Challenge Protocol Read online

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Challenge Protocol

  ISBN 9781419916014

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Challenge Protocol Copyright © 2008 Dawn Ryder

  Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower.

  Cover art by Syneca.

  Electronic book Publication March 2008

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/)

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  Challenge Protocol

  Dawn Ryder

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Ghillie Gear: Clifford P. Musler

  Gucci: Gucci America, Inc.

  iPod: Apple, Inc.

  Lagavulin: United Distillers & Vintners (ER) Limited Distillers House

  Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

  Chapter One

  “Don’t start, Cambria.”

  Cambria rolled her eyes at her friend. “So does that mean you’re actually going to take this assessment team breathing down your neck like you’ve done a lousy job instead of your boss taking his well-earned heat?”

  Mia tried to frown but she was too frustrated to pull off the expression completely. “It might turn out just fine.”

  Cambria swished her wine around the glass. “I’m not sure if I need to kick you or absorb some of your patience. If we could bottle that tolerance of yours, China Doll, we’d be set for life. Buddha has nothing on you.”

  Mia smiled so wide her eyes closed to slits. “See? My lousy boss is good for something. He’s made my spirit forgiving. Followers of Buddha spend years perfecting that trait. Thanks to Carl Burton, I’m on the fast track to mastering it.”

  Cambria lifted one eyebrow and aimed her best “get real” look at her friend. Mia was too sweet for her own good, and as a best friend it was Cambria’s duty to slap her into opening her eyes. Mia’s boss was a lazy pig who ran her like a sled dog and left her out in the snow once she’d pulled him to where he wanted to go.

  “If you mean he’s taught you humility, I agree. But you’re taking it to doormat level. That comment wasn’t supposed to make you happy.”

  Her friend’s mouth curved into a frown. Mia was perfect in every detail—petite, smooth complexion, straight teeth and a button nose. Her thighs actually fit into designer jeans and the little beaded harem-girl shoes on her feet were so tiny they looked cute. If she didn’t love the Asian chick, it would be nauseating.

  “It’s a good job.” Mia was trying to convince herself. Cambria had heard that tone before.

  “If I didn’t love you, I’d forget to point out that your boss has a good job. You have the scraps and you’re better than that. Worth a whole lot more. Being humble might be a Korean virtue but letting that jerk wipe his feet on you isn’t anything close to a virtue. It’s called being used. I know your parents have raised you to be traditional but that’s going to get you used out in the business world. You should be grateful you have a friend like me to point it out to you. Carl Burton is using you and he’s going to feed you to that assessment team. Keep being humble and you’ll get a pink slip instead of your boss.”

  Mia pushed her lower lip out into a pout. It was a dirty trick because Cambria had a soft spot for Mia’s lower pouty lip and she knew it.

  Rolling her eyes with annoyance, Cambria placed her wineglass down. “Fine. What do I know? I sure wouldn’t what to hear that your mother came down with terminal shame just because her daughter decided to stop putting up with Carl Burton’s crap.”

  Mia huffed. “My parents love where I work. They’re going to have a cow if I leave.”

  “You can’t mean to waste your days as a slave just because your family thinks the clientele of that gym is high caliber. Respecting your parents is great but we’re talking about your life too. What’s next? Are you really going to marry one of those ‘family approved’ men your mom keeps parading you past? Marrying and having to screw a guy you don’t love is taking respect a little far. But it might explain a few things, like why your mother sleeps in a twin bed and not with your father. Hell, she expects us to believe that she picked you out of the cabbage patch. Do you really want to follow her example? Sex can be a whole lot of fun.”

  Mia glared at her and pointed her finger across the table. “Don’t talk about my mother, Cammy. She’s my Achilles heel and I know it, but she changed my diapers. That places her on a pedestal in my book. And I don’t want to hear about my parents in the bedroom. Yuck! I told you, my mother is above earthly sin.” Mia pressed her hands flat over her ears as she stuck her tongue out in rebellion. Cambria smirked at her as she retrieved her wine. Offering her friend a shrug, she watched Mia eyeing her suspiciously before removing only one hand to make sure there was nothing further to nauseate her.

  Cambria shrugged. “Mia, sex isn’t any big secret. I don’t get your hang-up over it.”

  “I don’t have a hang-up about sex, as long as it’s me or you. We can discuss it.” Mia shuddered. “I just can’t talk about my mother that way.”

  “You can bet your father does. Or did. But you’re avoiding the subject of what you plan to do about this assessment team that’s showing up on Monday to shake you down.”

  Mia huffed but leaned across the table. “I only have two options.”

  Cambria waggled her eyebrows. Mia shook her head. “You’re a fire sign, Cambria, I think that’s why I spill my guts to you. Me, I’m all water and content to flow. But I hate it, so I come out with you so that you’ll heat me up.”

  “You wouldn’t have laid it in front of me if you weren’t ready to be kicked in the butt, China Doll. That’s what being a best friend is all about. I call you when I need to be reminded that letting my temper loose isn’t always the wisest choice to make.”

