Garrett snorted. “Not likely.”
Sam glanced Steele’s way again. “You up for training team three a few more weeks? Our schedule is clear for the next while, and I wanted to take advantage. Rio is heading back to Belize for some R and R.”
Reading between the lines, Rio was going back to his wife, Grace, and their adopted daughter Elizabeth, and he’d be off the grid for a while. Which meant Steele pulled training duty. Again.
“As long as the rest of my team gets some time off,” Steele said.
The frowns on his team members’ faces told Steele they weren’t happy with his directive, but he also knew they could use some more downtime. Cole and P.J. were newly married and still working through some heavy shit. He’d never offer P.J. disrespect by saying it in front of the others, but she needed more time to focus on her healing and her relationship with Cole. A happy, well-adjusted team meant a more focused, competent team, and in their line of work, they couldn’t afford f**kups.
The rest of his team could use the downtime as well. They were a tight-knit group and Baker, Renshaw and Dolphin had taken the shit that had gone down with P.J. hard.
Sam nodded. “Done. Time off. Next mission will be drawn by Rio and his team unless we get something on the fly in the next few weeks, and then, depending on what the situation is, Nathan and Joe can take the assignment with either you or one of us as team lead.”
Steele nodded. Though Sam, Garrett and Donovan didn’t officially lead any of the teams, they’d taken the lead plenty of times, often taking missions with Steele and his team or Rio and his. With the addition of the new team, it was doubtful Sam would send them off on their own for some time. Which meant the oldest Kelly brothers would head the newest team on any missions they were assigned.
“We can help with training,” P.J. spoke up, a frown knitting her brows. “We’ve had enough downtime.”
Cole slid an arm around her in support as he looked in Steele’s direction. “You haven’t had any downtime, boss man. The rest of us have. We could help with training while you take some R and R.”
Steele shook his head. “Training is downtime. You don’t get a choice in this. You’re off work until I say differently.”
P.J. rolled her eyes, but there was something else there when she looked at Steele. Gratitude. Loyalty. And shadows still lurked in their depths. Steele wanted those gone. It would take a while. It wouldn’t happen overnight. But he worried about P.J. Even as he understood what she needed most was normalcy. A routine. Working with her team. That was the best medicine. But even the best medicine had to be given in moderation.
“Take a few weeks off,” Steele said. “We just came off a mission. You’re due. I don’t want to see any of you until I call you up again. We clear?”
Dolphin grinned. “Yes, your almightiness. We’ll bug out and get out of your hair.”
“Thank f**k,” Steele muttered.
“Good God, the man is cracking jokes again,” Renshaw said in horror. “What’s this world coming to?”
“If we’re done, I’m bugging out. Got a flight to catch,” Rio said, speaking for the first time. But then that was Rio. Quiet. Reserved. His entire team kept to themselves, quiet and moody just like him. The rest of KGI often joked that Rio and his team were cave dwellers. But Steele could definitely see the positives in that. Everyone had their own version of their caves. Steele’s just happened to be his farmhouse on his hundred-acre spread not far from the KGI compound.
It paid to stick close. It was a bitch having to fly in every time they pulled a mission. It was why he’d bought the acreage in Tennessee. He could have his solitude but never be far from the action. Now that P.J. had married Cole, they lived at Cole’s place just a thirty-minute drive from the compound.
“Give Grace and Elizabeth our love,” Donovan said to Rio.
“And Shea wants to know when you’re bringing Grace for a visit,” Nathan interjected. “She’s been hounding me for days.”
Rio smiled in Nathan’s direction. “Tell her soon. I want some time with them before I share her with the rest of her family.”
Nathan nodded. “I’ll let her know.”
They were interrupted by a cell phone going off. Everyone glanced around, but it was Ethan who scrambled for his phone. Usually they left their phones off during meetings and mission report, but Ethan’s wife, Rachel, was expecting twins, and Steele recognized the ringtone as being hers.
Ignoring everyone else around him, Ethan picked up the phone and stuck it to his ear.
“Everything okay, baby?”
He went silent and then his eyes widened.
“Holy shit. Okay, stay calm. I’ll be right there.”
Ethan disconnected the call and everyone stared expectantly at him.
“That was Rachel,” he said unnecessarily. It wasn’t like the big man called anyone else baby. It fascinated Steele how such big, badass men dissolved into putty around the women they loved. Four of the Kelly brothers had married and so had Rio. Dolphin and Renshaw had a betting pool as to who the next victim would be and who would fall head over ass in love next.
Steele let them have their fun just as long as his damn name wasn’t in the running. He didn’t begrudge the others their happiness if that was what did it for them. But he wasn’t in a hurry to make himself vulnerable by handing over his balls to a woman like so many members of KGI had already done. No thanks.