The drive to the precinct wouldn’t take long.
Within fifteen minutes, Myles was striding into the station. Before going to the conference room, he’d made a pit stop and turned the confiscated gun over to Detective Brown, who was in charge of the gun buyback program.
It was an effort that every police officer put in the time to help get guns off the streets.
“Yo, Myles!”
He turned around, recognizing the voice.
Brodie, the youngest member of their team, approached him. Brodie was the team’s entry man, specializing in breaking and entering whatever building SWAT needed to go into.
“What’s up, Brodie?” Myles grinned.
Brodie arrived at his side. They did the usual brotherly greeting of a fist bump and slaps on the backs.
“Shit. I think Mac makes these meetings early on purpose. Who wants to come into the office at this time of day?” Brodie shook his head, walking toward the conference room.
Myles fell in step next to him. “I know. Some of us were out late last night,” Myles bragged.
“Here we go.” Brodie rolled his eyes, laughing. “I need coffee so I can make sure I can process all the nasty details.”
Myles barked a laugh. His night had been exciting. He’d met up with a little Spanish kitten he kept on speed dial. Nasty wouldn’t even begin to describe what he’d gotten into. She’d invited over a friend, and the rest they say, is history.
He wasn’t a committing man. He liked to keep his options open. Every woman he was involved with knew he wasn’t the ‘settling down’ type. They understood he didn’t offer relationships or love.
Myles, he just loved women and ensured they all enjoyed themselves in his company.
What he did bring to the table were fun-filled nights complete with passion.
He wasn’t against the institution of marriage. Not at all. It was apparently working for Mac, Dec, and Ash. Had someone asked Myles if he would have thought any of his teammates would be getting married, he’d have laughed in their faces.
SWAT was a dangerous job. One that didn’t come with any promises that they’d return home. Each man who wore those four letters across their chest fully understood that they would give one hundred and ten percent for their teammates.
“One day, you can be like Myles Burton,” he boasted.
They arrived at the conference room, and he waved Brodie in first.
“What? Needing an STD test monthly?” Zain snickered from his corner of the room where he and Iker sat.
Chuckles went around.
Myles flipped them all off and settled into his chair next to his close friend, Ash.
This was why he loved his fellow team members. These were his brothers in blue, and being SWAT meant that he had to trust them with his life.
And he did.
Myles never thought he would have found another group of men he’d grow close with. Once he’d left the Army, he’d made sure he stayed in touch with his former unit. It wasn’t like Myles had a choice. He’d spent years with them. Most times he had been deployed in the gutter of the world. Holed up in some God-forsaken part of the earth with them. He’d gone to war with those men, bled for them—killed for them.
His unit, the 25th Infantry Division of the US Army, nicknamed Hell’s Devils, had been to hell and back. Their nickname was given to them while serving in Afghanistan. The unit had been deactivated, and most of the men had hung up their green berets. Some returned to civilian life while others chose the same as Myles and served in law enforcement.
Looking around the room, Myles knew there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his current teammates.
“Don’t be jealous, Zain. I’m sure we can find you a few—”
“Morning!” Mac barked, storming through the door.
Declan was right behind him.
Silence blanketed the room with the presence of their two sergeants in the place. By the expressions on Mac’s and Declan’s faces, there would be no joking around.
They meant business.
“Morning,” the squad echoed.
Declan shut the door and took his seat in the first row. Mac walked over to the podium and laid some papers down on it. He paused and met the eyes of each man.
Mac was a tough-ass. He held the respect of every man on the team. Between him and Declan, they led their squad with an iron fist.
“SWAT tryouts are coming up tomorrow. We are potentially searching for one or two members,” Mac began.
Myles sat up farther. Tryouts were an essential part of choosing a new member. They had to ensure the person would be able to not only keep up with the intense training but also fit into their close-knit group.
“What time are we to show up?” Zain asked.
“O six hundred hours,” Mac replied. His gaze landed on Myles, and he gave the nod.
Myles had been charged with leading the physical endurance portion of the day.
