Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

" F uck!" Koa swore as Jerico walked into the briefing room the next day.

Without answering that unwelcoming greeting, Jerico slapped his back as he walked past to sit in the empty seat.

"I thought you'd be home with…"

"Be careful what you say or imply. My Little is at home sleeping. I warned her I would be gone in the morning when she woke up," Jerico interrupted Koa before his teammate could say something that would irrevocably change their relationship.

"You're a Daddy Dom," Caden stated firmly.

"Yes," Jerico answered without hesitating. His team would either accept how he was wired, or not. It had been his personal observation that many of the men involved in high levels of the armed forces were dominant. From the nods and grins of the others, he guessed they'd accept him.

"I have a favor to ask. Could we take a break midmorning and go grab all my Little's stuff from her apartment?"

"We could use that as a training maneuver," Caden stated immediately. "Want to brief us on any situations we might encounter?"

"She lives next to that jerk who threatened her last night," Jerico explained. "We got everything important from her apartment last night, but need to clear out the last of her furniture and things."

"Do we need to request a truck?" Caden asked.

"That would save time. She doesn't have a lot, but it might take two trips in cars," Jerico answered.

Caden pulled out his phone and started navigating through screens. "Meeting with the brass today. Take notes. Let Jerico talk for us," he ordered, looking up from his device to make eye contact with each member of the team. No one argued.

When five high-ranking officers walked in, everyone stood and saluted. The officers returned the gesture and waved the team back into their seats. They each grabbed a pen and a pad of paper from the stack of supplies in the center of the table. With military precision, the officers shared information about procedures and efficiency.

Koa stiffened at the implication that the team would squander anything. He opened his mouth and closed it with a snap when each member of his team except Jerico sent him a ‘shut up' look. As the man Caden had put in the hot seat, Jerico had simply watched Koa with his peripheral vision without reacting, knowing the team would take care of it. Jerico was already responding professionally to address their concerns and suggest better ways to resolve each problem.

Jerico knew immediately that this was going to be a long, difficult meeting that would require him to think as fast as possible to consider all implications of each line item on their list. If those new procedures got by in the current form, the team's hands would be shackled by regulations that would interfere with each mission they were sent to complete, putting them at risk.

Three hours later, he pushed back from the table to stand and shake his fellow officers' hands. Jerico could feel the positivity wafting toward him from his team. The men across the wooden surface were pleased as well. Jerico hid his mental exhaustion from everyone as he'd been trained to do. Never show weakness.

"Ready to go clear out your Little's apartment?" Caden asked.

"I'm definitely ready to get out of this room," Jerico agreed.

"I'm ready to move around. Sitting there watching Jerico dance around all those disastrous plans was exhausting," Zale added. "Thank you for skillfully maintaining our supplies. The proposed cut to medical supplies alone could have been dangerous."

"I'm glad to help. We each have our skills," Jerico told the team, making eye contact with each one.

"That's why you've talked individually to everyone," Max guessed. "You expected that."

"It happens every time a new team leader comes on," Caden informed them. "Jerico was ready for them. They won a few points and are pleased. We maintained what we need to survive."

The other members of the team nodded and exchanged a look between them.

Jerico knew that he'd just gained one more level of support. After they'd trained together, the team had accepted him. Now after watching him in action on their behalf on the base, the others knew he had their backs. The last step would happen in deployment. Jerico had no doubts that he would prove himself there as well.

"Shall we go empty the apartment? After all that, I'd be glad to deal with a bully," Hank shared.

"Koa, go grab the truck from supply," Caden ordered.

The youngest man took off jogging through the halls. He'd have the truck parked at the curb in a few minutes. Jerico paused to take a picture of his notes during the meeting. Caden pushed his over, and Jerico nodded. With those stored in his phone, he tucked the sheets inside his shirt to deal with later.

Trailing behind his teammates, Jerico breathed a sigh of relief to have that finalized for a while. He stopped to use the restroom and ran into Hank, who'd had the same idea. Jerico stepped up to a urinal.

"You're not the only one," Hank said to him as he zipped his pants and stepped away to wash his hands.

"Not the only what?" Jerico said.

Hank grabbed a paper towel before sharing, "I had a little girl years ago. If she's really yours, cherish every moment together." Without another word, he dropped the used towel into the trash and walked out.

