The Omega Team: Ethan's Promise (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Men of Mercy Book 7) Read Online Free PDF Page B

of the greatest woman I know.’” She sniffed and wiped away a tear. “I still miss him every single day, and I know when my time’s over, I'll be joining him again. He was the greatest man I've ever known.”
                  Noni eyes were red and watery, and Ethan had to fight not to cringe away from her emotions.
                  “You've got that same rangy lone wolf look Johnny used to have, the way you're staring at all my pictures. Feeling trapped, are you?”
                  Ethan's throat closed off completely and he couldn't answer her question or argue with her intuitiveness. 
                  “Well there's hope. I promise you that. And you'll know it when you meet her.”
     

 
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    “Mom, I'm not moving back home.” Kate rolled her eyes and took the next turn at what had to qualify for reckless driving. Her jeep skidded sideways on the gravel road, tossed back a fresh spray of gravel and dust, and then righted itself. Not that she would mind slamming into a tree right now if that would effectively end this broken record conversation with her mother.
    “But darling, Matt asks about you every day. All he can talk about is how much fun you two had together. But then you had to go and join that dreadful clan.”
    Kate rolled her eyes. Only her mother would refer to the United States CIA as the 'clan.’”
    “Why you insisted on breaking my heart, I'll never know. For the life of me I can't think of anything I've ever done to make you want to hurt me so much.” Her mother's southern accent slipped through the phone, sweet as honey but tinged with arsenic. At twenty-seven, Kate felt that same burning sense of guilt when she knew she disappointed her mom just like she had when she was eight years old. Just like she disappointed the CIA.
    “How many times do I have to tell you? It's nothing you did. I don't make my decisions based on what other people want. I'm a grown-up. And guess what, I was just offered a new job, this one paying twice my former salary. I'm really excited about it. Can't you just be happy for me this one time?” Kate could practically picture the way her mom's lips turned down into a perfect frown, the kind that clearly communicated with just the slightest movement her devastating disappointment in her.
    Just like she could picture her dad in the background shaking out his newspaper and rolling his eyes. Kate smiled. He, of all people, had been on her side the whole journey, and for the one time Kate could recall, he'd stood up to her mother when Kate enlisted.
    A deer ran into the road, froze and stared at the oncoming vehicle and then leapt into the woods. Her heart rocketed up into her throat and she slammed on the brakes. “Jesus Christ!”
    Kate dropped the phone, came to a complete stop, dropped her head to the steering wheel and tried to suck in enough oxygen to stay conscious.
    “Katherine Elizabeth!” Kate jerked her gaze to her lap, having momentarily forgotten all about her mom. She snatched the phone back to her ear in time to hear her rant continue, “You do not use the Lord's name in vain. I'm going to have to add you back to the prayer list at church, and all the ladies at Bible Study will be asking me what you did this time.”
    “I almost had a wreck, Mom.”
    “Not an excuse. There are plenty other nice young ladies out there who don't use curse words when they're upset.” If Mrs. Georgia Elise were ever held up, she'd probably lecture the person holding her at gunpoint on manners.
    Maybe her mother was right. No, Kate pushed that disturbing thought back as soon as it reared its ugly head.
    Aside from an imminent deadly terrorist attack or news that the world was ending, those were words that would never pass Kate Richard's lips. She wasn’t dying, although the upcoming training with him was enough to make her wish she had.
    But facing Ethan and his snarling wasn't as bad as following her