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“Your friend decided not to come?” Juan asked with a wink at Max

Beth gave therin “Ever since our experience in Thailand, she’s been leery of bars I told her you guys were beyond reproach, but she thought it was better to get here early and scope out the situation”

“Oh, I know,” Juan said, and turned to look at a wo with a sailor at the end of the bar She wore her hair pulled up underneath a USS Ni to the band’s music as she flirted with him “You can ask her to come over now”

Beth gaped at him, then nodded at Raven to join the, but her flirtatiousness was suddenly gone and she was all business, gently but fir him the fun was over

“How did you know?” Beth asked as Raven walked toward them

“Like you, we do our research”

Raven sat down and shook their hands with a strong grip “Raven Malloy”

“I’m Juan Cabrillo, and this hale and hearty fellow is Max Hanley”

“Dig in, if you’re hungry,” Max said, pointing at the plate of nachos that was three-quarters gone They declined but ordered beers from the waitress

“You were very good,” Juan said to Raven “I aluy”

“So did he” She lifted her hat and her long black hair spilled out “Then you’ve seen my photo?”

Juan nodded “You have impressive credentials Top ten percent in your class at West Point where you double-y and Middle Eastern studies Fluent in Farsi and Arabic Earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart in Afghanistan as athe Are as captain No wonder Beth trusts you as her bodyguard”

Raven’s expression didn’t change during the recitation of her acco to see how I’ll react or are you just showing off?”

Juan smiled “Maybe a little bit of both”

“Then let et hold of, but I have uez Cabrillo Grew up in Orange County, California, where you spent a good a Double- at Caltech Fluent in Arabic, Spanish, and Russian Recruited out of your college ROTC prograh I could find no record of postings or missions Left to foring from protective details for Emirate sheiks to rescues of kidnapped corporate executives and everything in between Spent six weeks in the hospital after losing a leg in some unknown op For what it’s worth, you conceal it well I couldn’t detect a limp when you walked in”