Blue Blood's Trifecta
A Silver Publishing Book
Blue Blood's Trifecta
Copyright © 2013 by Cheyenne Meadows
E-book ISBN: 9781614959304
First E-book Publication: May 2013
Cover design by Lee Tiffin
Editor: Jason Huffman
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Silver Publishing
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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This book is written in US English.
PUBLISHER
www.SPSilverPublishing.com
Note from the Publisher
Dear Reader,
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Silver Publishing
http://www.spsilverpublishing.com
Dedication
For those who believe in true love, in whatever form it happens to take.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Army Ranger
: Department of the Army
H-60 Black Hawk
: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Boeing 757
: The Boeing Company
Ann Landers
: Margo Howard Primary Trust
Chevy Nova
: Chevrolet Division of General Motors
Styrofoam
: Dow Chemical Company
Glock
: Glock, Inc.
Kevlar
: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
Chapter 1
"I swear you jinxed me." Ryan sipped from his soda before setting the glass back down, his eyes locked on Lark the entire time. His younger beloved sister, who rattled his cage now and again, really did it that time. Of all his siblings, he enjoyed Lark the most and made a point to make room in his busy schedule to spend time with her whenever possible, even if she just happened to ruin his present social life for the past three weeks.
A wicked grin appeared on her face. "Hey, don't blame me because the only women you've dated recently had biological clocks ticking louder than Big Ben." Wrapping a spaghetti noodle around her fork, she delicately placed it in her mouth.
He grimaced at the reminder. The last four women he'd dated proved to be huge disasters as they all possessed one common denominator—they wanted a baby daddy and now. He couldn't run fast enough from the imposing threat of immediate commitment and impending fatherhood.
"Yeah, but you said it beforehand, making you responsible for this hex or… curse or… whatever it is." Stabbing a chunk of chicken, he took another bite.
She snorted. Bright blue eyes matching Ryan's danced with amusement. "I didn't find these women for you, bro. You did that all on your very own."
Her wide smile pricked his already irritable mood. "It's not funny."
Lark waved a hand dismissively. "Sure, it is. After all, you called Mom and told her about Bryce and me before I had a chance to do more than come up for air. Ever since, she's been harassing me about weddings and baby showers to the point where I want to either pull my hair out or move to Siberia."
His lips twitched. Served her right for all the times she snickered at him and egged her mother onward in a nearly obsessive quest for grandchildren. Why their doting mother chose him over the other three boys to nag incessantly, he couldn't say. More than likely the reason had to do with his proximity to his parents whereas the others were scattered like the four winds. Hell, more than once he considered returning to active duty as an Army Ranger just to avoid the tedious questioning.
"Poor baby," he tossed back, thoroughly enjoying the fact Lark sat on the hot seat at the moment.
She flipped him off.
He chuckled at her gesture, so like the 'never say die' baby sister he always knew. For as long as he could remember, she didn't let a little thing like properness and ladylike manners get in her way. Instead, she tackled the world, intent upon proving every male chauvinist wrong, and climbed the mountain of success each and every time. She certainly kicked his ass a couple of times growing up as kids. Even now, if she tried, he'd place money down on a draw between them. Her cheerleader background and petite frame gave her quickness along with deceptive strength to counter his sheer power and size.
"How's Bryce?" he asked, changing the subject while finishing the last of his late night supper.
She sighed longingly. "Wonderful."
He shook his head. "Love if I ever saw it."
"Yep." She didn't argue in the least, only slurped on her water.
A twinge of jealousy smacked him in the chest and stuck tight. Always before, he thought the bachelor life held everything he wanted and then some. Then he began to notice the expressions of bliss and sheer happiness on the face of his sister who recently found her other half. Seeing the two of them together made him feel like he could bask in their radiating glow.
Now, he wasn't so sure living single held as bright an appeal as it used to.
The ringing of her phone broke through his melancholic thoughts.
She dug her cell phone out of her oversized handbag, glanced at the screen, and blinked. "Oh, shit."
He tensed, immediately on alert. "What's wrong?"
"It's an SOS. The guys are in trouble."
Digging his wallet out, Ryan tossed a few bills on the table, scooped up their trash, and shoved it in the bin on the way out the front door of the restaurant, Lark hot on his heels. "Where to?" he asked as they both hopped into his truck and fastened their seatbelts.
She read the message quickly. "The airport, and now."
Revving the engine, he mentally pictured the shortest route and pushed the speed limit to get there. "What does it say?"
"New information just came in. Loco, Cale, and Spoon are headed straight into an ambush. It's all hands on deck."
Although he'd never met the other Wind Warriors Lark worked with, his gut clenched at the ominous words. No brave soldier deserved to be set up as decoys, cannon fodder, or walk into a trap based on faulty or outright wrong information.
"Count me in."
She glanced up at him with a worried look written clearly across her face. "Ryan, this isn't your fight."
"It is now."
Chapter 2
Ryan tugged a black backpack from behind the driver's seat, hastily jerking at zippers to check the contents. Always before, he considered the stash of spare clothing and a handgun to be more than enough back-up in case of emergency. Today, he found the items sadly lacking for the mission ahead.
Lark pulled a faded black duffel bag from the floorboard of her passenger side, thrust the strap over her shoulder, then lifted the heavy item with familiar ease. His gut told him they would need every single object carefully packed inside the larger container and then some in order to prepare for a decent cavalry charge and have any chance at success.