Alpha Mavericks Brigade 1 Read online

  IRWIN

  * * *

  (Alpha Mavericks Brigade)

  KAYLA KELLY

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Kayla Kelly – All rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review

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  Contents

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Irwin

  Cleo

  Alpha Mavericks Brigade Book Series

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Other Works by Kayla Kelly

  Cleo

  “Will you make an effort tonight?” Marsha asks irritably, while dabbing on another coat of lipstick. Her lips are firetruck red already and she’s been staring at the mirror for the past forty minutes. I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to muster some enthusiasm for the dreary night ahead.

  “Yes, I will...I mean I made an effort the last time too. I just couldn’t stand the guy you introduced me too. He grabbed my ass two minutes after we were introduced,” I complain. This isn’t my scene at the best of times, but it’s made worse by the men Marsha draws into the equation. She looks over her shoulder at me and rolls her eyes.

  “Oh, come on, Cleo! Get over it! The man was paying for your drinks.” She checks herself out once more in the mirror and then looks me up and down too. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

  I feel a wave of frustration zing down my spine, but I’m trying my best to keep it together. I literally have no other choice. Marsha has a quick temper and I don’t really know what’ll set her off. If I say the wrong thing, I may not have anywhere to sleep tonight.

  “Yes, this is all I have,” I reply and look down at the black cocktail dress and the sensible black heels I have on. All I have to my name right now is one bag filled with my most essential possessions. This dress and these shoes are the only ‘nice’ things I own. I figured Marsha would know that and she’d be a bit more sensitive about it, but apparently not.

  “It’s like you’re trying to embarrass me!” she snaps, turning back to the mirror in disgust.

  I feel a tightness in the pit of my stomach. I can’t believe I ever considered her to be a friend. Even worse, I still can’t believe she is my only hope. Now that we are living together I can see her true colors. She knows I’m indebted to her. She knows I won’t have anywhere to go if she kicks me out. I have to do everything she expects of me.

  Including going on every double-date she sets up for us.

  “Okay, fine, let’s just go. I really like this guy, Cleo, I want to make a good impression on him. You need to charm his friend somehow. Do it for me, yeah? You owe me.”

  I follow her to the door, trying to push down the lump in my throat. This feels so wrong. I’ve been on six double-dates with Marsha in the last four weeks, never knowing what I’m walking into each time. Every night we go out, she’s convinced he’s the one. What’s so special about this next guy?

  I’m not looking for the one. I’m not looking for any man. There is so much shit in my life I have to figure out first. I need a job. I need independence. I need a source of income and my own place. It’s always been my dream to set up a bakery business, but right now, I can’t afford the pressure of a new business. The last thing I need is the added complication of a man I can’t handle. But Marsha doesn’t care about that. As long as she’s happy, nothing else matters, right?

  Marsha’s heels click as we go down the stairs. She’s chattering about the guy we’re meeting and the friend he’s bringing along, but I’m barely listening because I’m starting to panic. This happens every time and I can’t stop it.

  I panic because I’m afraid of what might happen tonight. Like the guy who grabbed my ass the last time and I ended up slapping him. It ruined Marsha’s date and she didn’t speak to me for two days. She even forced me to pack my bags. I thought I was going to be homeless, but she eventually changed her mind at the last minute. I have to do better this time or I’ll be out on the streets.

  Right now; I hate my life.

  Irwin

  “Staff Sergeant Irwin Byrne, Alpha Mavericks Brigade.” Jimmy thumps my back as he introduces me to the girl behind the bar counter.

  Jimmy is drunk. He breaks into a big laugh right after, and slaps his hand on the bar counter repeatedly, like he’s just made a big joke.

  I stand by him, watching him laugh and my facial expression doesn’t stir. I just have to let him ride it out. The others are around here somewhere; the other guys from the company. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration, and yet I’m the designated sober one in the party.

  The bartender looks at me with a big grin on her face.

  “Your friend looks like he’s having fun,” she says, sliding two more beers in our direction. Jimmy lunges at one and holds it to his lips.

  “I always have fun, baby. I’m a fun guy!”

  I clap my hands on his shoulders and start to pull him away.

  “Sorry for the noise. I’m going to try and keep the men under control,” I tell the bartender. She’s still smiling. I know that look. She’s checking me out.

  “Don’t worry about it. You boys deserve it.”

  “Damn right we do! Do you want to hear about the kinda shit we’ve seen?” Jimmy is swaying on his feet and trying to pull away from me.

  Fuck. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. I should have reigned them back a couple of hours ago.

  “I’m sure she doesn’t,” I say.

  “Tell me. I’m all ears,” the bartender says, leaning on the counter now. She’s smiling indulgently at Jimmy, but really, she’s staring at me.

  She’s not my type. Too skinny. Sexy, sure. But there’s nothing about her making me want to throw her on the counter and pull her jeans down.

