Damn, she needed a plan, and right now, she was out of options.
Then she heard a clunk of metal. She glanced around, but the sound was stolen by the wind and she couldn’t identify the source.
Holder heard the sound too, and had partly turned away from Callie.
Now.
Callie broke into a sprint. She pumped her arms and legs as she ran at the woman.
At the last moment, Holder whipped around and pulled out her pistol.
Shit. Callie dove, rolling across the concrete. Bullets slammed into the ground around her.
She came up on her feet and ran. She rammed into Holder, and the two of them flew backward, crashing into a makeshift sawhorse table. Tools fell around them.
Callie reached out and grabbed a hammer. She swung it at Holder.
Then the wind hit Callie so hard it pushed her back several feet, her boots sliding on the wet concrete.
She gritted her teeth, fighting to push forward.
She heard Holder laugh.
This woman was going to regret everything she’d done. Callie would make her regret hurting Brooks and trying to destroy Las Vegas.
Gripping the hammer so hard her knuckles were turning white, Callie gritted her teeth and pushed forward.
A thunking sound caught her ear.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Hail stones started to pound down around them. One large chunk hit Callie’s shoulder, knocking her back a step. Ouch.
No hail touched Holder. It was like she had some invisible force field around her.
Dammit. Callie threw an arm up and pushed forward. But the wind and hail were too strong, holding her back.
In desperation, Callie threw the hammer, but it was snatched away by the wind.
Damn. She strained to move forward, but she was pinned in place.
Holder leaned down and lifted up a heavy wrench. She hefted it, ready to throw it at Callie.
Then a flash of yellow appeared to Callie’s left.
The huge construction crane was swinging toward them, even though the cab was empty.
The large, metal hook swung right at Holder. The woman screamed and dropped to the ground.
Callie blinked, and a burst of realization hit her. Her smart, smart man and his magic hacking fingers.
“You can’t stop me!” Holder rose. Her hair was a sodden mess.
The crane swung back again, and Holder dodged to the side, almost losing her balance. She teetered close to the edge of the rooftop.
“I have a vision,” Holder said. “I’m too great and powerful for anyone to stop me.”
“It’s over Holder,” Callie said. “You’ve lost your mind, and we’re taking you down.”
“Never!”
The crane swung back again. Holder tried to evade, but this time, the hook slammed into the woman. She was knocked off the building, flipping over the railing. Her scream joined the roar of the wind as she fell.
Suddenly, the wind dropped off and the hail ceased. Free, Callie rushed over to the railing and looked over the edge.
Holder was flat on the ground far below, her limbs bent at unnatural angles. Callie winced.
Then she scanned the street below and saw Brooks leaning against their ruined car. He gave her a thumbs up.
Pivoting, Callie ran, hitting the stairs. When she jogged out of the construction site, she glanced skyward. The storm was still churning, the tornado still spinning. A lightning strike hit close by.
She ran toward Holder. Despite the terrible fall damage to the woman’s body, Callie pressed her fingers to the woman’s throat. She was dead.
Callie saw the jewel still clutched in the woman’s fingers.
Callie picked it up. It looked like a cream-colored conch shell, but parts of it also looked metallic.
How the hell did she stop this storm?
She ran her fingers over it, and then felt something depress under her thumb with a small click. In her head, she tried to imagine blue skies instead of thick clouds.
All of a sudden, the wind died, and the rain stopped.
Thank God. She looked up and saw the clouds were still overhead, but they were thinning and beginning to dissipate.
Then she turned and ran to Brooks. “Brooks.”
“Hey.” He was smiling at her, even though he looked like an extra from a horror movie. There wasn’t an inch on him that wasn’t covered in blood.
“Way to kick ass, Kimura,” he said.
She leaned into his uninjured side. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” She cupped his jaw. “The crane was totally inspired.”
He shot her the lopsided smile she loved.
Suddenly, a car pulled up next to them with a screech, and his smile died. “Oh, fuck.”
They watched Howard Manning and four armed goons climb out. The goons whipped their weapons up, aiming at Brooks and Callie. Howard took a step forward, and then saw Holder’s body.
“No.” He took two faltering steps. “No!”
Callie straightened. She couldn’t take down four guards without risking her or Brooks getting shot.
Manning’s rage-filled, grief-stricken gaze swung to them. “She was a visionary. The greatest woman I’ve ever known.”
Huh, it seemed Amy Holder’s second-in-command had been in love with her.
“Kill them!” he roared.
The goons moved forward.
Then, there was a quick spurt of gunfire, and one goon went down.
