:You first. Oh, wait. You already wallowed like a pig facedown in slop. Besides, if you try, I’ll sic your big sister on you and then you’ll be sorry.:
Which almost made it tempting to try.
He wished he could mentally shut her out, but he hadn’t found a way yet.
Ever since he’d busted through whatever barrier had spared him from her internal voice for most of his life, she could project her words inside his head and he couldn’t do a thing about it. His only vengeance was that he could do the same—if only he could ever think of what to say to her. There were times he wished he could scream at her to stop, but it would sound just as atonal as everything else they said to each other this way. He couldn’t even sleep through it if she spoke “at” him in the middle of the night.
A flunky came up to take the rifle from him, but scampered away when Ricardo snarled at him. He pocketed the cleaning kit, tucked the rifle in the crook of his arm, and picked up his plate. Together they threaded their way through the crowded fold-up tables and chairs over to the one wooden picnic table where the rest of Shadow Force: Psi had gathered.
There were six members of Shadow Force, the only six in the world—that they knew of—with psi powers.
Isobel was both movie star and empath.
Michelle’s stepbrother Anton, an Army helo pilot who towered as big as a Montana grizzly, could “see” remote places.
Just a couple weeks ago they’d picked up another pilot—Jesse was a Texas cowboy and a Night Stalker helo pilot who stood almost as tall as Anton—and his now-fiancée Delta operator, the little slip of a blonde Hannah Tucker. Together they did strange things with sound projection.
Talk about a motley crew: movie star, four ex-soldiers including himself, and whatever the hell Michelle was.
Just as he sat, he realized that Michelle’s ploy had worked—he’d forgotten to grab a damn brownie. He knew exactly what she was.
Total pain in the ass. Ricardo nodded to himself. Yep! Dead on.
Michelle totally heard his silent voice message. Just to tease him, she kept her smile on her face and didn’t respond as Ricardo sat down across the picnic table from her.
But he didn’t react or even glance at her as he usually did when they were speaking into each other’s heads with their telepathy. Instead he focused on his meal.
And it had felt different.
Not tone exactly but…different.
An internal thought? One not meant for her?
Did that explain the “Should buy her a vest like that, dude”? Was she herself the “her” in that thought? It was difficult to imagine Ricardo giving her anything other than the hard edge of his tongue on the few occasions when he did speak.
Did this mean that he could hear her own internal thoughts if she didn’t consciously direct them at him?
That’s a majorly cute ass, Manella. Which was true of all of him actually. He was fantastically fit.
No response.
So, she could hear him, sometimes, but he couldn’t hear her unless she directly thought at him.
That meant that inside his head he’d called her a “Total pain in the ass. Yep. Dead on.”
“You’re a real asshole, Manella.”
Everyone around the table turned to look at her. She shouldn’t have said it aloud, even if it was true.
He simply looked at her with those beautiful dark eyes of his that also told her nothing of what he was feeling, even when she could hear him thinking.
His shrug came with no explanatory internal dialogue. It was as if he agreed with her.
“Glad to see your team is shaping up well,” Gibson picked up a hamburger with all the trimmings as if they were all one big happy family. He’d said it so deadpan that there was no way to tell if it was sarcasm or not.
Isobel, who would know through her empathy, simply smiled as she cut a slice off a grilled chicken breast. “Yes, I’m pleased.”
“Your team’s rescue of Ambassador Delaney has received praise at the very highest levels.”
“Which would be yours, except you said you’re quitting. What’s up with that, Colonel?” Ricardo glanced down the table at Hannah Tucker.
:What’s up with the look?: Michelle sent to him.
:I’ve been out of Delta most of a year. Hannah just left a couple days ago; thought she might know.:
:You were still in while in hospital and rehab.:
:Thanks for the reminder I didn’t need.:
He’d finished the last of it just a few months ago—a full year after his rescue. Only after the docs had declared him healed to the best of their ability had he been medically retired. Isobel had told her how hard it had been for Ricardo to leave The Unit, not that he’d ever admit it.
