Page 12 of The Team

It was kinda freaking hard to miss when the guy looked like a build-a-body crash-test dummy.

Yin definitely had a story to tell.

And it fucking irked Rhett that he disliked the guy a little less, and maybe respected him a little more.

He remembered seeing Harry Harrigan when he was shirtless in a hospital bed. That man had more scars than a battering ram—a lifetime of war and battles.

Rhett had to wonder about Yin. About the battles he’dfought, won, and lost. What wars and the horrors he’d seen.

The truth was, with all the intel they had on the Chinese military, so much was unknown. Maybe this exercise in diplomacy wasn’t so much Yin learning what he could about their operations, but more about Milvus learning about theirs.

Either way, Yin and Chen were now a part of his squad, and he had a duty to include them, to bridge the gap in trust, and make his team as strong as possible.

Thatwas Rhett’s job.

Being a leader and, differences aside, that’s what he was determined to do.

Today’s punishment had taught Rhett a few basics on both Yin and Chen. They weren’t quitters. That looks can be deceiving, because as big and oafish as Chen was, he was as fit as any of them. And they couldand didwork as a team.

He’d seen Yin offer a hand to Echo to help pull him up on the rope obstacles. He’d seen Chen offer a foothold to Sid to get him over a wall.

So maybe today hadn’t been such a waste.

When they were all dressed and much more presentable, they headed to the pub. The Cat and Fiddle was a typical English pub and one they’d frequented a few times as a group, whenever they were in London, anyway. The first time, the barman asked what the occasion was to bring the group in, and Rhett said they were all colleagues from the telco offices around the corner. The barman never batted an eyelid, never questioned them again, and so they joined some tables together and ordered some pizzas to share.

There were dartboards, a pool table, a jukebox, and locals who didn’t bother them.

As they took their seats, Yin and Chen sat together at one end, mostly observing the group in action. Gauging dynamics, Rhett assumed. Learning personalities and senses of humour, which was a good thing.

Jay, of course, had the loudest laugh.And the best smile, Rhett thought as he took a swig of his beer.

Coyote and Azrael played pool, Sid and Echo played darts, and when Jay hauled Chen out of his seat and made him team up to beat Coyote and Azrael at pool, it left Yin and Rhett at the table alone.

Rhett took his beer and pulled up the seat next to Yin. He tapped his beer bottle to Yin’s. “How was your first day?”

Yin smiled. He actually smiled. “Had worse.”

Rhett chuckled, because hadn’t they all. “So, there’s something I gotta know.”

Yin’s eyes hardened, no doubt expecting something personal.

“Did we pass?”

He turned his head slowly to face him. “Pass what?”

“The test last night,” Rhett replied. “I mean, that’s what it was, right? Follow us, draw us out. See how we handled ourselves, how we reacted.”

Yin smirked as he sipped his beer. “It was just for fun.”

Fun?

Not the word Rhett would use to describe it. Not the fight, and not the punishment that followed.

Just when Rhett wasn’t sure what to say next, Jay mis-hit the white ball and swore, and Chen roared with laughter.It made Rhett smile, and he decided to take the focus off themselves. “Big guy’s funny.”

Yin’s face did something... his eyebrow flickered and his lips twitched before he frowned. “A better man you won’t find.”

Rhett nodded slowly as he watched the worst game of pool ever played unfold. Then he figured he’d try to squeeze out some info. “First time in England?”