He looked up to find Gracie McDaniels, R.I.S.C.’s public relations liaison, smiling at him from behind the reception desk. The petite blonde was way too fucking cheery for this early in the morning.
“Hey.” He gave her a nod.
“Everyone’s in the conference room.” She tilted her head toward the office hallway. “Oh, and I made a fresh pot of coffee a few minutes ago, so there should be plenty left.”
Now,thatwas almost enough to make even him want to smile.
“Thanks,” he mumbled as he walked by the desk.
She grinned even wider. “Of course.”
Grant forced himself not to shake his head in wonder. He’d never understand how someone who had gone through what Gracie had could still be so happy.
Just a few short months ago, the woman had been kidnapped and almost died. Had it not been for Nate Carter—one of R.I.S.C.’s Bravo Team members—she would have.
Now Gracie and Nate were in love and engaged to be married. Something that seemed to be a theme with the men at R.I.S.C. Too many of the fuckers had risked their lives to protect and save a woman, only to fall in love in the process.
Screw that.
First, there was Jake McQueen, their fearless leader and owner of R.I.S.C. When the former Delta badass thought Olivia—his best friend’s little sister and now Jake’s wife—had been brutally murdered, Grant and the rest of Alpha Team traveled with Jake into the belly of Hell to take out the fuckers responsible. Instead, they found Olivia alive and literally running for her life.
Later, when she was taken again and nearly tortured to death, Jake had been able to end the bastard once and for all. Fast-forward to a year later and the two were now married and had a baby on the way.
But Jake wasn’t the only R.I.S.C. man to fall into that sort of torturous trap.
Trevor Matthews—Alpha Team’s medic and Jake’s SIC, or Second In Charge—went through a similar situation when the woman he’d just started dating was used as a sick fuck’s tool for revenge. After that it was Nate and Gracie and most recently, Derek West and his childhood friend-turned-fiancée, Charlotte “Charlie” Stone.
Come to think of it, the men of R.I.S.C. were dropping like fucking flies. As far as Alpha Team went, Grant, Coop, and Mac were the only single members left.
He had no idea what Coop’s and Mac’s feelings on the topic were, but as far as Grant was concerned, he wanted no part of that shit. Shaking those pointless thoughts away, he entered the conference room on the right.
Sitting in his regular seat at the head of the large, oval table was Jake. To his right was Trevor who, like Jake, was a former Delta Force operator.
At the side of the table opposite Grant sat the team’s two snipers. Sean “Coop” Cooper and McKenna “Mac” Kelley were among the best marksmen Grant had ever worked with.
“Hey, big guy.” Derek—a former SEAL and the team’s genius computer geek—looked up at him from his seat next to Trevor. “Nice of you to finally join us.”
Checking his watch, Grant looked at his teammate. “I’m three minutes early.”
Derek looked at the clock on the wall. “So you are. I stand corrected.”
“Listen up,” Jake addressed the room. “As I’m sure you’ve already figured out, we have another job. Not as intense as the last few we’ve had but no less important.”
They all waited while he picked up a small, black remote and pushed a button. The retractable screen behind him lit up with the picture of a man Grant instantly recognized.
“This guy again?” Coop groaned.
“Thisguyis a United States Senator,” Mac chastised her partner.
“Okay. But seriously, Jake.” Coop looked at their boss. “What’s he trying to do, turn us into his permanent entourage or something?”
Jake smirked. “One, we will never become anyone’s permanent anything. And two, this job is going to entail a little more than just being an extra watchdog at political rallies and fundraisers.”
“How so?” Derek asked from beside Grant.
With a somber expression, Jake explained. “Trevor and I met with Senator Cantrell earlier this morning. Apparently, someone has been sending him threats.”
“Okay.” Mac looked around and back to Jake. “I mean, that sucks, but isn’t that sort of an occupational hazard for someone in his position?”
