Mercenary Trust (4 page)

Daniel couldn’t disagree, but he knew not a lot of
people from the South would have the same thoughts as his mother.

“
Besides, I’m just layin’ the groundwork. You gotta reel him in,”
Catherine said, waggling her eyebrows. “Once you have his number, invite him
out, or somethin’!”

“
Okay. I’ll do it. But only because you’re working so hard to do this for
me.”

“
I’m retired, darlin’, there’s not much to do anymore except have fun. If
I can help my son get over his asshole ex, bless his heart, I’m gonna do just
that.” Catherine patted her son on the shoulder and smiled.

It took a few moments, but Daniel nodded in assent. “Okay.
Maybe I need to get over the fact that I can’t talk to him before any of that
happens, but thank you. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually happy
about my mother setting me up with someone.”

“
Who wouldn’t be happy to be set up when you’re bein’ set up with someone
that looks like
that?
A definite A+
on the face and body. Did you see that butt, though? And those pecs are just
about ready to push out of his shirt!”

Daniel’s smile waned ever so slightly. “Okay, calm
down, Mom. I was happy earlier, and now I’m a little grossed out again. Maybe
we can tone down the sexy talk a little bit?”

Catherine shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m gonna head
back in before he thinks we’re bad hosts and ask him to come over with his
friends on Sunday.”

And with that, she sauntered back into the kitchen
with a spring in her step. Daniel shook his head. His mother was a downright
hurricane when she wanted to be. He walked back briskly to the table, finding
Nicolas spreading yet another cracker with pimento on it, and then popping it
quickly into his mouth, and his mother was leaning by the counter with that
ever-present mischievous smile on her face.

“
So like I was sayin’, maybe my son can show you and your friends the
sights around here,” Daniel’s mother immediately said, fishing out a pad of
paper from one of the drawers. She peeked at her own phone and jotted down
Daniel’s number—not that Daniel thought she
needed
it, the woman probably had his number memorized, along with his elder
brothers’ phone numbers—onto the piece of paper. “If you reckon you’d like
that, come give him a call.”

There was a little bit of what seemed like amusement
that registered on Nicolas’s face, but he nodded. He then turned to Daniel,
showing off one of those dimpled grins. “If he’s not too busy, I’ll give him a
call.”

“
Well, ain’t that neat?” Catherine smiled. “So are you stayin’ for
dinner, Nick?”

“
I’d love to, Mrs. Walsh, but I have to head back to the house. We’re
fixing it up a bit since there’s like six of us living in the same roof, but
thank you for the morning snack.”

“
Well, let me see you out, then, dear. Don’t forget your mail, now. Ol’
Larry retired just last week since he’s been on the job near thirty years or so
now I reckon, and his eyesight ain’t quite what it used to be. It’s a gosh darn
miracle my new baking tins didn’t get lost.”

“
Oh, let me do that, Mom. I’ll see Nick out.”

It seemed like Daniel was finally able to get his foot
out of his mouth just in time to see his mother’s grin grow even wider. What a
downright mischief-maker! But he had to hand it to his mother. He wouldn’t have
gotten the hot ex-Marine’s number in a million years. Daniel would have thought
he’d be so far below Nick’s league that
he wouldn’t have been able to nab the guy’s
name
if he’d been talking to the guy alone.

“
Oh, right! Well, it was downright a pleasure to meet ya, Nick Castillo.
I hope I’m sayin’ that right,” Catherine said, chuckling. “I’ll see you ‘round
the neighborhood, then.”

“
Thank you for the welcome, Mrs. Walsh.” Nick smiled. “Oh, and uh, here’s
your box. Let me just…” He took the mail that Catherine was handing to him
before smiling and nodding, and then turning to head to the front door.

“
Ya’ll are welcome to join this Sunday’s barbecue, by the way! Best way
to get to know the neighborhood,” Catherine hollered. Daniel
almost
sneered, thankful he was out of
his mother’s sight. He would’ve gotten smacked at that one.

Ever the dutiful son, Daniel headed out with him,
opening the door and letting the large man pass him by. The slightest whiff of
something woodsy in Nicolas’s cologne hit him, and Daniel had to stifle the
urge to smile.

He liked that scent.

Nicolas turned back towards him now that he was out
the door, offering another one of those heart-stopping lopsided grins at
Daniel.
Fuck, stop being so damn
attractive! I’m trying to breathe, here.

