Reckless Abandon (Phantom Protector Book 1) (23 page)

“I’m fine.” Jamie threw her head back and
laughed. She nodded to the swing. “Do you want to come with me to tell Sarah
the good news?”

“Absolutely.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed
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Here is a sneak peak at
Gracie’s book.

Gracie leaned back into the vinyl seat at the
cafe and wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. She’d picked a neutral place,
somewhere where she knew her father wouldn’t create a scene. She closed her
eyes and pressed the phone to her ears. “I’ll be fine Tara.
You and Cathy don’t need to worry about me.”

“Your dad is going to kill you. How can we not
worry?” Her college roommate let out a breath. “Why don’t you just come and
stay with us for a while? We can be there in two days to pick you up.”

Gracie’s eyes popped open. “No! If he knows
about you two, he’ll try and recruit you. You guys have got to stay away.”

Gracie’s heartbeat raced in her chest. She could
never do that to her friends. “It’s too risky and with all of these new
threats, the danger level is off the charts.”

“If it’s dangerous, then you don’t need to be
there either. We’re coming to get you and that’s final.” Tara
demanded. “I’ll call you when we’re close.”

Gracie glanced at the phone in her hand, the
screen was black. “Shit.” She whispered.

She heard the bell over the door before she met
his gaze. Her father, the General walked over to the table. The fine lines on
his face deepened in discontent. “I see you’ve been practicing your tactical
maneuvers, Gracie.”

Gracie chuckled nervously. She didn’t know how
much the General had figured out if he’d figured out anything at all. “Why
General, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

General Lister slid into the seat across from
her and set his black knee length coat next to him. He ordered his coffee and
when he was nice and settled he replied. “Cut the crap, Gracie. I know you
didn’t call me here because you missed me.” The General glanced around the
room. “You did it, so you could have witnesses.”

Damn, he was good. She’d never been able to lie
to him when growing up. He could normally read it on her face, so she didn’t
even bother. “You taught me well.”

He raised a brow. “Not well enough from what I
hear.”

The waitress returned and sat his coffee down in
front of him. The General and the older waitress held each other’s gaze for
what seemed like minutes before the waitress blushed and retreated back the way
she’d came.

Interesting.
Gracie
felt her lips tilt up at the corners. “She’s very pretty, daddy.”

The General narrowed his eyes. “Daddy? You
haven’t called me that since you were ten. This must be bad.”

Gracie nodded across the room. “You like her
don’t you?”

The General crossed his arms on the table. “Tell
me you didn’t call me here because you’re worried about my love life.”

“Don’t you mean lack thereof?”

General Lister took a sip of his coffee. “It’s
none of your business, Gracie. Besides with everything going on, I don’t have
time for a girlfriend.”

Gracie reached over and squeezed her father’s
hand. “You should make time. Mom’s been gone for ten years and you know… you’re
not getting any younger.”

“Gracie.” The general said in his best
stern…you’re prying voice. “Let it go and let’s get back to the real reason I’m
here.”

She thought that she’d be used to upsetting her
father by now. She’d done it all of her life. She’d grown up carefree not
thinking about anyone but herself, but somewhere through the years, she’d
changed. She didn’t know when it happened, but it had. She’d mentally prepared
herself for disappointing him again, but that didn’t make what she was about to
tell him any easier. “You’re right. I do have an objective to bringing you out
into the open.”

The General snickered. “I knew you did.”

Gracie glanced down into her black coffee and
steeled herself for the Generals wrath. She looked up. “I infiltrated Floyd’s
camp.”

The General leaned back in his chair. His gaze
held hers. “You don’t say?”

The worst part was over, she’d gotten it out and
he hadn’t yelled…yet. “You can’t blame me, General. He wasn’t just a threat to
you and your team anymore.” She threw up her hands. “Now that my sister has
married someone with gifts, he threatens her new family too.” Gracie waved her
hands in the air. “And my soon to be niece or nephew. You know I couldn’t just
take a back seat and watch that bastard destroy everything that I love!”

“I already knew you worked for Floyd.”

Gracie knew her mouth hung open, she snapped it
shut. “How?”