  Mia laughed. A soft, oh-so polite tinkle of amusement that she half covered with her hand. She suddenly sobered, her face setting into a mask of determination. “All right. I’m going to do it. Resign. I am not going to be there when that fancy assessment team shows up to start inspecting. Carl can take his own medicine.”

  Mia reached for her drink and took a huge swallow. She gasped as the liquor burned down her throat. But she smiled through her misty eyes. “I will, Cambria. You’re right, Carl’s a weasel. I can get a better job because I work hard.”

  “Hand the girl a prize.”

  It wasn’t that Cambria normally advised anyone to walk out of a job before they had another one lined up. But Mia was chained to a slave driver who was about to take credit for all the hours she poured into the job he should have been doing. It wasn’t so much an escape as an unveiling of her creep boss, Carl Burton. The parent company that owned the upscale gym Mia worked for had finally gotten tired of the books running in the red. An assessment team was scheduled to show up Monday morning to begin dissecting the inner workings of the place. Carl Burton, also known as The Weasel, had promptly called Mia and told her to handle it. The ass was going to feed her to the corporate sharks
without one ounce of mercy for all the sweat she’d poured into trying to live up to his high expectations. Never mind the fact that she was doing his job, the one he was cashing the paycheck for while she earned half his salary.

  So now she’d gone and told Mia exactly what she thought of the whole mess. Her sweet friend was endowed with too much patience as far as she could see.

  Mind you, her own “no bullshit” style of action had gotten her into loads more trouble than any other woman in the place tonight. She was proud of that fact, had a reputation to build before the birthdays mounted up against her. They really were the best of friends because they balanced each other.

  “Life isn’t a dress rehearsal.”

  Mia nodded, too serious by far.

  Cambria rolled her eyes. “We need some fun. Is there anything male in here worthy of us? Anything even close to a hunk?”

  Mia smiled and shrugged. “If so, I haven’t seen it.”

  Cambria fluttered her eyelashes as she looked at the other people in the bar. Two tables away, a pair of guys had been eyeing them for half an hour, and while they were nice looking enough, she wasn’t into the half-shaved look. Both were sporting three-day beards as if it was a fashion statement. She had another word for it—shaggy. But it went nicely with their wrinkled button-down shirts and the way they slouched on their barstools. Or the ever-so delightful way one of them was chewing on his fingernails.

  Pathetic.

  She snorted softly as one waggled his eyebrows at her. Shooting him an uninterested glare, she watched him fumble his longneck beer bottle. Twit. She sure didn’t need a slob who couldn’t handle one obstacle between her affections and his pursuit. Or at least even rise to a little challenge.

  It was the typical problem she encountered when viewing the male population. They wanted females who were polished and poised and goddesses of perfection, but they could slump on a barstool and not even bother to shave off their whiskers. Not that she minded facial hair. Hell, a well trimmed beard on the right man was droolworthy. It was the unkempt look that turned her off. The double standard that just ruined her enjoyment.

  She often wondered what had happened to class. She noticed a real lack of it as she surveyed the room. There were more potbellies than brawn, more mercy cases than men willing to try to seduce her.

  Seduction…now there was a lost art. It might be sweet or mysterious or even overwhelming, but it sure wasn’t pathetic.

  Whatever happened to men? The kind who chased you a little?

  Evening was her only time to enjoy looking posh. She was sporting her latest classy outfit, and Mia was turned out in prime fashion as well. Saturday was their one night of escape from the reality of life not being fair. Both of them worked like the rest of the middle class. Not that she minded. Earning her way was a stroke to her ego. Every bit of trendy clothing she wore, she owned. Lifting a hand, she admired the new gold bracelet sparkling on her wrist.

  Jewelry was her weakness. She lived in a shoebox of a condo just to feed her need for real gold and precious gems. Nobody had it all, and a smart girl settled on a few goals and made those a priority. Her bath towels came from Wal-Mart, but her jewelry was pure gold and no vermeil in sight. There wasn’t a rhinestone in her collection, only Mother Nature’s best in gems.

  So she enjoyed her newest gold purchase and raised a toast to the end of Mia’s run as slave to Carl Burton. The man was a chauvinist pig. He ran Mia ragged. Being middle class didn’t have to include doubling as a doormat for any manager. The man didn’t own the company, just had his nose up the district manager’s rear end. Sure, everyone had a bad day sometimes, but Mia had a bad job.

  Today proved that. Carl leaving town while Mia got to front the fancy assessment team coming in. There was no information on the company, only a track record of places they’d been. They were business sharks who stripped down an office, wielding the ax to fit the projected budget. Of course Burton wouldn’t be there to offer up how many hours Mia clocked doing his personal errands. The bastard wasn’t going to be around when the assessment team added up who was the higher producer in the office. Nope, he was going to kick back and hide like the dog he was.

  But Mia was going to get the last word in, and Cambria was sure going to enjoy helping her.

  What made it all that much better was the sure fact that Carl would flip if he ever found out that she was helping Mia talk out her thoughts.

