Fay's Six

“No. I haven’t and neither has she.”

She took his hand, hoping she didn’t hurt him. “You know how I feel about you speaking for me.” She stared into Walker’s kind, sensitive eyes. She could get lost in his warm pools and right now, she needed the strength they offered.

“It’s kind of hard not to in this situation.”

She nodded. “Go ahead.” She turned her attention toward Lee and nearly burst out laughing.

His jaw had dropped open and his eyes had grown wide as if he were in shock.

“None of us need to be reminded of what happened out there. One of her team members died, and two of mine.”

“It ended your career.” Lee rubbed the back of his neck. “But the two of you have obviously set your differences aside and I’m in need of a job. I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about this organization.”

“Hank is a great man to work for,” Walker said.

Fay eased up on her grip, but her pulse hadn’t calmed one bit. This entire assignment was going to be a lesson in self-control and anger management. She caught Lee’s gaze and held it for a long moment. She searched his dark-blue eyes for something—anything—that told her a human being lurked behind the judgment that stared back at her. Instead, she got something she wasn’t prepared for.

Pain and suffering.

The kind that changed a person’s soul.

“I couldn’t be happier here,” Walker said.

“That’s good to know.”

A waitress appeared and took their drink order and cleared the plates, giving Fay a chance to clear her mind of all the negative thoughts that had been racing through her brain.

She felt bad for whatever put those emotional scars on Lee’s heart, but that didn’t change the facts.

“I’m sorry. I have to ask.” Lee lifted his old-fashioned and took a sip. “How the hell did the two of you end up together?”

“I was working a case in the Wind River Mountains, and she was there taking some classes for her company.” Walker chuckled. “We had a few not-so-friendly words in the bar, which led to a long night of talking.”

“I think we talked all night,” Fay said. And that wasn’t a total lie. They had certainly worked through some of their shit while they were in Wind River. But not much. They mostly argued. Until Hank forced them to work together. Then it was game on. “Walker listened to what happened on my end.”

“And Fay did the same for me.”

“I feel like you’re both going to sing a verse of ‘Kumbaya’ or some such shit.” Lee slouched, resting his arms on the table, and chugged. “Whatever happened to staying single forever?”

“If I were still a SEAL, I wouldn’t be in a relationship, but things are different as a civilian. Much different. Now all I have to do is get this one to agree to move in with me and life will be golden.” He leaned in and kissed her lips this time. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it certainly sent a message to the rest of her body.

Heat rose to her cheeks.

“Please. Not in front of the children.” Lee acted as if he was mildly amused, but Fay could tell by the way he scrunched his nose, he was more than displeased by his buddy’s love life. Perhaps a woman had tainted Lee’s view of the world.

“So tell me. Why did you leave the Navy?”

“Yeah. I was shocked to learn you didn’t re-enlist,” Walker said. “I always figured the only way you’d leave was if they kicked you out.”

“There was a time when I believed that too.” Lee’s expression turned unusually somber. He ran a hand over his cheeks and mouth. “Not to bring up a sore subject, but after our last mission, my taste for all things government soured.”

Fay shifted. There was no way this conversation ended on a good note. Not even in a public place.

“I tried to reconcile everything that happened,” Lee said. “But at the end of the day, the institution that I put my life on the line for failed me at the most intimate level.”

Fay bit the inside of her cheek. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or reach across the table and strangle Lee for ridiculing the very thing she, and Walker, had spent their careers protecting.

“When I sat at my desk, staring at the signature line of my re-enlistment papers, every time I brought pen to paper, my hand shook like a motherfucker. I couldn’t do it. All I’d ever wanted to be since I could remember was a Navy SEAL. It’s all I knew and I walked away. My only regret is not being able to expose the deep-seated betrayal that we’ve all faced.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Walker leaned forward. “Is that some weird attempt to be philosophical or have you lost your mind?”

Lee laughed. “When I examine some of the missions where it seemed like there were a series of one mishap after the other, I can trace it all back to one place.”

“And where’s that?” Fay leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. She knew exactly where Lee was going with this, and she was going to find it difficult to keep her damn big mouth shut this time.

“The quality of our military and leadership has been diluted. We’re failing in our missions because we’re given subpar plans and it doesn’t matter how perfectly we execute them. They will still fail. I don’t want any part of that anymore.”

At least he didn’t come right out and say there were too many women in those roles. Or other marginalized groups that he took offense to.

Lee smiled. “I figured a small, specialized organization like the Brotherhood Protectors wouldn’t have that issue.”

“Hank only hires the best,” Walker said, feeding into Lee’s ego, which was probably a good thing under the circumstances.

But it still didn’t sit well with Fay.

“That’s what I’ve heard,” Lee said. “I’ve interviewed with another company similar to this in Orlando, Florida.”

“Is it the Aegis Network?” Walker asked.

“Yes. How’d you know?” Lee rested his elbows on the table.

Some of the tension in Fay’s body dissipated as Walker took control of the conversation. She desperately needed it to go in a different direction. She would certainly say something she would soon regret.

“I have an old Naval Academy buddy who works for them. Excellent organization,” Walker said.

“I don’t know about them.” Lee glanced around the room as if bored. “They did a group interview with the chick that runs the office and four of their operatives. One of them was a girl named Tequila. What the hell kind of name is that anyway?”

“That’s Ramey Sarich’s wife. She’s badass.” Walker had met Ramey and Tequila, along with a couple of Ramey’s siblings, when he’d been in Orlando about six months ago. Impressive family. All four brothers were decorated military men and their wives were just as impressive.

“She’s dangerous is what she is,” Lee said under his breath. “I was impressed with what the founders had done with the Aegis Network, but their office manager runs around like she owns the place. They have to find a way to either rein that girl in or let her go. And I don’t care how good Tequila is. I’m sorry, she’s a mom; she should be home with her kids.”

Walker’s hand came down on her leg, again, squeezing.