Sunday Snippet: Make Me

September has ushered in yo-yo weather. We had record low overnight temperatures this past week and we're supposed to end up with record high temperatures this week. My sinuses are not happy right now.

I'm still finishing up the copy edit for the extended project and should have it ready this week. I'm looking forward to starting a new project in the next week or so. September is shaping up to be a busy month and that makes me happy.

Didn't have a bad week of viewing. I got a lot of episodes in and finished up a series, which means I get to start a new one this week. I have no idea what that will be yet, but probably a mystery.

I caught two episodes of Death in Paradise. One I remember seeing before and the other new to me. This is why I love going back and watching in chronological order.

Also watched two episodes of Fantasy Island. Enjoyed both for the fantasy aspect. Did not enjoy the angst factor. As usual, you take a perfectly good couple and break them up for a stupid reason. Depending on how the next few episodes go, I'm probably done with this show.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Batman. Bane and Catwoman were introduced and the Catwoman episode was a lot of fun. The Bane episode wasn't bad either.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. The four vignettes were all ones I'd remembered and pretty fun to watch again.

Finished up the Agatha Christie Hour and enjoyed the final episode. I love mistaken identity hijinks and this episode had a splashy party to boot. So much fun.

Caught the second half of Suspects and thoroughly enjoyed watching the team unravel the tangled web of who did it. Also kind of great to get some insight into the characters' personal lives.

Finally watched the season nine finale of Peak Practice. It was as hard as I thought it would be. I'm not looking forward to Andrew's personal life being a main focus of season ten, but I'll still be watching.

Finished the second half of Silent Witness. This one ended up being very twisty and I like that. Looking forward to the next two-parter. Might get more insight into Jack's character.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Make Me, a novella that brings a couple together after a tragic loss.

Here's the miniblurb:

Adri Leonard and Moses Nichols train and manage recruits for a private security firm. When Adri loses a team in the field, she refuses to train a new group. Moses has to get her back on board because they need a support team ASAP for a mission-critical operation and he's not above using their long-standing personal connection to make it happen.

And a snippety peek…

Moses charged into the training room. "Adri, what the hell is this?" He flipped through the roster of names. "You can't trash an entire class on their first day." This group had the basics down, most with experience in either law enforcement or spec ops in the military.

Adri's shoulders went rigid, but she grabbed a carafe of coffee and started filling her travel mug. "Pretty sure I just did." She ran out halfway through filling her container and huffed out a breath.

Moses clenched his jaw. "Look, you know we've got seventeen active teams in the field, and I've got five staffed with support specialists. That means a dozen teams are twisting in the wind without crucial operating assistance." He shuffled the pages again. "We've got mission-critical operations, one in particular, that need trained teams. They're sitting ducks until they get them." He should not have to make this point. "And we'll be fucked if we end up with another call out in the next two weeks."

Adri angled her head around. "We're already fucked." She moved to the next carafe and swirled it, making sure it had liquid inside. "Bring in the next group."

Moses tsked. "No one in the next group has any law enforcement or military background. They're starting at ground zero." And there's not enough time to bring them all up to speed.

Adri turned to face him. "Then they start at ground zero. Because the previous group is done." She jabbed her finger into the files he held. "It says so right there on the top page. Maybe you should read it again." She screwed the lid on her cup and headed for the door.

Moses did a quick five count. "Adri. This is not a debate." He set the files aside and started to follow her.

Her obstinance couldn't stand—no matter how long they'd been friends and colleagues.

She whirled around and stalked toward him. "Well, Moses, I'm the instructor. The only one you have." Standing toe-to-toe with him, she snarled. "If I say we start over, we start over. I will not, not send another team out that isn't ready." She jabbed a finger into his shoulder and her gaze dared him to defy her decision.

He almost wished he didn't have to test her will. Almost. Because he understood the drama now. Too bad they didn't have the luxury of playing things safe right now.

He huffed out a breath. "That's what this is about then. It's not about the new class." He stared her down, pushing hard. "It's the one we lost." He clocked the moment he hit home when her gaze wavered, only for a moment, but enough to prove him right.

If possible, she got even closer before she quietly challenged him. "Careful. You're treading water in dangerous territory." The words rasped from her throat.

Her proximity suggested violence if he didn't bow to her demand. And, frankly, he would almost welcome a throw down if only to strip away the bullshit façade and get her to deal with her grief over losing an entire team in the field.

He stood his ground. "Step back. Now." If she refused, he'd have to resort to unfair tactics.

Her gaze went hard. "Make me." Her tone almost begged him to retaliate.

His eyes narrowed and he pondered the best way to handle this situation. Then he reached out and hauled her against his chest, crushing her mouth under his. He swallowed her startled gasp and drew the kiss out, sliding his tongue past her lips to brand the inside of her mouth. Her travel mug hit the floor and her hands fisted in his shirt, twisting the fabric. Her head angled to the side, deepening the embrace with her heated response.

When the lip-lock ended, Adri blinked and ran her thumb over her lower lip. "Wow. What the hell was that about?" Her eyes were dazed, and she smoothed her hands over her arms.

Moses grunted. "I think you know, Adri. From day one, you set a goal to push my boundaries. And I've let you get away with it. But you shot across the line when you challenged me to make you step back." His voice softened. "Sounded damn close to the double dawg dare you dropped at my feet the first night we met. What did you say then? Do you remember?" He wouldn't forget her words any time soon.

Adri glanced down. "Something like if I ever cross the line, a good, swift kick in the ass will usually get me back on track." She looked back up, a note of contrition in her eyes.

Moses did a slow nod. "Right. But, instead of kicking your ass, I went with my gut and opted for the kiss instead." And he maybe should've thought that idea through a little more.

Because, damn, he could barely think about anything else now.

Adri exhaled a shaky breath. "Yeah, well, you might have made the right call there." A pained laugh bubbled out. "Although, I'm not sure where we go from here." She shook her head and bent down to pick up her mug.

Moses waited until she got to her feet before speaking. "Let's start with reviewing the applicants again." He gentled his tone. "If there are any you truly feel can't make it through the program, we'll set them aside and bring them in with a later class." He reached for the files.

Adri put her hand on his. "You're asking me to put their lives on the line. I'm not sure I can do that … again." She squeezed his fingers. "The weight of that responsibility sits on my chest so hard it hurts to breathe sometimes." Her voice wobbled but she kept her emotions in check.

Moses cupped her face. "I know. I do. This isn't easy. But … let's think about how many additional lives could be lost if we don't get the support out there where it's needed." His thumb brushed over her cheek. "Won't that add to the weight you're already carrying?"

She swallowed hard and gave a nod. "When you put things that way, yeah, probably." Inhaling deeply, she lifted her chin. "Okay. Let's review the candidates and see what I have to work with." Turning away, she pulled a chair out and settled at a table.

Moses took a seat across from her and opened the first file. For now, he'd get her through this hurdle and back on target.

After that … he'd confront his actions and what they meant for the future.

Writing characters that push each other's buttons is so much fun. Adri and Moses are a great team, but they definitely come at things from very different places.

 

That's if for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin