Playboy (The Trident Series II: BRAVO Team #4)

CHAPTER FOUR

Gabby stood by with James, who was acting as her spotter for the competition. She watched nervously as the scores for the Annual Armed Forces Sniper Challenge were updated. The previous update had her only two points behind the first-place team, who had just finished their last element, which was the hardest of the five elements the teams were put through.

“Damn, I can’t believe that Cruz missed four of his shots,” James said aloud, scratching the back of his head.

Gabby had the same thought. Cruz was a Navy SEAL. He was also an arrogant asshole but an excellent sharpshooter. She’d at least give him credit where it was deserved. If he missed four out of his ten shots, either the element was that challenging, or he was just having a bad day.

The two huge jumbotrons updated, showing Cruz’s scores, and Gabby bit the inside of her cheek, trying to conceal her worry. She was now down by fifteen points.

This final element was Helo-sniping, and she would shoot at various targets in the water from a moving helicopter. There were ten targets in total, and the shooter was only allowed one shot per target, except for the last challenge, in which each competitor was allowed two shots. Each target was worth a certain number of points.

“Okay, the first challenge consists of five stationary targets worth two points each. So, if you hit all five, you’ll pull within five points. The last five are worth three points. All you’ll need to do is hit two of the remaining five, and the title is yours,” James told her, sounding confident that she’d hit her marks.

“You mean, the title will be ours,” she said with a grin. “We’re a team, and I couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

“Oh shit!” James blurted out, ignoring the compliment Gabby had given him. He was staring at something behind her.

“What?” Gabby asked, her eyebrows scrunched together.

“Don’t look now, but Alley just showed up.”

Gabby’s gut tightened. She hated the Vice Admiral, but because of his rank, she always showed respect and professionalism while in his presence. Outside of work, he was a sworn enemy of hers. His sudden arrival at the competition gave Gabby another reason to be nervous.

“What is he doing here?” She tried not to show her concern.

“Hard to say. There are a lot of big shots here today, and you know how he enjoys attention and likes to suck up to those above him.”

“Maybe,” Gabby retorted. She knew one thing—he wasn’t there to cheer her on.

She and the Vice Admiral had clashed ever since headquarters restructured the Chain of Command for the MSRT, and her unit fell under his command. For some unknown reason, he had placed a target on Gabby’s back the moment he stepped foot in her presence a little over a year ago. Her saving grace had been her teammates and Captain Graham. It was because of them and their loyalty to her that Alley didn’t hit the bullseye.

“Allen and Herndon, you’re up,” one of the event volunteers shouted.

Gabby took a deep breath and exhaled as she gathered her gear. Thankfully, her bruised hip hadn’t been much of a hindrance. By no means was it magically healed in two days. However, she had taken Graham’s offer and stayed home yesterday, and she just took it easy. Plus, coupled with the ibuprofen she took earlier, the pain was manageable.

“Hey, you aren’t nervous, are you?” James asked as they started walking across the field toward the helicopter.

She didn’t answer immediately, and James nudged her elbow.

“Gabby?”

She hated allowing her nerves to show, but she couldn’t lie to her teammate. She nodded. “I’m a little nervous.”

“But you never get nervous.”

“Well, I am today.”

“Don’t be nervous because pencil dick showed up,” he said, referring to the Alley.

Gabby chuckled. “Maybe I’m nervous because we have a shot at winning this thing.” She pushed the thoughts of Alley out of her head.

“Is your hip bothering you? Or could it be because your boyfriend is watching?” He grinned and motioned with his head toward the railing by the water, where Playboy stood with his teammates watching the competition.

“First of all, the hip is manageable. Second, he isn’t my boyfriend,” she stated firmly, at least she thought she did, as she looked towards the group. Playboy, right at that exact moment, locked eyes with her and smiled, giving her a thumbs up. Oh, damn! That sinful, sexy smile of his was going to be the death of her. She offered a slight wave back. Okay, maybe his presence was a little nerve-wracking.

Oh, but you would like him to be yours. The voice inside her head told her, and she felt a little flutter of desire in her stomach. She wanted to argue, but who was she fooling? She had a massive crush on the Navy SEAL.

