Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
I fully understand now why he has the nickname he has, and I internally vow to never make fun of it again. He deserves the credit. He has earned it fully, every wound marking his skin proving it.
"Video call in, umm, five minutes," I say rather than hitting him with all the anger I felt earlier for presuming he didn't care about this job.
The evidence of how much he cares about his work mars his skin, and I have to have faith that the dedication he had to his men in the Marine Corps will carry over into everything that he does now with Cerberus.
Instead of taking the handful of minutes he has before the call to clean up, he walks closer and takes a seat right beside me on the small sofa.
The scent of clean sweat mixed with whatever soap he uses fills my nose, and I swear I grow a little dizzy from it. The warmth of his thigh against mine is almost enough to send me over the edge, but I've gotten a slightly better handle on the way I react in the years since we last saw each other.
I don't back down. I don't shift my weight and put a little distance between the two of us, and I know that's what he was expecting when a rumble of a laugh bubbles out of him. He used more than one form of intimidation tactics when we were teens to get his way, to feel like he had the upper hand, but that shit doesn't work with me any longer.
"You gonna answer that?" he asks after what feels like a millennium of us sitting here next to each other.
I clear my throat, pull in a deep breath, and reach over to open the call coming through.
As expected, the video call shows Hemlock and Casper. What surprises me is that the second screen up shows Kincaid, Tug, and Max have also joined the call.
"Morning," Kincaid says. "Do you guys feel ready?"
We both verbalize our agreement, but I don't feel as deeply as I usually do on the day I start a new job.
"Let's begin," Kincaid says. "Casper?"
"Right," the acknowledged man says. "We got confirmation that there's an impromptu rally happening tomorrow in the Harbor Freight parking lot across from the Sevier County courthouse."
"Fitting," Frankie mutters about the location, and it makes me grin.
"Zayne, since you're more experienced with these kinds of people, we're going to let you be the one to pull the group's attention," Casper continues.
Half of me wishes the rally was today so I can get out of this house, and the other half wishes we could stay here and just hang out.
I scrunch my nose, wondering just when in the hell I got so fucking corny.
"You don't think that's a good plan?"
I pull my eyes from Casper to the man speaking, and suddenly feel like a complete jackass at Kincaid's question.
"No," I answer. "I think it's the perfect plan."
"That look on your face just now says differently," Kincaid challenges. "If we need to switch things up, now is the time to make those decisions."
"It's not the mission," I assure him. "This furniture smells awful."
Frankie grunts his agreement, saving me and not even realizing it.
"Let's continue," Kincaid says.
"We're hoping that this rally is going to be enough to get you at least a sit-down with someone from the group, but I wouldn't draw too much attention to yourself," Casper says. "As you know, this can go sideways quickly. It's a fine line."
Casper continues, explaining details that I know are for Frankie's sake because I've done this kind of shit more times than I can count. What frustrates me is when my name is called because I've zoned out.
Frustration coils itself around me, and I swear my cheeks heat with embarrassment.
"Zayne? You good?" Kincaid asks once again.
"Yes, sir," I answer, clearing my throat and sitting up a little straighter.
"You're ready for all of this?"
"I am," I answer, hoping I appear more confident than I feel.
When the call is over, I find myself watching Frankie as he stands and walks away without so much as a word.
I guess I should be grateful he didn't question my readiness, too. But maybe he knows that Kincaid's questioning has already shaken my confidence.
It's not that I'm not confident in the job. It's simply that I don't know how to be the man I've become while standing next to the man from my past, the one I never got over.
It's going to be the biggest challenge of my life.
Chapter 10
Zeus
I swear I haven't seen this much fucking camo since my training days in the Marine Corps.
The parking lot is filled with angry men and women, and sadly, more children than should ever be out of school in the middle of the day. Despite knowing that many of these groups keep their kids out of public schools because of the oversight they seem to think the requirement gives the government.