Ruthless Game (GhostWalkers, #9)(111)
It was the first time any of them had complimented her that way. Kane endlessly told her how beautiful she was, but no one had mentioned her abilities in the field. No matter how hard she’d tried, how much she embraced the things they taught her, how fast she learned, or how many times she hit the target without a miss, no one had commented. She tried not to let the glow she felt show on her face. These women—and Kane’s team members—viewed their lives matter-of-factly. They didn’t give compliments; they took it for granted that if you trained and worked with them, that you were elite.
She found herself smiling. They’d accepted her not only into their family but as a member of their squad. She should have known. She had never been told she’d done a good job, she’d never been praised. If she succeeded or excelled at something, she moved on to the next task. Sometimes she felt being a soldier was bred in her bones, the very legacy Whitney wanted for her son. It was who she was, what she was, and she would never know anything different ... But Sebastian was going to have a choice, if she could possibly give it to him.
“Hey!” Jaimie threw her arm around Rose’s neck. “Stop thinking so much. We’re out here having fun. I want to go to that wicked cool boutique just down the street. I can’t believe I live next to it. It has the hottest boots of all time.”
“Of all time?” Rhianna’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ve got to see that. I’ve been around the world and visited every shoe shop I could find along the way. This shop has a lot of competition.”
“I love the boots you sent me from Milan.” Jaimie dropped her arm and walked in front of Rose, turning to walk backward so she could face her as she talked. “Rhianna and I both adore boots.”
“She has boot emergencies,” Rhianna explained. “Every now and then I get a frantic SOS from her, and wherever I am, I go out and find her a pair of supercute boots.”
Rose laughed. “I wear combat boots.”
Jaimie rolled her eyes and dropped back to her side. Rhianna closed in on the other side. “We noticed,” Jaimie said. “Hence the boot boutique. Seriously, Rose, you need us. We’re going to show you the true code all women should live by.”
“A pair of boots?” Rose asked skeptically.
Rhianna and Jaimie looked at each other and then burst out laughing, shaking their heads. “Not just a pair of boots,” Jaimie corrected. “The boots. Hot boots.”
Rose frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Just say it,” Rhianna advised. She leaned close to Rose and whispered in her ear. “Fuck-me boots.”
Rose’s mouth fell open in a gasp. “You two are terrible.”
“Try walking up to Kane in the boots we find you and nothing else,” Rhianna advised. “See what happens.”
“I think the same thing would happen if I walked up to him naked,” Rose pointed out.
Jaimie and Rhianna laughed again. “I think you’re right,” Jaimie said, “but it’s so fun to see that look in his eyes when you come striding in and sit on his lap. He’s so very appreciative.”
Rose bowed. “I’m willing to take direction.”
“Every woman should have a sexy red dress in her closet,” Rhianna added solemnly. “And a black one. It’s not only necessary to your soul but to your arsenal. And so are very hot boots.”
Rose laughed. “However did I survive without knowing this?”
“I have no idea,” Jaimie conceded. “But thankfully, you’re with us now, and we can show you the way.”
Rose looked down at her combat boots. “I can see I have a lot to learn.”
Jaimie touched Rose’s arm, and they moved into the shadows just outside the store, Jaimie positioning herself just in front of Rose, partially hiding her from the crowds of people on the street.
Rhianna didn’t break stride. Entering store now. Dove is outside. Eagle, it’s on you.
Roger that. Gideon’s voice was calm. She’s covered.
Rose choked back a protest at the ghastly name they’d given her. That had to be Kane’s idea of her. She was no dove, no matter that he persisted in underestimating her abilities—until they were in actual combat.
Mama Bear is much more appropriate!
Jaimie’s muffled laughter followed by Rhianna’s snort as she pulled open the door to the boutique and disappeared inside changed her mind. They were teasing her, offering her the tight camaraderie that only came when you relied on another to watch your back in a life-and-death situation.
It was only a minute before Rhianna spoke again. All clear.
Jaimie stepped forward and pulled open the door. Rose went through, and they were inside. Immediately they were just women again, having fun shopping for shoes. Rose found it comforting that the other two women slipped easily in and out of their roles. It meant she had a chance, someday, to be able to walk through a crowd and feel normal. If she could achieve that, maybe Sebastian had a chance after all.
The shoes were amazing. She’d never paid any attention at all to shoes, and now Rhianna and Jaimie were pointing out everything from elegant heels to really beautiful boots.
“You’ve got the money,” Jaimie pointed out. “Lily put money in a trust for each of the girls she grew up with. That includes you, Rose. It’s just sitting there. Granted, we’re using big bucks to buy up all the buildings around us and renovate them, but you have plenty to purchase a few special items for yourself. Like these awesome, never-to-be-found-again boots right here.” She held up a pair of butter-soft leather boots in a swirling olive green with a square cut toe and a bit of a heel. “What do you think?”