Code Name: Kayla's Fire (8 page)

“You don’t trust me,” she said with a look of disbelief dawning.

“I’ve gotta go.” Better to get the hell out while the going was good.

“I was thinking about staying at my place—”

He wheeled around. “Not a fucking chance,” he stormed. “If the guy
can’t afford a hotel, he can stay with Mace.”

“Capt—”

“No, better yet, he can stay at
our
house, in
our
guest room, and listen
while I—”

“Stop,” she said, and threw up her hand. “There is no
our
address.”

“I’ve got plenty of room,” he offered. Lapierre sat like a coiled
spring. No amount of training could cover the seething jealousy in the man’s
eyes.
That’s right, shit for brains, our
house, where we live or will live.
So what if her mail still went somewhere
else, her heart’s address was the same as his.

“That’s not polite,” she threw back at him. “Our relationship—”

“More than that, sweetheart,” he said walking backwards. “I know you
love me.”

Kayla’s hands flew to her hips. “I never said that.”

Lapierre shifted in his chair, his jaw set to a rigid line. Now to
kick the legs out on the chair he thought he sat securely in. “I can see it in
your eyes every time I make love to you.” He gave a wave. “You’re welcome to
stay at our place, Lieutenant Commander, have a nice dinner.”

Kayla whipped around, embarrassment reddening her face.

Lapierre recognized the play, and gave him a keening stare.

“See ya later, sweetheart.” He had to walk away now or he’d plant
himself on Kayla’s hip, and that would just earn her ire. Anxiety churned
inside him, leaving the woman he loved, who’d never told him the same, at least
while she was in her right mind, with the man bent on taking the one thing he
would never give up.

Chapter Seven

“Kayla, your tour is here,” Redding said, holding the door open.

A willowy figure filtered through the darkness of the anteroom, taking
a step ahead of the Captain. “Kayla!”

Kayla blinked. She knew that voice. “Oh, my God, Nina! What the hell!
Gord,” she yelled behind her.

“Nina, what the…?” Gord’s long legs brought him quickly across the
Command Center.
       

They all flew together in a group hug, chattering at the same time.

“What are you doing here?” she said, giving Nina another hug. Pinned
up with a sassy clip, Nina’s rich red locks escaped, curling around her cheeks.
Forest green eyes smiled at both of them. “I’ve missed you guys. How the hell
are ya?”

“You applied for the job here?” Gord asked, taking a step back.
“That’s friggin’ awesome.”

“Yup. Hey, I figured if you three could escape Homesville so could I.
Where’s Barry? He called me last week and I let it slip. He said he’d meet us
here.”

“He’s on days off right now,” Gord answered.

She’d kept in touch with Nina via email and spent hours Skyping over
the months, but she hadn’t really filled her in on anything but the humdrum
stuff. “When’s your interview, Nina?”

Nina took a quick check at her watch. “Two hours and I’m shittin’ my
pants.”

“Yeah, well, there might be good reason. The board is deadly
difficult.”

“Thanks for cheering me up.” Nina scanned the center. “Man, even
though I know a command center, walking in here is a little intimidating, but
it looks interesting? Do I get the twenty-five-cent tour?”

“I wonder who’s on the board?” Gord asked, giving Kayla a meaningful
look. “Redding for sure. What about the Ghost?”

“Ghost? You’ve got ghosts? Y’all gone a lil’ loopy bein’ in the
California sun, right?”

“I’ll explain it all later, but um…his name is Captain Austen, he’s in
operational charge of the SEALs.”

“A total hard-ass. The guy terrorizes everyone. Except Kayla, of
course,” Gord said, nudging her.

Captain Redding approached them.

“Is Captain Austen going to be on the board?” Nina asked, looking a
little more unsure than when she walked in.

Redding nodded. “He usually is, but he may be called away. The interview
will still be conducted with the other board members.”

She was so glad to see Nina, and until now, hadn’t realized how much
she’d missed her. With any luck and Nina’s abilities to impress the hell out of
anyone, she’d be staying. “Don’t worry. I know you’ll rock, Nina. Just keep it
open, honest and straightforward. That’s what they want to see.”

“Open. Honest. Got it.”

“Come on I’ll give you a tour, and then we can run over to the galley
for coffee. I’ve missed my coffee bitch.”

Nina laughed. “Me too, those tea-drinking pansies you left me with,
suck.”

The anteroom door cracked open, and the team sauntered in with Thane
behind them.

“Hey, Snow White,” Tinman said, zeroing in on Nina with an oh–so-sexy
who the hell is this?
look on his face.

