Dammit, she needed this job. She had bills to pay and a shredded reputation thanks to Agent Franks. What choice did she have?
You could always go home to live with mommy and daddy.
“I’ll do it.”
Grey’s shoulders to relaxed. “Good. And don’t worry, I’ve got someone to train you and get you ready. After what I saw in the interview, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Worry? Oh she’d worry plenty, not that she’d tell anyone else. She’d bluffed her way in and now she didn’t have a choice. At least most of her new Team seemed pretty easy going. She glanced at Hunter, pretty sure he’d be the one training her. “So when do we start?”
“Not we. Him.” Ranger gestured to the man still leaned against the wall.
Kate’s legs turned to limp noodles as she slowly spun to stare at Ethan. “Him?”
Ethan pushed off the wall, the first real movement she’dseen him do all day, and approached with lethal steps, forcing Kate to crane her head back.
“That’s right, princess. Me.”
Chapter 5
Ethan putthe kickstand down on his motorcycle, pulled off his helmet, and wiped the sweat from his face before grabbing his saddlebags and walking up the grass-lined gravel driveway to the two-story white house in front of him. Not exactly what he'd envisioned for a private security firm's headquarters, but maybe that was the point.
He climbed the steps up to the porch and slung his bag over his shoulder. Before he could knock on the door, Aaron pulled it open. “You made it just in time. We got a big pot of soup almost ready.”
“Great.” Ethan ground out and followed Aaron inside. Immediately the delicious smell hit him. “Didn't know you were such a chef.”
“I'm not. Stash your saddlebags over there for now.” Aaron gestured to the floor right next to a blue flowery couch. “After we eat I'll show you where you're bunking down.”
Ethan put his bag down, uneasy about the location. The small living room looked exactly like what a grandmother's house would look like, complete with lace curtains and a hundred different pictures hanging on the walls. Most of the photographs were of children in some state of play: fishing, swimming, birthday parties. As he followed the pictures, the kids grew older: graduation caps, basic training, girls inpantsuits and guys in military dress blues. Ethan paused at the next to last one, surprise tinging his voice. “Hey, this is you.”
Aaron came and stood beside him, “Damn, I look like a baby. Can't believe I've been in the military for ten years now.”
“Who are these two?” Ethan gestured to the pictures flanking Aaron proudly on the wall.
“The one on the left is my dad after he got back from Vietnam. The one on the right is my grandpa. He was a World War II fighter pilot.”
That sense of unease returned full force as Ethan felt the cloying grips of claustrophobia snake its way around his lungs. “This is your family's house. Why the hell am I here?”
“Grey needed somewhere for us to bunk close to the plantation. Noni's house was the closest so I volunteered.”
“This is your grandma's house?”
“Sure is. Got a problem with it?” A strong female voice came through loud and clear from behind Aaron and both men turned to see a very petite woman standing in the room. Her snow white hair and colorful apron clearly stated this was the famous Noni.
“No, ma'am, your house is very nice, but I can't say here. I'll find a motel.” Ethan grabbed his bags off the floor and slung them over his shoulder. He couldn’t stay at a place that embodied family life. He didn’t even have a family, he’d grown up on the streets, an orphan. Everything about this place was wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
He might be one of the few men on the planet who preferred solitary bunk beds in the barracks, but at least there Ethan knew his place. Family homes that smelled like a Betty Crocker commercial were out of his league.
“Not before you eat some of the soup I've been slaving over all day.” Noni crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. Ethan realized he must have offended her, not that he had enough practice with family interaction to be sure.
“I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to offend you, but I'm here for work not a vacation.”
“I realize that young man, which is why I cooked my famous homemade soup. You'll need it for what you've got to do. Whether you stay here or not is your business, but you would highly offend me if you left before eating.”
Ethan's gaze cut to Aaron, who offered absolutely no help whatsoever. “Man, you got to try it. I promise you won't regret it. Besides, there is nowhere else within thirty miles to eat.”
Ethan sensed a trap, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it might be. Reluctantly, he eased his bag to the ground.
“Great, glad you decided to join us. The food’s ready.” Noni disappeared around the corner.
