air.
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
She licked her lips. "Be careful."
"Always." Murphy trotted up, her long pink tongue hanging out as she panted. He reached out to pat the animal. "Take care of her."
He spun on his heel, heading out.
"Night?"
Pausing, he looked back over his shoulder.
"I love you."
He smiled. When did such a small woman become the balm to my soul? "I love you, too." That said, he strode to his truck, turned the engine over, and headed home before embarking on his latest mission, this one personal.
Chapter 16
"What's she doing here?" Loco gestured to a petite woman climbing out of a small dark green SUV.
"The boss said we have to play with the feds this time, like it or not. Ravini is ours, but the DEA wants their chance at any intel we might find," Night answered, stuffing his supplies in the large black duffle bag.
Spoon snorted. "Just because we're private, they no longer think we can carry off a computer or two?"
Night shrugged. "Who knows what they think. But for this one, she gets to tag along."
All eyes surveyed the woman, dressed in all black, accenting her bobbed light blonde hair. Her small frame put her well under the height of each man, a bit below the average height for a female.
"Mark my words. She'll slow us down and only get in the way." Spoon grumbled, zipping his pack shut.
A smile began to form on Night's lips. During the negotiations, he'd learned of her extensive background and abilities. She could hold her own, he had no doubt. Otherwise, he would have vetoed the order she tag along, as he did with a handful of others offered for the job.
Although dragging a female into battle prodded his moral code, he dared not question her skills, which damn near matched their own. Amazing for a female, even in today's open-minded military.
She marched up to them, a black bag slung over her shoulder. Bright blue eyes matched their gazes. "I'm Lark."
"She looks like a cheerleader," Loco mocked, his hard expression tightening all the more.
Instead of taking offense, she simply smiled. "West Point Cheerleading Squad. Captain my senior year. If you must know."
Muttered oaths carried across the vacated lot.
"You're fucking kidding me. We're taking a cheerleader on a mission?" Loco growled, his irritation obvious.
She rounded on him like a mother hen protecting her chicks from a hungry fox. "Listen, soldier. I may be small, but I'm more than capable of kicking anyone's ass. This isn't my first black ops mission, nor will it be my last. Just because I'm DEA doesn't mean I sit on my ass at a desk and punch a keyboard all day."
"Marine." Loco snapped in return but with less intensity than before.
Spoon snickered. "Anyone who wants to kick Marine butt at three am has my vote to stay."
Night shook his head, only partially amazed with Lark's defense of herself. In all honesty, she probably faced the same stereotypical male greeting for most of her military career, forcing her to either ignore it, let it eat on her, or get in a man's face. The aggressive response would have earned her points for courage and guts in a community that valued such traits highly.
"If we're all done with the posturing, can we move on?" She huffed, flicking those bright blue eyes across each and every man as if seeking another challenge to her position.
Cale chuckled. "Gotta love that in a woman. All business and kick ass."
"Gives me a hard-on." Spoon winked at her.
Dillon chimed in. "I like her. In fact, I want all my daughters to be just like her."
The men gaped at him as if he'd grown octopus tentacles from his neck.
She rolled her eyes before looking at Night. "How do you put up with them?"
He grinned widely. "I practice selective hearing."
* * * *
Without further incident they climbed into the large SUV, Lark voluntarily claiming the smaller backseat for herself. No sense in being crowded by oversized men with egos to match. Not that she expected anything different. For as long as she could
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
She licked her lips. "Be careful."
"Always." Murphy trotted up, her long pink tongue hanging out as she panted. He reached out to pat the animal. "Take care of her."
He spun on his heel, heading out.
"Night?"
Pausing, he looked back over his shoulder.
"I love you."
He smiled. When did such a small woman become the balm to my soul? "I love you, too." That said, he strode to his truck, turned the engine over, and headed home before embarking on his latest mission, this one personal.
Chapter 16
"What's she doing here?" Loco gestured to a petite woman climbing out of a small dark green SUV.
"The boss said we have to play with the feds this time, like it or not. Ravini is ours, but the DEA wants their chance at any intel we might find," Night answered, stuffing his supplies in the large black duffle bag.
Spoon snorted. "Just because we're private, they no longer think we can carry off a computer or two?"
Night shrugged. "Who knows what they think. But for this one, she gets to tag along."
All eyes surveyed the woman, dressed in all black, accenting her bobbed light blonde hair. Her small frame put her well under the height of each man, a bit below the average height for a female.
"Mark my words. She'll slow us down and only get in the way." Spoon grumbled, zipping his pack shut.
A smile began to form on Night's lips. During the negotiations, he'd learned of her extensive background and abilities. She could hold her own, he had no doubt. Otherwise, he would have vetoed the order she tag along, as he did with a handful of others offered for the job.
Although dragging a female into battle prodded his moral code, he dared not question her skills, which damn near matched their own. Amazing for a female, even in today's open-minded military.
She marched up to them, a black bag slung over her shoulder. Bright blue eyes matched their gazes. "I'm Lark."
"She looks like a cheerleader," Loco mocked, his hard expression tightening all the more.
Instead of taking offense, she simply smiled. "West Point Cheerleading Squad. Captain my senior year. If you must know."
Muttered oaths carried across the vacated lot.
"You're fucking kidding me. We're taking a cheerleader on a mission?" Loco growled, his irritation obvious.
She rounded on him like a mother hen protecting her chicks from a hungry fox. "Listen, soldier. I may be small, but I'm more than capable of kicking anyone's ass. This isn't my first black ops mission, nor will it be my last. Just because I'm DEA doesn't mean I sit on my ass at a desk and punch a keyboard all day."
"Marine." Loco snapped in return but with less intensity than before.
Spoon snickered. "Anyone who wants to kick Marine butt at three am has my vote to stay."
Night shook his head, only partially amazed with Lark's defense of herself. In all honesty, she probably faced the same stereotypical male greeting for most of her military career, forcing her to either ignore it, let it eat on her, or get in a man's face. The aggressive response would have earned her points for courage and guts in a community that valued such traits highly.
"If we're all done with the posturing, can we move on?" She huffed, flicking those bright blue eyes across each and every man as if seeking another challenge to her position.
Cale chuckled. "Gotta love that in a woman. All business and kick ass."
"Gives me a hard-on." Spoon winked at her.
Dillon chimed in. "I like her. In fact, I want all my daughters to be just like her."
The men gaped at him as if he'd grown octopus tentacles from his neck.
She rolled her eyes before looking at Night. "How do you put up with them?"
He grinned widely. "I practice selective hearing."
* * * *
Without further incident they climbed into the large SUV, Lark voluntarily claiming the smaller backseat for herself. No sense in being crowded by oversized men with egos to match. Not that she expected anything different. For as long as she could
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