The rest of the guys lined up, making an impressive sight. Nina turned
and scanned them all in one glancing blow, her sculpted brows rising. “Ho,” she
spouted quietly.

“Guys, I’d like you to meet Nina Samson. She worked with us in
Canada.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Fox said, stepping up first, giving her a
friendly bob of his head and a handshake. “Master Chief Mason Briggs, Alpha
Squad.”

Most of the guys gave a quick introduction with her filling in their
specialties and rank. Tony gave Nina one of his most charming looks. In a way,
it was kinda creepy, but only because of the meaning behind it:
Hi darlin’, want in my pants?

She darted a glance at Gord, and he leaned over and said, “Barry ain’t
gonna like that.”

“Barry isn’t on the radar, you know that,” she whispered back.

Mace stood among the squad, but didn’t approach. He was definitely
staring, but hadn’t said a word.

“There’s one more, Nina. I’d like you to meet Mace Callahan.”

“Hey.” His arms uncrossed, and he gave her a quick nod. Kayla
remembered how she’d thought Mace’s Hollywood good looks could make any heart
flutter when they’d first met. He was usually more forward and flirty than Tony,
but not today.

Since Mace wasn’t moving, Nina took the offensive, and reached her
hand out to him. “Hi, Mace? That’s a different name.”

“Mason actually, but since the old guy beside me got here first, I’m
Mace.”

“I see. I guess you have a team name too?” Nina clenched her hands to
her sides once he let go.

“Yes, ma’am.”

When he didn’t offer anything more, instead looking like he was
mesmerized by the light of a falling illumination flare, Kayla said. “He’s
Alpha Squad’s sniper, that’s his team name as well.”

“Nina!” Barry’s call came over the team’s head. They turned to see him
walk in with Greg.

“Hey, Care Bear.” She stretched her slender arm in the air, and waved.
“Greg?” Nina turned, a knowing smirk on her fetching features, and raised a
brow at her.

While Barry cut through the guys and zoomed in on Nina with trajectory
precision, she said, “Greg’s been visiting for the last week.”

Barry picked Nina up, swinging her in his arms. “I told you you’d make
it through the screening.”

Kayla watched Mace’s expression darken. Thane had been watching the
entire episode with interest, and she was certain he hadn’t missed a thing.

“Nina, I’d like you to meet Captain Austen.”

“Oh, yes sir.” She turned and straightened her already ninety-degree
shoulders. “I’m Nina Samson.” She held her hand out, and he shook it.

“Nina—Kayla will be giving you a tour, and we’ll see you again in two hours
for the interview. It will be conducted in Boardroom Echo. Ms. Banks can you
show her where that is.”

“Yes, sir, of course.”

Thane turned to address the men. “Art will be here in fifteen minutes.
We’ll rendezvous in the Nelson boardroom.”

Kayla’s gaze jumped to Captain Redding. Art was coming? That meant a
mission was coming with him.

Greg stepped up and gave Nina a one-armed hug. “
Bonjour
, Mademoiselle.”

“Greg.” She gave him a wink. Turning a knowing grin on Kayla, she
said, “Together again.”

* * * *

“This is the Galley,” Kayla explained, holding open one of the large
double doors. It was eleven thirty, and the lunch crowd filtered in. “The galley’s
open between eleven and twelve-thirty.” She handed Nina a tray, and they filled
up at the salad bar. “Food is really good.”

“How far to the closest Starbucks?”

“Too far for a trip out. It’s not like home, where you can slide out
and back again,” she said, pulling a mug from the sectioned container, placing
it on Nina’s tray.

“Isn’t this kind of cheating?” Nina asked, holding her mug under the
milk dispenser.

“Cheating?” taking Nina’s place at the ‘cow-in-a-box’ dispenser.

“Well, yeah, I mean I’ve got an advantage don’t I? The tour, and
you’re already working here. You’ve been through the board, and they must know
we’ll talk about it.”

Kayla searched for an empty table and Nina followed, sliding across
from her onto the bench. “Yes and no. The interview is like being barraged by a
flamethrower; answer, duck and cover. You won’t get a chance to breathe the way
they change direction on you. It’s too varied to really give you any tips.”

Picking up the fork for a quick inspection, satisfied, Nina said,
“Sounds pretty intense.”

“It is. The information you’ll be dealing with is highly classified.”
She poked at her lettuce and a tomato, before filling her mouth, she asked, “Why
did you apply? I know you considered it before, when we were coming, but you
bailed.”

