Hearths of Fire by Kennedy Layne Read Free Book Online Page A

next five minutes. The wind had picked up and the trees were swaying in protest. The boat could be heard knocking against the wooden dock and the water had become increasingly choppy.
    “Hop in. I’ll fill you in on the rest and then drop you off at your house.”
    Catori knew she’d won when Doc walked her way and around to the passenger side of her convertible. His stride, so like his eyes, was very similar to a tiger as he hunted his prey. She could understand his need to find peace on the water, but he was too young to do it now. He still had many years ahead of him where he could be helping others and she aimed to be the one to utilize him.
    “I’ve heard of Red Starr HRT,” Doc said, taking his fishing pole apart into three segments and setting his gear at his feet. She was already situated in the driver’s side, pressing the ignition button. By the time Doc was seated, the soft top was closing them in and not a moment too soon. Rain dropped on her windshield. “Why me? There are hundreds of comm specialists out there that could do the job you need filled.”
    “I want you.” Catori pulled the seat belt across the front of her and then shifted the car into gear. She turned the wheels in the direction of town and got them on their way. “Take time to think about it. The offer and contract are sitting in your email for you to review. If you agree to my terms, you’ll report the first of August to the address listed.”
    “Just like that?” Doc placed an elbow against the window while his fingers rubbed his five o’clock shadow. Being a civilian had its perks, but not enough. Catori could see the unreleased energy within just waiting for a chance to break free. “You come out of nowhere, offer me a job, and what?”
    “You take it?” Catori countered, maneuvering the small town roads as if she’d been born here. Studying the layout of the town hadn’t been that hard. “I’ll be honest with you, Doc. Red Starr HRT took a two year break, but now I’m reviving it. Gavin Crest recommended you highly, and seeing as he’s one of the few men I trust, here I am.”
    “Crest?” For the first time since Doc set eyes on her, his shoulders relaxed. Catori had to wonder if there wasn’t something she or Crest missed in Doc’s background. His body language seemed a little too tense for having just fished an entire morning with nothing else planned for the rest of the day. It almost seemed as if he were expecting trouble. “I’ve known Crest for quite a few years. He was my Staff NCOIC over in Iraq.”
    “Forty-eight hours,” Catori said, giving a time limit. She already knew he’d say yes, but she wasn’t one to like loose threads. The faster her team was formed the quicker it would get her back to San Diego and the chaotic mess her new headquarters had become. Word had already leaked out that Red Starr HRT was getting ready to take missions and potential assignments were developing. She refused to let her team go on a live operation until she saw how they worked together as a unit. Catori swung the tires of her vehicle until they were side by side with the curb in front of a well-maintained two-story suburban house and shifted into park. “Is there anything you want to tell me that might interfere with the position I’m offering you?”
    Doc didn’t say anything as he reached down to his feet and grabbed a hold of his fishing gear. It was a damn good thing he kept the tackle box clean. If it had reeked of fish, she’d have made him leave it in his boat. Once he had everything gathered he placed his hand on the handle but didn’t move to exit. She waited patiently, her fingers on the stick shift.
    “Nothing I can’t clean up before the first of August.”
    Those words didn’t necessarily instill the reassurance Catori wanted, but Doc was free to have a personal life. Whatever his situation, it most likely had to do with the woman named Charlotte that Fred had mentioned.
    “See to it that it is.