Free A Taste of Liberty: Task Force 125 Book 2 by Lisa Pietsch, Kendra Egert Page B

gonna happen.  And if it happens before our next mission, I get four thousand bucks.”
    “Nope.   Not worth the hassle.  Not even for fifty percent of the take.”
    “Has anybody ever told you it's rude to talk behind people's backs?”  Vince opened his newspaper. 
    Chris answered in English.  “We're not doing it behind your back, we're doing it right in front of you, just in a language you don't understand.”
    “That's even worse.”  Vince turned a page.
    Chris switched back to Russian.  “Seriously, babe.   He's mad about you.”
    “I don't think so, Chris.  He's got all the women he can handle already.  Besides, he knows what I do for a living.  He's not dumb enough to fall for somebody like me.”
    “What the hell are you talking about?  You're a catch no matter what you do for a living!  I'd take you home to meet my mother in a heartbeat.  Just say the word.”  He pulled out his cell phone.  “I'll call her right now.”
    “That's sweet, but that whole happily ever after thing isn't gonna happen for me.”  Sarah climbed out of the pool and dried off.
    “That's just stupid.  You know what your problem is?  Inside that hottie body is a fat girl's brain.  The world is at your feet, girl.  You just can't see it because that fat girl's still doing all your thinking.”
    “I don't mean to be rude, Chris, but I think I'll go take a walk to clear my head.”  Sarah put on her sunglasses and slipped on her sandals preparing to walk away.
    “Be careful out there.”
    “Yeah, those olive trees are really dangerous.”  Sarah gave Chris a wink and a smile before turning to go.
    Sarah stepped out the front door just as Brian pulled up in a new Maserati Spyder convertible.
    A bright smile lit up his face.  “Hey, baby!  Wanna go get some breakfast?”
    “Where did you get a sweet set of wheels like this?”
    “Perks of the job.   We need a car to get to the meeting.  Can't have an international arms dealer showing up in a Honda Civic.”
    Sarah walked around to the passenger side, trailing her fingers in a gentle caress over the purring sports car.  “Nice.”
    “Come on, darlin !  Let's take it for a spin.  It needs a beautiful woman in the passenger seat.  Get in before Jason spots us.  If I take him for a ride, everyone will think I'm gay.”
    “I don't know, Brian.  Jason will be pissed if he misses out on this.”
    “Come on, Sarah.  I need to find me some Italian tail.”  He lowered his sunglasses and raised his eyebrows.  “You can be my wingman.”
    Sarah opened the door and hopped in.  “Well, since you put it that way.”

Chapter Thirteen
     
    Sarah walked out to the patio with a cup of coffee in her hand.  Her outing with Brian the day before had been a bit more than a drive.  He insisted on exploring every bar and café on the Genoa coast in his search for an Italian hottie .  Sarah found it an excellent opportunity to enjoy an Italian favorite, limoncello .  It went down like lemonade, but she was feeling the vodka this morning.
    Chris was lying on a chaise, working on his tan.  He spoke in Russian.  “Good morning.  How are you today?”
    “I've been better.”
    He smiled.  “I'm here.”
    Chris was always there when Sarah needed to talk, true to his word when she first met him as the team’s communications specialist and he delivered that corny “I’m here if you want to talk” line.
    “Vince mentioned a sister who knew me, but I've never seen her.  What do you know about his family?”
    “His father is Shawn Henne s see , twenty years enlisted in the Marines then became an agency man.  His mother is Italian.  They met during a tour he did over here.  Siblings are two brothers and a sister.  Anthony is in Explosive Ordinance Disposal in the Marines.  He’s on a tour in Iraq.  I’ve never met him.  Their brother Marco died two years ago serving in Afghanistan.  His sister, Regina, was military before she married.  She chose