One of my
series—Black Eagle Ops—has a former SEAL as its commander. Zane Quinlan’s ranch
in the Hill Country of Texas is the team’s headquarters. In former books, ZQ
was a bit of a matchmaker for his former servicemen and women who came to Black
Eagle Ranch. Most brought along their snarly attitudes and PTSD. Some their new
limbs. All packed their enduring patriotic spirits.
I took a
chance writing these books in three point-of-views: the heroine’s, the hero’s,
and ZQ’s. Soon I started getting emails from readers. “When would ZQ get his
romance and his mother, known as Junebug, the grandchildren she wanted so
badly?”
ZQ’s story
would have to be special. He’d been married to the military, retired and
returned to the ranch when he learned his dad had cancer, and continued running
the spread as his former team slowly trickled in for a quiet place to heal.
Desiree Holt
was gathering authors for her next twelve Omega Team release for Kindle Worlds.
I asked if I could bring my Black Eagle Ops men along. She agreed.
Running boots sounded behind him. “ZQ! Wait up.”
Dammit! Can’t I
have a few effingg minutes to myself to process?
JJ grabbed his other hand and took his pulse. “Are you
feeling okay? You’re so pale? Athena yelled for me, said you stumbled around
and seemed disoriented. That’s not like you. Pulse is rapid. Skin clammy.” He
passed ZQ a bottle of water. “Drink.” He glanced around and pointed to the park
across the street. “Let’s grab a bench.”
He shook his head and walked on. “Nah. I’m good. Just
need some fresh air.”
JJ matched him stride for stride. “You know, ZQ, you
can’t bullshit an old bullshitter. Do you know how many times I’ve told people
I was fine when I was a heartbeat away from ripping things apart? I’m getting a
strong vibe you’re hanging on by a thread. What’s wrong?” JJ grabbed his
commander’s elbow and marched him across the street to the quiet park.
“I’ve just been hit with some unexpected news and need
a break from everyone to think.” Maybe JJ would take the hint and go away.
“Good thing I’m not everyone, ZQ. I have secrets only
you know. So I’m willing to listen to yours and keep them to myself. That’s the
kind of brothers we are, man. Salt and pepper.”
“Not in the mood for sharing. Not yet.” Why would Rose name her kid after the name I
used with her? Is her child mine? He did some quick math calculations. “Did you hear me? Go back to Grey’s place.”
“Not happening. You need someone to talk to. What made
you go pale? Athena said you scared the crap outta her. I get the feeling it
takes a lot to rattle that woman.”
What the hell. He and JJ had talked about a lot of
stuff during the time he’d been at the ranch. After gulping a long drink of
water, he leaned back on the bench and took a deep breath. “I’m a sexual
Dominant.”
“Yeah, the team’s already figured that much out.”
“My enjoyment of a little kink is none of the team’s
business. Once I was assigned to SEAL
Team Five, based out of Coronado, I joined a BDSM club there. I mostly did
scenes, always keeping my eye out for a favorite. You know, someone whose kink
matched mine.” ZQ smiled and hitched a shoulder.
“Then one night, I met Rose. We meshed like ice cream
and chocolate syrup. Because of my rank and level of security I held, I’d
bastardized my last name. Everyone at the club knew me simply as Quinn. Looks
like Rose did the same with her last name.”
JJ placed his elbows on his spread thighs and hung his
head. “Don’t tell me. Ivy Rosemoor is your
Rose? Hell, man, are you gonna be able to keep your mind focused on the
mission?”
“I’ll have to to bring her back.” He tipped the bottle
to his mouth and guzzled some more.
“Let me check your pulse again.” JJ pressed two
fingers against ZQ’s neck. “It’s not as rapid. What broke you two up?”
“She knew I was a SEAL. I’d told her that much, but
not that I was a team commander. You know how that shit works, the higher I
rose in rank, the more confidential information I was privy to. I didn’t want
to leave my security clearance open or vulnerable. Initially she told me she
was a college student, but I thought she was a little old for that.” He
shrugged. “I just figured we both had details we needed to keep private.
“Later she told me she was a law student, preparing to
take her bar exams. She told me in confidence. Some people worry about being
blackmailed because of their sexual lifestyle. Don’t know if it’s ever happenes,
but—”
ZQ glanced away and exhaled a long breath. “Everything
was great between us. Then orders came for Team Five to go to Afghanistan to
take out a group of Taliban hiding in the mountains of Hindu Kush. I had a
separate phone I used only for Rose. I gave her one for me. This kept our
relationship totally separate from our public lives. We liked being in our own
private cocoon.
“I texted her that my job was taking me away for a
while and I didn’t know when I’d be back. I told her to always remember how
much she meant to me. Then I texted her after our arrival and told her we were
in the back half-acre of hell, setting up camp. I asked her if she missed me
and to send me a selfie.”
ZQ stretched his long legs and took a deep breath.
“Eager for her reply, I put the phone on a pile of rocks near our command tent
where we had intermittent wireless Internet. I turned and saw Two Packs needed
help digging a hole for the latrine.” He closed his eyes hoping to block out
the memory. A futile exercise. ZQ had run to help because having a shitter was
a necessity. A volley of gunfire had gone off. He dove into the hole and his
buddy’s lifeless body had fallen on top of him.
“We used to tell Two Packs his smoking would kill
him,” JJ spoke with reverence. “Instead it was a group of Taliban snipers.”
ZQ shook off the memory of lifting his man’s body out
of the way so he could return fire. It was a tense ten minutes that seemed
short in one way and eternal in another. He and two of his men had received
minor wounds.
“Yeah, the bastards shot up my phone, too. The trouble
with speed dial is you never memorize the person’s phone number. My connection
to Rose was gone.”