:Either way, I’ve been out. Hannah left Delta less than forty-eight hours ago to join Shadow Force: Psi, so maybe she would know…:
Michelle spotted Hannah’s infinitesimal shake of her head.
:What’s the problem, Ricardo?:
His shrug was no bigger than Hannah’s head shake. :Man’s an institution.:
:And he’s retiring. People do that, you know.:
Still, Ricardo looked freaked, so she turned to take the bull by the horns.
Colonel Gibson’s smile was slow, but it made her think that his wife was a lucky woman if she got to see that smile. “I was hoping you’d ask.”
Michelle wondered if that was a good thing, but then she overheard Ricardo’s internal dialogue: Oh shit!
She didn’t need to see Ricardo’s sun-dark skin paling to know the emotion behind that thought.
(Keep reading at fine retailers everywhere.)
About the Author
M.L. “Matt” Buchman started the first of over 60 novels, 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of audiobooks while flying from South Korea to ride his bicycle across the Australian Outback. Part of a solo around the world trip that ultimately launched his writing career in: thrillers, military romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and SF/F.
Recently named in The 20 Best Romantic Suspense Novels: Modern Masterpieces by ALA’s Booklist, they have also selected his works three times as "Top-10 Romance Novel of the Year." NPR and B&N listed other works as "Best 5 of the Year."
As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has: designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and solo-sailed a 50’ ketch. He is awed by what's possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.
Also by M. L. Buchman
* also in audio
Thrillers
Dead Chef
Swap Out!
One Chef!
Two Chef!
Miranda Chase
Drone*
Thunderbolt*
Romantic Suspense
Delta Force
Target Engaged*
Heart Strike*
Wild Justice*
Midnight Trust*
Firehawks
Main Flight
Pure Heat
Full Blaze
Hot Point*
Flash of Fire*
Wild Fire
Smokejumpers
Wildfire at Dawn*
Wildfire at Larch Creek*
Wildfire on the Skagit*
The Night Stalkers
Main Flight
The Night Is Mine
I Own the Dawn
Wait Until Dark
Take Over at Midnight
Bring On the Dusk
By Break of Day
and the Navy
Christmas at Steel Beach
Christmas at Peleliu Cove
White House Holiday
Daniel’s Christmas*
Frank’s Independence Day*
Peter’s Christmas*
Zachary’s Christmas*
Roy’s Independence Day*
Damien’s Christmas*
5E
Targ
et of the Heart
Target Lock on Love
Target of Mine
Target of One’s Own
Shadow Force: Psi
At the Slightest Sound*
At the Quietest Word*
White House Protection Force
Off the Leash*
On Your Mark*
In the Weeds*
Contemporary Romance
Eagle Cove
Return to Eagle Cove
Recipe for Eagle Cove
Longing for Eagle Cove
Keepsake for Eagle Cove
Henderson’s Ranch
Nathan’s Big Sky*
Big Sky, Loyal Heart*
Big Sky Dog Whisperer*
Love Abroad B&B
Heart of the Cotswolds: England
Path of Love: Cinque Terre, Italy
Where Dreams
Where Dreams are Born
Where Dreams Reside
Where Dreams Are of Christmas*
Where Dreams Unfold
Where Dreams Are Written
Science Fiction / Fantasy
Deities Anonymous
Cookbook from Hell: Reheated
Saviors 101
SF/F Titles
The Nara Reaction
Monk’s Maze
The Me and Elsie Chronicles
Non-Fiction
Strategies for Success
Managing Your Inner Artist / Writer
Estate Planning for Authors*
Character Voice
Narrate and Record Your Own Audiobook*
* * *
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www.mlbuchman.com
Previously published in serialized form.
Copyright 2019 Matthew Lieber Buchman
Published by Buchman Bookworks, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the author.
Receive a free book and discover more by this author at: www.mlbuchman.com
Cover images:
3D Golden Greek Letter Psi © georgios | Depositphotos
USASOAC Shoulder Sleeve Insigna © US Army
Blue Water © Arena Creative | Depositphotos
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