Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
“Any reason you didn’t tell him?” Taggart asked.
He sighed because he was done lying to himself. “Yeah, chaos follows Alfi and I needed a couple of months of peace. I had to figure a few things out. I grew up with that man, but sometimes it’s hard to be his friend. He can be very self-centered, and he doesn’t always see it. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. But he’s difficult. We weren’t on the same team. Even when we were in the Army we wouldn’t see each other except when we were on leave or happened to find ourselves on the same base.”
“Was the Army good for him?”
“Kept him out of trouble for the most part,” Brody admitted. “But I don’t know how to deal with the fact that he didn’t tell me about Nate.”
“You know what would make you feel better?”
Brody could think of a few things. “Hanging him by his arms and slowly feeding him feet first into a vat of piranhas? Or lowering him into a nice pool that contains that South American worm thing that slips up a man’s willy and hooks his way in?”
“Dude, that’s brilliant.” Taggart pulled out his mobile, touching the screen. “Note to self, arrange to buy South American penis barb worm and slip it into Adam’s daily rose-scented bath. I’m sure he has one.” He clicked it off. “I like you, Carter. You’re mean. I was merely going to suggest negotiating a series of punches or bitch slaps to be used randomly over the next couple of years. Made me feel better about Ten. Friends are hard things. Women are even harder. Ah, you’re Pierce Craig. I should have known. Steph, you make a lovely Genie. You know Geneva Peretti is based on Charlie, right?”
Brody’s breath caught because Steph had walked out and she was wearing a teeny tiny white bikini that showed off her graceful figure. On her right thigh there was a holster that held a wicked knife. He figured she was a surgeon so he didn’t have to find a fake knife.
Damn, but she was gorgeous.
Charlie was behind her, dressed as Wonder Woman and looking every inch the superhero. “She’s a Bond girl, Ian.”
Tag shook his long blond hair. “Don’t know who that is. Only one true fictional super spy and that’s Pierce Craig. Come on, baby. We’ve got some work to do tonight. Brody, before you head in, Adam is going to meet you in the conference room in a while. He’s got questions for you and Ten’s on the ground in Sierra Leone. He’s calling in from there.”
Charlotte took her husband’s hand and winked Steph’s way. “Have fun.”
Steph frowned at him. “Why do you get a tux and I get two inches of Lycra and a big knife?”
He couldn’t help but grin at her. “Because that’s how Bond girls get their Bond, luv. You look absolutely delicious. And I promise there will be people here with far less on. That swimsuit doesn’t even qualify as fet wear. If tonight were different, I would have you in a gloriously tight corset that would push your pretty tits up, and the only other thing you would wear would be a teeny tiny thong that wouldn’t even cover your lovely cheeks.”
“Put that way, I think I’ll take the swimsuit. Sounds way more comfortable,” she said.
He moved in close, staring down at her. There was a faint flush to her cheeks that let him know she was aware of him. He wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed or slightly aroused, but he intended to turn her toward arousal. After they dealt with Adam and Ten. He took her hand and started moving toward the conference room. “Who the hell is this Pierce Craig person? And how does Taggart not know who James Bond is?”
She laughed, the sound magical to his ears. “You don’t pay a lot of attention to pop culture, huh? Serena wrote a book called Love After Death. I’ve been told it sounds suspiciously like Ian and Charlotte’s real love story, complete with a sarcastic, Viking-like hero named Pierce Craig. It was made into a movie. I think Big Tag likes to pretend like he doesn’t know it’s him, but surprisingly enough he talks about how cool Pierce is.”
“Ah, that thing Kay’s always talking about.” Kayla loved her romance novels and didn’t mind telling off anyone who said they weren’t worthy fiction. “She’s a big fan of Serena’s.”
“Kay?” Steph kept walking, but her voice had gone stiff.
Ah, sweet jealousy. “She’s a coworker in London. I think of her like a little sister.”
He opened the door to the conference room. It was empty. Looked like Adam hadn’t gotten here yet. That was all right with Brody. He didn’t mind having her to himself for a few minutes. It would give him a bit of time to lay out rules for the night’s play.