She thought for a moment. “So, you’re not actually part of the military or the government anymore?”
“No. I completed my time with the Army, then almost immediately started building the business. It’s something I’d wanted to do for a long time, so I saved every penny I could while still active duty. Don’t get me wrong, we did a lot of good in the military, but there were also times when our hands were tied. Too many things that needed to be done faster or should have been done differently, but because of red tape or bureaucratic bullshit, they didn’t go as well as they should have. By going private, the end-goal is still the same, but we’re able to bypass a lot of the crap and just go in and get the job done. With the government’s blessing.”
Olivia assessed him a moment. “You like what you do.” It was a statement, rather than a question.
“Yes.”
She looked away for a moment then back to him. “It’s dangerous.”
Another statement. Again, Jake didn’t hedge. She needed to know. “Sometimes, yes.”
“And Trevor’s part of your team?”
Jake grinned. “He is. He’s also pretty pissed at you, by the way.”
Olivia’s brows rose high. “Me? Why is he mad atme?”
“Because he’s your friend, and he thought he’d lost you, too.” Jake looked at her pointedly. “Not to mention, the whole, traipsing off to a dangerous country without so much as a heads-up first.”
She frowned in an adorable, almost pouty way. “I called you.”
It was his turn to do the eye-roll. “You left a voicemail right before you left. Not really what I’d call advanced notice, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, well it’s not my fault you were off somewhere playing Mission Impossible. But, go ahead,”—she held out her arms in a welcoming gesture—“let’s get the lecture over with.”
Jake laughed, “Nope. No lecture tonight. I’m putting that one in my back pocket and saving it for a rainy day.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Can’t wait.” Her next question took him a bit by surprise. “So, did Mikey know about R.I.S.C.?”
This time it was Jake who broke eye contact. He couldn’t look her in the eye and lie anymore. Staring out into the jungle’s darkness, he answered with another half-truth.
“Mike was...gone before I finished my time in the military. I wasn’t out of Delta until about five years ago.” He looked back up at her and gave her a half-smile. “We talked about it, though, me and Mike. During our first deployment, we’d already seen enough to know that, while the military is absolutely invaluable, we could help them out this way, as well. That’s really where the idea stemmed from. Lots of long talks between missions about something that, at the time, we thought was nothing more than a pipe dream.”
“Yet, here you are,” she spoke quietly.
“Here I am.”
Jake’s eyes locked onto hers. His lips, along with other parts of his anatomy, tingled. He thought about how she tasted. The way her tongue had danced with his. He was thinking about giving her a repeat performance when she broke the silence.
“How many people are on your team?”
Jake exhaled slowly, trying ignoring his most recent train of thought. “Six, including me. Trevor’s my SIC, or Second In Command. D’s our techie. Hill’s our bomb guy, and Mac and Coop are our two snipers. I’ve also been thinking of putting together a second team. Business is good, and there’s definitely a need, so...” He let his voice trail off.
Olivia blinked with surprise. “Wow! So, you’re liketheboss.”
Jake laughed, admittedly enjoying the fact that she sounded impressed. “That’s what they say, anyway.” Then, because he was a red-blooded American male—and let’s face it, what guy doesn’t get a kick out of showing off for his girl—he shamelessly added, “I have the final say on all of the jobs we take and what our plan of action will be before going into any situation.”
Olivia shook her head in awe, but then her lips slowly straightened. “Trevor and the others...do you think they made it out okay?”
Jake’s heart rate picked up. He sure as hell hoped so. They’d definitely been through worse, but he still hated not being able to contact them.
“They’re the best at what they do. I’m sure they’re fine. Hell, they’re probably living it up at the hotel right now, waiting for us to show.”
Then, because he had to be sure, he asked, “So, you’re really not mad at me? You know, for lying to you about my job?”
She scowled at him. “I should be. You’re my best friend, Jake. Friends aren’t supposed to lie to each other.” She nudged him with her shoulder and sighed. “But, no. I’m not mad. Mainly because I already knew.”
Jake chose to ignore the part about friends lying to each other. If he didn’t, he was bound to spill it all. He’d already confessed enough for one night.
