Secret Maneuvers by Jessie Lane Read Free Book Online Page A

made my heart skip a beat, but my brain quickly reminded me that it didn’t matter. Life had moved on in big ways. There was no safe place in it for Bobby Baker.
     
    Bobby
     
    Close to nine o’clock that night I sat with the other men in Jaxon’s hotel suite, waiting for Belle and her partner to show up. Everyone was dressed in their civilian clothes as if they were headed out to have a good time, instead of getting ready to do reconnaissance work at a busy bar. Though, every man in the room was armed in one way or another; guns or knives carefully concealed in their boots or around their waist and underneath their shirts. We all sat calmly, waiting, like the steady soldiers we were, until a few minutes later a firm knock sounded on the door. Jaxon crossed the floor from where he’d been sitting in a chair, bouncing his leg, and peeped through the hole before he opened the door to admit first Boyd, then Belle, with Sheriff Jenkins right behind her.
    I had to tell my lungs to keep breathing as the sight of Belle reached me. My eyes were probably glazed with desire because the way she looked right now felt like a hit of a wonder drug on a detoxing body. Gone was the professional demeanor of her ATF attire and in its place stood someone reminiscent of the wild girl I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. Her jeans—that were so low rise they barely covered her private areas—were settled perfectly over her black cowboy boots and were paired with a mid-sleeve, fitted, western shirt with the buttons halfway undone to show the black, lace tank top underneath. Her hair was long and loose, cascading down her back in gentle curls, topped by a sexy, black cowgirl hat on her head.
    Flashing a dazzling smile she addressed the room. “Hey y’all! Who’s ready to have some fun tonight?”
    Shell shocked men sat in silence staring back at her. It took everything I had not to run up and tackle her so that my unit would stop ogling what I obviously still considered mine. Charlie let loose an amused chuckle. “Darlin,’ I do believe you’ve made an impression.”
    With a roll of her eyes and a soft snort, she crossed her arms over her ample chest. “Anyways! Moving on now. I’ve talked Charlie here into accompanying us tonight with his Deputy since he’s the one who spotted the suspicious activity. They’ll be on the lookout for the two men to help us along. I thought we could break up into four groups so that we can all arrive at separate intervals to avoid suspicion. Maybe fifteen or twenty minutes apart? We all arrived in our own vehicles, but Boyd will ride in one of your SUV’s if you have go bags already in them. I take it that you guys are going to be wearing some sort of communication devices tonight?”
    Jaxon nodded. “We’re all equipped with comm. links that can be activated by pushing a button on the actual device in their ear or by a button on their watch. Either way, everyone in the unit will be able to hear what’s being said when one of the comm. links are activated. Also, it might be a good idea to use two of those four teams and position them outside the bar. With groups in the front and back, we can be on the lookout around the perimeter.”
    Belle angled her body to face Jaxon. “Perhaps then, Commander Wall, it might be best if we split Boyd, Charlie, Deputy Miles and myself up with your men so that we have a link to the rest of the team tonight through you all.”
    “That works.” Jaxon faces us to start rattling off teams. “Logan and Wyatt team up with Agent Boyd. You’ll go by ‘Group Four’ and position yourselves outside the front. Chase and Arturo team up with Deputy Miles to make ‘Group Three’. Situate yourselves outside the back. Declan and Riley can team up with Agent Roberts for ‘Group Two’. Bobby, Lucas and myself will team up with Sheriff Jenkins to form ‘Group One’.”
    Jaxon started handing out a printout of information to Belle, Boyd and Jenkins. “We were