“Floyd’s dead. He’s no longer a threat so you can
remove yourself from this game of spy you’ve started playing. We found your
file in his office.”

“How much do you know?” She asked.

The bell above the door chimed again and she
watched as Ridge Connors, her father’s second in command walked toward their
table. “Sir, it’s time.”

The General nodded. “Ridge, I believe you’ve
already met my daughter, Gracie.”

He nodded and glanced in her direction. “How are
you?”

Gracie folded her arms on the table. “I’m fine.”
She turned her gaze back to her fathers. “It’s time for what, General?”

Her father slid out of the seat and stood. He
lifted his coffee cup to his lips and sipped it before he grabbed his trench
coat. “It’s Phantom business. Nothing to worry your pretty little head over.”

He leaned down and kissed her head. “We’ll
finish talking about this later and you can fill me in on everything else that
happened.”

“Keep dreaming old man.” Gracie called out to
her father’s retreating back.

****

The General pulled the passenger side door open
to the SUV and stilled.

“Sir, is everything all right?”

He turned and glanced over his shoulder and
smiled at his daughter through the café window. She wiggled her fingers and
gave him a smirk as she pressed the phone against her ear. “That girl sure is
stubborn.”

He climbed inside the SUV and turned to Ridge.
“If I know my daughter, she’s already concocting another plan.”

Ridge put the SUV and pulled out of the
driveway. “My brother is the same way. He never listens, either. Always jumping
in head first and never thinking about the consequences.”

The General chucked. “One day they’ll both grow
out of it.” The general pulled glanced at his watch. “Are you ready for your
next assignment?”

Ridge glanced to the General. “You’re sending me
to the field? What about the other sector leaders…they’re still a threat.”

The General nodded. “Yeah, but this latest
threat might actually send me to the grave.”

Ridge’s eyes grew big. “Sounds dangerous.”

The General gave a slight nod. “It is. It’s the
most important mission I’ll ever send you on.”

The General watch Ridge grip the wheel. “What is
it? Do you want me to go under cover? Handle the interrogations?”

The General chuckled. “Nope…this is going to be
a lot harder than any of that. You are now on Gracie detail.”

Ridge momentarily swerved the SUV off the road
before guiding it back onto the asphalt. “You can’t be serious? You would
rather I babysit than deal with the latest threat.”

The General’s eyes widened as he nodded. “I
wouldn’t call it babysitting. Gracie Lou is...how should I say…free spirited.
She always has been, but don’t misjudge her, she’s a smart cookie and she has
good instinct. She infiltrated Floyd’s camp which was more than we ever did and
if I know her, she won’t let this drop.”

“But sir?”

The General lifted his hand. “That’s an order,
Ridge. I wouldn’t trust her safety to just anyone. We’ve worked together for a
long time, and I trust that you’ll handle this for me.”

****

Gracie watched her dad and Ridge pause at the
SUV. She waved her fingers at the two of them. He wasn’t anywhere near done
with his questioning. She knew first hand that there was more to come. The fact
that he left without grilling her was curious enough. He sipped her coffee and
talked into the phone pressed to her ear. “Jamie, I told him. Now it’s time to
put my plan into action.”

The woman who taught Gracie everything she knows
about combat training replied. “Don’t do anything foolish. Just let us handle
this; it’s what we do best. We’ll take all of them out. Just stay out of this.”

Gracie sipped her coffee. “No can do. I’ve got
the inside track and I’m going to use it to my advantage.”

“Gracie…”

“Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later and
keep you posted.” Gracie hit the end button on her phone. She pulled a file from
the seat beside her and flipped it open. She was going to share the information
with the General but he never gave her the chance. It was up to her to set
everything right…no matter the cost. She picked up the top sheet of paper and
the picture attached. She’d already started her surveillance of most of the
recipients that would be attending the party. She glanced down at a copy of the
acceptance letters that Floyd had her type before his untimely demise. Finding
out the importance of how the corporations fit with the heads of the other
territories was her first concern. If she was going to do this…she was going to
do it right. She needed information and lots of it and there was only one way
to get what she needed. She pulled the phone from her clip, dialed and pressed
send. She spoke in hushed tones as a smile formed on her lips. “We’re going
under cover.”