Nina let out a big sigh and sat back. “Change of scenery?”

She shook her head. “Bullshit.”

“Morning, Kayla,” a voice said from beside her.

Turning, she looked into an old weathered face. “Hi, Captain Themes.
How are you?”

“Doing all right for an old guy,” he said, ogling Nina. Who didn’t
stare at Nina? She was a beautiful woman.

“Captain Themes, this is Nina Samson. She worked with us in Canada.
Nina, Captain Themes runs the Harbor Patrol vessel.”

Greg stepped up. “
Mademoiselles
,
may I join you?”

“Of course,” Kayla said. “This is Captain Themes. I don’t think you’ve
met.”

Greg turned his ever-inquiring attention on him, but the ready smile
Greg gave most people withered slightly. “Lieutenant Commander Lapierre,” he
said, but didn’t extend his hand.

“Sir, it’s nice to meet you,” Nina said, extending her hand to shake
Captain Themes’.

Themes swept Nina’s hand into his. “You’ll have to come down to the
docks later,” he offered giving her a warm grin. “I’ll take you out on an
unofficial tour.”

“It might turn out to be more official than not. Nina is here on an
interview.”

“Well, good luck then, young lady.”

“Need all I can get, Captain. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Lieutenant Commander.” He gave all of them a nod, and walked away.

“He seems nice,” Nina said taking a sip of coffee. Her expression twisted
with disgust. “Holy crap, this is bad.”

Ignoring Nina’s snobbery when it came to coffee wasn’t hard. The woman
was as judgmental about coffee as she was men. “Really nice guy, actually. He
knows the port like no one else. I think he said he’d been here for thirty-plus
years.” Greg tracked Themes as he walked away. “What’s the matter with you?”

Greg’s arm curled around her shoulder. “Nothing,” and his face
brightened, his green eyes giving her the once-over.

“Speaking of nice, those SEALs are pretty…hot.” Nina instantly
blushed, being a redhead didn’t give her much opportunity to hide it. “What’s
up with that Mace guy? Seems like the strong silent type.”

She choked on a chunk of chicken then laughed. “Yeah—sure, strong and
silent.”

“I’m reading him wrong, am I?” Nina pyramided her mug with her slender
fingers. “What’s it like working with them? I mean, I’ve heard stories, but
they seem so down to earth. I kind of expected something else.”

She swallowed and nodded. “I did too, when I first got here. They’re
men doing an extremely hazardous job. Fearless, duty-bound, highly skilled and
self assured, but I like the way Fox puts it, ‘We’re still just blood and
bone.’”

Putting her mug down, Nina said, “So what’s the story on Mace?”

With her fork halfway to her mouth, she stopped and eyed her. “Mace?
Why?”

A blush rose on Nina’s cheeks again. “Just asking?”

“You never ask about anyone,” her brows rising with humor.

Lunch officially hit, and a continuous flood of people came through
the doors. A squad from Team Three sat down to their left, and they all darted
glances at Nina.

“Snow White,” Lieutenant Law greeted, taking the chair next to Greg.

“Hi, Lieutenant. This is Nina, she’s here to interview for a job in
Base Command. Nina, this is Lieutenant Law, SEAL Team Three.” Law had already
met Greg, and they nodded at one another.

“Nice to meet you, Nina. Another Canuck, we’re being invaded.”

“Just when you thought you were safe,” Nina said.

Law leaned back to see around Greg. “I thought you were up to staff in
Command, Snow White?”

“They are, but someone’s leaving.”

“Who?”

She turned her attention back to her salad. “Me.”

“What?” Nina and the Lieutenant said on top of each other.

“You didn’t tell me that.” Nina squawked with concern. “What’s going
on? I thought you were happy here.” The coffee in her cup slopped over the side
when she sat it roughly on her tray.

She didn’t look at either of them. “It’s time to move on.”

Law lifted his plate from the tray and pushed it away. “Snow White, I
talked to Ghost today. Christ, he pretty much put out a bulletin. We’re all
watching.”

“Watching what?” Nina asked, her voice tight. Nina’s ability to
foresee things was almost as good as hers. They’d hired Nina when she was
getting back on her feet ten years ago, thinking she wouldn’t be back.

Law turned his sharp eyes on Nina. “You haven’t told her?”

She shook her head.

“Told me what?” Nina threaded her fingers together. “What the hell’s
going on?”

“Nothing for you to worry about.”

“For her own safety, she should know, if she’s going to spend any time
on the base,” Law urged.