Page 33 of SEAL's Promise
“I’m sure Micah would appreciate that. He brags about you all the time.”
“Really?”
“Yes, ma’am. All the division heads would love to poach his assistant. He’s threatened to fire anyone who steals you.”
That made her laugh. Nice to know she was appreciated.
Cal retrieved his laptop. Once he logged her into the system and the hotspot, he returned to the conference table.
Although she didn’t know how long she’d be out, she refused to leave her boss short-handed. Rachelle settled back in her seat and got to work.
CHAPTER NINE
“Nice of you to join us,” Eli drawled when Cal sat.
“Bite me,” he muttered.
The other man flashed him a grin. “Pass. I prefer to nibble on my wife.” He sobered as his gaze shifted to Rachelle. “Is she all right?”
He thought she was flat out amazing and way too good for the likes of him, but he had no intention of telling his fellow teammates that. They already had enough to tease him about as it was. “She’s good for the moment. Once we’re in Maple Valley, I’ll set up a session with a counselor. Memories of her time in Antigua will plague her when she lets down.”
Max nudged him. “Didn’t look like your conversation centered around terrorists. What gives, frog boy?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I told Rachelle I’m interested in her.”
Brody’s eyebrow rose. “Yeah? And?”
“Lucky for me, the interest goes both ways.”
A slow smile curved the Texas leader’s mouth. “Nice.”
Better than nice. A miracle. “Thanks.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “Are we finished with the gossip session, ladies? If so, we still have work to do.”
Logan Fletcher, Texas team’s EOD man, groaned. “Come on, Jon. We’ve already talked through five different scenarios and made contingency plans for each. Enough already.”
Wolf Pack’s sniper turned his cool gaze to the other man. “We need at least five more scenarios with contingency plans.”
Sawyer Chapman lightly punched his teammate on the shoulder. “Give it up, buddy. Even though I hope this planning is overkill, I won’t risk the lives of our principals because I think Wolf Pack is filled with overachievers.”
Rafe snorted. “Not overachievers. More like the voice of experience. No mission goes according to plan. In fact, missions tend to go off the rails early and often.”
Brody frowned. “A result of poor intel?”
“Nope. This is our first team mission. The rest of our missions have been as individuals or part of other teams.” He shrugged. “Maddox knows our capabilities and pushes us to our limits.”
Logan scowled. “He’s not holding back on Texas, either.”
“Maddox only hires the best,” Eli said. “You wouldn’t be part of Fortress if you couldn’t handle the job.”
“What makes your team different from ours?” Sawyer asked.
“Five SEALs.”
The members of Texas exchanged glances. Brody rubbed his jaw, his beard rasping against his fingers. “You win,” he muttered.
“It’s not a contest of skill,” Jon said. “Because of our background, our training is more extensive than yours.”