CHAPTER 1
SERENA
The Rusty Spur smells like beer, burnt popcorn, and bad decisions. It’s perfect.
I slide onto a barstool and finally exhale. I’ve had twelve hours on my feet with two soldiers code blue in one shift. Thankfully we revived them, but the adrenaline spikes were intense. My scrubs are wrinkled, my ponytail is a disaster, and I'm fairly certain there's dried coffee on my sleeve.
But I'm here.
I’m off the clock, and Vivi promised me a drink.
"You look like garbage." My sister appears behind the bar and slides a whiskey sour in front of me without needing to ask.
"You’re not into scrub-chic?" I take a sip and groan. "God, that's good."
“Well, if anyone can pull the look off, it’s got to be you.” Vivi grins, but there's something different about her tonight. There’s a flush on her cheeks and a distracted quality to her eyes. She's here and working, but also somewhere else entirely.
"What's with you?" I ask.
"Nothing." She wipes down the bar, but she's smiling at her phone. “Someone new, I’m researching.”
"Vivi." I narrow my eyes. "Researching?”
"I’ll tell you more as I get closer." She raises a mischievous eyebrow in my direction and that checks out.
Vivi’s the reckless one. The fearless one. The one I've spent my whole life protecting from our mother's chaos and her own wild impulses. I open my mouth to push harder when the door swings open and a wall of noise crashes into the bar.
Suddenly this place is full of loud men in boots, jeans, and thin t-shirts stretched tight over shoulders. Ah, the military men have arrived.
There’s something about the way they carry themselves that lets me spot them a mile away. Even out of uniform there’s a confidence to them that’s sexy as hell. I ignore it of course. But the dangerous control still makes my stomach tighten.
I take another sip.Don't even think about it.
I've worked on Ridgeway Base for three years. I know the rules. I've seen nurses lose their jobs over a single rumor. All it takes is one misstep and I’d lose the best job I’ve ever had. I can’t afford that kind of stress. I've got bills to pay, not to mention Vivi to think about. I’m our only backup plan.
I've clawed my life together with my bare hands after spending my childhood cleaning up our parent’s messes and I can’t go back. Besides, even if I could, I’m not the kind of woman who makes bad decisions in bars.
But Vivi nods over my shoulder and I turn to follow her line of sight. Every rational thought in my head evaporates.
One of the men is staring right at me. His eyes are dark and intent. They land on me like a physical touch. He's taller than the others, with dark hair that's just long enough to be disheveled and a jaw that could cut glass. Tattoos snake up his forearms and disappear under the sleeves of his black t-shirt.
When our eyes meet, something in my chest stutters.
He doesn't smile. Doesn't wave. Just... looks at me. It’s like he's cataloging me and memorizing every detail. My face flushes with heat. It’s like I’m the only person in this entire bar.
"You work with him?” Vivi’s voice pulls me back to the present.
"No." I tear my gaze away and take a too-big gulp of my drink. "Maybe. They are SERE guys, I think. Survival training instructors. The guys who teach soldiers how to survive being captured, tortured, stranded. The most intense, unbreakable men on base…” I trail off.
Of course he's one of them.
“That’s hot.” Vivi lets out a chuckle. “Should I call him over. Seems like he wants to chat with you.”
“Don’t you dare.” I finish my drink.
“Okay, you’re safe for now. Lucky I’ve got so many customers heading in.” She laughs as she slides me another drink and then turns her attention to the customers leaning over the bar.
I keep my eyes trained on the bartop.I'm not going to look again. I'm not.