“
So is your mother really that friendly to her neighbors?” Nicolas asked,
earning a soft chuckle from Daniel.

“
Well, she always did pride herself on that bit of Southern hospitality,
but maybe she just took a liking to you,” Daniel admitted, smiling. “Oh, and
uh, you don’t need to take her seriously. I mean, I’d be happy to show you
around—”

“
Well, good,” Nicolas said, interrupting Daniel before he could continue
on the thought. “How about tomorrow at ten in the morning? I’ll come pick you
up if you’re still here. We could head into the city, maybe see some tourist-y
sights, if you know any? Or we could just … hang out?”

“
Well, I actually live in the city, but I’ll be around, sure. I guess
I’ll just tell my mother you’ll be bringing me back?” Daniel asked. He didn’t
want to seem hopeful, but he definitely was at that point. He didn’t even think
Nicolas would really even take him up on the offer. This was more than Daniel
could really hope for.

Nicolas smiled. “Great. Tomorrow at ten. See you then,
Daniel.”

The ex-marine
offered just the slightest of waves—or maybe it was a
half-salute?—before trotting off towards his home.
Once a Marine, always a Marine,
Daniel thought to himself. He’d
heard it said before, and thought it was applicable now. But he did like the
casual way Nicolas saluted…

As Daniel closed the door in front of him, the shock
finally settled in and he tried to take a deep, calming breath. He had a date
tomorrow. With Nicolas Castillo. The hot guy from next door.

The ex-Marine who had a killer smile and made him feel
like a lump of clay in comparison to Nicolas’s statuesque perfection.

It was only then that he realized one horrible,
horrible miscalculation.

Holy shit. I don’t have any clothes here! What the fuck am I supposed to
wear?

Chapter Three

If Nick got all his signals right, Daniel was
attracted to him. And, he hoped, he was able to show that he was attracted to
the guy right back.

Why wouldn’t he be? Daniel was sweet. He also had a
really expressive face. It was cute seeing him react to his mom being so open.
Sure, he wasn’t exactly toned with a six pack, but that wasn’t Nick’s type. He
liked guys who were a little on the soft side. Made it easier to cuddle at
night.

Then again, the last time he even had the choice to do
something like that was
before
he
enlisted. That was maybe twelve years ago, when he was eighteen.

And truthfully, while Daniel was a breath of fresh air
that Nick hadn’t quite expected, this entire situation had been new, uncharted
territory for him. It’d been much easier when he didn’t really have much of a
dating pool to consider because it was always missions first, emotions last.
Sex was something to help calm yourself down. One night stands were the status
quo. You headed to town, you fucked with a local, you left by dawn. Emotions
didn’t really have much to do with the equation, until, of course, he’d decided
to go back to civilian life just a few months back.

Well, inasmuch as he
could
be back in civilian life, anyway. Some things never really
changed, not when they’ve been ingrained into you since basic training.
Discipline was one of those things, and Nick felt like he had been so
undisciplined.

He also didn’t appreciate the fact that he had to lie.
He liked being candid, but with his line of work? That wasn’t exactly a good
idea.

Nick took a few minutes to walk toward the brownstone
home his friend, Caleb, had been given by his uncle. A four story home that was
basically a large mansion, it could house close to sixteen people comfortably.
It was sturdy and comfortable and had the bones of an old house, yet fixed up
with modern day accoutrements, but maybe that was just the effect of having
been working on it little by little for the past couple of months.

It was secluded enough from their neighbors,
especially considering they lived closer to the lake and close by a copse of
trees. Not to mention the fact that there was a covered pool in the back and a
guesthouse built right in. Their battalion really lucked out at finding the
property. Or rather, Caleb was lucky that his uncle was basically giving him
the hous
e
, and they could do a lot of the construction themselves. Money saved
for a rainy day was important, after all, especially now that they were
technically civilians. On the outside, anyway.

When their unit all decided to leave military life
together, the idea of drifting apart became difficult. They’d gone through a
lot of tough times together, worked in a lot of missions together. They felt
basically like brothers, and being in the same vicinity as those five other
dudes felt as normal to Nick as breathing. To be apart from them after all
they’d been through was a tough sell for any one of them.

Nick strode in through the patio and the entranceway
to see one of his friends right in the living room just like earlier. Still, of
course, working on soundproofing the walls. Three others were sitting by the
breakfast counter, watching some cartoon that was playing on the TV that hung
on the wall.

