Read Online No Rules by Starr Ambrose - Free Book Online

beard got to his feet and met her with both hands outstretched. “Jessie. I’m Evan Lang. Wally was a good friend and a colleague, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am for your loss. ”
    “Thank you,” she said, embarrassed that the loss was evidently greater for everyone here than it was for her. “Please call me Jess.”
    He put an arm around her shoulder in a fatherly gesture as he ushered her to a chair. “Come meet our team. I’m sorry we have to ask you to jump right into this, but time might be crucial. This is Mitch,” he said indicating a young man to her left.
    She’d expected hardened warriors and camouflage uniforms, like video game commandos. Mitch looked like a kid fresh out of college, untouched by life. He broke the somber mood with a smile. “Hi, Jess.”
    She started to reply, but Evan spoke over her. “Sit, please,” he said, more of an absentminded order than a request as he continued the introductions. “This is Kyle, and this is Avery. And of course, you know Tyler.”
    Kyle looked a little more like what she’d expected, but cleaned up. His muscled body and short hair screamed military, even without the uniform. He gave a quick nod, the kind that said getting to know her was unimportant because theirs would be a brief acquaintance.
    Avery did a more feminine assessment. Crossing long legs and casually twirling a short strand of her blond hair, she gave Jess a longer head-to-toe look, followed by a polite smile. Jess blinked stupidly in return, surprised that a hostage rescue team would include a woman, especially one who didn’t look like a Russian weight lifter.
    She sank slowly into her chair. “You all knew my father?”
    They all nodded, and Kyle explained, “We tend to be a little more than coworkers. We faced life-and-death situations together, many times. Wally was a partner, a mentor, a friend…” His voice tightened and he stopped to clear his throat. “He was our friend.”
    It was brief, but touching, and their solemn gazes proved how much they all shared the emotion behind it. As she tried to absorb it, Donovan pulled a chair next to hers as Evan took his seat, completing a circle. “I’ve filled them in on your dinner with Wally and the children’s story,” Donovan said. “We just need you to reproduce that conversation as nearly as you can and leave the rest to us. If you think any gesture or action stood out, please include that.”
    As if someone had shouted, “Go,” he put his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward expectantly. Five pairs of eyes fastened on hers.
    She cleared her throat nervously and licked her lips, remembering the phone call that had come out of nowhere. Hi, Jessie, it’s Dad. I’m in Houston. Can you meet me for dinner? It’s important. I’ve got a great story idea for you.
    Dad. A powerful word, implying affection and familiarity. She hadn’t thought of him that way in a long time, but for a moment the twelve-year-old inside her had leaped with joyful recognition. The next moment she’d remembered how they parted, and shut it down.
    He’d rattled off a restaurant and street address, and before she could say no, he’d hung up. She’d spent the next hour flip-flopping over whether to go or stand him up, but curiosity finally got the better of her. She’d gone.
    She’d caught her first sight of him when she was taken to his table. He’d been freshly shaven, eyes bright and alert. He hadn’t looked like someone two days from death.
    Jess put a firm lid on her roiling emotions before speaking. “He called with an invitation to dinner, and we met at the restaurant. He seemed calm, not nervous or looking around at other people,” she told them.
    Donovan nodded, his eyes bright and alert. “If he wasn’t sure you’d be safe, he would never have contacted you. Just tell us what he said.”
    It was even harder than she’d thought it would be, recalling her stiff greeting and his friendly one, obviously restrained in deference