Jerico's heart dropped as he considered those words. Hank had lost his little girl somehow—obviously not by his choice. Jerico couldn't imagine the hole such a loss would leave in a daddy's heart. Nodding, he made a promise to himself to take Hank's advice.

After washing his hands, he walked to the front entrance and exited. Piling into the truck with the others, Jerico gave Koa directions to Aspen's apartment. The other men joked and talked as they moved through the city. Jerico was quiet as he planned his strategy to deal with her neighbor if he was there.

"Is that it ahead?" Zale asked, pointing at the duplex that currently featured a large man getting out of a beat-up car.

"Yes. Looks like our good luck is over," Jerico commented.

"Try not to engage, everyone. We're here to do a job. Keep your eyes open," Caden warned.

Koa backed the truck into the driveway and the men jumped out. Jerico took the key he'd borrowed from Aspen and walked to the front door, ignoring the brute who stationed himself in front of it. As Jerico moved around him, the man lurched into action.

"Where's that bitch? She has my dog." He turned to loom threateningly close to Jerico.

"She's moved out. We're here to empty the apartment for the landlord," Jerico answered evenly.

"You're the asshole who stood up for her last night."

"I am."

"I should knock your head off your shoulders."

"That's not a good idea," Jerico warned, nodding at the men who had followed him to the door. He opened the door and waved everyone in.

"Needed backup, huh?"

"Definitely more power makes moving easier." Jerico deliberately closed the door in the angry man's face. "Everyone, take a room and let's get everything cleared out. If you see a mess, clean it up, please. I don't want Aspen to have to come back to work on getting her deposit back."

The roar at the door made everyone turn to look at the wooden barrier.

"Do I see daylight through the wood?" Max asked, appalled.

"You do." Jerico shook his head at the incredulous look on the other man's face. It was hard to believe that Aspen had lived like this.

"He's angry about a dog?" Zale asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yes. But he would have found another excuse to create havoc for her," Jerico assured.

With that, the men began to work. They efficiently emptied each room and stacked the few possessions left by the door in large trash bags. Each room sparkled as they left it.

Within an hour, they were left with garbage and things to go into the truck.

"I'm going to open the door. Be prepared," Zale said, picking up the first load to go to the dumpster.

He opened the door to find Aspen's neighbor sitting in a lawn chair with a baseball bat over his thighs. Zale ignored him completely as he walked to the dumpster a short distance away. The others followed his lead and carried the furniture out.

Jerico hoisted the twin mattress he'd found on the floor. Her bed deserved a trip to the dumpster. Aspen wouldn't be sleeping on the lumpy padding again. As he maneuvered the bulky item through the door, the neighbor stood and walked forward with the bat over his shoulder.

"You're going to tell me where she is," he said threateningly.

"That's not going to happen." Dismissing him, Jerico cleared the doorway and headed to add the mattress to the pile for trash pickup.

A strong shove to the mattress almost knocked him off his feet. Tightening his core, Jerico regained his balance and dropped the load. He shifted instantly into battle readiness. His teammates continued to carry things to the truck. They obviously felt he could take care of the situation. Jerico hid a smile that would have inflamed the situation.

"There are six to one. You might do some damage, but you will lose. If I had to guess, the neighbors are ready to call the police. They kept you last night for ten hours. How long do you think they'd hold you this time if you're returned in less than two hours?"

The man's nostrils flared, and Jerico knew he'd be lucky if the man made the right decision here. Zale stopped and picked up the mattress off the ground as the men stared at each other. Jerico stayed in his spot, holding the man's attention as his teammates finished emptying the house.

"We're done," Caden said quietly.

Jerico handed him the key and waited until he heard the all clear. "Forget her," he warned.

"She's got my dog."

"She's got her dog. You lost rights to that dog the first time you hurt the defenseless animal," Jerico told him.

He turned to walk to the truck and found the men waiting for him. Nodding his appreciation of their backup, Jerico climbed into the truck. When the others joined him, Koa drove away. The team communication expert kept track of Eddie in the rearview mirror.

"I thought he was going to attack," Koa confessed.

"He's got something else up his sleeve," Jerico said, as he texted Aspen to let her know they had her things and were headed to his house. He added a special instruction:

Take off Rexy's collar and submerge it in water in the sink.

She sent him back a thumbs up.