After they had parted ways at Bayside two nights ago, as she sat and had dinner with Luna, she couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering back to the pool tables where Playboy was with his teammates. He had even caught her a few times. The chemistry was there. She could feel it. But it was that fear of rejection that had been holding her back.

“Gabby, who are you kidding? You know, everyone is talking about how you two disappeared together after leaving the gala a few weeks ago.”

Gabby’s head swung around so hard she thought she might get whiplash. “What?” She asked, shocked at James’ comment.

Yes, it was true. The person she rode with had to leave the event early, and Playboy offered to drive her home. They had left the ballroom together, but once they were outside waiting for the valet to bring Playboy’s car around, Velcro Vicky showed up with two of her friends. They had acted all surprised to see Playboy. She claimed she and her friends were at the hotel for dinner and drinks. But it was obvious she knew that Playboy was there for an event and had gone just to try and see him. And it worked, though it pissed Gabby off because after acting all surprised to see him there, she claimed her car wouldn’t start. Being the boy scout that Playboy was, he told her that he would take a look at it. Gabby didn’t stick around and told Playboy she would just call for an Uber . She could tell he wasn’t thrilled with her decision, and he seemed torn, but then Velcro Vicky inserted herself into their conversation and, of course, was hanging on his arm.

After witnessing that, Gabby assured him that she would be fine and could see herself home. Was she bummed? Of course. But there was nothing she could do about it. It was moments like that that it felt like he was sending mixed signals, and she didn’t have time for that.

Her mind went back to what James just said. She now wondered if people thought she had a booty call night with him. Oh, dear lord!

James smirked as if he knew what she was thinking. But before he could answer, the volunteer ushered them to the waiting helicopter.

She and James quickly loaded into the helicopter. Blocking out any mental distractions, she got her game face on and ready to kick some ass.

She and James were each handed a headset, which they tested to ensure they could communicate. Gabby then got to work setting up the support system of several straps she’d use to help brace her rifle. She found that using the prefabricated setup helped reduce the vibration caused by the helicopter. If a shooter wasn’t prepared, the slightest vibration could throw off the shot by a few inches or even more. There were other factors she had to take into consideration, like rotor wash, the distance to the target, wind direction and speed, the altitude the helicopter was flying at, and others. That was why having an open communication line with her spotter was critical. James was an excellent spotter and someone she could trust and rely on to give her accurate data.

Once they were set, she gave a thumbs up to the pilot, and they lifted into the air, making their way over the water toward the targets. The pilots made two passes around the targets, giving her a bird’s eye view of the first phase, which was the stationary targets.

“We’re coming around to the first target,” James told her.

“Let’s do this,” she replied, giving him a thumbs up and shaking off the jitters she felt earlier. Ignoring the slight ache in her hip, she settled into a comfortable kneeling position with her rifle resting on the straps and began to line up her first shot.

She cleared the first five targets within minutes, hitting them easily and precisely.

“You’re killing it, Gabs!” James shouted over the headset. As happy as Gabby was about nailing the targets, she wasn’t about to celebrate prematurely. She let her body relax but kept her mind in the game, knowing the next set was going to be much more challenging.

The following four targets each consisted of a cluster of fifteen-gallon wooden barrels tied together. Inserted in each bunch was a smaller five-gallon barrel that would act as the bullseye. The larger barrels were filled with gray smoke. If any of the five-gallon barrels were hit, it would release green smoke. Green smoke was worth three points, and gray smoke was awarded half a point.

Gabby took a deep breath and released it. She could do this. She had practiced similar shots and was successful. She just wasn’t under the intense pressure she was now.

She felt the hand on her back and knew it was James. She turned her head and met his gaze. He removed his sunglasses.

“You got this, Gabs. Show these boys what you’re made of,” he told her, instilling confidence in her, and she gave him a slight nod before settling into her shooting position again.

With each set of barrels, she carefully listened to James as he rattled off the calculations and data. She made some quick adjustments before taking aim and pulling the trigger.

