17
Riggs
Being pulled away from Carter during the aftermath of the crazy plane flight had been like losing my anchor in a storm. Suddenly, I felt oddly adrift and unsure of which way to go. I hated feeling out of control at least as much as Carter, so I did what I did best.
I focused on the job.
“Are you even listening to me right now?” Champ barked. I jumped in my seat at the conference table. Now that we were back at the office the day after the long flight home, things should have begun to feel normal again.
They didn’t. I wasn’t even sure what “normal” was anymore.
I met his eyes. “Yes. Christ. Can you give me a minute? I’m working on little to no sleep here.”
I took a sip of the coffee in front of me as if to prove my point, but the hot liquid tasted like ash and hit my stomach like bricks. I shuddered and set the cup down.
“Riggs,” Elvo said, leaning forward across the conference table. “He said you’re back in the auricle implant program. You need to start prep tomorrow since the conference starts in a little over a week. The other attendees have probably been preparing for a while now.”
This should have been amazing news, and it was. But thinking about jumping right into work again before I’d talked to Carter was a blow. No matter how busy I was going to be, I’d have to find time to see Carter and find out… maybe find out if there was the possibility of pursuing something beyond our crazy time in Venezuela.
Not to mention, I owed him some explanations about Buck and why I’d held back some information.
He’d acted strange on the plane, and by the time we’d landed in the States, he’d been downright distant. With Champ and the rest of my team watching my every move, it had been impossible to pull him aside and check in. I’d tried calling and texting since then, but he hadn’t responded. Not knowing how he was feeling about everything had my gut in knots. I needed to talk to him and soon.
“Yeah, great.” I met Champ’s eyes. “Thanks, boss. I mean it. You know how important the AIP training is to me.”
He nodded. “I do. And their selection of Champion as the only private company to consult on the program is an honor we need to live up to. They have high expectations for this program, and I assured them you were the best person to provide feedback in the field.”
His words made me proud. They called to the part of me that always wanted to prove myself, to be considered worthy by my peers and the man I respected as a mentor and leader. But for some reason, there was still a part of me that felt unsettled.
“I won’t let you down,” I assured him.
“Again,” he added with some kind of glint in his eyes.
I blinked at him before his words hit home. Hard. I gritted my teeth. “I won’t let you down, again, sir.”
He grinned at me, and I realized I’d misunderstood him. He was teasing. “I’m giving you hell, Marine. I’m proud of you. You went on an executive babysitting job and managed to secure the…”
He glanced at Elvo, who bit the side of his cheek before saying, “The Magic Seed?”
Champ’s nostrils flared. “No.”
“Buck Nutter,” I suggested, also trying not to laugh.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Champ muttered, glancing up at the ceiling. “This job, I swear to fucking God.”
“Nutter’s seed,” Hux added helpfully, tapping away on his laptop.
Champ rubbed his temples. “I should have let Santiago have the lot of you.”
“I saved Buck Nutter, kept the cartel from hiding their money in the HOG, and brought home my principal unharmed.” I sat up straighter and dusted my hands together. “All in a day’s work.”
Elvo snickered, and Hux closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew what was coming.
Champ pinned me with his glare. “Are you trying to get yanked off AIP again? Huh? Or are you just a dumb fuck intent on pissing me off?”
Elvo coughed. “Second one.” Hux snorted and buried his face in his hands.
“Neither, sir,” I shot back. “I’m just saying, this is the best possible outcome. Or the best we can get, anyway, since we know the Venezuelan government will protect both Santiago brothers from prosecution for kidnapping.”
Champ ignored him. “Well, at least this time your dick didn’t get you in trouble.”
Hux stopped laughing and shot me a knowing glance. Shit. Between what I’d told him in our HOG convo and what he’d seen the day before on the tarmac, he knew way too much about what had really gone down with me and Carter.
I scrambled to cover up the sudden awkward silence in the room. “What did HOG say? Did they rehire us for their corporate security?”