Tripp

Table of Contents
COPYRIGHT
In the Company of Snipers
IN THE COMPANY OF SNIPERS
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Epilogue
An Unedited Preview of Damned
About the Author


Tripp
IN THE COMPANY OF SNIPERS
Book 23
IRISH WINTERS


COPYRIGHT
Tripp; In the Company of Snipers, Book 23
Copyright ©2021 by Irish Winters
All rights reserved
First Edition
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, dialogues, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Cover design: Kelli Ann Morgan, Inspire Creative Services
Cover image: Paul Henry Serres Photography, www.paulhenryserres.com
Interior book design: Bob Houston, eBook Formatting
Editor: Linda Clarkson, Black Opal Editing and Proofreading
ISBN Paperback: 978-1-942895-01-5
ISBN eBook: 978-1-942895-02-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021906846


In the Company of Snipers
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IN THE COMPANY OF SNIPERS
This series revolves around former Marine scout sniper, Alex Stewart, and his covert surveillance company, The TEAM, home-based out of Alexandria, Virginia. An obsessive patriot and workaholic, he created the company to give former military snipers like him, a chance at returning to civilian life with a decent job, security, and a future.
This is not a serial with each book ending at a cliffhanger. In the Company of Snipers is a collection of passionate love stories involving strong women and men who are tough enough to take on the world alone. Each is a stand-alone read, complete in itself.
Spoiler alert: Every story contains adult scenes including sexual situations (some explicit), language, and violence. I don’t write sweet romance, so be forewarned.
Book 1, ALEX, reveals how The TEAM came to be, as well as how Alex met Kelsey, how they fell in love and fought all odds to stay together. Each of the following books is a complete romance in itself, where, in the course of an active TEAM operation, one agent comes face to face with his or her demons. The men and women I write about are all patriots and warriors, dealing with what they’ve lived through or mistakes they’ve made.
It’s my hope that you will come to realize along with my heroes...
Love changes everything.


Prologue
US Army Corporal Tripp McClane jerked his cell phone out of one of his many tactical vest pockets and glared at the caller ID displayed on the cracked-to-shit screen. Trish again. Damn her. What now? That girl had more problems than anyone he’d ever known. Which was saying something, since he’d joined the Army, and now knew more people than just the locals back in Letha, Idaho. His hometown was a goodbye, good-riddance, speck of dust stuck between Caldwell, Idaho, and Ontario, Oregon. On the border to No-Damned-Where. The scenery might’ve been gorgeous, but the mess that had been his home life? Trish had made that as ugly as shit.
Which was why his mother had moved her to the East Coast after he’d deployed. It was Andrea McClane’s last-ditch effort to get her daughter away from the small-town mentality, where entertainment had everything to do with booze and drugs. She’d moved to show Trish a different, smarter way to live. To submerse her in a town filled with the diversity of military families, hard-charging professionals, and winners. But mostly, to get her away from her trashy, drinking, drug-addict friends.
“I’m working,” he clipped, instead of asking, “What now?” He didn’t want to know.
“Yeah, well, I’m working, too, you fuckin’ jerk!” she screeched. “You seen Mom today? I mean, you heard from Mom? God, it’s not like you ever Facetime or keep in touch, you ass.” With every word, the pitch of her voice turned more shrill and demanding. Which meant Trish was using again. My poor mother. “She’s not here. I don’t know where she is, and I need a ride to the effin’ bus stop, and I’m tired of—”
“I don’t have time for this,” he replied tersely. “Call me back later.”
“Listen to me, damn you!” Her voice vibrated as if she were stomping her feet or banging her head. A brother could only wish she’d knock some sense into the empty space between her ears. “For once! Can’t you focus on me instead of your fuckin’ job for once? Damn you! I’m important, too, and I need—”
Click.
I... I... I... Trish’s all-time favorite word in Webster’s dictionary. Make that her go-to letter.
Tripp hung up without listening to the rest of what would’ve been a drawn-out, tiresome rant mingled with more ugly words, dramatic tears, and vicious threats. Fraternal twins should’ve had more in common, but not him and Trish. The cell went into his pocket. His attention went back to