Page 5 of While You Were Spying
There’s a moment of silence through the earpiece before Connor’s voice comes through loud and clear. “That’s all you’ve got, a name? No other details?” He’s back in the van with the surveillance equipment and doesn’t need to be quiet like the rest of us.
“What more do you want?”
“Are you seeing her again?” Liam, our boss, asks from the underbrush on the other side of the log house. We’re biding our time until we can finally carry out our mission.
The men in the house are part of the Orlov mafia—headed by crime boss Vadik Orlov—but the government hasn’t been able to do much about them, especially when it comes to their suspected links to drug trafficking.
That’s where Liam’s team comes in. We’re the independents contracted by the government.
A job description that is notably absent from the company website.
They’re not our only clients. We work for all kinds of individuals and corporations, on all levels of security and intel gathering.
“Is that the estrogen side of you asking?” I say to Liam, the only team member who’s married. The rest of us are happily single.
I get a grunted reply that causes the other three men with us—including Adam, who’s currently on the roof—to chuckle.
“No, it’s the side of me who wonders why you dumbasses are still single. Being married is great—always having someone to go home to who helps you forget some of the crap we have to deal with when it comes to our jobs.”
“I think I recently saw that sweet sentiment in a Hallmark Valentine’s card,” Landon says. “Bet that would get your wife all hot and heavy if you gave it to her.”
Liam grunts again, knowing he can’t win against us happily single guys. That’s not to say Liam isn’t happy. I served with him in the military, and I’ve never seen him happier since he reconnected with his ex-fiancée over two years ago.
They’ve been married for a year and a half now, and Ava gave birth to their adorable daughter eight months ago.
“So I take it that’s a no when it comes to seeing Bridget again?” Connor says, the laughter in his tone unmistakable.
“She was okay. But I doubt she’s into booty calls, and that’s all I really have time for. You know how it is.”
The other three single guys are silent, no doubt nodding in agreement. That’s the one thing I’ve learned about my career—both with the military and Liam’s team: Women have issues being in a relationship with a man who isn’t around as much as they want. Some get suspicious he’s having an affair, mainly because there’s a lot of secrecy surrounding what he does.
Or they get pissed that the guy isn’t available to participate in the normal activities other couples do, or frequently has to cancel because the job comes first, twenty-four seven.
Then there are the women who can’t handle the dangerous nature of the career—although in the case of Liam’s team, this aspect of the job has never come up. Usually, I tell women I’m a sales representative for a hospital software company.
A boring-sounding job that results in very few inquiries about my day.
And then there are women like my ex-fiancée. While I was serving with the SEALs, she was the one doing the cheating, with a friend of mine. She was my last serious relationship.
There’s also another reason for side-stepping relationships like they’re land mines. It has to do with my best friend, whom I served with in the SEALs. We’d been friends since fourth grade. He died in my arms while we were on duty. I couldn’t save him—hell, I couldn’t even protect him.
“My cousin has a friend if you’re looking to get laid,” Connor says.
“Have you fucked her?” Because I have a thing against screwing a woman who has also been with any of my friends. Some guys don’t give a damn about that. I’m not one of those guys.
“Not at all.”
“Why not?” Landon asks through the earpiece.
“Because she’s not my type.”
“You have a type?”
“Not exactly.”
“That’s code for she’s not good enough for him, but she’ll do for you, Dragonfly.”
“Then I’ll definitely pass. And for your information, I don’t need help getting laid. I can do that quite nicely on my own, thanks.”
