Page 22 of High Seduction
Tim joined Marcus in the boardroom, settling into one of the oversized chairs. “They didn’t sing my praises?”
“Oh, he still said you were good.” Marcus pushed over paperwork for Tim to sign. “But he mentioned you have troubles with authority, that you’re a great team player until you think you know better, and that if he never had to see you again it would be too soon.”
“I have an idea who that was,” Tim drawled.
“So not everyone thinks you’re the golden boy, but they agree you shine in your area of fieldwork.” Marcus leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “I want both. Your SAR skills, and your ability to work with others. While you’re on my team I expect you to check your ego and put it on the line for the others. Going solo doesn’t work—not with the situations we get called into.”
Tim nodded slowly. “I won’t blindly follow where there’s a clear danger,” he cautioned, “nor will I allow another team member to make a mistake that will cost them or the people we’re rescuing.”
“I understand. I’m the same way, but this is where trust comes in. Lifeline works together, which means there are times that sharing solutions needs to end. The best person takes charge at the right time. Occasionally more than one option could work, and whoever is leading the mission makes the decision. Second-guessing is dangerous because it takes time, and that’s a situation we want to avoid.”
“Agreed.” Tim passed back the contracts. “I’ll focus on providing medical attention first and foremost, which means I expect to be given preference when it comes to saving lives. I don’t make suggestions casually.”
“That’s how it’s always worked with the team.” Marcus handed over a set of keys and a card with a handwritten five-digit number. “Door is coded for a silent alarm—the entire building actually. If it goes off, the RCMP and I get a call, and someone will be here in under ten minutes. There’s an extra key there for the supply locker. Go through and familiarize yourself with our layout. If you need to change things up, be sure you do a session with Tripp so there’s no hesitation when it comes to heading out on a call.”
“Narcotics stored here at headquarters?” Tim asked.
“Some. We’ve had a few break-ins with people looking for drugs, so we keep a minimal supply on hand and double-lock them.” Marcus pointed to the second key. “I’ll show you where we keep the contact numbers for the hospital when you need refills. Also...”
He handed Tim a metal whiskey flask.
Tim raised a brow, unscrewing the lid and sniffing. Marcus’s expression didn’t give anything away, so Tim took a small shot, sucking for breath as the high-test alcohol cruised past his tonsils.
Marcus grinned. “Medicinal purposes only, of course.”
“Now, you’ll be one of me best-ever bosses, I’d be thinking.” Tim passed over the hooch, drawling out his brogue. “’Tis a sweet dram.”
“You know it.” Marcus tipped back a hit, coughing momentarily as he returned the flask. “Keep it, it’s yours. Welcome to the team—if you make it through probation.”
Tim chuckled as he tucked the container into his pocket. “The presents usually come after I’ve finished hell week.”
Marcus rose to his feet, gesturing toward the door. “You might need that whiskey to make it through, but I have a feeling about you, Tim. I think you’ll do fine.”
Just outside the boardroom doors, Tim jerked to a stop. The entire team stood before him, shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed, expressions set into unreadable neutrality.
“They’re your team now.” Marcus spoke from behind him, the words quiet but clear. “Everything hangs in the balance depending on how well you work together. Do you trust them?”
Tim examined each member one at a time, from the tall and muscular Tripp to the petite blonde Alisha, who seemed too delicate for the task of rescuing.
Appearances were deceiving. This group had proven themselves many times over the years—he was the unknown, the one who had to fit into the puzzle.
It looked as if that started right now. A test of some sort.
“I trust them with my life,” Tim answered.
Anders nodded.
Something about the way they stood gave it away. Tim’s smile grew as he spotted the items carelessly discarded on the floor by their feet. It appeared he was in for an adventure.
“Training games?” Tim asked, not bothering to hide his amusement.
“It seemed a good way to get to know us better,” Devon smirked. “You ready?”
There was no time to answer. A flash of anticipation lit Erin’s eyes a split second before darkness blocked her from view. Tim jolted, every muscle tightening as the fabric bag Marcus dropped over his head left him blind.
“Be gentle with me,” Tim teased, his voice echoing into the silence of the room. “I’ve never done this before.”
A broad shoulder pressed into his stomach, and he was lifted into the air. Tripp, he assumed, or Anders perhaps. No voices, no noise. No hints of where he was being taken. A blanket or something heavy settled on him, but the cold air snuck under the edges as he was carried outside.
