Is that how you want to tell it? Jareds expression called bullshit.
Thats how it is.
Jared leaned forward, that schoolboy face looking for all the world as if he were about to call out what he saw as a lie.
So what particular success are we toasting? Diego interjected, wanting to end this before Jared escalated the conversation into something that required everyone to drop their fatigues to prove who had the biggest dick.
Nominations for DEVGRU are coming up, pal. And Im going to be on that list. Ramsey leaned back, crossing his hands behind his head and offering a big smile. Ive got Captain Jarretts support. And my fathers golfing buddy, Senator Glassman, is gonna make sure of it.
He waited a beat.
You got anyone pulling for you, Torres? You know, someone on the outside with influence?
His first thought was, Yeah, right.
His second was, Seriously? It wasnt that he begrudged Ramsey the success. But did they have to compete for everything? There were only a few slots offered each year.
He felt like a jerk for coveting the nomination, but he couldnt completely shake the feeling. After all, DEVGRU was top of the line. A counterterrorism, special missions unit made up of the most elite operatives in the Navy. Once upon a time, some people had called it SEAL Team 6. It was a unit filled with mystery, power and prestige. And Diego wanted in.
So he tilted his chair onto the back two legs, making as if he were carefully considering the question. He pulled off his cap, rubbed a hand over his short, spiked hair, then tugged the hat back in place. Then, giving Ramsey a look of long-faced regret, he shook his head.
My old man rolled with the Hells Angels as a Nomad. Thatd be king o the hill to you and me. But he was shot down in 91 during what turned out to be a rather heated discussion, Diego mused, tapping his fingers on his knee as he pretended to think it through. He did leave behind three brothers, though. The ones that are still alive are serving time, one in Quentin, another in Pelican Bay. They probably have the better access to politicians than a golf course, but I guess well see.
Diego barely kept from offering his own sneer when he caught the looks on their faces. Disdain-covered horror with a barely concealed side helping of fear. Typical.
Is your mother doing time, too? Adams asked, his usual smirk sliding back in place.
Dude, Prescott protested.
Diegos smile dimmed.
His momma had been shot dead three years back while sweeping the floor in the little bodega where shed worked. No matter that hed bought her a house, set her up so she didnt have to slave day and night like she had most of her life, shed insisted on keeping that job out of loyalty to Manny Cruz.
While Diego didnt mind using his father to get a reaction out of others, he never shared his momma. Thatd be disrespectful.
Besides, it was nobodys business.
But Adamss comment required a response. Instead of going with a smart-ass comment, or better yet the brutal slap down hed prefer, Diego figured hed channel Savino.
See, heres the thing. Diego leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his expression as serious as a howitzer. I figure you had no say in your upbringing. And maybe it was awesome, or maybe it was pure hell. But whatever it was, whatever you brought with you from your past, it made you the man you are now. A solid officer, an outstanding IP tech and in your case, Ramsey, a damned good SEAL.
Diego took a swallow of beer before continuing.
Bottom line, we fight for the same thing. We have the same goal, and we serve the same team. He had to dig deep for the rest, but, picturing Savino giving him that impatient, just-bullshit-if-you-have-to look, he managed. Im proud to serve with you, man.
It was a toss-up who looked more shocked at Diegos words. Adams, who appeared to have swallowed his tongue. Lansky, whose expression warned that hed puke at any minute. Or Ramsey, who tried to hide his surprise with a frown but didnt quite succeed.
Prescott simply grinned as he dashed his name over the bottom of the piece of paper before tearing it from the sketchbook. He handed it to Diego with a wink.
Diego snickered. His own face stared back at him, finger pointed like a gun, cocked and ready to rock. The caricature emphasized Diegos dark eyes, his large head teetering on a slender body weighted down with fat muscles.
Youre all right, Torres, Ramsey said, his frown shifting into a grin. Im proud to serve with you, too.
Figuring Lansky really would gag if this kept up, Diego stood.
Congrats on your shot at DEVGRU, he said, offering his hand. Enjoy the beer. Lansky and I are heading out.
He exchanged the teams hand slap with Prescott. To Adams he gave only a nod. Just as well, seeing as Diego and Lansky didnt get ten steps before they heard the asshole comment, Bet hes full of shit about his father. He just said that to make himself sound tough.
Let it go, he muttered to Lansky, whod started to turn back with his fists ready.
