Brody: The Bang Shift Read Online Free Page B

against her more than once. He bit off a growl, which surprised him. So what if they found her attractive. She was a sexy woman. But Bear managed to help too, without molesting her in the process. Surely Blade and Hunter could manage that too. Roc and Gage kept working while Colonel talked to Bill. His son must’ve followed him out here because he sat in the car, waiting in the air-conditioning. Brody shook his head. Scott not only stood outside while Brody had hooked up the car, but also volunteered to help. Bill’s boy was probably the same age, if not older, and a worthless piece of shit.
    Whatever. It didn’t matter to him. He grabbed his portable tool case and stalked up to the garage as Scott got in the rental car and Xan glanced over at him.
    “Thanks for your help,” she said as she opened the door, keeping her eyes on him, making him just a little uncomfortable in his chest and a lot uncomfortable in his pants.
    He nodded once and turned away, focusing a little too much on putting his tools up. He couldn’t talk to her. He didn’t want to talk to her. That woman was off-limits. He didn’t see a ring on her finger, but she had a kid. That was strike one.
    And he knew her from somewhere. Strike two.
    Those were reasons enough for him to avoid her like the plague. He didn’t need a third.
    Thankfully, he heard two cars pulling out, and when he turned, she was gone. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was fucking ridiculous that he’d be avoiding a woman as if he were scared of her, but he had no choice. He would avoid her. The attraction was strong enough that he could’ve possibly talked himself into dumping his no-baggage rule where her kid was concerned. But the fact he knew her was a deal killer. She hadn’t acted as if she knew him, so that was good, but he couldn’t take the risk of her recognizing him before he could figure out why he knew her.
    And he may never know.
    Before he turned back to the tools, he saw Colonel watching him. Shit. He was caught staring after that woman. He didn’t need his boss busting his balls.
    Too late, he was headed this way.
    “What do you think of our lovely new citizen?”
    Brody shrugged as he wiped his hands.
    “That much, huh?” Colonel chuckled, then sobered. “I have a job for you,” he murmured.
    A job. That only meant one thing, and it wouldn’t involve vehicle repairs. He was referring to the side jobs he and the other mechanics did. The truth was Colonel’s handle was more than just a nickname for a boss. He was the leader of their secret mission group. Their team was a group of guys, all misfits he’d figured, who took on vigilante-type jobs the feds either didn’t want to do themselves or private citizens wanted done with no trace left behind. Whether their jobs were legal or not so much, they were always unsavory. The law looked the other way on their private gigs because they didn’t do anything they wouldn’t do—and hadn’t done—for the government.
    “Whatcha need?” This job was the perfect distraction. It’d give him something to focus his attention on besides that maddening woman.
    “Xan Bradley. That’s your new assignment.”
    * * * * *
    Xan spent Saturday morning unpacking their things and going through the stuff Agent Parsons had sent, making a list of what she still needed to get. The FBI always tried to do their best to make her comfortable when she and Scott had to move. It was the least they could do since she was the reason one of the men they’d sought was now behind bars. She’d only hope that Marco stayed that way.
    As she looked over her old and new clothes, she sighed. The comfortable, casual clothes from discount stores were a far cry from the designer, one-of-a-kind outfits Marco had wrapped her in. She’d been a trophy wife, so she had to look the part. Long, silky hair perfectly styled. Long, manicured fingernails—the real kind. He wouldn’t stand for fake nails, which was ridiculous since he’d been