Despite It All by Reese Knightley

 

Forest

The salmon-colored motel the guys were staying at was rank and sat on the seedier side of town. It almost looked abandoned to him if it wasn’t for the fact that big, beefy Special Forces soldiers had taken up the space like they were occupying for an invasion.

“I’m okay,” he grunted at Dave’s hard hug.

Dave didn’t respond, but rather gripped his arm hard and pulled him over to the far side of the room.

Not that there was much space.

Every imaginable spot in the fairly large motel room was filled with soldiers. Sprawled here and there and everywhere. He thought they’d be better off pitching a tent somewhere than this dingy motel. The room smelled of cheap aftershave, body sweat, and Burger King.

“Now, tell me you’re okay.”

“I am.” As much as he wanted to give all of his attention to Dave and the plan, his eyes kept straying back to the man he’d made the mistake of calling Joshua one time. Talking about the mistake of all mistakes, but that was in the past.

He almost hadn’t recognized the guy when he was yanked into the SUV.

Greene was so clean cut, he’d had to do a double take. Sexy had thrown him for a loop.

He did love the new haircut and, in his opinion, the cropped beard on that razor sharp jaw was a hell of a step up from the previous wildly growing bushy beard and hair.

The last time they’d met, the soldier had made it crystal clear he wanted to be called Greene. The same day he’d lost Rick.

Tangled metal, gasoline, and the smell of blood hit him hard and he wobbled as the room fell away. Dave snapped out and caught ahold of his wrist, bringing him back from the flashback. Grounded back in the fast food-filled motel room, the brief memory passed.

Each soldier ate with gusto, and he was glad none other than Dave had noticed his slip.

His gaze returned across the room and he realized he’d been wrong. Greene had seen his slip, and for a few moments, the room all but disappeared. Except this time, the silence wasn’t filled with violence and screams.

Their connection was broken when Greene stalked to the wall near one of the queen beds and leaned there. The soldier moved like a force of nature. Built like a brick house, tattoos over gleaming skin, and razor-sharp eyes. Smoke-colored eyes, like the storm filled sky. Greene was hands down the most intense person he’d ever met.

“Forest?”

He glanced over, then noticed a furrow grooved between Dave’s eyebrows.

“Sorry, what?”

Dave finished his burger and wadded up the paper.

“I think I’m going to pull you.”

“No.” Turning on Dave, he presented his back to the room, his voice low.

“That message was aimed at you.”

“I’m so close.”

“I thought only one agent was assigned to you?”

“Hardier brought along his three buddies.”

Dave let out a hard and frustrated sounding breath. “Do you have a decision for me?”

“Not yet. I’m still mulling it over,” he promised.

“You’re not at one hundred percent,” Dave replied just as quietly.

“I am. I told you that.” He stayed strong beneath Dave’s searching gaze when the man tried to find any weakness that would take him out of the field. Dave wasn’t going to find anything, and he held that prying look without blinking. If or when he quit, it would be on his own fucking terms. Not at the hands of anyone else. And as much as he loved Dave, he wasn’t quitting just yet.

“I need to know where you are at all times.”

“I can check-in.”

“I need more than that.”

“I’ll only be at the office or my apartment.” It didn’t faze him at how easily the lie came out of his mouth, but he didn’t really care. People had been boxing him in for the past six months and making him feel like he couldn’t do his job. So, if he had to lie to get the job done, then so be it. And he’d be damned if he curtailed the way he did things because Dave brought in a few extra people.

Dave rubbed a hand over his mouth. “That’s not going to work for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m assigning Greene to you.”

“Oh, hell no.” No way in hell did he want to be around a man who’d shut him down, no matter how attracted he was to the guy. That would be like shoving toothpicks beneath his fingertips. He needed to get away from Greene, not be placed together with him.

The soldier’s expression hadn’t changed with Dave’s words, so he couldn’t tell what Greene was thinking, but maybe the guy already knew about the arrangement. Well, tough shit.

“It’s done. You either keep Greene with you or I’m pulling you from the mole investigation completely.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard.” He shoved his fingers through his hair, raking it away from his face.

“Greene is far from a bodyguard.”

“No.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“Look, I’ll be fine. I’ll start with Agent Hardier and work my way through the rest of the list checking computers first. I’ll avoid people.”

“I doubt the leak will leave damaging documents on their work laptop.” Dave appeared to have put aside his crazy ass notion of Greene protecting him.

“Who said anything about their work laptops?” he said.

The room dropped into silence. Hell, even the burger wrappers stopped crinkling, and he glanced over to find several soldiers sizing him up. He snorted; he’d faced down worse.

