Free The Right to Bear Arms: BBW Military Paranormal Romance (Wild Operatives, #1) by Vivienne Savage Page B

were dating someone, mija ?”
    “Soon, Mom. I was planning on telling you soon, but I’m not sixteen years old anymore.” I rolled my eyes and swatted Russell’s arm when he chuckled at my expense. As loud as my folks were talking, he could probably overhear their end of the conversation.
    My father returned to the line. “We planned to come visit for your birthday anyway this weekend, but we’ll meet this Russ person, too.”
    “Can’t wait,” I chirped back. If I sounded anything less than thrilled, they’d both take off work and come to see me by the ass crack of dawn instead. “See you then. Love you both.” After ending the call, I shook my head and turned to face Russ. He promptly burst out laughing.
    My parents would love him. Of that, I had no doubt whatsoever. I knew they would because... I was beginning to love him, too.

Chapter Six
    ~Daniela~
    T o ease some of my stress, Russ had a friend down at the fire department come to tow my car into Houston while he drove me to work the next day. He promised me he’d found a body shop with reasonable prices, owned by an old friend of his from the Army. Apparently, the guy retired and opened a business at the start of the year. It was booming, but he promised to squeeze me in.
    My boss peeked in on me during my scheduled lunch hour and helped herself to a visitor seat while sipping her Starbucks.
    “I’m glad you came back today, Daniela.”
    “Me, too. I feel silly for laying around so long over something so stupid. A car can be fixed, you know?” I’d already told her the full truth, unable to lie to Laura for long. She was a good woman, and had been an even greater friend over the past couple of years since I first came to work for her.
    “Are you going to need a ride home?” Laura asked. “I’m going up to Huntsville to visit my daughter and grandkids this evening. She needs me to babysit. I don’t mind swinging by your area.”
    “Oh no, my boyfriend is coming back by to get me.”
    The older woman raised one steel gray brow. “A boyfriend, huh? What happened to ‘I never want another man again?’” she asked, much to my embarrassment.
    “Yeah well... he sort of snuck his way in there.”
    “Those are usually the best sort, dear.” Laura had recognized the signs of an abused woman before my family even realized what was wrong. She’d tried two years earlier to convince me to move out, even offering me a place to stay. I didn’t know who celebrated my divorce the most, her or my family. “So tell me about him.”
    “He’s great,” I offered without the satisfying details she wanted.
    Laura plucked a peppermint from my candy dish and hurled it at me. “That tells me nothing .”
    “Army vet, owns his own home, has a sweet dog he brought back from Afghanistan.”
    The divulgence of a few details satisfied her. “You can’t go wrong with a man who loves animals,” Laura replied, nodding.
    Michael had hated pets. That should have been my first sign not to trust him.
    “Russell took me dancing for our first night out on the town. He taught me a few line dances.”
    “Would he be that handsome fella looking around the lobby?”
    A peek outside my office door revealed my handsome boyfriend stood just a few yards beyond the lobby doors. Jeans, tees, and western boots were a staple of his wardrobe that I’d come to expect from him. A black cap announcing he was a veteran of the U.S. Army covered his wavy black hair. Russell drew admiring glances from the tellers and a few waiting customers in the queue. Not that he seemed to notice, or if he did, he didn’t acknowledge them. His muscles bulged as he crossed his arms against his chest and spoke with one of my coworkers. Beth pointed toward my office. When Russ turned to peer through the glass, a big grin split his face.
    “Yeah, that’s him. Crap, he’s super early. I told him five.”
    “Well go on then, don’t keep him waiting. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “But it’s only