Page 26 of Being Bold (Tactical Operations & Protection (TOP) Security #1)

Selene

“Okay, I’ll tell him.” Selene hung up with Yumi and tried not to fidget with the phone.

Would Bo regret kissing her?

She glanced at his face, but, of course, he avoided looking at her.

He’d crossed his arms over his chest, making the ridges of his muscles stand out in sharp relief under his flannel shirt.

While she admired the view, she worried whether he’d crossed them because of the cold or because he was pulling away again.

Whenever hope sprouted in her chest, a storm cloud appeared, ready to drown any chance of it growing into more.

With a sigh, she tucked the phone in her coat pocket and shoved her hands in its folds for warmth.

She hadn’t felt the freezing temperature in Bo’s arms, but now? It sliced into her like razors of ice.

“So,” she waited for him to acknowledge her before continuing.

When his gaze finally met hers, it was stoically blank.

Swallowing her disappointment, she told him, “Yumi has news on Mr. Dao, but she didn’t want to give it over the phone.

She said to send her our new location, and she’d meet us there as soon as she could. ”

Bo didn’t say anything, but she could see the wheels turning in his head. He pushed off the woodpile, uncrossing his arms. “Do you have family?”

Doesn’t everyone? Confused, she frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

“Close relatives? Parents, siblings?”

“Yes, I mean, my parents. Why?”

“Where are they located?”

She wasn’t sure where this was going, but she figured he’d explain eventually. “Santa Barbara.”

He nodded. “I’ll have someone check on them.”

She was still waiting for the lightbulb to go off. “Why would that be necessary?”

“If Dao can’t get to you, he might tr—

“Oh my God!” she shrieked as what he meant landed hard. Fear stole her breath, and she wheezed in gasps of air. “He can’t! We have to warn them!”

She was an only child. Her parents were her best friends. If Mr. Dao went after them, she’d, she’d . . . the fear slowly turned into something else.

She would hurt him. Badly.

The rage boiling her blood should’ve surprised her, but it simply drove her determination. “If he goes after them, he’s dead.”

The muscle in Bo’s neck strained and twitched. “Dao’s already a dead man walking.”

The promise in his deep voice didn’t scare her. Strange or not, it gave her comfort. To know he’d take care of her that way. “Good.”

When he lifted a hand toward her, she waited to see what he would do. His palm cupped her face, and his thumb smoothed the frown line by her mouth. “He’ll get what he deserves, ocean-eyes. Don’t you worry about that.”

Before he could drop his hand, she grabbed onto it. “Bo,” she paused, afraid to say the words bouncing around in her chest. Don’t pull away again. Stay with me. Kiss me. Love me.

Love me?

Shit. She tried to backpedal in her head, but the word refused to be forgotten.

How many seconds had passed? She still held Bo’s palm hostage, staring at him like an idiot.

His eyes looked russet in the sunshine, glowing with gentle warmth.

Almost as if . . . he’d heard the words, even if she couldn’t say them.

“Hey,” at Herc’s shout, she broke their stare-off, dropping her grip on Bo. “Duke called. He found us a place in Bozeman. I don’t know about you crazy kids, but I’m ready to reenter civilization.”

A shiver raced down her spine. Normally, she’d agree, but leaving the safety of Bo’s cabin put her on edge. She still felt like she had a giant target painted on her back.

“Yeah,” he answered Herc. “We should get moving.”

Without a word, she trudged back to the house. Once inside, she headed for the bathroom to pack her bag of the few meager belongings she had with her.

With her shampoo and clothes shoved in the duffel, she was about to call it good, but stopped. On impulse, she opened the cabinet and snatched the box of condoms. If she and Bo got to finish what they’d started . . . she wanted to be prepared.

Hope springs eternal.

With a roll of her eyes, she stashed them in her bag. The guys were waiting for her when she entered the main living area.

“Ready?” Bo asked.

“Yes.” Despite her answer, she gave the cabin a last fond once-over. The thought of never coming back left her with an ache in her chest. Like a fissure had opened in her heart.

Rubbing at the spot, she followed them out the door. Weird that she’d become so attached to it in such a short time. But then, she’d done the same with Bo. The cabin was a little like him—isolated, but it was warm and comforting once you made your way inside.

Smiling a little at the thought, she followed Bo to his snowmobile. Now more familiar with the machine, she climbed on while he checked the gas.

Herc and Romeo had split off. Shielding her eyes from sun’s glare on the snow, she saw the other snowmobile parked across the stream, cutting down the valley. She hadn’t noticed the machine before now. “Is that how they got here?”

