Page 7 of Protected By The Green Berets

It was only our team here, but the Colonel had wanted me to do this the formal way. It was stupid, but I knew how to obey commands from my superiors. Too bad my team was having a hard time with that. Torque was eye fucking Z and Rush was back to watching her like she was some kind of angel.

Jesus.

“Alright,” I said and flipped to the first slide. “We’ll be flying to Seoul on Monday.” That was as far as I made it.

Z’s hand shot up as soon as I finished the sentence. My eyes followed the line of her arm and settled on her face. Her brows were pulled low and her full lips caught my attention. “What?” I barked.

She looked surprised at my tone, but answered. “Why are we going to Seoul?”

“This briefing is going to take forever if you keep interrupting,” I told her. Sucking in a breath, I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to get myself under control. It was a valid question, but she had my insides all twisted up and I tended to be a dick when in that state. I’d only seen her twice and she’d been here a whole thirty minutes and this was how I was reacting to her. This mission was going to be downright miserable.

“We’re stopping in Seoul to talk to some…friends of ours,” Torque told her. He gave her what he considered to be a charming smile.

Her eyes flicked from him, to Rush who was also smiling, then to Alden. She folded her hands in her lap and fell silent. I could see the urge to ask more questions in her expression but she held her tongue.

“Can I go on?” I asked.

Her eyes narrowed and I could clearly read in her gaze that she wanted to tell me to fuck off. Instead, she waved a hand at the image on the wall. Flicking to the next picture, I began to explain our mission statements, and who our intended targets were.

My skin itched, making me aware of the fact that her eyes were glued on me rather than the slides. Ignoring her and my aching cock, I continued on.

“We suspect Roj is linked to The Holy Order of Qaltala. If that’s the case it’s not going to be as easy as a simple snatch and grab. They’ll likely be hiding him.”

Z’s eyes widened when I spoke the well-known terrorist organization’s name. She was finally watching the slides, and kept staring at them like they were the answer to all our problems. Studying them with a singular focus that made me wonder if she’d be so attentive in bed.

I managed to make it through the briefing without more interruptions. It was time to outline the route we were going to take.

“The plan is to fly into Iraq after Seoul. We’ll resupply at this base here.” I pointed to the map on the wall. “Then things are going to get rocky.”

“Rocky?” Z asked. Her face was once again a neutral mask.

“We’re going to be traveling to villages and cities all over the country. There aren’t going to be a lot of…amenities. Think you can handle that, Princess?” My smile was dark.

Fire snapped in her eyes and she glared at me. “Thinkyoucan handle that, Pretty Boy?”

My brows shot up at her venomous response, but the others laughed. Even Alden was having a chuckle at my expense.

“Looks like we’ll need to give you a crash course on how to speak to your superiors,” I told her.

“As soon as my superiors are present, feel free to tell me,” she quipped with a shit-eating grin.

The others tried to smother their laughter and failed. “Tomorrow morning,” I said, glowering at her, “you’ll be training with us. We only have a week to make you a part of this team. You’re going to wish you’d stayed home, Princess.”

I waved a hand, dismissing them, too angry to say anything else. I wasn’t sure if I was more pissed at her or myself for walking right into her insult. She had a quick mind. That would serve her well with us and for what we were about to do.

Before he left the room, I called out to my cousin. “Alden.”

He glanced at me over his shoulder.

“You’re in charge of her.”

His jaw dropped. “I thought you were fucking kidding. Seriously, Kell?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck. Let one of the others do it.”

“You’re the only one who isn’t going to try to fuck her the first chance he gets,” I told him. It would take at least until his third chance before he’d lose control.

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