Surrendered (Heart of a Warrior Series Book 3) by Kariss Lynch Read Free Book Online

good.”
    Rounding a corner, they entered into controlled chaos. Quiet chatter filled the room. A pump pot full of steaming black coffee with Styrofoam cups off to the side beckoned Nick and Micah. Several men with bags under their eyes eagerly filled the tiny cups. Nick always thought of the cups as a tease. They gave him just enough for a taste and an increased craving for more black fluid.
    At the front of the room, their boss took the floor. “All right, ladies. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s get to it,” Senior Chief X shouted in his gravelly voice. His red hair stuck out at odd angles, indicating he too was a victim of an early morning wakeup call.
    Titus passed Nick and Micah small Styrofoam cups filled with rich, black brew. One sip sent his brain spinning into gear. They had a full team gathered. He searched the crew and moved to join Colt and Jay, already seated on fold-out chairs in the front row. An ache filled him at Logan’s absence, but he shoved it away. Logan wasn’t feeling sorry for himself, so Nick wouldn’t either.
    “Morning, sunshines. Time to get to work. Tonight, we leave for Afghanistan for a capture-kill operation. We will join with others from SEAL Team 2 that are already deployed in the area as well as their Afghani counterparts. We will be fully briefed upon arrival. We leave tonight at twenty-three hundred hours. Let’s take care of business, ladies. You know what to do.”
    “Radio prep at eleven hundred hours. Anyone having comms issues, come see me,” newcomer Bates shouted over the noise.
    “Organize and load weapons in two hours. Hawk, you’re with me on that.” Colt slapped him on the back as they hustled to pack up the gear.
    The room broke into a flurry of activity, guys preparing for an op without specifics. But right now, they didn’t need any. They were ready, come what may.
    “Looks like we’re going to need more coffee,” Titus said, staring into his already empty cup.
    Jay slapped him on the back as he stood. “You’re always on top of it, my man. Good lookin’ out.”
    Titus rolled his eyes. “You ever gonna grow up and be responsible?”
    Colt dropped his arm around Jay’s neck. “If he grew up, he wouldn’t be the J-Man we all know and love.” Jay elbowed Colt in the gut. Colt jumped back and blocked his ribs. “Easy there, brah. I was paying you a compliment.”
    “Logan’s not here to wrangle the children. So I guess that job falls to me.” Micah grinned, the coffee clearly doing its job.
    “Man, please.” Jay threw his head back in a laugh and jerked free of Colt. “We all know T-Brown or Hawk will have to fill those shoes now.”
    “Now look here, Jay . . .”
    “Ladies . . .”
    Nick stood and stretched, his eyes drifting to the coffee station. “Looks like X is running this ship. Let’s get busy.”
    As Nick and Micah moved to get more coffee, Micah said, “Did you hear Logan may be able to get fitted with a prosthetic soon?”
    Nick froze, his hand hovering over the pump pot. “Seriously? That’s awesome! I wonder what he could do in the Teams.”
    Micah shrugged, dark circles evident on his tan skin. “You know him. God, family, and country. He’d jump back in in a heartbeat, and Kim would stand by his side the whole way.” Micah shook his head. “Now, that’s love.”
    Nick filled his cup again, inhaling the steaming brew as he nodded. Since his engagement, his fear had sky-rocketed for Kaylan, for himself, for their relationship. He no longer could look out for just himself and his team. He had to consider her, too. But he knew she wouldn’t ask him to do anything else with his life. Still, his heart pounded a little harder as he prepared to leave. How could he reassure her during his absence?
    *
    After prepping his gear and helping take inventory with Colt, Nick slipped away to meet Megan at four o’clock. He had only an hour and a half to take care of what he needed to before Kaylan got off work. He would stop by