Free Hard: A Military Stepbrother Romance by Lara Swann Page A

who’d said that people treat you how you teach them to? Well, I was
going to finally show him that my plans and ideas weren’t just fantasies and
give him a reason to respect me.
    The
thought made me smile suddenly, the idea of it invigorating me as I considered
just how I was going to make this work. Kaylee picked up on my shift in
mindset, raising an eyebrow and looking my way.
    “You’re
right, Kay.”
    Excitement
was bubbling up inside me again, and I thought of the forensics internships I’d
looked through - the different cities open to me and the pictures I’d had of
myself spending some time living somewhere different, exploring that curiosity.
I abruptly had too much energy, and I grabbed Kaylee’s arm, hauling her up with
me.
    “Want
to go down to the beach for a bit - swim in the sea?”
    She
righted herself under my grip, arching an eyebrow with a sarcastic tone.
    “ That’s your great plan?”
    I
just laughed and pushed her towards where the garden would wander down to the
gate leading to our private beach. I needed some time to think to come up with
a great plan but at least now I’d decided to prove to him I did know
what the hell I was doing. And taking control of that somehow made everything
feel better, regardless of the things I couldn’t change.
    And
that way, I’ll be out of here before Seth’s cocky attitude can seep too far
under my skin again…
     

Chapter Six
    Seth
     
    “Aaaahhh
- got you!”
    The
attack came raging out of the small undergrowth near the fence and I dived to
my left with an exaggerated motion - right into his path. The cool water
slashed across my bare chest, mixing with the dirt I’d picked up to form
another streak of mud there.
    “Ughh…ah…urggg...”
    The
death-noises had the five-year-old squealing in fits of laughter, the slightly
over-sized water gun tilting to rest on the ground as his other arm pumped the
air. His head spun wildly, finally locating his mother sitting on the deck
overlooking the garden.
    “Mama,
Mama—”
    I
chose that moment to snatch a hand out and grab his ankle, pulling him off his
feet and landing him on my chest as I grinned wickedly.
    “You
should check your prey is dead, kiddo.”
    He
was still laughing as I deserted my own gun and attacked with just my hands,
tickling his sides until his ear-piercing screams drowned out the rest of the
noise in the yard.
    Shit.
I’d forgotten he could do that.
    “Seth
Anderson! Are you trying to kill my son, or the whole street?!”
    I
could hear the expletive she’d left out for the sake of the kids, and looked up
with a grin, setting Jamie back on his feet. His little legs wobbled as he
tried to recover from the strain of laughing that hard, and I waited until he
started trying to totter off before letting go.
    “My
apologies, ma’am - the enemy caught me off-guard. But it shall not happen
again!”
    My
voice rose dramatically as I rolled back to my feet, darting towards the other
boy who had been sneaking towards me from behind. He yelled at the sudden
change of direction, running away as I laughed and made a futile shot towards
his retreating back.
    Becky’s
voice was full of fond exasperation as she watched.
    “You
let anyone into the SEALs these days, huh?”
    “Seems
like it - I’ll bring it up at the next command meeting. Immediate revocation of
all rights for those that get their ass kicked by five-year-old boys.”
    Dale’s
gravelly tone made my mouth quirk up at the side, especially as I saw the
satisfied set of his body while he handled the barbecue tongs with as much
consummate skill as he put into his rifle. I affected a shocked expression.
    “You
mean we had rights?”
    Water
crashed into my back and I whirled to see Ace already gone, darting behind a
tree further down the garden, his wiry, lithe body moving easily and that ‘bad’
leg appearing no impediment to a water gun fight. I crouched and made to go
after him, but when he met my glittering eyes, he nodded to