  And if there is one thing I’ve learned in the last six months; is that life is too short to waste it on things and people who don’t give you that feeling. That feverish exhilaration of joy and desire. That insane connection that drives you wilder than you ever could have imagined...

  Jimmy is telling her some garbled story about one of the incidents that occurred while on active duty. I don’t need to listen to it. I was there. She’s dug her own grave by agreeing to listen.Now Jimmy is going to be stuck to that bar all night, chewing her ear off. He is not a pleasant drunk.

  But when I turn from them, I see her walk in.

  Blond. Tight black dress that fits her curvy body. Big breasts. Very big breasts. She has wavy luminescent hair that frames her face. She flicks some of it over her shoulder while she looks around. She doesn’t see me. She’s with a friend who is now tugging her in a different direction. Away from me.

  This is what I was talking about.

  This is what I want to feel.

  Cleo

  Just as I expected, the guy Marsha has introduced me to tonight is all kinds of awful. While she flirts voraciously with the
guy she is on a date with, I just sit next to mine, staring at the piece of spinach stuck between his teeth while he talks.

  I’m bored and distracted. I can’t stop thinking about whether I’m going to get the job I applied for or not. I interviewed with them three days ago and I still haven’t heard anything back. It feels like a bad sign.

  “So what do you do?” the guy asks. It isn’t his voice that’s snapped me out of my thoughts. It’s the fact that he has now placed a hand on my knee. His touch is clammy and cold. When I look up at him, he’s smiling.

  I glance at Marsha. She’s already making out with her guy. I know if I interrupt her somehow, she’s going to lose her mind. She’s not exactly the kind of friend who is on my side.

  I glare down at the hand on my knee, hoping I can embarrass him into taking it off me. But he doesn’t. Undeterred, his fingers start creeping up my thigh.

  “I don’t know anything about you, Cleo...tell me more.” He speaks in a low purring voice. Is that supposed to be sexy?

  It feels like pins are pricking my back as I try to sit straight and keep it together. He can’t do any more than this, I remind myself. We’re in a public place.

  But oh, he can! Now he’s dragging the bottom of my dress up my legs and he has this sickening smile on his face that makes me want to slap him.

  I can’t take it anymore. I don’t care what Marsha says or does. I’d rather sleep in a women’s shelter tonight than endure another second of this.

  I jump up from my chair, knocking his hand away from me. The cutlery and glasses on our table shake and rattle. Not only that, but my sudden movements have caused me to lean back. I didn’t realize there was someone behind me. Someone carrying drinks. I’ve knocked into him hard and I’m sure everything’s going to go crashing to the floor.

  I’m about to squeal when a strong arm wraps around my waist. For a second; I was falling backwards, but now I’m not. Everything is a haze, but I can feel his arm on me, holding me up.

  I look up. With one arm around me, he keeps me steady and with his other hand he grabs the tray with the drinks that the waiter was carrying.

  “All good?” he asks the waiter, who nods.

  It all happened in a flash. I was expecting chaos. Damage to property. Marsha screaming. But magically, order has been restored.

  The waiter scurries away and I look up at the man who rescued me from a certain disaster. He still has his arm around my waist and suddenly, I don’t want him to let go.

  Who is this knight in shining armour?

  Irwin

  I have her in my arms. I’m looking down at those bright baby blues that take up half her face. She also has the most luscious mouth. Her lips are velvety and pink and so tempting that I almost kiss her right here and now.

  It’s like we’re trapped in a bubble and for a few seconds, neither of us can sense anything else in this room. I somehow just knew we had a connection earlier. From the moment she walked into this joint, I knew she was the one.

  The woman I have been looking for.

  Then slowly, she begins to move away from me. I have no choice but to release her.

  “Th…thank you,” she mutters. “I would have totally crashed into that guy.”

  “Cleo, what is going on?” another girl interrupts us. She is sitting at the table, her lips pursed in irritation.

  Cleo’s cheeks flush and she looks over her shoulder at her friend.

  “Nothing. Everything’s fine.”

  “You should sit down,” her friend insists.

  Cleo looks nervously over at the guy she was sitting with. There is something in the way she glances at him...I can sense she doesn’t want to be anywhere near him. Maybe I can rescue her a second time.

  “Do you want to get a drink at the bar?” I ask. She meets my eyes and I can see she’s worried about something.

  “Cleo, sit down!” her friend commands. Commands? What hold does she have over Cleo?

  “Yeah, I would love a drink,” she says, turning back to me and speaking in a meeker voice.

  “No. You can’t just walk away!” her friend snaps, jumping up from her chair .

  “Okay, we’re going to go. This is bullshit. You said you were going to take care of my friend here.” This is coming from the other guy, the one who is with Cleo’s friend.