“I’ll fucking say it.” Of course, it had to be the big guy growling up a protest first.

He put his hands on his hips and stared at Greene. The rest of the room looked at Greene too, making the soldier the center of attention.

“Someone took a shot at you in that alley,” Greene clipped the words out, eyes like flint shards.

“I think they were shooting at you.”

“That’s debatable.”

He flicked Greene a scathing look. “It’s not as farfetched as you’d imagine.”

“Funny guy.”

“Look, they thought I was being kidnapped.” He turned his attention to Dave, ignoring the sexy fucker trying to stare him down. “I’ll send a text to Parish and report Hardier.”

Dave looked from him to Liam. After a long, tense moment, Liam gave a slow nod.

Opening his iPhone, he sent a text to Parish, then held up his phone and waggled it in the air.

“There.”

“How’re you going to ditch the stooges assigned to you?” Greene crossed his arms, looking mighty intimidating in that black leather jacket.

Who wears leather in the rain anyway?

He mimicked Greene’s stance and planted his feet apart, regretting the damned red sneakers at the moment. Granted, the arm cross looked better on Greene with all his muscles, but he’d bet that Greene didn’t have his talent for getting information.

“With my mad skills.” He uncrossed his arms and waggled his right fingers in the air.

“What skills?” One of Greene’s dark eyebrows lifted.

His mouth dropped open slightly and he tongued his cheek. Slowly, he closed his fingers into a fist to remind Greene. “Have you forgotten so soon?”

“Why don’t you come over here and remind me?” Greene’s voice was all raspy, low, and gravely.

He was speechless and that wasn’t something that happened to him very often. Right then, though, his mouth grew too dry to speak and his stupid pulse jumped.

“What’s going on?” Holden’s head bobbed back and forth between him and Greene.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Eagle pass Link money, but he didn’t look away from Greene’s challenging look.

“I’d love to.” He casually glanced at his iWatch. “But I have to be back at the office.”

“Maybe later, then.”

“Count on it.”

A chuckle went around the room and Greene looked slightly surprised and maybe a little impressed. It was a good damned thing he didn’t care about impressing anyone, much less Greene, but he was damned glad when the attention shifted away from him and he was finally able to pull his eyes away.

But he knew it wouldn’t be long before he gave Greene the punch he was asking for. Maybe next time, it’d be to the head.

“Where’d Spencer go?” Link asked, dropping back with a bounce onto one of the two queen sized beds.

“Spencer had to leave. Something personal came up,” Liam told Link. “And I’ll be bringing in Lieutenant Samuel Beckett to take Spencer’s spot.”

Greene slipped outside and Holden shoved up from one of the wide cushioned chairs and followed Greene outside. He stared at the closed hotel door. Was Greene out there smoking again?

Nasty habit.

Better that he stay inside before long dead cravings kicked up. He wasn’t necessarily thinking of nicotine. Fishing out one of his mint flavored toothpicks, he chewed on the end.

“Here.” Dave handed him a burner phone. “Use this to call me at all times.”

“It’ll be fine.”

A muscle ticked in Dave’s jaw. “I trust you’ll call me. Don’t prove me wrong.”

“I won’t.” He gave Dave a calm smile. He’d call the SOD. It might not be right when Dave wanted, but he’d call eventually. He bent and tucked the phone inside his sock.

“You always wear red shoes?” Dave gazed at his feet.

“Nope.” He grinned and walked to the door. “Who’s taking me back?

“Greene will, along with Zane and Isaac. They’re in the room next door.”

“Does it have to be Greene?”

“Yes, it needs to be him.” Dave gave him a squinty eyed look.

“I can take care of myself.”

“Took up martial arts, have you?” Both of Dave’s eyebrows lifted, calling him on his bullshit. Of course, he hadn’t taken up martial arts. Wait, was Greene a martial arts expert? He’d bet the guy was, he had that badass, cold, methodical air about him.

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He made a face.

“Greene will take you back to the office.”

He knew when to shut the hell up, but it didn’t mean he had to like it.

“You two, get some sleep,” Liam told Link and Eagle.

“Ahhh yeah.” Eagle plopped back on the queen bedspread with his arms and legs sprawled out. The mattress bounced and almost sent Link tumbling from the bed.

“Ass.” Link flipped the guy the middle finger and made his way to the other bed.

“I’m not really tired.” Eagle snatched a deck of cards from the nightstand.

“I need to get going, my protection detail is waiting. I’m not supposed to be here,” Dave said.

“We’ll get her home and find that mole,” Liam promised.

