Prince Joe
Veronica St. John is facing the challenge of a lifetime. The media consultant has two days to teach a rugged Navy SEAL to impersonate a European prince who has been targeted by terrorists. It's a tough assignment, but Veronica is sure she's up to the task–until she actually meets Joe.Despite his physical resemblance to the handsome prince, Lieutenant Joe Catalanotto is nothing like the stuffy aristocrat. Everything about the combat-hardened Navy SEAL–from the arrogant gleam in his eyes and streetwise attitude to the New York accent–says regular guy, not royalty. One conversation and Veronica knows nothing could turn this military man into nobility. Joe, on the other hand, is confident he's got what it takes to complete his duty.But neither of them expects their assignment to include falling in love…
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New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann has thrilled audiences with her Tall, Dark and Dangerous series. Experience it here with a hero who must face the most daring adventure of allâfalling in love.
Love is the toughest assignment of his lifeâ¦
It will be the biggest challenge of Veronica St. Johnâs career. She has two days to teach a rugged Navy SEAL to impersonate a European prince who has been targeted by terrorists. Itâs a tough assignment, but Veronica is sure sheâs up to the taskâuntil she actually meets Joe.
Despite his physical resemblance to the handsome prince, Lieutenant Joe Catalanotto is nothing like the stuffy aristocrat. Everything about the combat-hardened Navy SEALâfrom the arrogant gleam in his eyes and streetwise attitude to the New York accentâsays regular guy, not royalty. One conversation and Veronica knows nothing could turn this military man into an aristocrat. Joe, on the other hand, is confident heâs got what it takes to complete his duty.
But neither of them expects their assignment to include falling in loveâ¦
For Eric Ruben, my swim buddy.
CONTENTS
My eternal thanks to my wonderful friend Eric Ruben, who called me up one day and said, âHey, Suz, I just read a great article about navy SEALs. You should check it out.â (I did, and the rest, as they say, is history.)
Special thanks to the Prince Joe Project volunteers from the Team Ten list at Yahoogroups.com: Rebecca Chappell and Agnes Brach (co-captains), and Julie Cozzens, Miriam Caraway, Gail Reddin, Vanathy Nathan, Kristie Elliott and Julie Fish. Ladies, I salute you. Thanks so much for stepping forward and helping out.
Thanks also to Katherine Lazlo and the many other readers who took the time to e-mail me and set me straight about the correct use of âYour Majestyâ and âYour Royal Highness.â
Last but not least, thanks to the real teams of SEALs, and to all of the courageous men and women in the U.S. military, who sacrifice so much to keep America the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Any mistakes Iâve made or liberties Iâve taken are completely my own.
Baghdad, January 1991
Friendly fire.
It was called friendly because it came from U.S. bombers and missile launchers, but it sure as hell didnât feel friendly to Navy SEAL Lieutenant Joe Catalanotto, as it fell from the sky like deadly rain. Friendly or not, an American bomb was still a bomb, and it would indiscriminately destroy anything in its path. Anything, or anyone, between the U.S. Air Force bombers and their military targets was in serious danger.
And SEAL Team Tenâs seven-man Alpha Squad was definitely between the bombers and their targets. They were deep behind enemy lines, damn near sitting on top of a factory known to manufacture ammunition.
Joe Catalanotto, commander of the Alpha Squad, glanced up from the explosives he and Blue and Cowboy were rigging against the Ustanzian Embassy wall. The city was lit up all around them, fires and explosions hellishly illuminating the night sky. It seemed unnatural, unreal.
Except it was real. Damn, it was way real. It was dangerous with a capital D. Even if Alpha Squad wasnât hit by friendly fire, Joe and his men ran the risk of bumping into a platoon of enemy soldiers. Hell, if they were captured, commando teams like the SEALs were often treated like spies and executedâafter being tortured for information.
But this was their job. This was what Navy SEALs were trained to do. And all of Joeâs men in Alpha Squad performed their tasks with clockwork precision and cool confidence. This wasnât the first time theyâd had to perform a rescue mission in a hot war zone. And it sure as hell wasnât going to be the last.
Joe started to whistle as he handled the plastic explosives, and Cowboyâotherwise known as Ensign Harlan Jones from Fort Worth, Texasâlooked up in disbelief.
âCat works better when heâs whistling,â Blue explained to Cowboy over his headset microphone. âDrove me nuts all through trainingâuntil I got used to it. You do get used to it.â
âTerrific,â Cowboy muttered, handing Joe part of the fuse.
His hands were shaking.
Joe glanced up at the younger man. Cowboy was new to the squad. He was scared, but he was fighting that fear, his jaw tight and his teeth clenched. His hands might be shaking, but the kid was doing his jobâhe was sticking it out.
Cowboy glared back at Joe, daring him to comment.
So of course, Joe did. âAir raids make you clausty, huh, Jones?â he said. He had to shout to be heard. Sirens were wailing and bells were ringing and anti-aircraft fire was hammering all over Baghdad. And of course there was also the brain-deafening roar of the American bombs that were vaporizing entire city blocks all around them. Yeah, they were in the middle of a damned war.
