Before I let you enjoy this chapter there is a couple of things I'd like to say…

To those who responded to my note about being unsure on whether or not to continue thank you for the support. It has helped me quite a lot in the writing process.

Though I do have to say thank you for keeping me humble by reminding me that peoples lives are extremely busy so if they do get a chance to read that doesn't meant they have the time to review.

So any kind if support anyone has shown I want you to know that it's greatly appreciated.

And I realize that there are those out there waiting for the action to come back again but I believe in making the back story an important part of the situation.

I've been trying to make sure the time line is as accurate as possible so if there are some irregularities I do apologize.

Oh and I own nothing dealing the with movie shooter

Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Ignoring them while she talked to Michael in the middle car to make sure their client was safe; that she hadn't died from the shock Eden took a minute before opening her mouth to answer.

"That it'd be a good way to spice up the evening?"

"Dammit Eden." Todd growled. "You could've gotten yourself seriously hurt or worse."

"Unless I'm wrong we almost all got hurt or worse a minute ago." She countered.

"That's not the point and you know it." Todd argued. "You were in there without back up. People high on god knows what. They could've killed you."

Irritable; tired, and a little sick of her brothers over zealous protective streak Eden was done being nice. "Look I know you're just looking out for me but danger is a way of life for us; always has been. I've had more guns pointed in my face then you or I care to remember. The possibility of being killed is the nature of the beast."

"Nature of the beast my ass." Todd griped. "You shouldn't have been in there without back up and you know it."

"I can kick your ass plus Michael and Chris' five ways to Sunday." Eden defended. " A couple of guys hyped up on coke isn't a big deal."

Down to his last nerve with the stubborn as hell woman he turned back to facing the front window. Speaking in Romanian; hopefully loud enough for his sister to hear; Todd left it alone for her to translate to the marine. When he was this upset with her it was best to just stop talking and let someone else take care of it.

"What did he say?" Swagger cocked his head in confusion.

"That he's done dealing with my stubborn attitude and it's your turn to talk some sense into me." Eden informed.

"No problem." Swagger turned his body so he was facing her. "You're good at what you do; none of us is going to argue with that…."

"But?" Eden interrupted.

"Staying in there by yourself was reckless." Swagger decided pulling punches was out of the question. "Taking on a bunch of guys who know their limits is one thing; we've all done it before. Ones that are so jacked out of their minds that they can't feel when you shatter their wrist to pieces is a whole knew ball park."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that I have something different between my legs then you guys do?" Eden was in rare form right now.

Having arrived back at the house he kept his response to his self as four of them climbed out of the vehicles; the woman currently trying to talk her way out of an argument she knew she couldn't win taking her place next to the client. Swagger on the other side helping to support her as they made their way up the stairs.

According to Michael they'd given her a soda to counteract the nerves and adrenaline but once it had worn off she was numb. Not uttering more then two words the entire ride home. When someone wasn't use to having that kind of danger shoved in their face on a daily basis the body was unable to respond and compensate for the quick and extreme change.

Once they had the young blonde safely tucked inside her massive room changing for the night; windows checked to make sure they were secure Swagger wasted no time answering her as he stood opposite the SEAL and brown haired man he'd found out was a fellow marine.

"Don't try to pull that card." Swaggers voice was low but full of anger. "From what I can tell you have a bigger set of balls then most men I know. Bottom line is none of us would've done what you did without some sort of back up. It's one of the first things drilled into a persons head in special forces. No one; man or woman; get's left behind."

"Amen." Phillip muttered.

"You're suppose to be on my side." Eden glared at him.

"Usually I am." Phillip reminded. "I trust your judgment like no one else's E but he's right. It goes against everything we've been taught."

"As the person in charge of this assignment it's my responsibility to make sure everyone makes it out safe." Eden fired back. "Something else that was drilled into our heads. I guess I went against that too."

Sharing a look they knew she had them there. It was one of the many catch twenty two's of their business. Going into any place dubbed a "hot zone" by yourself was one of the biggest snafu's a person could make. On the same note they were told not to leave a single team mate behind to be taken by the enemy. Granted this hadn't been a war zone tonight but it was damn close.

