could protect his family after leaving them, he’d sound like a stalker. If he said he got bored at his last job and left, she’d see through that lie too. He wanted a job where he could protect his ex-wife and daughter while not getting in anyone’s way. How hard up or depressing was that?
“I guess I was hoping to go into semi-retirement. You’re correct, I could do any number of those jobs and probably do them better than who you have those positions now, but I want a quiet life. I’ve seen so much shit—pardon my French, ma’am—in my life. I want to be normal.” His answer would have to do.
The glittering glow of happiness in her eyes dimmed. “I understand. I can’t imagine what you’ve seen or done over your illustrious career.” She stood then. “If you’re finished with those, I’ll take you to meet your partner. He’s green. Very green. Just out of high school. I think you’ll make the perfect pair.”
Great. A kid. Jake snorted to himself. Boy probably still jerked off in a sock in his mom’s basement while watching Hentai or some shit. “Fine. I suppose if he needs proper training, I’m the best person to show him the ropes.”
“Now, you’re getting it,” Pamela or Patricia or whatever her name was said. “He’s enrolled in college and, according to his transcripts, he’s pretty smart. You shouldn’t have an issue with him slacking or giving you a hard time.”
“Sure. Not a problem.” Jake nodded as he followed her down the hall to another room close to where he’d been.
She opened the door and motioned for him to step inside. There the kid sat. His computer was open, his face glued to the screen. Maybe Jake had been partially right about the kid. When the door closed, the guy looked up and grinned. “Mrs. Pamela. I was wondering when you’d be back.”
The kid had charm and manners. He’d get far on it. His hazel-green eyes had a sharpness to him. Too bad the rest of him lacked everything the guy would need to become an upstanding citizen. From his under-cut to his piercings and tattoos, yep, Jake could definitely whip the boy into shape.
“Jake, this is Wyatt, your new partner,” Pamela said. “I’m sure you’ll both get along swimmingly.” She gave Wyatt an indulgent smile. “Listen to what Mr. O’Malley tells you. He is your superior. He’ll also be evaluating you for your performance.”
The boy swallowed hard. “Sure, not a problem.”
“Ma’am,” Jake said, staring at the kid. “When you talk to a woman who is your boss, you say, ma’am. It’s only polite.”
Wyatt blinked, then shook his head. “My apologies. Ma’am. Thank you.”
“See, you’re going to get along just fine.” Pamela waved to them as she started for the exit. “Stop by the front office on your way out to pick up your badges. Wyatt, don’t forget your firearms training certificate.”
“Shit,” the kid muttered after Pamela closed the door behind her. “I’m not going to pass that.”