But
You might want to learn to watch your mouth, they heard Prescott warn, his easy tone not disguising the threat beneath.
Let it go, Diego said again, shoving open the door and stepping into the suns heat. Hed come to terms with his history. When hed first joined the Navy, hed kept his past under lock and key. Not out of shameout of concern that hed be thrown in the brig for giving someone a serious ass kicking over their comments about it.
But after a while, hed come to realize that his past was as much a part of him as his height or his skill with a knife. It made him who he was.
A success, dammit.
Well hit Olive Oyls, and drinks are on me until ten-hundred hours when I head back to base.
Lansky frowned. You cant be serious. Things will just be heating up then. The hottest women dont hit the bar until after dark, my friend.
Yep, totally serious. You want to wait for women who look better in the dark, youre gonna have to get yourself a ride back to base. Me, Ive got a briefing in the morning, and I plan to be sharp. Then, because Lansky was a good friend and deserved a little payback, he added, This operation is going to shoot me to the top, buddy. A dozen of Daddys senators wont help Ramsey get ahead of me after this.
As his friend whooped and hollered, Diego accepted the fist bump with a laugh.
He was within kissing distance of the high point in his career. No way some blowhard like Adams, or even a rival like Ramsey, were going to mess it up for him.
No way in hell.
CHAPTER TWO
GOOD THINGS CAME to those who focused on what they wanted, then worked their butts off to get it.
That was Harper Macleans life motto, and she figured that she was living proof it was true. As she sautéed the mushrooms, onions and garlic with an expert hand, she looked around her kitchen with a smile of delight. From the glossy planks on the floor to the custom glass-fronted cabinets to the granite countertops, the kitchenlike the housescreamed luxury.
Holy crap, she was living in luxury. Harper added a giddy two-step as she added a dash of garlic salt to the vegetables. Six months ago, shed been in an apartment so small, shed had to put her desk in the coat closet. Now she was cozied up in a house five times as big and ten times as fancy.
Holy crap, she was living in luxury. Harper added a giddy two-step as she added a dash of garlic salt to the vegetables. Six months ago, shed been in an apartment so small, shed had to put her desk in the coat closet. Now she was cozied up in a house five times as big and ten times as fancy.
It was all she could do to keep from doing a butt-wiggling happy dance as she pulled a golden piecrust from the oven. But butt wigging wasnt ladylike, and Harper had spent the last seven years transforming herself into a lady. So she settled for a tiny shoulder shimmy.
If I knew making me dinner would give you such a thrill, Id have hit you up a week ago. Andi Stamos strode into the kitchen in a wave of Black Opium, reaching around Harper to snag a mushroom out of the pan.
Used to greedy fingers trying to sneak food before it was ready, Harper tilted her head toward the center island. If youre hungry, eat an apple.
Id rather have chocolate, Andi muttered.
Who wouldnt? After dinner.
Fine, Ill wait, Andi agreed before snagging another mushroom.
Hey, Harper warned with a laugh, automatically shifting the springform pan out of reach.
Most people wouldnt recognize the untidy waif with her black hair in a messy ponytail and her jeans ripped at the knees as Andrianna Stamos, thrice-divorced estranged daughter of Greek tycoon Maximillian Stamos, society darling and trust-fund baby. Andrianna wore leather and silk, spoke five languages and had a reputation for starting her day with a martini instead of coffee. Whereas Andi was happy wearing jeans to eat in a friends kitchen, handed out hundreds to the homeless and adored a small boy named Nathan.
Theyd met three years before when Harper worked for Lalique & Lalique as an interior designer and had decorated the house for Andi and her new husband, Matt Wallace. Since Harper had had an easier time melding the Spanish architecture with Andis modern tastes and Matts preference for Louis XIV and rococo than the couple had in combining their lifestyles, she hadnt been surprised when their marriage ended before shed fluffed the last pillow.
By the time Harper had helped Andi get through the packing of Matts stuff, the redecorating and the heartbreak, their friendship was as solid as the gold-toned granite countertop Andi was currently leaning against doing her impression of a Vogue ad for wealthy bohemians.
In contrast to Andi, Harpers gold-streaked blond hair swept straight and choppy to just above her shoulders. Her silk tank was the color of peonies and her linen Capris wrinkle-free. And she was pretty sure her entire outfit, right down to the diamond studs in her ears, hadnt cost as much as the other womans threadbare denim.