Bo glanced up, and she pointed toward the other sled. He shook his head. “They parachuted in and dropped that from the helo.”

Seriously? Wow. She knew her eyes widened as she looked at Bo. She must’ve been tired if she’d managed to sleep through all that.

“I’m driving,” Herc’s statement floated across the frozen creek to her.

She heard Romeo snicker and turned to see him going toe-to-toe with Herc. Their size difference was almost comical as he sneered up at the blond. “Sorry, gordo, but I’m driving.”

Herc propped his hands on his hips. “The hell you are.”

“Oye, you pinche gordo cabrón—

“Insulting me in Spanish isn’t any less cruel, Casanova.” Herc clasped a hand over his chest as if wounded. The feigned hurt on his face nearly made her chuckle.

“Are they always like this?” she asked Bo.

“Yep.”

Romeo climbed on the sled, staking his claim. “Well, if you weren’t so damn heavy, we could’ve brought two.”

Herc scoffed. “Not my fault muscle weighs more.”

Romeo grinned and started the engine. “Either way, you need to suck it up, perra, because this baby’s mine.”

She was thoroughly entertained, but Bo had apparently had enough. Sighing, he scrubbed at his beard and called, “Can you assholes stop arguing like old women and get a move on?”

“Oh great, now you’ve made Dad mad.” Though Herc spoke to Romeo, he glanced in their direction.

Selene couldn’t help but laugh, especially when Bo’s response was a scowl and a grunt of disapproval.

“Come on, Herc, get on the damn sled or I’m leaving your ass.”

“Geez, everyone’s so pissy this morning.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not looking forward to riding butt to nut with you. The sooner we get there the better.”

Herc grinned. “Afraid you might like it?”

She didn’t get to hear Romeo’s response because Bo shook his head and started their sled.

After revving the engine, he hit the gas.

He was clearly not in the mood for their goofing off.

Although knowing Bo, she wasn’t sure that was ever his thing.

The one time she’d heard him laugh, he’d seemed surprised by the sound. As if he rarely did it.

Her heart squeezed a little. He needed some fun in his life. As far as she could tell, he’d spent far too long separating himself from anything remotely resembling joy.

Wrapping her arms around his chest, she clung to him and to the hope she could change that.

◆◆◆

Bo

Bo glanced around the inside of the “cabin” Duke procured for them as a safehouse.

It was near an airport and far enough outside Bozeman for privacy, but calling it a cabin was like calling a diamond a rock—a gross understatement.

This house put his actual cabin to shame.

There was nothing rustic or small about it.

He blinked and shook his head. A twenty-foot wall of windows let in natural light while giving you panoramic views of the snowy landscape and mountains in the distance. They must’ve been tinted, otherwise it’d be blinding as the rays bounced off the fallen snow.

A state-of-the-art kitchen branched off the main living space with a counter large enough to seat ten people.

Not to mention the house had six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and an attached three-car garage.

The place had to cost a fortune to rent, but with Tactical Operations & Protection footing the bill, Duke never shied away from lapping up the luxury.

“Wow, airman. You don’t go for subtle, do you?” Herc’s comment was punctuated with a grin when he opened the stainless-steel refrigerator. “Thanks for stocking up.” He pulled out a chocolate protein shake and started glugging it.

Duke answered with his ever-present cocky smirk. “Go big or go home, my man.”

Selene chuckled, and the sound sent ripples over his skin. He was as far away from her as possible. She perched on a stool at the kitchen counter, listening to his team with a soft smile on her face. Like she’d lucked out and gotten a ticket to her own personal comedy show.

Bo hoped the physical distance would diminish the emotional shit he couldn’t stop. Like jealousy, protectiveness, and hunger. He was so damn hungry for her.

She wore a turtleneck for fuck’s sake, leaving zero skin exposed. Still, the material molded perfectly to the curves he’d had his hands and mouth on mere hours before. He cursed internally when the thought made him half hard. His sex drive hadn’t been this bad since he’d hit puberty.

Which is why he couldn’t stand to look at her. Bo grumbled softly so no one could hear and turned away. Not as if he weren’t acutely aware of her presence.

Romeo entered the kitchen and started arguing over bedrooms. Bo let his team’s bickering drown out in the background as he stared through the windows.

He engaged with the guys as little as possible. It’s a wonder they put up with him. He was always there but separate . . . like he was afraid of getting close to people again.