When the last shot was fired at the final set, she pulled back and took a deep breath. She wasn’t feeling confident with her performance on this round. Having the barrels all the same color bobbing in the ocean made it difficult to spot the smaller ones, especially how the wind was blowing, affecting the water's surface. She thought she might have missed two of them completely. However, she would never use that as an excuse because it’s the shooter’s responsibility to make the appropriate adjustments to offset those conditions.

“Let’s see how you did,” James told her, giving her an encouraging smile as they leaned toward the open door to assess the results of that round.

At first, she felt mixed emotions. There was a lot of gray smoke lingering in the air. On one hand, smoke meant that she had hit something. However, gray smoke was only worth half of a point. She was down five points, so even if she hit all four, that would only give her two points. That would mean she had to be perfect on the final challenge to earn the three points, putting her into a tie with Cruz.

Just as the negative thoughts entered her mind, she felt James nudge her elbow.

“Look there!” He exclaimed, pointing toward where the last target had been.

She looked to the left and saw a green hue mixing with the grey smoke. Her lip lifted into a small smile, and a feeling of excitement started to build inside her. She was still in this thing.

She didn’t have to wait long to hear how she did as the scoring official’s voice came over the headset, and Gabby held her breath as he relayed the results.

“Petty Officer Allen, you scored a hit on each of the four sets—three gray and one green.”

As the official rattled off the results, Gabby was already doing the calculations in her head. Learning that she was only half of a point behind Cruz, those negative thoughts that were sitting idle in her head just a minute ago instantly vanished as she realized what that meant. No longer was she fighting to settle for a tie. She now had the opportunity to claim the top spot all to herself. All she had to do was nail the final challenge.

She glanced at James, and they both listened to another event official explain the final challenge, which would entail a fast-moving speedboat pulling a one-hundred-foot rope with a barrel attached to it. Her objective was to hit the fifteen-gallon barrel from approximately one hundred fifty yards while the helicopter was in motion, tailing the boat.

“Any questions?” The official asked.

“No, Sir,” Gabby replied.

The pilot’s voice then broke into the headset.

“We are thirty seconds out.”

“Copy,” Gabby replied as she made a few minor adjustments to the straps she used to support her rifle. James was next to her, looking through his spotting scope.

“Target spotted, four hundred yards out,” James relayed.

“Copy,” Gabby told him as she got into position on her knees and settled her rifle on the support system.

She pressed her cheek firmly against the rifle’s stock and slowed her breathing. Blocking everything from her mind, she peered through the scope. Once she had a visual on the target, she zeroed in on it as James relayed the calculations to her. With her finger on the trigger, she took a deep breath.

Suddenly, the boat banked hard to the left. What the fuck?!

“Goddammit,” James shouted, sounding angry.

Moments later, the boat changed course again, veering back to the right, causing the target to bounce erratically in the rough waters and making the shot even more difficult.

Fuck! She didn’t remember Cruz or any of the others having to deal with this shit.

Even with the frequent and abrupt movements, Gabby managed to keep the bouncing barrel within her sight while keeping a cool and calm composure.

“The driver changes directions about every ten seconds,” James told her just as the boat again banked hard to the right. She watched as she counted down from ten, and as soon as she hit zero, the boat turned back to the left.

“Not the next change but the one after; I’m taking the shot,” she told him, not taking her eye off the target.

As soon as the boat made the next move, she began her firing sequence. She started breathing out slowly, taking up the slack in the trigger. Everything fell onto this moment. She blocked everything from her mind. Other than the muffled sound of the helicopter’s rotors, it was silent. Her heart thumped in her chest as she counted down from ten again.

As soon as the boat started turning back to the left, she drew in a deep breath. With her eyes locked on the target, she double-tapped, firing the two allotted shots in rapid succession.

◆◆◆

Playboy was smiling as he stood alongside his teammates, Bear, Joker, Duke, Aussie, Nails, Snow, and Jay Bird, watching the sniper competition on the huge jumbotrons. He was grateful that Virginia Beach was hosting this year’s event, making it possible for him to watch Gabby live in action as she competed.

“Damn, Playboy, your girl is kicking ass. She’s nearly even with Cruz going into the last challenge,” Aussie said from beside him.

