Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
My thoughts shift abruptly as I read through the rest of the file. I’ll also be spending time alone with Briar. I scan her address and the contact number for her parents. They want me to meet her at her job and then bring her to my place. My place?
The meeting wraps up, and I grab the file, heading out of the room with it clutched tightly in my hands.
“Asher, can you hang back a minute?” Dean calls out as I shut the door behind me.
Boone turns to the group. “We all need to catch up soon. It was a blast last time.”
My foggy brain struggles to reconcile the idea of a fun night with the guys and the serious task of protecting Briar. I just stand there, half-listening as the guys chat about planning another get-together.
“Maybe once I’m done with this assignment, we can do a guys’ poker night,” I suggest, trying to sound casual.
“I’m down with that,” Ranger replies, his trademark cocky attitude evident in his voice. “Of course, I want to play again.”
I can’t help but smile slightly at this. Motherfucker stole all our money last time we had a poker night. I still remember losing three hundred bucks to that card shark.
Ranger’s laughter cuts through my thoughts. “I’d love some more free money,” he jokes, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“No way. I’m not playing poker with this guy again,” Lincoln mutters, barely above a whisper. Lincoln’s the giant silent type—one of those stoic figures who keeps to himself. I don’t know him well, and honestly, neither does anyone else. “Besides, my job isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”
Ranger gives Lincoln a friendly slap on the shoulder, his grin widening. “I figured as much when Dean brought you in before everyone else. Must be a tough gig.”
Lincoln merely nods, his expression unreadable. He sighs deeply. “It’s Isabel. Dean’s sister. She’s being threatened.”
That jolts me fully awake. Isabel is like family to us—one of the guys, really. We’d all put our lives on the line to protect her, just as we would for each other.
“Who’s behind it?” Boone asks, his voice tight with the same fury I’m feeling.
Lincoln shrugs, his face a mask of frustration. “Not sure yet. Dean’s got some leads. My job is to keep Isabel safe while he sorts it out.”
“Good luck with that,” I say with a forced laugh. “I’m sure she’s thrilled about this.” Knowing Isabel, I’m sure she’s not. She’s a tough chick, a real badass, like her brother.
Just then, the sharp click of Isabel’s heels echoes through the hallway. The sound sets my nerves on edge. I imagine her frustration at being shielded, and I’m not keen on sticking around for the inevitable confrontation.
“Isabel on your six,” Boone says before bolting toward the elevator.
I quickly hit the elevator button, eager to escape before the real fireworks start. I’ve got to get to the Saint Pierce Zoo and focus on my own assignment.
Chapter 2
Briar
“Did you hear?” my best friend, Heidi, says, her eyes scanning my face.
I brace myself, already guessing what’s coming. “If you’re about to tell me they filled the bird trainer spot with an outside hire, I might just scream.”
Heidi’s face falls flat. “Okay, I won’t tell you then.” She starts tapping away on her phone, obviously scanning the dating app she’s on.
I slump into the chair in the break room of the Saint Pierce Zoo Bird Aviary. This place—the largest open-air Asian aviary in the Western Hemisphere—is where I’ve dreamed of working as a bird trainer for as long as I can remember. It’s an important role here; training some of the rarest birds in the world for the zoo’s educational shows is a big deal.
I’ve been chasing this job for a year, only to be consistently overlooked. Right now, I’m stuck with cleaning cages and handling other menial tasks that the zookeepers usually avoid.
“I can’t believe they hired someone else,” I mutter, the disappointment heavy in my voice.
Heidi tucks her phone into her handbag and settles down beside me, her big brown eyes locking onto mine with a mix of sympathy and determination. “They’re idiots,” she says, her voice firm. “Briar, you’re one of the best bird trainers I’ve ever seen. I mean, who else would take in a rescue parrot and teach him how to speak?”
I nod, the mention of Jeb, the Congo African Grey parrot I’ve been working with, tugging at my pride and frustration. “Jeb’s great and easy to train, but yeah, I don’t understand it either.”
Heidi leans in closer, her expression serious. “Listen, maybe you need to sit Marcie down and tell her how you really feel.”
I shake my head vehemently. “I can’t do that. No way.”
Marcie’s my boss, the head of what Heidi sarcastically calls the ‘grunts,’ and one of the toughest women I’ve ever met. She’s the no-nonsense, doesn’t-take-shit-from-anyone type. I once asked her for a day off to go to the beach, and she told me the beach wasn’t going anywhere and I could visit it when we weren’t in the middle of the busy season.