Makes it harder when you lose ’em.

Bo rubbed absently at the tightness in his chest. He was no stranger to loss—first, his parents in an avalanche when he was a kid.

Then the grandmother who’d raised him succumbed to old age right before he joined the Navy.

And most recently . . . Nugg. His brother from another mother.

That one haunted him because he could’ve prevented it.

“Hey, Bo!”

He turned, realizing they’d called his name several times. “What?”

“Which room you want, man?” Duke asked, adding, “Herc took the one closest to the kitchen, Romeo’s got the one all the way in the back, I’m taking the loft upstairs, which leaves the one off the den and the two in the center of the hall.”

Which one was Selene in? Because that was the one he wanted. Of course, he couldn’t fucking say that.

With a grunt, he told them, “Doesn’t matter.”

Duke dragged a hand through the brown waves on top of his head as if unsure he should push the issue. “You sure?”

“Is Victor coming?”

“Yeah.”

“Leave the one off the den for him.” Bo shrugged, mainly for their benefit. “I’ll take whatever’s left.” He couldn’t care less. He’d yet to even peek into the bedrooms. And with his record . . . yeah, he likely wouldn’t sleep anyway.

“Okay, now that that’s settled, let’s talk security.” Romeo set a slim laptop on the kitchen island, explaining, “We’ve got eyes on each entry and exit point thanks to this casa being wired like a smart home.”

Duke cut in, “You’re welcome.”

Romeo ignored him. “I’ve set up an alert to ping our burners whenever there’s activity.”

“Great.” Herc clapped Romeo on the back, nearly sending him folding over the counter.

“Shit, ham hands! Keep those mitts to yourself.” Romeo glared at Herc, who only smiled back at him.

“Now all we need is our intel.”

Bo ground his teeth together at Herc’s statement, tired of waiting.

TOP wasn’t large, but it employed a small cadre of analysts.

The “techies” dug up intel for his team—TOP’s operational arm.

Anything involving a computer wasn’t his thing.

Still, he needed to do something because having too much time to think was not helping.

He had no solution for what he was starting to feel for Selene.

Telling himself to steer clear of her only went so far. He needed a distraction.

And fucking soon.

Lucky for him, Romeo’s laptop began beeping.

“What the fuck is that?” he growled.

“Video call.” Romeo glanced at each of them. “It’s Victor.”

When they all crowded behind Romeo, Selene half-stood from her perch across the island. “Should I . . .” She made a shooing motion with her hand, asking if she should leave.

Bo shook his head, and she sat back down on her stool while Romeo clicked something that had Victor appearing on the screen.

“Victor,” Bo addressed their commander.

He nodded in response. “Great, the gang’s all here.”

“Except the newlyweds,” Herc commented.

“You sent them to California?” Bo asked, checking to ensure Victor had followed up on his request to look in on Selene’s parents.

“Affirmative, frogman.” Victor’s terse response didn’t surprise Bo. His team leader was used to being followed and not questioned, but Bo had to be sure in this case.

“Good.” From the way Selene had reacted, he knew she was close to her parents.

It made him feel better knowing they weren’t left to fend for themselves.

Crane and Rogue would get eyes on but keep their distance unless something suggested that Dao targeted her parents. Then they’d step in and keep them safe.

“So, our inquiry into Dao set off alarms. TOP is bankrolling the op because they’ve been trying to get this guy for a long time.”

Interesting.

“Why?”

“Is that Selene?” Victor asked, hearing the sound of her voice but not seeing her.

She blushed and put a hand over her mouth in an “oops” gesture. It was damned adorable. Choking back a smile, Bo grabbed the laptop and turned it in her direction. “Yeah. Selene, this is Victor, our team lead. Victor, this is Selene.”

They exchanged greetings, then she came over to stand with them, so Bo turned the laptop back where Victor could see everyone.

“There’s not a single reason. This fucker’s name is tied to multiple terrorist attacks and black-market dealings. Last year, he allegedly took out a high-profile competitor, and Interpol almost had him. The guy is greasy as shit, though, and always seems to slide his way out of trouble.”

“So, how do we get to him?”

“I think I can help with that.” Everyone jumped, spinning in the direction of the hallway. Yumi stepped into the kitchen with a smirk.

Shouts of “who the hell are you” bounced off Bo’s ears along with Selene’s excited voice. He’d let the agent do her own explaining, but he gave Romeo a sharp look. They’d had zero warning of her arrival.

How the fuck did she get past our security?