“She isn’t my girl,” Playboy retorted, sounding annoyed.

“That’s not what we’re hearing,” Joker said, the amusement in his voice made the others snicker.

Playboy turned towards his teammates and quirked his eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? What exactly are you hearing?”

“Everyone saw the two of you leave the gala together. You even had your arm around her.”

Playboy shook his head. Only if they knew.

“Well, everyone doesn’t know the full story.”

“So, you two are not secretly dating?”

Playboy’s eyes went wide. “What?! No!”

The team all looked at one another, seeming confused. A few even shrugged their shoulders.

“Well, shit,” Bear stated. “We all thought that since you two seemed to be getting along and you left together, something was going on between you two.”

Playboy huffed out a sigh and looked toward Aussie and Snow, knowing they knew the story from that night. He might as well let them all in on it, even though they are going to think he was a complete dumbass with how he handled it. He was still kicking himself in the ass over it.

“She needed a ride home.”

“And?” Duke pressed.

“We both walked outside, and we were waiting for the valet to bring my car, and fucking Vicky shows up right at that exact moment.”

A bunch of the guys grumbled, knowing that woman was nothing but trouble.

“According to her, she and her two friends just happened to be having dinner and drinks at the same hotel as the gala on the same night. She went on and on about it being a coincidence.”

“Coincidence, my ass,” Nails mumbled. “That woman has become a stalker.”

The guys all nodded, agreeing with Nails’ comment.

“So, what happened,” Bear asked.

“She claimed her car wouldn’t start and was acting all dramatic and like she was in distress about it.”

“Where was Gabby during this?” Joker asked.

“Standing right next to me.”

“Dude, you didn’t do what I think you did.” Jay Bird stated, almost like he was afraid of Playboy’s answer.

Aussie and Snow chuckled, and Playboy wanted to punch both of them.

Playboy rubbed the back of his neck, feeling stupid about having to admit that what he did was dumb.

“I told her I would look at her car.”

Joker’s eyes bugged out of his head. “No, you did not! With Gabby standing right there?”

“Yes. I know I fucked up.”

“What did Gabby do?” Duke asked, giving Playboy a disappointed look.

“She called an Uber .”

“Oh, man. You’ve got to tell them what Gabby said to you when you asked her if she was sure,” Aussie laughingly commented.

Playboy glared at Aussie. He already felt like an ass for doing what he did. He didn’t need to add insult to injury.

“Oh, I can only imagine. Tristan and those guys say that she can be pretty witty,” Bear said, giving Playboy a look and saying to spill it.

“Fuck me!” Playboy murmured. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should tell them. But then he knew they wouldn’t leave him alone about it, or Aussie and Snow would tell them, and they would probably add their own version to it. He took a deep breath before running his hand down his face in frustration. “She said, ‘Don’t worry about me. I’ll leave you to your damsel in distress routine because nothing says I’m not interested like dropping everything to play mechanic for the girl who’s clearly got more engine issues than her car.’”

There was complete silence for a few seconds before they all burst out laughing.

“Wow! She’s a little feisty thing,” Nails said, grinning mischievously. “Hot and feisty. My kind of a woman.”

Playboy groaned and glared at Nails, who Playboy knew was just trying to rile him up.

“Have you spoken to her since then?” Joker asked.

“The first time was two nights ago. She came into Bayside and was sitting with her team until her friend Luna showed up. I did buy her a drink and spoke with her briefly.”

“And how did that go?”

“I think it went alright. She didn’t ignore me or throw the drink in my face. She was friendly and even asked if I was coming here today.”

He wasn’t going to mention how he caught her looking at him while she was having dinner with her friend.

“I don’t know why you just don’t ask her out. Obviously, there’s something there,” Duke said.

“Because when I’m around her, I get so fucking nervous.”

The guys chuckled. Then Jay Bird, the quietest of the group, slapped his shoulder.

“You just need to relax. She seems like an understanding woman. When you get another opportunity to talk to her, I would first apologize for what happened at the gala. Be honest with her. Then after you grovel for being a dick, you can ask her out.”

They all nodded in agreement.

