Page 125 of Lethal Vengeance

About ten minutes down the road, I pull into another busy parking lot. “It’s called The Admiral. An old Navy vet bought it thirty years ago. He’s retired, and it’s now run by his son. The best seafood around, and you can put your toes in the sand after dinner.”

“Perfect.”

I send a quick text to the team to let them know we changed venues just in case the trackers aren’t working.

When I come around to get her, she stops me. “Maybe take off your jacket. But leave the tie. It looks good.”

I slip it off and toss it in the back, then roll up my sleeves. Gripping her by the waist, I lift her out.

The joint is hopping with regulars. Most of them military men, like me. It’s a place we can hang out and talk about the service without anyone overhearing or butting in with their opinion.

Joe, behind the bar, calls out a greeting and waves me to the tables. I point to the outside patio, and he gives me a thumbs up.

“Which one?” I ask her.

“They all have fabulous views of the ocean. This one.” She decides and moves to one of my favorite tables in the corner.

I pull back her chair before taking the seat across from her.

Joe comes around and asks us what we want to drink. To my surprise, she orders a beer. I do the same.

“Didn’t know you were a beer drinker. What are some of your favorites?”

“Mmm, I’ll drink a few sips of anything, but I really love the darker beers. Brown ales, especially.”

We toss a few of our favorites back and forth until Joe returns. “Here you go. A Hooter Brown for the lady, and a Crazy Lady for Zane. Now, what can I get you for dinner?”

She looks at me. “What’s good here?”

“Everything. I’ll take the fresh catch,” I tell him, handing the menu back.

“Same,” Quinn repeats.

When he walks away, she stares out at the ocean in the moonlight. “The contrast between a few weeks ago and this moment is stark. If a psychic had predicted I’d be sitting at a beachside patio, with a handsome man, on a romantic date, I probably would have shot them for being a fraud.”

Romantic date. It takes everything in me not to grin. “I know we’re not in the same place as you are with the others. Do you mind?” I tip my beer back while I wait for her to answer.

“To be honest, everything has been so fast. I’m loving the idea of dating and everything that goes along with it. Getting to know each other, talking about the serious stuff, flirting, and making out, of course,” she says with a smile.

“Hmm, it does sound better, especially the flirting and making out part,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows.

My phone buzzes with a text. “Showtime,” I murmur, discreetly slipping the earpiece into my ear.

She frowns. “What is it?”

“Rodrigo,” I whisper. “We took precautions just in case.”

A shutter comes down over her face. “I forgot the reason we were on a date.”

The earpiece makes me hesitate for a brief second. Screw it. “Quinn, everything about this date is real. The way I feel about you, my answers to your questions, my favorite place to eat. All of it. You look so damn beautiful tonight. It makes me want to shoot him on sight.”

She searches my face for the truth, and I hold my breath. Pushing her chair back, she stands and walks over to my side of the table. “Thank you.” Her lips brush mine several times. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the ladies.”

“Damn, I need to step up my game,” Raider says with a whistle the minute she walks away.

I chuckle. “Get in line, boys.”

Sterling breaks in. “Is she back yet?”