Page 6 of Mama & Pops
It took far longer than I expected. That was understandable given the importance of Gill’s job as CO of one of the most secure buildings in the world, and the fact that the last time I saw him I’d called him a coward. I was betting the delay was more because of the latter than the former. An hour and a half later, I was fuming, but one of the guards came over to us.
“Sorry, ma’am.” The young man was tall, blond, and skinny. He looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over. Not to mention he didn’t look comfortable at all with having to deliver the news. “The Colonel says he’s busy and can’t receive visitors.”
I opened my mouth to give the guy what for -- even though I knew it wasn’t his fault -- when Mike lay a hand on my thigh -- a clear signal to shut up if I ever saw one.
“Can you please tell the Colonel it’s a personnel matter? Dr. Peyton and I have information on a soldier named Alex. Not sure of his last name, but he said he was stationed here. We were the ones who got him to the police.”
The young man’s eyes widened and his lips parted in an “O” of surprise. “Oh, man. Give me a minute.” The kid turned and ran back to the guard post.
Mike commented on their animated conversation. “They probably don’t want to bother the Colonel again.” Mike brushed his hand over my knee casually as he gave me the rundown. Even if it was through my jeans, I still soaked up his touch. He had to know I could see what was going on just fine but was using his voice as a distraction so he could touch me. I’d have called him out on it, but I was afraid he’d stop so I let it go.
As a general rule, men and I didn’t get along. Not because I wasn’t attracted to them, but because men in the military tended to be too alpha to tolerate a woman who outranked them. Though it was against the rules for officers to date enlisted personnel, I’d have chucked that out the window if I’d found a man I was even remotely interested in fucking. There had been a few men who were comfortable with my rank, but those guys usually weren’t alpha enough for me. I wanted my man to be strong with a take-charge kind of personality, but not so much he resented me for my education. Mike… Yeah. He was that alpha. But he also took in stride the fact that I was a woman and still knew my shit. He seemed willing to follow my lead instead of trying to bulldoze his way to the front.
“If they don’t let us in, I’ll call Gill myself. And if I have to do that, I’ll be fuckin’ somebody up.” My irritation was coming through in spades, but I didn’t care. I was going to do my best for Alex and make sure he had everything he needed. Normally, I’d have said good riddance and just killed someone shooting up an airport. I guess I’d seen too many young soldiers dead, dying, and with battle fatigue so profound they’d gone mad. I had no idea what the kid’s story was -- other than he seemed a little slow. That could be his mental capacity, or it could be as a result of knowing he was going to be deployed to Nam. Whatever was going on inside that kid’s head, he needed help coping. Not to spend the next couple of decades in a prison cell.
“You know, your vicious side turns me the fuck on, Josephine.” Mike’s lips quirked up at one corner. He didn’t look at me or take his eyes of the two men talking. “When we get this settled, you and I are gonna have a nice long chat about what happens when you get all bloodthirsty around me.”
“You’re on dangerous ground. Keep talking and you might find you’re in way the fuck over your head.” I tried to sound menacing, but I’m pretty sure it all came out all breathless and shit. Like I wanted him the way he claimed to want me. Which wasn’t true. Not at all. It wasn’t.
His warm chuckle was his response. Also, that hand on my knee squeezed once before he moved it. Probably thought I’d bite or something. Or he could be freeing up his hands because the first guard was now approaching our vehicle and he didn’t look happy.
“No fighting,” I muttered. I couldn’t help it. It just slipped out.
Mike glanced at me sharply. “Really?” He raised an eyebrow. I shrugged.
“We’ve told you. The Colonel is not taking visitors.” The guard looked supremely pissed off. It was obvious he had no intention of checking with anyone else or relaying the message Mike just issued.
“I’d get your name, rank, and serial number, but reporting dumbasses ain’t my thing,” Mike told him. “You tell Colonel Gill that Dr. Josephine Peyton is here to see him. You tell him she ain’t forgot about Laos and has come to collect a debt. You tell him that word for word, then come back and tell us he won’t see us.”
The guy looked wary now. Like he knew he’d just sprung a trap but couldn’t see it or figure out a way out of it before it closed in on him. “If you’re wasting my time, I’ll arrest you both.”
“I’ll waste your fuckin’ time,” I muttered before I could stop myself. Mike clapped a hand back on my knee. “What?” I tried to look all innocent but neither man was buying it. “He’s being stupid.”
“Jo…” Mike gave me a warning glance. Which just made my chin go up.
“Bitch,” the guard muttered.
To my surprise, Mike climbed off the bike in one smooth move, reaching the guy’s retreating form in two long strides. He grabbed the guard’s shoulder and spun him around, catching him with a right hook.
“You don’t talk to a lady that way, soldier. I don’t care what the fuck she says or does. Do it again and you won’t have to worry about getting called to Nam. I’ll beat the fuckin’ shit outta you right here in the good ol’ U. S. of A. so bad you’ll be lucky to walk again.”
Several other guards in the vicinity ran toward us. The guard in question rubbed his jaw but had only staggered back before regaining his balance. He gave Mike a withering look but backed off.
“There a problem, Sarge?” one of the other men asked. He didn’t look at all ready to take on Mike. I mean, Mike’s a big guy. Tall and thickly built. But there was a total of four guys surrounding him. None of them looked like they were eager to take him on. Which meant I needed to get a look at my new friend, because I had a feeling whatever I saw on his face might just be panty melting.
“No. I was just going to give the colonel’s secretary a message.” He waved a hand toward us. “Let them wait here until I get off the phone.”
The guards each took a few steps backward, not turning around, not standing down a single bit. Mike waited a couple of heartbeats before reaching out to rub my upper thigh in a soothing gesture. Wasn’t sure if it meant to soothe me or him. Then he crossed his arms over that mouthwateringly thick chest. He planted his feet shoulder width apart and stood there, staring at the group of soldiers. Finally, he turned his head to look at me, and the fierce expression on his face made my breath catch.
Mike nodded at me slowly. “You like seeing me all riled up on your behalf?” The man obviously saw way more than I wanted him to. Which made him doubly dangerous.
“I ain’t your problem. You didn’t have to do that.” I knew I sounded breathless. Hell, I was breathless. The man’s swift defense of me with such passion that he looked like he was ready to kill a motherfucker went straight to my clit and throbbed.
“You’re my woman. That most definitely makes you my problem.”
I shook my head. “I never agreed to that.”
“Yes, you did. When you didn’t castrate me after I kissed you.”