He grinned, knowing his friends were right. He just needed to man up. God, he hoped it was that easy. Maybe he’d get a chance to talk to her after the competition.

Just then, Gabby’s teammates walked over.

“Hey, what’s up?” Bear greeted the six Coasties.

“Just watching Gabby kick some ass out there,” Tristan said, shaking Bear’s hand.

“She’s pretty impressive,” Bear agreed, glancing at Playboy, who grinned.

“Guys! The next challenge is getting ready to start,” Snow called out, and everyone gathered around, turning their attention to the jumbotrons.

The final round was held a few miles out in the water due to the live rounds they were firing. The competition was equipped with drone cameras and another helicopter with a film crew following the action and streaming it live on the jumbotrons.

Playboy watched intently while quietly cheering Gabby on inside his head. The camera crew got an up-close shot of her as she got into position. She looked fierce and determined with her rifle at the ready.

Her first three shots hit the gray smoke barrels, and with every target she struck, the crowd cheered louder, making it known who they were behind. As soon as she fired the fourth shot, and a barrel released green smoke, the crowd went crazy.

“Yes!” Playboy cheered, pumping his fist into the air. The others around them were all cheering, clapping, and high-fiving Gabby’s teammates.

“What’s her score now?” Snow asked.

“It puts her half of a point behind Cruz,” Gabby’s teammate Blake confirmed.

“Damn! The last thing we all need is Cruz walking around with a bigger head. I hope the hell she can pull this off,” Bear said. None of them liked Cruz. Professionally, they dealt with him, but outside of work, they avoided him.

“If anybody can, it’s Gabby,” Adrian stated firmly.

Playboy liked the way Gabby’s teammates supported her.

“Has anybody hit the target in the final today?” Nails asked.

Adrian shook his head. “I don’t think so. It is really rough out there.”

“I don’t believe it. Look who just fucking showed up,” Tristan blurted out. Playboy could see that Tristan’s eyes were focused on two of the event officials talking to a guy dressed in Khakis and a polo shirt with the Coast Guard emblem on it.

“Who’s that?” Playboy asked, looking at Tristan, but it was Blake who spoke up.

“That’s Vice Admiral Alley from the Coast Guard Headquarters in D.C. He’s an asshole that has a vendetta against Gabby.”

“What the hell for?” Playboy asked, feeling a bit protective of Gabby.

Blake shrugged. “Nobody knows for sure. Everyone thinks it has to do with her being a woman.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Joker asked, looking pissed off.

“Ever since he got overlooked for a promotion that went to a female, he’s been known to disrespect women, especially if she is wearing a uniform.”

“That’s insane,” Playboy added, looking back at the guy as if trying to size him up.

Tristan nodded. “When headquarters restructured the Chain of Command, and our unit fell under Alley, Gabby became his target. Captain Graham tries to shield her from him as much as possible when he’s in town.”

Tristan looked in the direction where Alley stood with the officials talking to them. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he asked them to rig the competition so she wouldn’t win.”

“No way. You mean he would rather see another branch hoist the trophy over his own?” Duke asked, looking disgusted at what he had just heard.

“Dead serious. I’m telling you. He hates her. Plus, he was furious that she won the vote to represent the Coast Guard today.”

Playboy couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Gabby’s teammates. How in the hell could someone in Alley’s position get away with something like that? He had more questions he wanted to ask, but before he could, the announcer’s voice came over the speakers, letting everyone know that the final challenge was getting ready to begin.

As the excitement was building throughout the large crowd, Playboy once again turned toward the jumbotrons. Even though his excitement matched the crowds, he was a nervous wreck. He tried temporarily pushing aside the information that Gabby’s team shared. But no matter how far he tried to distance himself from those accusations, the anger still simmered deep inside him.

Before he could dwell on it, a shot of Gabby and her spotter, James, was shown on the screens, and the crowd went crazy. One thing was sure. Regardless of the outcome, Gabby would come away from this event with enough followers to start her very own fan club.

The cameras then jumped to the speedboat that was pulling the target. The driver was hauling ass. Suddenly, the boat made a hard left, making the rope and barrel it was pulling whip around. A few seconds later, it turned back to the right. The boat operator repeated the same maneuver.

