Forged in Steele (KGI #7)(42)

CHAPTER 16

STEELE dropped his bag inside the KGI war room and impatiently scanned the room for Sam and Garrett. Their mission had been extended by a few days because of unforeseen complications and he was more than ready to report in and get the hell out. Maren likely thought he’d bailed on her entirely, and he was eager to prove her wrong by returning as he’d promised.

Donovan “Van” Kelly dropped his bag next to Steele’s and rubbed a hand through his hair. Van had gone with them, not surprisingly. The mission had involved recovering two abducted children who had been held for ransom. Van had a soft spot a mile long and a mile wide for women and children, and he participated in every mission having to do with either, but especially kids.

Steele had thought many times that he was surprised Van hadn’t already settled down and had a brood of children. Instead, he was one of only two Kelly brothers who hadn’t married or started having families.

The rest of Steele’s team straggled in behind him and Van. They all looked tired and in need of some downtime. Though Van was notorious for his soft spot for children, the fact was that whenever children were at stake, his team’s emotions became more involved. It was never easy to know they might find the worst when going after a kidnapped child.

Fortunately for them, this time the children had been safely recovered. Their father, a wealthy businessman in New York City, had been targeted, despite his high security measures, and his two children had been kidnapped from school when their nanny had gone with the security detail assigned to the children to pick them up.

The nanny had been shot and was even now in critical condition. One of the guards had taken a bullet to his vest and one of the other men had been killed when he’d attempted to fire on the kidnappers.

It was a clusterf*ck from the word go, and the kidnappers had made it clear they’d kill the children in a very bloody fashion if the money wasn’t handed over.

Once Steele, along with Van and his team had retrieved the children, they’d been tied up for days with red tape and the FBI. It chapped Steele’s ass, but only when Adam Resnick, their shadowy CIA contact, had pulled some strings, had the dust settled and Steele’s team been released to go on their way.

The media had a field day, saying a top secret “government” agency specializing in the retrieval of abducted children had been commissioned to go in and take the kidnappers out. Thankfully, the FBI was more than willing to take the credit for the mission. Had it gone wrong, Steele wasn’t under any misconception that they wouldn’t have been quick to point the finger.

But the kids’ father had called in KGI. He knew who had gotten his kids out and he’d paid the hefty fee along with expressing his heartfelt thanks to Steele and his team. Steele shoved off and had let Sam take the gratitude. That wasn’t his thing. He liked it better when he worked in anonymity.

And now, he just wanted to be done with the whole thing so he could take the R and R he’d tried to take before. Only this time, he was going to make it clear that unless the world was going to end, he wasn’t taking a mission for at least a month. An entire month with Maren in Costa Rica? Now that the idea had taken root, he was obsessed with seeing it to the end. He was already imagining their evenings together in her garden. And the nights in her bed.

For the first time ever, he had a place to go after a mission. He had other interests other than retreating to his farmhouse and spending his time in solitude. And he liked it. He was eager to spend time with Maren. If he could only hurry the process along with Sam and Garrett. Maybe he could dump the mission report on Van. He’d been there and had taken just as active a role as Steele or any of his team.

He turned to Van as they waited for Sam to get off the phone. Whatever it was Sam was discussing, it wasn’t good and he wanted no part of it. Garrett stood right next to Sam so he could hear what was going on and his expression didn’t look any better than Sam’s.

“Can you tag this one?” he asked Van. “I’ve got places to be.”

Van wasn’t the only one who gave Steele a surprised look. Dolphin, who was right behind Steele and Donovan, arched both eyebrows but remained silent.

“Yeah I’ve got it. You and your team can head out.”

“I’m off the books for the next month,” Steele said shortly. “My team needs the downtime. I need the downtime. Rio can draw the next mission and if he can’t, Nathan and Joe can take it. They’re ready.”

“Steele, I need you to hang out a minute,” Sam called from several feet away.

Steele glanced up to see Sam holding the phone down from his mouth while he stared intently in Steele’s direction. His expression was grim and his entire body was tense. Shit.

“I’m late for some overdue downtime,” Steele said.

Sam held up his hand. “I know,” he said quietly. “But this is important. I wouldn’t hold you up if it weren’t.”

Steele’s team shifted behind him, already in warrior mode. They all tensed, ready to hear what was going down. And he liked that about them. Always ready for action. Alert and attentive. But not now, goddamn it. Sam’s timing sucked ass.

Steele sighed in resignation and then turned to Van. “Guess I’ll give him the report if I have to stick around.”

Van shot him a curious look. “Everything okay with you, man? Not used to seeing you . . . agitated.”