Yeah, the brownstone was basically a four story
bachelor pad. Six dudes living in a single house? It was bound to happen at one
point or another. But what was even more interesting was the fact that all the
people who lived in this brownstone mansion were some form of trained soldier,
all with their own specializations. Nick, for example, was the close-quarters
combat expert. He was often the one tapped for escort or extraction missions
because of that. Close-quarters combat was no joke, and he’d learned from the
best. Those missions were definitely in his wheelhouse.

Kristian Guillory, the blond brick-house soundproofing
the walls without a shirt on, for example, was the explosives and demolitions
expert. There wasn’t a bomb he didn’t know how to detonate, defuse, or make.
Aside from that, he had a good aim and was crafty with his surroundings, like a
regular handyman. He was always the one who liked to get things done rather
than talking about them, so oftentimes he’d be the first one up in the
mornings, doing stuff around the house before the crack of dawn.

“
Could you guys turn that shit down?” Kristian said. “I’m trying to do
something here.”

“
Yeah, but your hammering is giving me a headache,” Caleb replied as he
grabbed a spoonful of sugary cereal and stuffed it into his mouth with a loud
crunch. “You really need to do that at ten in the morning?”

Caleb Lockhart, the man who actually owned the house
they were all freeloading in, was eating a large bowl of cereal with what
seemed to be a mischievous grin on his face. He ran a hand down his shaggy
auburn-colored hair, and his deep green eyes twinkled as he spoke. Ever since
leaving the utilitarian buzz-cuts of the military, Caleb had really embraced
this whole civilian spiel by becoming even more of a jokester. Still, he was
one of the best snipers Nick had the pleasure of knowing.

“
It’s not my fault you all woke up late,” Kristian answered. “Why don’t
you get up off your asses and fix shit? Our Wi-Fi’s still down, the guesthouse
needs a fresh coat of paint, most of the rooms still need soundproofing, and we
need someone to clean out the pool filters.”

“
I’m on it! The Wi-Fi, I mean,” Pace piped up as he stuffed a slice of
white bread in his mouth and took a large bite, before flipping back a strand
of his light brown hair. “Let me just finish watching this cartoon.”

Nick shook his head, placing a hand on his temple.
Pace Frost was definitely the resident IT guy around here, in spite of the fact
that he wasn’t really an IT guy in the least. He spent a lot of time on his
computer or on his phone, but only when he wasn’t fiddling with cars, or tanks,
or helicopters. He was the guy you called in when you needed the big guns. Not
only was he an excellent pilot, after all, but he knew exactly how to work most
weaponry systems of aircrafts, boats, even tanks. Pace had always been the
engineer, taking care of—and driving—whatever vehicle or transport they’d been
lent, and he rivaled Kristian in his handiness. Now, if he weren’t always
playing on his cell phone, or one of those handheld consoles, he’d actually be
handier. Not that anyone could complain about his work when it came time for a
mission.

“
What are you guys watching, anyway?” Nick piped up suddenly. “Oh, by the
way, Caleb, your uncle has some leftover mail. Might want to send it his way.”

“
Cool, leave it over there and I’ll send them later when I head into the
city for the day.” Caleb then gobbled up yet another spoonful of cereal with a
loud crunch. “Captain Hennessey called me in. Might be a mission.”

“
Yeah? When’ll you be back?” Nick asked.

Caleb shrugged. “Dossier says it’s basic threat
neutralization. But isn’t it always? Might be out by the end of the week if all
goes well.”

“
Anyone you want in particular for back-up?” Damian piped up from the
side, after securing a nail into the wall.

“
Gabrieli is out on his own mission, and Frost is coming with me anyway,”
Caleb turned to Pace, who only nodded. “So maybe tell Pereira that he’s gonna
be my back-up just in case?”

Gianluca Gabrieli and Angelo Pereira were what they
called the “grunts”. Oftentimes they were the people who stood between the
mission’s success or failure, if only because they were the ones who could go
into a dangerous situation with guns blazing. Keen eyes, true aim, and a
penchant for tactics and strategy made the two operatives some of the best at
their work.

It also helped that Angelo was intimidating as fuck,
and Luca was pretty good at slipping past undetected for someone as large as he
was. Then again, they were all pushing above six feet tall. He fit in just fine
with the rest of the guys.

All in all, the six of them made up Unit Alpha.
Technically hired with full backing from the government, the less paper trail
that led back to their Unit, the better. And though they were also technically
black ops, Unit Alpha was also basically a mercenary unit that only took work
on a contractual basis. They always had the choice of backing out, and doing
what they wanted to do in their downtime.

