Beck's Six

She could be a big girl about this. He’d made no bones about their one night together. That was all it would be, a sort of celebration of the op they’d completed so successfully. Just because he’d kept his word and that one night was all they’d had—or were going to have—didn’t mean they couldn’t at least be civil to each other. And apparently Hank was counting on Roman’s opinion of her proposal.

“So, I take it you’re out of Special Forces and are now a part of Brotherhood Protectors?” It was as much a statement as a question.

He nodded. “I am.”

“Roman’s been with us for almost two years,” Hank told her. “He’s become a key member of the organization.”

“Well, good. That’s good.”

Or maybe not.

She used every ounce of discipline to get herself under control. Her training with black ops was a big help. She’d spent four years burying the memory of her one night with Roman McClain as deep as she could. He wasn’t a man who stayed around for more. She’d known that from the beginning. But that one night together had been worth it.

“How about a cup of coffee?” Hank asked.

“Uh, sure. That would be good.” And give her something to focus on.

Once she had taken a couple of sips of the hot liquid, she drew a breath and forced an air of calm.

“Okay.” Hank’s voice broke into her thoughts. “So how about telling us what’s brought you here today.”

“Okay. Well. You know I spent the past few years working for several black ops organizations within the government.”

Hank nodded. “And from what I’ve heard, did an incredible job.” He nodded toward Roman. “Roman here told me you and he had worked an op together and it went off like clockwork. I think the words ‘consummate professional‘ were used.”

“Thanks for that, Roman. It’s nice to have good advance publicity.” She took another sip of her coffee.

“Okay, Beck.” Hank waved a hand for her to tell her story. “Let’s have it. Who are these women, and why would they be a good fit for Brotherhood Protectors?”

“Anyway, I have four very close friends who also worked in that environment including the CIA, the Department of Defense, and others I’m not at liberty to mention. And they were—are—all damn good. The point is, we’re all suffering a bad case of burnout.”

“I can get with that,” Hank agreed. “It takes a toll, and working for the government can be very frustrating.”

“Amen to that. So.” Another sip of coffee. “Anyway. Last month we were all in Virginia, having lunch and discussing our situations. And…”

Just tell him, idiot.

She heldnothing back in her presentation. She’d been part of a couple of Special Forces operations with Hank, so he knew she was a straight shooter. Which she figured was why he’d stepped up for her. When she rattled off the names of her friends and told the two men they were all former Special Forces, CIA, or other black ops groups, both sets of eyes lit up with interest.

“We discovered we were all suffering government burnout. We were limited in some of the things we could do and prevented from doing necessary things at times, hamstrung by politics.”

“Yeah,” Roman agreed. “Politics rears its head even in the most secret operations. That’s why I got out, and I think Hank will agree the same goes for a lot of the Brotherhood Protectors.”

Hank looked at him and nodded. “Amen to that.

“We talked about opening our own agency,” she went on, “but we decided if we could become part of an existing organization, we could accomplish a lot more. We really like what you’ve done with Brotherhood Protectors in Montana and Colorado. Plus, we can be a real asset. We can get into places and do things men can’t.”

Roman’s laugh was husky, vibrating through her body. “That’s for damn sure.”

So, Roman knew Hank was looking to expand even more. Why not, Beck thought? Hadn’t she been hoping for just that? Requests for help kept piling in every day. Was this what he had in mind where Beck and her friends were concerned?

That could be damned interesting.

“So, you’re all looking to head in a new direction.”

“Yes, we are. Hank, every one of us brings special skills to the table as well as a finely honed ability to operate under everyone’s radar. No job is too tough, no task too difficult. And we have a combined great track record.”

“So?” Hank quirked an eyebrow. “How does that affect my situation?”

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“We think we could be a great addition to Brotherhood Protectors. We have a track record in the protection area, and it might not be bad to have female ‘Brothers.’ We follow orders well, have the same goals as you do, and we think there are things we can do as women that are difficult for men. Such as working our way undercover into a situation where a woman is running the show. And you know we’ve all been there and done that.”

Hank nodded. “True that.”

“We take orders well and also think quickly on our feet. We bring a lot of skills to the table, Hank.”

Hank glanced over at Roman. “Reaction?”