Page 7 of Ricochet

CHAPTER THREE

The debriefing room at Titan HQ awaited Delta team, but first they had to unpack and shower off. The process, from the time Delta was wheels down, loaded into their transport vehicles from the airstrip and brought to headquarters, where they filed into the locker room, cleaned up and then headed upstairs to sit around a conference table, was needed as they transitioned from hellto civilian life.

One table was strewn with tactical gear bags and unloaded weapons clips. Other tables were covered in sub-machine guns, side-arms, and breaching shotguns for tight-quarter conflict. They needed cleaning, as did their dirty clothes that required more than one go-round in the laundry. But it wasn’t the rank air that stank worse than a football locker room or the salty smell ofthe Indian Ocean from half a world a way that Colin couldn’t get out of his nose. It was the heinous memories they brought home.

Those had nothing on the grit that had dried in their hair, leaving a film over their skin. Delta had seen a lot over the years, and never once had Colin seen humans packaged as cargo on a container ship with no hopes of seeing light or humane conditions for weeks.

“Hey.” Grayson’s straining voice broke the heavy silence. “Who’s getting excited?” He clapped twice then slapped Ryder on the back. “Bachelor party, here we come.”

Ryder lifted his chin, grinning like a sport. “It’ll be fun, mate.”

Colin rubbed his hand across his forehead. The salty, gunpowder-heavy grime itched under his fingers. “So long as he smells better.”

“Think we all need to hit theshower, or Victoria will turn us away,” Ryder added.

The door unexpectedly opened, and the weighty pound of boots followed. Jared Westin powered through the room, picking his way around their dropped gear without acting as though he noticed they’d made the way impossible.

“And that’s why the dude runs Titan,” Grayson said, half-laughing.

Javier tossed an empty go-bag at his chest. “If you’reimpressed that the guy didn’t fall on his ass walking down a hall, you needed more sleep on the way back.”

“Think I can’t hear you, assholes?” Jared boomed before the door at the end of the locker room slammed.

A round of “ah shit!” erupted, and Javier threw his arms up, surrendering to his screw-up. “All right, all right.”

“Why’d he come down here?” Luke leaned against a wall covered withmotivational posters—but Titan Group style—as if Delta team needed a reminder that if they fucked up at work, they’d have to kill or be killed.A little different than most workplaces’ teamwork swag.

Colin flicked a gaze toward the office where Parker Black, who manned Titan’s war room for ops, had met Brock. They didn’t bother to head upstairs to any of the conference rooms.

“Maybe there’sanother team upstairs using the conference room for pre-wedding activities.” Luke pushed off from the wall. “Someone’s surprising Jax upstairs.”

Grayson scowled. “With what? Strippers?”

Ryder’s face twisted. “Yeah, that’d be a good idea.”

Trace snorted. “If Seven ever heard—”

“Would they care? Or be…” Javier shrugged. “Never mind. I don’t want to find out.”

“Can you imagine if one of themwalked out of an office, and saw that?” Trace snorted again. “I’d pay more to see their reaction more than I would for a stripper. Nicola and Beth?Sugar?”

“You think they’d have a problem with strippers?” Grayson asked.

“No.” Colin shook his head. “I think they’d have a problem that we were dicking around at work. Like right now. We gotta clean up and debrief.”

“He’s right,” Javier agreed,slapping him on the back. “Because we’re headed to Sweet Hills, Iowa to party.”

Laughter grew from the team, and Colin closed his eyes, knowing they needed to joke around as much as they needed to get away. He had to shake off what they had seen or Seven and Jax’s weekend would be ruined. It wasn’t a bachelor party, but a joint bachelor-bachelorette throw down. And he had no idea how it wouldgo. Jax’s “side” was military and all-American wholesome, and Seven was neck-deep in a notoriously powerful gang, Mayhem Motorcycle Club. But she was also a mom and baked muffins like no others he’d ever tried.

For all Colin knew, the weekend could end nothing more than a trap to round up one side of the wedding guests by the other side. Or it could be a lovely, raucous affair. To be determined.

“I’m going to get some more sleep on the way out there.” Colin grabbed what he needed to shower off.

At the end of the locker room, just out of sight, the office door opened, and heavy footsteps worked their way toward the team. Brock and Parker flanked Jared, and he paused, giving their team a once-over.

Boss Man’s dark gaze studied them. “You ready for this weekend?”

“Counting the minutesfor some R and R.” Ryder’s Australian accent came out thicker than normal.

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