The kick-ass sniper could drop a man where he stood from over 2,000 yards without so much as breaking a sweat. She also could have coined the phrase,Shop ’til you drop. They should have plenty of time for a ride.
“Come on, brother,” Mike prodded him. “It’s been a hell of a long time since you and I rode together.”
“Too long,” Jake nodded in agreement.
Mike grinned. “Well, alright then.”
After saddling the horses, Jake and Mike headed out the back of the barn and across the great expanse of his land.
Mike shifted on Daisy’s back, his eyes darting out over the horizon and then back toward the cabin. No matter what he said about being safe here, the man still looked around for possible threats. That, and the sister who still thought he was dead.
“You’re safe here, Mike,” Jake assured him. “The land is secure, and we’ve got plenty of time. Mac’s a soldier to the core, but I swear the woman could turn shopping into an Olympic sport.”
Mike’s broad shoulders relaxed, and he grinned. “Well, in that case,” he let some of his southern drawl slip. “Wanna race?”
Jake’s blood pumped with excitement. Nothing beat the rush of riding full-speed on his horse. An image of Olivia lying beneath him, naked and satiated, flashed through his mind. Okay, almost nothing. He grinned in spite of himself.
“First one to the pond just over that hill?”
Mike followed Jake’s gaze to the large mound in the distance. “What’s the wager?”
“We’ll keep it low. Say, a Benjamin?”
“You’re on.”
Without warning, Mike spurred Daisy with the heels of his boots and with a “Ha!” he took off.
“Cheating bastard,” Jake mumbled and shook his head, smiling.
He closed in on Mike, loving that he was able to spend time with his best friend again. Guilt tried to wiggle its way in, but he pushed it away for now, not knowing when—or if—they’d ever get the chance to do this again.
Mike had worked damn hard to get accepted into some of the most dangerous organizations in the world. Every day he survived without being made was like living on borrowed time.
He was the best there was for jobs like the ones he took on, but even the best could have a bad day.
The two men reached the pond at the exact same moment, but of course, each one swore his horse had gotten their first. After going back and forth a few times, they both finally agreed it was a tie and left it at that.
They dismounted and led their horses to the water’s edge for a drink. Standing silently for a few minutes, both became lost in their own thoughts.
Jake wasn’t sure what was going through Mike’s mind, but all he could think of was everything that had transpired between him and Olivia during the past few months.
Lost in the moments they’d shared—both good and bad—Jake didn’t know how in the hell he’d survive it if she left him, once he told her the truth.
Mike finally broke the silence when he cleared his throat. In a somber voice said, “Thanks for watching out for her, Jake. I know it sounds crazy given the situation, but I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her.” The man’s voice was thick with emotion.
Trust me, buddy. I know how you feel.“I’m not going to let anything else happen to her, Mike.”
Mike turned to face him. “I know you won’t. And in case I’ve never said it, thank you. For watching out for her all these years. For saving her from those bastards and bringing her back home.”
Jake swallowed back his own emotions. “Don’t have to thank me for that, man. Not ever.”
Mike tilted his head once and then went back to staring out over the beautiful horizon. Jake used the opportunity to take in just how different his friend looked.
It had been over a year since he’d seen him, and the guy was damn near unrecognizable. Of course, that was kind of the point, given the whole undercover gig.
Before going deep, Mike had always kept his hair military short and his face clean-shaven. Even in high school, he’d get a haircut the second it got long enough to start brushing the tops of his ears. Said it bugged the hell out of him.
The man standing before him, now, had a long, dark brown ponytail that reached down to the middle of his shoulders. His beard was unkempt, and the tattoos peeking out from under his short sleeves were some he’d never seen before. He looked like a total thug, but Jake knew that was far from the truth.