Playboy did not remember the others having this level of difficulty. Then he remembered Tristan’s comment. Had the Vice Admiral really tried to sabotage one of his own? There was nothing anyone could do at the moment. But if that were the case, someone needed to speak up.

The noise from the crowd lessened. Everyone was on pins and needles with their eyes glued to the screen, waiting for Gabby to take her shot. Playboy’s heart was racing from the anticipation.

Suddenly, the crack of the rifle split the air like a whip, and the barrel behind the boat exploded, sending splinters of wood and bright blue smoke into the air.

“She did it!” Playboy shouted as his and Gabby’s teams were cheering and high-fiving.

The roar from the crowd was enough to make the ground shake, making it obvious they were thrilled with who won.

Tristan grabbed Playboy’s shoulder. “Come on. She’s coming in. Let’s all go meet her.”

As the two teams jogged over to the secured area where the helipad was, the cameras were showing Gabby and James as they celebrated.

They didn’t have to wait long before the black helicopter landed, and Gabby and James emerged filled with smiles.

Playboy smiled as he watched Gabby’s team swarm her as she exited the helicopter. They lifted her up into the air and were cheering, making the crowd go wild. She deserved every bit of the recognition.

The best part was seeing that beautiful smile of hers on full display. She should be proud. She stepped into a competition predominantly made up of men, showed them what she was made of, and reminded the world that the Coast Guard, which was often overlooked, stood right up there with the other branches of the military.

He was about to take a step when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. That only happened when he sensed danger. As he scanned the crowd for a possible problem, his eyes landed on one person. Standing off to the side, away from the crowd, was Vice Admiral Alley. With his arms crossed in front of his chest and an angry look on his face, he watched with narrowed eyes as Gabby got a celebratory hug from her Captain.

After what Gabby’s team had told him, Playboy had a feeling that the target on Gabby's back may have gotten bigger.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the small hand on his back. When he turned around, he was met with Gabby’s smile. He wanted to scoop up all five feet three of her and hug her tight. Even in uniform and with her long platinum-blonde hair pulled back in a low bun at the base of her head, she looked amazing. With her head tilted back, their eyes met, and he felt a pull deep inside of him.

His lips lifted into a smile, and he took a step, closing the short distance between them. Right at that moment, he felt so many emotions—happy, proud, possessive, and protective. Before he could rethink his actions, he wrapped his arms around her waist, being mindful of her hip, and hoisted her up against his chest as he hugged her.

Hearing her small gasp, followed by her laughter as she held onto his shoulders, made his smile grow.

When she pulled back, and he looked deep into her bright cobalt blue eyes as he held her in his arms, he almost lost all control and kissed her right there.

Smiling, he kissed her cheek instead. “Congratulations, Gabby. You were awesome.” Her cheeks turned a shade of pink, but she kept that smile on her face.

God, she was fucking adorable.

“Thanks. Sorry, Cruz didn’t win.”

“Are you kidding me? We didn’t want to see him win.”

It was obvious that his comment had surprised her, as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Really? But I thought you guys would be rooting for your own.”

Playboy set her back down onto her feet, even though he didn’t mind one bit holding her.

“I’m being serious. Cruz is an asshole. We all came to watch you.”

“Oh!” she said, appearing shocked.

Oliver came over and tapped Gabby on her shoulder. “Gabby, the organizers of the event are looking for you. They want to do the trophy presentation.”

“Oh. Okay.”

She turned back toward Playboy and smiled. “I guess I better head over there.”

He gave his head a slight nod. As she started to walk away, he called out to her.

“Hey, Gabby?”

She turned around.

“Yeah?”

“Will you be at Bayside tonight?” He asked, knowing that everyone from the competition was planning on meeting up there.

She gave him a coy smile and lifted her shoulder. “Maybe,” she teased him before turning back around and disappearing into the crowd.

“I guess it was a good thing we were all meeting tonight at Bayside for Duke and Hannah’s welcome home dinner,” Bear said, looking at Playboy with a shit-eating grin.

Playboy chuckled. “I guess so.” Tonight couldn’t come fast enough.