“I know you will. I’ll be in touch.”

Liam shook Dave’s hand and the pair moved in for a quick back slapping hug.

Forest stepped outside with the both of them, and a few seconds later, secret service rolled up in an SUV with blackout windows. Wet tires hit the pavement, tossing up rain water with a swish.

“Where were they hiding?” He eyed the four tough looking men who stepped out of the vehicle.

“Around the corner,” Dave huffed on a laugh and pulled him into a tight hug. “Be safe.”

“You too.” He squeezed his friend tightly. Dave was his anchor, he’d do anything for him and vice versa, but sometimes a man had to stand on his own.

After giving him one last searching glance, Dave slid into the dark SUV. With a crunch of tires, the vehicle tore out of the motel parking lot and disappeared into the damp, dark night.

He walked just out of hearing range of Holden and Greene, and called Parish from his cell phone.

“Forest?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“I ripped Hardier a new asshole.” Parish sounded indignant and furious at the same time.

“What was his excuse?”

“He swears you were being kidnapped.”

He snorted and hunched into his warm coat. “Well, now he knows differently.”

“Now he does. I wrote him up anyway for firing his weapon. I’d suspend him for two weeks if I didn’t need you checking into him. Are you okay? He didn’t manhandle you or anything, did he?”

He smiled into the phone at the verbal barrage. “No, worry wort.”

“Good.” Parish sounded somewhat mollified.

“I need you to analyze a photo for me, see if our guys can get anything from the background.”

“Send it. I’ll see what I can do.”

“And I need you to reassign Hardier.”

“Why?” Parish growled.

“He brought a team of three with him. Did he tell you that?”

“Goddamn it.”

“I have enough people in my way at the moment. I can check him out quicker if he’s gone, I promise.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Never.”

Parish snorted and then sighed, “I’ll send Hardier and his detail on another case.”

“Can you make him go out of town for a couple of days?”

Parish was silent for a minute. “Yes.”

“Thanks.”

“Be careful.” Parish rang off. That should take care of Hardier for a while. He forwarded the message with Summer’s photo to Parish.

Gazing down into her face, he brushed a thumb against his phone. “Where are you?”

Shifting his shoulders, he wiped his palms down his coat and quit stalling. If Greene was giving him a ride, then so be it, but he didn’t need to talk to the guy.

And he sure the hell wasn’t going to accept him as a bodyguard. If Greene insisted, would he fight the guy? Probably. His gut was telling him that he couldn’t be around Greene that long and he always trusted his gut. Only, he was pretty sure his gut and heart were not in alignment.

Maybe he should just call an Uber. He reached Greene and Holden, who were lounging against salmon-colored walls.

“All done with your calls?” Holden straightened with a smile for him.

“Yes, I’m all ready.”

The door behind him yanked open. “Hey, Forest?” Eagle called his name.

“Yeah?” He eyed the deck of cards in the man’s hands.

“Got time for poker?”

He didn’t know why, but the invitation caught him off guard. These beefy, gruff soldiers wanted him to stay and play? Eagle waggled his eyebrows, causing him to grin. Link, sitting on the bed through the open door, made a show of cracking his knuckles, making him chuckle. Even Holden rubbed his hands together.

Only Greene seemed to be stoic, unchangeable, hardened by whatever was stuck in his craw.

“Poker games last for hours.” He rubbed at his jaw. “I’d have to stay the night.”

“That can be arranged. Liam has a spare queen bed.”

“And you’re giving it away for free?”

Greene barked out a laugh, the sound so intriguing, he stared. A smile creased Greene’s face. A fascinating first smile, sexy and devilish, but not meant for him. He must have stared a bit too long because Greene lost his smile. Damn it. Maybe he should just get the hell out of there while the going was good.

“Hey, Colonel?” Eagle called back into the room.

“Yeah?”

“Forest is staying for poker. He’s crashing in your spare bed.”

“Okay.” Liam’s voice floated through the open door.

“I thought you had to work?” Greene crushed the end of the lit cigarette in between his fingers and then field stripped it.

“I can spare a few hours. Can you?” he asked around the toothpick, dragging his eyes up from soot covered fingers.

“Looks like I’ve got time to kill.”

“If you lose the first hand, I’ll take an Uber home tomorrow and give you all the time you want.”

“I never lose.”

“Maybe tonight’s your lucky night.”

“I’m due for a bit of luck.” Those gray eyes slipped up from his mouth to his eyes.

Greene called losing luck? Wait, was Greene flirting?

Too bad.

Last time he’d made the decision to flirt with the guy, it had gone over about as well as a round of chicken pox.