Bottom line they were all at fault for what happened at the club. For not knowing there were men waiting to make their vehicles Swiss cheese. Most of all for letting everything get out of hand to the point where Eden had been in her particular situation. But that didn't mean they were going to let her off easy. This wasn't the first time she'd taken a big risk when it came to an assignment.

It was as if she was punishing herself for what had happened during her last mission with the SEAL's before retiring. Which as far as he and the rest of the FLJ team were concerned was a bunch of bullshit. The physical injuries she'd suffered from the botch job were more then enough penance for losing some of her men.

A goat fuck; as those in the special ops world liked to call them; was something that could happen to anyone. But because of who her father was; the reputation she had to live up to; the young beauty took it ten times worse. Since that horrible day a year ago she hadn't spoken to any one still left on the team or family members of those who'd been lost.

What she didn't know was that he along with her family had been fielding calls from those men since she'd stopped speaking to them about two months after coming to work for her fathers company. They all wanted to know why she was avoiding them. Why she was acting as if they all hated her. Reality was everyone and their families knew what they were getting into when they signed on the dotted line. When they took the oath to defend their country from all enemies foreign and domestic.

No one blamed the young woman for what had happened. Except for herself that is. He'd seen the same attitude in every one of her brothers a time or two. Even his self before he'd taken Charles Blackmore's offer to join their security firm.

Rock bottom was not a place someone wanted to be. Especially someone with as much on their conscious as she had. This getting herself into more and more dangerous situations was the beginning point towards that. None of them wanted to see her get that far. She had so much to live for; so much to offer the world and that one special man once she found him.

Seeing the way Swagger looked at her as she spoke to her brother a few feet away; no doubt wanting to find out about what had happened to the men who'd decided to start a gun battle out back of the club Phillip could tell he wanted that coveted spot.

Personally the other marine couldn't blame him. Eden may be a little damaged because of her line of work but she was still one hell of a woman. They'd been friends for a long time. He'd been there for her after her Navy career had fallen apart. And vice versa.

At one point in time he'd thought about trying to give it a shot; but then she'd met the scout sniper and it'd all been thrown out the window. More intrigued by the man then anything the young woman had been less then happy when they'd made her the unofficial welcome party to try to get him to join the team. But after coming back from meeting him there was something different about her. Of course there was little fact that she treated him more like a brother then potential lover.

Eager to know what had happened but not wanting to seem like he was prying Phillip kept his questions to his self. But he could see there was a different light in her eyes; that she seemed a little more eager to have him on board then when they'd sent her on her outing to Wyoming.

Clearing his throat to get the other man's attention the blush on his cheeks when he realized he'd been caught was enough to confirm the blonde haired man's suspicions. As with every red blooded male that met her he was fascinated by Eden. By the way she moved and carried herself. Of how she dealt with being a gorgeous female in what was still largely an all male world. Somehow that really pissed him off.

"We didn't get the chance to really meet earlier. "He held out his hand. "Phillip McKay."

"Bob Lee Swagger." He shook the offered limb; noting the other man put a little bit more pressure behind the shake then necessary.

"How long did you serve the corp?" Phillip questioned.

"Eleven years." Swagger answered.

Why the man was trying to make small talk when in all reality he was really sizing up what he considered the competition was beyond the scout sniper. They'd met for a couple of moments before the briefing for this nights cluster fuck had started. Maybe because he was the one being watched like a hawk he noticed it more then anyone but if felt like the man had been staring daggers into him all night. At first he thought it was because he was the new guy and even though he had the blessing of the founding family behind him they still wanted to see for themselves if he had what it took.

That was until Eden stepped in the room; having been stopped by her father to look over a file. Moment the blonde haired man laid his green eyes on her it had all fallen in place for Swagger. Whether he knew it or not the man was half in love with the Romanian beauty. Personally the other marine couldn't blame him. What was not to fall for about her.

Able to command a room with one word from her mouth; ready a team in no time flat while still keeping things light she was a site to behold. Hell since they'd buried the hatchet about the incident at his house he'd been fighting growing and unexpected feelings.

All of which had made his heart jump into this throat when she'd ordered him to leave her inside the club while he got Melanie out to the waiting car. Seen her flying out the back door; bullets pinging overhead. Training and adrenaline had been the only two things keeping him going past the fear.

