CALLEN (Second Chance Novels Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

looking for a gorgeous woman to accept a free drink and flirt with me for the next hour."
    Mason cracks up and I can only grin at Riggs and his big personality. He hasn't changed a bit.  
    "You!" he says, pointing to a red-head sitting at a high-top with several friends. "May I buy you a drink?"
    The girls at the table all giggle as the red-head shrugs and stands. Riggs jumps straight down from the bar and transitions into a perfect gentleman's bow.  
    "M'lady," he says as he kisses her knuckles. "Yon bar-keep will attend to your parchèdness with the libation of your choosing."
    "Margarita," she smiles in total amusement.
    Riggs turns to Ledger. "Good sir, a margarita for the lady of my life."
    Ledger shakes his head with a grin, and the rest of us make room for our new companion.  
    "Your name, m'lady?" Riggs asks grandly.
    "Holli Butler," she says with a smile.  
    "Holli," Riggs bows again, kissing her knuckles this time. "I shall ask you to sit on this stool and allow me to warm you with my arm."
    "Then I shall say yes," she speaks formally. "Thank you, kind sir."
    With a woman in his grip and a beer in his hand, Riggs grins like an idiot. "Ok, continue."
    I clap my hand on his shoulder. "God, I've missed you," I laugh.  
    Ledger refills my beer as I ask the question I've been wanting to ask since we invited these two to join us at Delta Security.
    "So what made you two leave the Army? I heard you left less than a year after Mason was discharged."  
    Spades speaks up for almost the first time.  
    "Politics," he said plainly. "Griff got promoted, and took out his hatred of Mason out on us. He bumped another team to top spot and made up stupid shit for us to deal with. When we became obsolete, service was pointless. We left."
    "Who's Griff?" Holli asks, joining in the conversation around us. Mason's face darkens a shade most wouldn't notice. Spades remains his stoic self, so I answer.
    "Griff is a grade-A asshole who destroyed most of the lives in his path, including ours."
    "Oh," Holli says more subdued at the new tone of the conversation.  
    Riggs forces us to keep the evening light, as usual. He lifts his glass high and announces grandly again, "To grade-A assholes!"
    Riggs continues his comedy routine, often drawing Holli closer. She obviously enjoys his attention, and flirts with him as promised. Suddenly Riggs points to the clock. "Your promised hour is up, m'lady."
    He sweeps her into his arms and dips her low where he proceeds to kiss her deeply. When he releases her, she laughs flirtatiously. Riggs kisses her knuckles.  
    "Have a lovely evening," he says in a gentlemanly way. He turns to us and asks plainly. "Who's couch am I sleeping on tonight?"
    Holli stands awkwardly. A mixture of surprise and insult plays across her face for being dismissed. I don't bother getting involved. He only asked for an hour anyway.  
    "You can crash at my place," I say. "Spades can stay with Mason. He won't bother the love birds as much as you would."
    Ledger shakes hands with the new members of our little society. Mason can't stop grinning as he grab's Spades' shoulder in a brotherly gesture.
    "I guess you're bunking with me tonight," Mason says. "No cuddling, though."
    Spades simply shrugs and follows Mason out the back entrance. I lead Riggs out the front door and to my Monte Carlo.  
    "You still drive this piece of shit?" he grins.  
    "A little respect," I mock offense. "She made a good mobile home for a while."
    He shakes his head and then looks at me. "Yeah. My truck was good at that, too."
    I smirk at the change in our circumstance over the last few years. I don't think any of us would have predicted the events that brought us all to Second Chance tonight. Second Chance. Hell of a concept.  
    Riggs and I stay up nearly all night filling each other in on the last few years. He spent much of his time like I did. Gambling, drinking, and women occupied his world.  
    "I did my morning PT on the side of the road," he