  She was going to enjoy knowing the bigot would have his ass in the fire for a change. Mia handled every disturbance, every temper tantrum while Carl hid behind his office door. He also enjoyed telling Mia how to run her life.

  Men like friendly women…that virginity thing is outdated…

  That black bitch is going to drag you down if you don’t wise up…

  Oh yes, the assessment sharks could feast on his lazy carcass with her blessing.

  Mia stopped in the parking lot. Her eyes fluttered as she chewed on her lower lip.

  “Maybe you should stop in and give me a hand cleaning out my desk.”

  Cambria grumbled under her breath. “Put on your big girl pants…”

  “I know, but I won’t chicken out if you’re there.” She pouted again, playing on Cambria’s soft side. “Come on, Cambria. It’s only for tomorrow morning and we’ll go to breakfast after. That way, you won’t have to call to see if I carried through.”

  “You know something, Mia? I’m only going to show up because your wimpiness stems from your respect for your family.”

  “I’m a water sign.”

  “Yeah, well don’t forget that steam is a form of water.”

  Mia smiled wide and bright. “You’re the best! That’s perfect…steam!”

  She hurried off, her high heels clicking on the concrete and her bottom swaying like a sailor’s dream.

  Cambria shook her head. Mia was her soft spot. But she had a mama too and understood the desire to not disappoint the woman who birthed you. Even if Mia’s family were smothering her, that didn’t mean disrespect was acceptable.

  So they’d just find a way to slip Mia out of her rotten job without her family discovering all the details. Even if Mia’s father believed that hard work built character, there was a limit and Mia had reached it.

  Personally, she would have poured a laxative into Carl Burton’s coffee a year ago.

  * * * * *

  “Bullshit.” Dack Tyden didn’t raise his voice. He rarely did. Control edged his tone as he glared at Robyn.

  “Fine, your lordship, but that means you need to return the deposit. And since the job at the gym is due to start Monday, don’t you think it’s just a little short notice to be pulling out of this assessment? It’s a one-week job.”

  Dack ground his teeth, letting them show, but Robyn only offered him an innocent look in return. There was a suspicious gleam in her eyes because she couldn’t quite mask her enjoyment of the frustration eating at him.

  “Corbett better die,” growled Dack, “because I’ll carve out his spleen if I do this job for his ass and he lives.” Damn the man for getting sick. Beck Corbett was on his shit list, ace sniper or not.

  Robyn frowned at him.

  “Don’t let that title of ‘Boss’ go to your head, Dack. You’ll pop the buttons off your fly.” She pointed a pen at him. “You want the job done right then I tell you when we’re short-handed. Beck is down sick, you and Logan are next up. And—” She brandished the pen at him. “You worked the lineup so you have only yourself to blame if you don’t like the fact that your name is next on my list.”

  Dack glared at her but Robyn only widened her eyes in a fake expression of innocent humor. She tossed a file onto his desk.

  “Don’t let the fact that two of my men love you make you think I won’t strangle you. I’m still a wild bachelor.”

  “You’re uncivilized, I’ll grant you that. It explains the grumpiness. Men who are surly don’t get laid.”

  “You only say that, because I haven’t shared any persona
l info with you recently.”

  “Please, be selfish. I’ve got two of my own to deal with. You’re on your own until you find a girl who will put up with you and Logan. I’m maxed out.”

  Robyn fluttered her eyelashes at him before returning her attention to her computer. She was a unique woman, a breed apart from most of the herd. Two of his men had run into her last year and the unorthodox living arrangements didn’t scare her off. She shared her life with Jace and Nash without remorse, content in the relationship in spite of the taboos that said good girls didn’t live with two men.

  Robyn did.

  Jace and Nash were members of his Special Forces team. Somewhere along the way the team had been sold out. His entire unit had been used as a pawn in a high-stakes game of international money laundering. Their personal information then handed over to a shadowy group of mercenaries called Black Watch. When he’d refused their offer to join up, he’d signed a death warrant for his entire squad. They knew too much and that made them a liability.

  It translated into being screwed. Screwed out of his career with a dishonorable discharge to ensure a good number of his fellow Special Operations buddies turned their backs on him.

  Screwed out of any hope of a normal life as the members of Black Watch he’d seen had tried to wipe him off the face of the earth before he fingered them for the rat-scum traitors they were. Never once had he ever contemplated that a piece of brass above him might sell him to the highest bidder. Sure, he expected that crap from terrorists but not officers who had put their time in and bled for their country.

  But he was now screwed out of rebuilding his life because there was a hit out on him and every member of his unit. When Black Watch asked you to join up, you threw in with them or ended up dead for knowing they asked you. Somewhere along the line, his unit had gained the reputation of being good enough to try to turn.

  But the loyalty of his men ran deep. Each one of them had turned in their tabs at his trial. Dack still grimaced at the memory but couldn’t shake the feeling of pride that rose up inside him. They were a team. Forged in battle and linked together now by the sheer need to survive. Black Watch was a group of well-funded mercenaries. They had toe tags picked out for each of them. His was right on top of the stack.