Drink? Harper offered, moving to the refrigerator. Ive got a nice Pinot Grigio.
Waters fine.
Uh-oh. Harper gathered what she needed from the fridge, including a bottle of water. She set it, eggs and cream on the counter, then grabbed a lemon.
She sliced it and added a squeeze and a twist to a cobalt-blue glass before pouring in chilled water.
I take it last nights party wasnt as much fun as youd hoped, she guessed as she handed her friend the drink.
It was a deadly bore. Same people, same drama. Im pretty sure it was even the same food as Moniques last gala. The woman is tapping people for a thousand dollars a plateyoud think shed try a new recipe or two.
While Harper shredded sharp cheddar over the golden crust for the quiche, Andi regaled her with wickedly disparaging tales of the rich and famous.
So there he is, this big shot banking CEO, in the coat closet with his pants around his ankles and his hands down the front of this womans dress. His sister-in-law, it turns out. But does Monique care about the scandal? About a dozen guests seeing her closet used for an upright quickie? Of course not. Andi paused to sip her water, then gave Harper an eye roll. Moniques only concern was whether theyd wrinkled the coats they were doing it against. To which the CEO responded in a dismissive tone, if her guests didnt have enough class to wear quality, they deserved a few wrinkles.
He didnt. Harper laughed, entertained as always by the adventures of the rich and spoiled.
He did, Andi assured her as she helped herself to more water. And even that couldnt liven up that snoozefest of a party.
You sound so jaded.
Sweetie, I am jaded.
No. Youre bored. You need a project. Actually, you need a career. But since you wont do that, you really should find a project.
Not wont. Cant, Andi corrected meticulously, her fingers tapping a quick beat on the counter. Any income I bring in will impact my divorce settlement. That weasel cheated on me enough while we were married. I refuse to allow him to cheat me out of anything else.
Harper couldnt blame her. Matt was a complete dog. The jerk had been caught with his pants down twice in less than a year of saying his vows. Harper wasnt sure if that betrayal had damaged Andis heart, but she knew itd done serious damage to her confidence. For that alone, Harper believed he should pay.
Something Andi was doing her best to ensure. But itd already been eight months and was looking like itd be at least a year more before they settled. Doing nothing for that long would drive Harper crazy.
Still, Harper couldnt complain. Not when the divorce settlement was the reason she was living in this gorgeous house with a huge kitchen.
Since shed gained control of the California properties three months ago, Andi had rented the place to Harper for a quarter of its worth. If not for that, there was no way Harper could have afforded a house in the exclusive Santa Barbara neighborhood.
Oh, sure, over the last three years, Harper had made a strong name for herself as a visionary interior designer. But last year shed risked it allher savings, her security and, sometimes she thought, her sanitywhen shed left Lalique to go it alone. But she was making it work. Homes by Harper had an exclusive client list, a sterling reputation and a solid portfolio.
Most people had no idea that beneath her sophisticated demeanor, Harper was obsessed with saving for her sons college fund, worried about being a year behind on her career goals and often frantic trying to be a good mom, raise her son to be a better man than what hed come from and still find time to polish her nails.
Whenever she thought about trying to juggle it all, she remembered living on welfare, wearing church-donated hand-me-downs because her mom couldnt afford to both feed and clothe her only child, and finding the safest route home from school in a neighborhood where drive-by shootings were simply shrugged off.
And that, she decided as she sprinkled more cheese over the vegetable mixture, was the only use she had for her past. As a yardstick for how far shed come.
Im pretty sure youre the first person to actually cook in this kitchen, Andi observed, her words muffled through a mouthful of the apple shed finally given in to.
Now, thats a crime against kitchens. Harper broke a dozen or so eggs into a thick pottery bowl, added cream, then with a careless shake of a few spices, whipped it together. I cant believe you lived in this house for two years and never cooked.
Id lived in various other places twenty-six years before that and didnt cook in any of them, either. Andi looked around the rich, airy space with its touches of red pottery, midnight-blue fabrics and cozy eating nook. Three low-backed stools bellied up to the sleek island with its prep sink and marble top. When Andi had lived here, that island was often decorated with fresh flowers or, more often, caterers supplies. Now it held a blown glass bowl in bleeding greens that contrasted sharply with the bright red apples.