  “No, no…everything is fine. Cleo, sit down. You, stay. We’re good.” The friend sounds desperate. It makes me want to shake her by her shoulders. Shake some sense into her.

  “I’m going to have a drink at the bar, Marsha. You can do what you want,” Cleo speaks clearly this time.

  Marsha is fuming. Her nostrils are flared.

  “Oh yeah? Well then don’t bother coming back to my place tonight.”

  Cleo walks right past me, heading for the bar. I give Marsha a warning glare before I follow her to the bar. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of them, but I’ve already picked sides. Whatever is going on, I want to support Cleo. It’s crazy, I know. I’ve only just met her. But somehow, I feel this urge to be protective of her and make sure she’s okay.

  I watch the way her ass moves in that tight black dress. I haven’t stopped thinking about her body from the moment she walked in here, but now, there’s more. I’m thinking about what I can do to bring a smile to her face too.

  Man, I’m in too deep already.

  Cleo

  His name is Irwin. That is all I know. My mind is buzzing with a whirlwind of thoughts. Did Marsha really just kick me out? Usually, every time we’ve gotten into one of our fights, I’ve been too afraid to actually do anything. I’ve never been able to take a stand because I know how reliant I am on her.

  But tonight, it’s different. I don’t know why.

  Irwin’s presence. The way he held me, saved me from knocking that waiter over, the way he looked at me. He knew exactly when to suggest a drink at the bar. And now he’s sitting on a stool next to me, cradling a sweating bottle of beer. He has ordered a Gin and Tonic for me that I haven’t touched yet. I think I’m still in shock.

  But there’s no rush. He’s not even asking me any questions. For some strange reason, he is absolutely comfortable just sitting here with me in complete silence.

  “I’m…I’m really sorry about all that drama with my friend back there. You don’t have to sit here with me if there’s somewhere else you have to be,” I say.

  His dark chocolate eyes travel over me. He has sandy blond hair cropped close to his head. He has a thick muscular build, like a boxer. I know I have never met anyone like him before. He is not usually the type of guy I go for. I guess I never thought someone like him would be interested in someone like me. But there is something in the way he’s looking at me. It makes me feel like he knows me. Or at least, he wants to know me.

  “I don’t have to be anywhere else,” Irwin replies. He has a strong smooth voice. Very deep. Reliable. My eyes travel to his hand and how tightly he’s gripping the beer bottle. “Is she really your friend?” he asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  I am embarrassed by the question so I stare down at my bottle.

  “She used to be. Or at least that’s what I thought she was.”

  “It sounded to me like the only thing she cares about is herself.”

  Irwin’s eyes bore into me. He doesn’t care if he’s being rude about my friend. He’s being honest with me in a way I never expected. I nod.

  “She did me a huge favor. I owe her…a lot.”

  “But she can’t treat you like that. She can’t talk to you like that.” When he speaks this time his voice is firm and strong. This is the kind of man who nobody messes with. He is clearly also the kind of man who stands by his moral code.

  “I don’t know what to do. I feel stuck in this…in my life. I…” The words are gushing out of me. I would have continued to speak, but then I see Marsha coming towards us through the crowd. She doesn’t look pleased.

  Irwin

  Marsha is standing in front of u
s with her hands on her hips. She is ready for battle. Cleo sits with her back straight, her eyes fixed on her friend. I want her to know I’m right here to support her. She can say what she needs to say to Marsha and I’ll have her back.

  “Ronny left. Him and his friend, both. Because of you. What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Cleo?” Marsha snaps. Her eyes flicker on me for a moment but then she focuses on Cleo again. It is quickly becoming very apparent to me that Marsha thinks she owns Cleo.

  “He touched me inappropriately,” Cleo replies.

  This is the first time I’m hearing about it. She hadn’t mentioned that her date made a move on her.

  “So? It was supposed to be a date!” Marsha squeals over the music.

  “I think you need to take it easy here,” I speak up and she throws me a caustic look.

  “Who are you?”

  “Irwin Byrne.”

  Marsha rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to Cleo. “So now you’re going to have a drink with him? What about me? We should go back home.”

  Cleo takes in a deep breath. I can see she’s trying to compose herself.

  “You kicked me out of your place, remember?”

  Marsha rolls her eyes again.

  “Well, you can stay the night. We’ll discuss it in the morning. Let’s go.”

  I have to clench my jaw because I’m angry now. I can’t stand the way Cleo is being spoken to. If she gives me the signal, I will gladly pick up this chick and carry her straight out of the bar and leave her there. But if there is anything I have learned in the Marines, it is self control and waiting for the right moment to act.

  Cleo glances at me, like she’s looking for encouragement.

  “I don’t need to stay at your place,” she says.

  Marsha almost laughs at that.

  “So where are you going to stay? With him? You just met the guy.”