Had seen the same emotions in McKay's eyes as they toppled into the car; a tangle of arms and limbs as they tried to right themselves. He'd been scared out of his ever living mind that she'd been shot. Part of the reason Swagger knew why he felt the need to agree with her brother. It was the motivation behind him giving her a piece of his mind.

Now as he answered the other mans questions out of politeness if nothing else the scout sniper hazard a glance at the woman currently occupying his thoughts.

Hair having fallen haphazardly from her braid during all the excitement she was standing tall and confident as always. Hands on her hips; pushing her coat back to reveal the gun that had gotten quiet a bit of action in the last hour. Listening as her brother relayed some information no doubt sent from her father back at headquarters. They'd unfortunately had to call the patriarch to tell him what had happened. He along with Mrs. Blackmore were the only ones available to do any kind of research.

Studying her closer he could see the fatigue in her blue orbs. The dark circles a little more pronounced then they'd been before. Dirt had some how made it's way onto her cheek; smeared across the top. Mouth set in a grim line she looked none too happy about what she was being told. No bruises to be found on her flawless skin he wasn't surprised. She was good at what she did; which meant being able to come out of a fight nearly unscathed.

Turning his gaze quickly away when she started to head in their direction Swagger felt his cheeks turn red and prayed it wasn't showing. The last thing he needed was to get caught staring at the woman who was essentially his boss. Not to mention he could tell she was in a rare mood. Willing to rip into anyone for any little thing.

"What'd you find out?" Phillip questioned.

Coming to a stop in front of them Eden resisted the urge to rub her temples; headache having formed a while ago. This kind of thing had been happening as of late. Once the adrenaline left her system her head would pound like nobodies business. The doctor had told her it was because her body had to get use to all the action again. Though she'd only been out of the game for less than six months before joining her parents firm it was enough for her body to get thrown completely out of whack. Especially when it had gotten so use to it for the past thirteen years.

Of course it could have something to do with the fact that she was extremely pissed off at herself for ignoring protocol tonight. Going in alone or being left by ones self in a hostile environment was a huge slap in the face to all those who walked in the same shoes she did. As with the legendary musketeers it was all for one and one for all in the special ops world. The same cold be said for the private security sector; being made up of ex spec war people as it was.

But seeing the look of fear on that young girls face when she realized what was happening; that she was in way over her head Eden had to put her safety first. No one had died under her watch since she'd joined her fathers company over a year ago and she'd be damned if it was going to happen tonight.

Putting her own personal safety aside she commanded her team to the get young socialite to the protection of the waiting vehicles; knowing even that there was a chance she wouldn't make it out unscathed if alive. Among the other things they'd been right about her brothers as well as herself knew that people who were cocked out of their minds didn't go down without one hell of a fight.

Side throbbing like a bitch; cut thankfully not bleeding anymore the young woman pushed back the thought of how she was going to fix herself up without anyone knowing to focus on the task at hand.

"Thankfully it has nothing to do with our other assignment." Eden assured him; knowing it had to be on his mind at some point.

"Melanie then?" Phillip spoke up.

Having been appraised of their situation with Johnson incase he was needed to help out Eden tried her best not to let irritation ring in her voice. She'd seen the blonde haired man staring daggers at Swagger when he didn't think anyone was looking. Knowing how he felt about her she appreciated his concern of wanting to make sure the new guy wasn't a threat to her emotional well being but the whole over protective thing didn't fly with her. Something he already knew.

"That's what were thinking." Eden answered. "Todd sent Michael, Chris, and Jacob to clean up. Get rid of the bodies and bullets. Make sure no one saw or heard anything."

"I doubt it." Swagger reminded. "It was so loud in that club I'm surprised I could hear myself think. Plus those weapons were silenced."

"Better safe then sorry. Todd also thinks that if we can find one of them alive we can figure out who hired them. It'll save us a lot of leg work. But I doubt he'll get that lucky." Eden explained.

"What makes you say that?" Phillip questioned.

Grinning despite the urge to drop to the floor from exhaustion Eden placed a hand on the gunnery sergeants shoulder; knowing she was going to inflate his ego hardcore but uncaring at the moment.

"Because they don't call this man the best for nothing." Eden turned her attention in his direction; sensing his urge to squirm. "That was some nice shooting cowboy."