Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Kian was catching up with his brothers and I swore his accent had intensified by about four hundred percent, and was increasing with each beer they sank.
“I’ve got news,” Carrick said, shuffling his feet but grinning at the same time. “Looks like I’m gonna be a dad. Annabelle told me last night.”
They all slapped him on the back. Kian smirked. “That’s going to be a rough transition for you.”
Carrick shrugged. “I’m not afraid of changing a diaper.”
“Not that,” said Kian. “You’re going to have to start driving a car!”
Carrick’s face fell. “Aw, feck!” He glared at the ground for a moment and swigged his beer. Then he looked across at Annabelle, shook his head and straightened up. “She’s worth it,” he said firmly. He turned to Aedan. “How are you doing?”
“Busy,” said Aedan. “The little ones are a handful. I’ve only been doing one or two fights on the boxing circuit a month, these days, and the rest of it’s classes and personal training at the gym, but...” He looked sheepish, but excited.
“Tell them!” said Sylvie, rubbing his back.
Aedan put his arm around his wife and snuggled her close. “I was going to wait a while but since you’re all here...” He took a deep breath. “Sylvie and I are opening a gym,” he blurted. “It feels like a crazy time, with the kids still young, but I had some prize money from fights saved up, and we saw a deal on a place that we just couldn’t turn down, so...”
“It’s just a little place,” said Sylvie, her eyes gleaming. “For boxers, or anyone who wants to train like one. Like the place Aedan used to train me in, in New York, but right in the heart of LA. And a little more female friendly.” She looked at Kian. “You and Emily should come to LA for the opening party. Bradan, you and Stacey, too.” It wasn’t a suggestion. Sylvie was small but formidable.
Sean and Carrick crossed their arms and gave Kian and Bradan a look. Kian hung his head and put up his hands. “Point taken. I’ve been too wrapped up in Stormfinch stuff.” He looked across the parking lot towards Kayley, Louise’s younger sister, who he hadn’t recognized. She was chatting to Gabriel and Olivia. “I’ll make time. I’ll come to LA.” He met his brothers’ eyes. “Nothing’s more important than family.”
“Damn straight,” growled Carrick, and pulled all his brothers and Sylvie into a fierce, five-way hug.
Bradan looked over towards Emily, making sure she was out of earshot. “And what about you?” he asked Kian. “Did you finally ask the President for Emily’s hand?”
Kian sighed. “Yeah.”
“And what did he say?” asked Carrick.
“He said...” Kian took a deep breath. “He said," What took you so long?”
They all clinked beer bottles. Then Kian turned, caught my eye and nodded off to the side: we need to talk. He called to JD and made the same gesture, and JD handed the mantle of Grill Chief over to Gabriel and came over.
At that moment, Gina, the team’s pilot, finally showed up. “Where have you been?” asked Kian.
“I had an epic sleep,” Gina told him, yawning and stretching. “That was a long flight. I’m gonna sink a few cocktails and then I might sleep some more.”
Kian and JD exchanged looks. “You probably broke all sorts of rules, flying all that distance solo. If we—”
“Ohhh, no!” Gina interrupted. “Don’t start with that we’ll get you a co-pilot talk again—”
“It’d be safer, you wouldn’t get so tired—”
Gina opened her eyes comedy-wide. “You know what? I’m wide awake! Wow! I’ve never felt so alive! I might go do an Ironman or something.” She leaned close to JD. “I’m not sharing my cockpit with anyone.”
Kian sighed and shook his head, then nodded for JD, Colton and me to follow him around the side of the building. The sun was going down, painting the houses of the town with liquid bronze and making the clouds glow orange and pink.
Kian and JD turned to face me. “Seems like as good a time as any to ask you,” said Kian. “How would you feel about coming to work for Stormfinch?”
I stared at him, dumbstruck. “I’m a spy, not a soldier.”
“We’ve got soldiers. We could use someone who’s a little more...”—Kian rubbed his stubble—“subtle.”
Colton nodded firmly. “Subtle, we’re not.”
I looked across at him. “Did you know they were going to do this? And what do you think?”
Colton took my hand. “I didn’t know but I kinda guessed they might. And it’s up to you. Whatever you want to do with your life. As long as I get to be part of it.” He squeezed my hand and I squeezed back even harder, my chest going tight.
I thought hard. If I shopped my skills around, there’d probably be some sort of job for me, working for some country’s intelligence agency. My old life, working on my own, was still there and however dangerous it was, it was...safe. This new life, feeling and crying and trusting other people with my life...that was confusing and scary.