Page 2 of ELITE Justice
“I see Viola and Gladys waylaid you at the door.” Quin’s gaze swept the entire restaurant, and he nodded at someone behind Jonathan. “Watch out for those two. Gladys groped my ass the other day while we were standing in line to pay my bill.”
“They’re something, aren’t they?” Jonathan just wasn’t sure exactly what that something was and didn’t want to personally find out.
“What can I get for you today, Quin?” The cordial voice caught Jonathan’s attention as the woman reached to refill his boss’s cup. “Coffee?” The question was directed to Jonathan.
Tired eyes the color of good whisky met his, but her smile was genuine. He flipped over the cup on the table in front of him. “Yes, please.” The desire for apple pie overwhelmed him.
She filled his cup. “Today’s lunch special is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans.”
Jonathan glanced quickly around the small table for a menu, then up to those gorgeous brown eyes. He checked her nametag. “Gwen, could I see a menu, please?”
Before she could answer, Quin instructed, “Behind you, over the kitchen window.” Jonathan turned in that direction and saw a list of everything he loved to eat.
“While you’re checking that out”—she turned her attention across the table—“I’ll take your order, Quin.”
“I’ll have the special.”
“Good choice.” She wrote on her pad. “I made the meatloaf myself this morning.”
That accounted for the dark circles under her eyes. When Jonathan turned back, he noticed she was quite pretty. Her dark hair was cut in a straight line just below her jaw, directing his gaze to a pointy chin that fit her heart-shaped face. The red t-shirt was loose, but he could tell she had average-sized breasts. Not too much to be fake but enough to be enjoyable. The red apron accented her small waist and the tight jeans hugged her shapely legs down to the red, high-top gym shoes. Quirky. He liked a twisted woman.
He smiled when she returned her attention to him. “Have you decided?”
Yes, he’d made up his mind. Although he certainly wasn’t about to jump into another relationship, he could use some female companionship. He’d been accustomed to getting laid every night if he wanted it, but for the past month, sex had been the last thing on his mind. Now, in a new city, it was a whole new beginning.
“I’ll have a cheeseburger smothered in fried onions, fries, and a Coke.” He’d work off any extra calories that afternoon in the company gym, one of the many benefits of working for Guardian.
“I’ll get that right out for y’all.” And she was gone. On her way to the kitchen, he watched the way her hips swayed as she dodged tables, chairs, and people arriving and leaving.
Oh, yeah. He didn’t need the same woman in his bed, night after night, tending to his every need and wish. And all-nighters had to be a thing of the past for him. He’d done one-nighters the whole time he’d been in the Marines, just like all his special operations buddies. Being tied to one woman wasn’t for him. Not anymore. He might…no. He was fine. That had been a one-off. It would never happen again.
“She doesn’t date.” Quin’s statement made Jonathan turn around.
For the first time, he really looked at his new boss. After years as the number two man in the Los Angeles Guardian Center, Quin had been promoted to manager at the Dallas office. The Southern California sun had given the man’s light brown hair blond highlights that seemed to go with the deep golden tan. But that may have been left from his days as a SEAL.
Jonathan would never tan. He often joked that the sun just made him turn darker shades of white. Maybe if all his freckles would merge together, he’d finally be tan. But that would look weird with his blondish-red hair. He had to stay clean-shaven because his beard grew out copper red as a new penny. He could never blend in the Middle East, so he’d stayed specialized in cold weather warfare, spending time in Korea and East Asia. Lot of good that training did him now in Texas.
Refocusing back on the conversation, Jonathan probed, “She turned you down?”
“More than once.” Quin shrugged. “It was worth a try for a taste of that body.” He grinned. “I have discovered that Texas women have a wild side. I’ll just bet Gwen’s would be the ride of a lifetime.”
“I’d have to agree.” Jonathan would like to get a little wild with a woman for a night. And that’s all it would be, one night.
“Did Alex fill you in on the situation here?” Quin asked, referring to the managing partner of Guardian Security. “And you got the memo on Katlin Callahan, right? I heard she’s in Miami a lot. Have you met her?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve guarded Ms. Callahan and her friends several times.” Jonathan had also fought beside her in a shootout against terrorists. “Do you know her?”
“First, no, I’ve never met the woman.” Quin sipped his coffee. “Second, cut thesirshit.” Quin set the coffee cup down on the saucer with a clink. “I don’t know, or care, how things were done in Miami, but in my center, when we’re alone, management is on a first-name basis. Yeah, I’m your boss, but we need to function as a team. When you’re in charge of the center, I expect you to give the same answers and directions that I would. In front of our men, we can be more formal.”
Jonathan liked this man already.
“But when it comes to Alex, and now Ms. Callahan,” Quin continued, “I expect you to treat them with the respect they deserve as the company’s owners.” He sat back in his chair and grinned. “Now, what do you know about Ms. Callahan that I should know?”
“She’s not what she seems.” Jonathan had to watch his words carefully. He knew her covert identity and that she was the leader of an international team of female assassins. He’d seen her in action two weeks ago in Iraq. The woman was as lethal as any of his SpecOps teammates had been.
“Most women don’t show you their real side until they get that diamond,” Quin stated perceptively. “I’ve heard she’s quite the party girl, and your buddies in Miami often had their hands full with her and her friends.”
“Yeah, they like to go out and have a good time, but they deserve some downtime.” Jonathan defended the women he now respected more than any others in the world. He wasn’t sure he could ever handle dating one of Katlin’s team members, but understood what Alex saw in her. “Never underestimate her. She’s smart as hell.”
