Page 40 of Corey
Corey glanced over at Xander, who hadn’t said a word since they’d left the bar. The former CIA agent rolled his eyes then promptly shut them. Corey might have a lot of emotional baggage and triggers, but Hawke was a cold sonofabitch. Not for the first time, Corey was glad they were on the same side. Especially after hearing how Hawke had beaten Fernando Lazaro to death with his bare hands.
Yeah, he might have issues, but Hawke? He was on a whole other level—one that bordered on potential psycho. If Corey was a betting man, he’d wager Hawke still had Lazaro’s finger, probably stashed in a freezer somewhere.
Chapter Sixteen
It took almost three hours to reach San Diego. The moment Corey’s boots hit the tarmac, he let out a relieved sigh. Lex assured them his old warbird was in perfect condition, but the damn thing was older than the hills.
He glanced over at the logo painted on the plane’s side—Wildlife Conservation & Rescue.
Of course, it was just a front. A deterrent that kept nosy people from asking too many questions, especially when they landed in rural areas in the middle of nowhere. It was also a kickass nod toThe Expendables, one of the Motley Crew’s favorite movies.
During the flight, they’d gone over several potential plans of attack, and settled on a stealth op once it got dark. Finding proof that Joel Largemont was in league with the Lazaro Cartel would bring his ass down fast and hard. The murder of his business partner would make sure the key to his cell disappeared forever. Then Sera would be safe.
They had a couple of hours to kill before sunset, so they decided to grab some grub at a little restaurant just off Main Street on Coronado Island. Charlie’s Place was a newer joint and hopping, but they managed to combine two tables to accommodate them all. A pretty woman with wavy blonde hair and a nametag that read Savannah took their orders then bustled away.
Of course, Lex was the first to comment. “Do you think she likes older men?”
Everyone answered at once with a resounding, “No!”
“Don’t harass the help, Battle,” Brand said and dropped his straw into his glass. “She looks busy and, in case you’ve forgotten, so are you. We have an op to focus on.”
“I always have time to focus on beautiful women,” Lex said smoothly. “And we’ve gone over the plan a thousand times.”
“Hardly,” Brand grumbled.
They fell into their usual banter, and despite the place being slammed, their burgers arrived in a timely fashion and hit the spot. No one teased Corey about Sera, so he was able to eat in peace. Instead, they bombarded Jayson with more questions about his new neighbor, Sabrina, but he claimed he didn’t know anything. Corey didn’t quite believe him.
“I wish this place would’ve been around when we were here,” Wes said, wiping his mouth with his napkin.
“Yeah, definitely,” Corey agreed.
When the bill arrived, Brand pulled out the credit card provided by Mitch and studied the tableside reader a minute too long. Of course, Lex pounced.
“Tap it, Grandpaw.”
Brand frowned then touched the card to the reader. “Iknow.Maybe I was wondering if we should install these at O.G.”
“Yeah, right,” Chaz said with a laugh. “Don’t act like you knew what to do because Lottie had to show me when we went out to dinner a few weeks ago.”
“You guys are relentless,” Brand grumbled. “Technology changes every damn day. It’s impossible to keep up.”
Once he got a receipt, they returned to the SUV parked on the street. The sun had set and Corey paused to look out past the beach.
A part of him missed the ocean. Cielo Springs had mountains and wilderness, but something about the vast expanse of water centered him. There was a certain woman waiting back in Montana who seemed to have that same effect on him.
A hand clamped over his shoulder, and he turned to see Wes.
“You okay?” Wes asked.
“Just thinking.”
“About what?”
He scrubbed a hand over his beard. “Thinking about shaving this thing off.”
“Really? Any particular reason why you’d get rid of the Mane Attraction?”
Wes could read him well, so there was no point in bullshitting his best friend. “I like her,” Corey murmured, voice low and thoughtful, watching the dark waves hit the shoreline. “A lot.”