“
You’re not bringing me?” Nick placed a hand on his chest, faking offense
and sticking his lower lip out like some sort of sad puppy. Maybe it would have
worked, if Nick wasn’t built like a brick house.

“
Thought you wanted to keep your work Stateside for now? That’s what you
told me, something about missing sleeping in a single bed for a long period of
time,” Caleb answered back, grinning. Nick nodded. Right, there was that. “How
was neighborhood recon?”

“
Can’t just call it meeting the neighbors?” Nick muttered, raising an
eyebrow.

Caleb rolled his eyes and stared right at Nick. “You
know what I mean.”

Nick sighed contentedly and walked on over to the
nearby couch, plopping down into one of the seats and looking up at the
television just in time to see one of the cartoon gags and canned laughter
being played in the background.

Nick then turned back to Caleb, eyes wandering over
the entire kitchen space. They’d done good work, but the house was nowhere near
done. The living room and the dining room was all just one big open space. The
only partition the kitchen had to the living room was a counter, and that’s
where everyone was. They didn’t really even have a dining table.

But then again, it suited them just fine. Meals were
shared, and they often ate in front of the television. Besides, they were only
about two months into fixing up the house, anyway. When they finally had some
time to themselves, they could probably fix up their home.

“
Nah, man, totally don’t know what you mean,” Nick shot back, grinning.
“But meeting the neighbors was good. Lady next door is really nice. She invited
us to a barbecue this Sunday. His son is cute, too.”

“
Well, shit, and here I am out on a mission,” Caleb sighed. “That’s some
Southern hospitality though if there ever was! Barbecue’s gonna be delicious,
though. I’m guessing she’s probably gonna be marinating ribs and steaks for
hours…”

“
More importantly,” Pace piped up suddenly, taking another huge bite of
the slice of bread he was eating. “You found someone
cute
? Well, hell. Didn’t think you’d go prowling around so fast.”

“
Yeah. He’s our next door neighbor’s son. He’s adorable. We’re going on a
date tomorrow. Nothing big,” Nick replied, trying his best to keep his cool and
calm despite the fact that he had a burgeoning smile slowly spreading on his
face. “His name’s Daniel.”

Just the merest thought of seeing Daniel in his mind’s
eye brought a smile to his face. The young man was really very cute, what with
his strawberry blond-colored hair and grey eyes. He was a little on the
chubbier side, but Nick liked that. He
really
liked that.

Kristian chuckled from the other room. He peeked out
from the other room, slinging his shirt over his shoulder. “Just be careful not
to maul him and toss him aside.”

And Nick would have had a pretty good answer for that,
were it not for the sudden interruption from Pace.

“
Oh, hang on, before we get into whether or not you’re going to wrestle
Kristian into the ground right now,” Pace suddenly said, gesturing at Nick as
though he’d just done something gross.

Did he look
that
rabid? Maybe.

Pace pulled out of his chair and went straight for the
side table where they laid their keys and their mail. And the occasional
mission dossier. “You’ve got a missive from the captain, too. Here’s the
dossier he wanted you to have. It’s a local one. In fact, it’s right here in
Austin, so you won’t even need to move an inch.”

“
Oh. That usually means it’s just some corporate bigwig who got too big
for his britches,” Caleb said. “Unless it’s some mass murderer out on the loose
and on a spree, or something, and they want him taken out quietly before the
media catches a whiff.”

Nick sighed. Well, that was quick. Barely a month into
their move and they were already being pulled at either direction. He didn’t
even think they had a day where they could all be there back at home. But such
was the life they led. “Either way, still a crappy assignment. Both are
probably sociopaths, but on very different ends of the spectrum. One just knows
how to play the game.”

Both Caleb and Pace nodded grimly. Nick took the
dossier out of Pace’s hands and went to read it quickly.

It seemed pretty standard, as far as threat
neutralization missions went. It was for a multibillion dollar company that was
a front for some money embezzlement scheme or some kind of money funneling
scam, but it had stakes in multiple business ventures that started popping up
and doing well in the past few years. No paper trail, and there was suspected
money laundering, some racketeering, and at the heart of it all was a family
that seemed to have been slowly fading into obscurity just as much as their
pockets were being lined with more and more money. That usually meant something
shady was going on. The more money they accumulated, the more untouchable they
were by the law. Usually, people with more money were in the public eye more
often than this.