Out of the gloom, Team 52 moved as one. They held their CXMs up, staring down the scopes.
There were several more shots, and Manning went down with a scream. The goons tensed.
“Drop your weapons, and we won’t leave you bleeding on the ground,” Lachlan said, his voice hard and cutting.
The other goons hesitated, then one by one, set their weapons down, dropped to their knees, and put their hands on their heads.
Smith and Axel pushed forward, pulling zip ties off their belts.
“Callie,” Brooks said.
“Yeah?”
“My legs are about to give way.”
She swiveled and helped lower him to the ground. Then she dropped down beside him. She studied his face and pressed her fingers to his wrist, checking his pulse.
It was strong and steady.
She rested her head on his uninjured shoulder. “Hell of a day.”
“Hell of a week,” he said. “But at least it’s over now.”
And inexplicably, Callie felt a slither of icy fear. He’d told her that he loved her. Her heart knocked against her ribs. A part of her was elated and a part of her was terrified. There’d be more dangerous missions, more chances for her to lose this man who was starting to mean everything to her, and she had to work out if she was brave enough to risk her heart.
* * *
“Is it done?” Brooks asked in a grumpy voice.
The plump, friendly doctor patted his arm. “All finished. You have a nice row of stitches. Some of my best work, despite your whining.”
Brooks huffed out a breath. “Sorry. I just don’t like hospitals.” And more than that, he desperately wanted to see Callie.
He hadn’t wanted to go to the hospital, but Callie had insisted. In return, he’d bullied the team into bullying her to get checked out as well.
Now, all he wanted to do was see her.
His mouth was dry. He’d told her that he loved her, and she hadn’t mentioned it since.
The door opened and he looked up, hopeful.
Blair walked in. “Hey, big guy.”
His shoulders slumped. “Hi.”
“I’m clearly not the woman you were hoping for.” Blair’s voice was dry and amused.
“Callie?” he asked.
“She’s fine. She didn’t even need stitches. And your parents called. Your family is all okay.”
He blew out a breath. “Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “Is Callie here?” He looked at the doorway.
Blair’s face wen
t blank. “She left a while ago. She asked me to drop you home. She said she had some things to do.”
Brooks couldn’t breathe. She’d left. He dropped his head into his hands. “I fucked up.”
“By helping to save the day? By helping Callie bring down Holder?” Blair snorted. “You’re a hero, Brooks.”
“I fucked up with Callie. I told her I loved her.”
Blair sat down beside him on the bed. “Then she’s probably scared. Just give her some time.”
He nodded. Time. Okay, that was a plan. He’d wait for her forever, if he had to.
But that didn’t mean that his heart wasn’t hurting.
Blair drove him home. The rain had turned to a slow, steady drizzle, but it looked natural now.
“The wind jewel?” he asked.
“Locked up in a containment box at the Bunker. Looks like Holder had joined the second shard with it as well to amplify the effects.”
That was good. The team wouldn’t have to track down the missing shard.
“We’ll transport it to the base tomorrow,” Blair continued. “Then Arlo and Ty can fight over it.”
“Good. How’s MacKade?”
Blair smiled. “Busy with cleanup. Bitching at me about destruction and dead bodies.”
“Amy Holder’s fault, not Team 52’s.”
“We all know that. He’ll get over it. No doubt he’ll demand lots of sexual favors in return.”
Brooks held up a hand. “TMI.”
Blair laughed. “Besides, MacKade’s got his hands full trying to come up with a decent cover story for all of this.”
Brooks didn’t envy the man that task.
Blair pulled up in front of his building, and watched him haul himself out of her car. She walked him to his door.
“Take it easy, Brooks.” She kissed his cheek. “And hang in there. She cares about you.”
Brooks entered his empty condo. For a second, the calm and silence was jarring. All the danger and tension of the mission was over. It felt weird to be back here in his space.
He headed to the shower, cursing as he wrangled his borrowed scrubs off. After a quick shower, he pulled on sweats and then tried to pull his T-shirt on without sending agony through his shoulder. It required some Cirque du Soleil-worthy moves, but he made it. His shirt was another of his favorites—a picture of a man riding a furry alien animal that said, “Save a horse, ride a tauntaun.” But not even his shirt could bring a smile to his face.
In his living room, he moved to the rain-splattered window. He should eat, but he wasn’t hungry. All he could think about was Callie.
Time. Time. Time.
With a frustrated groan, he turned. Maybe he’d play some Xbox? Or work on some of his programs?
There was a knock at his door.
Heart leaping, he raced over to open it.
Callie stood in the hallway, completely drenched.
“You’re soaked.” He pulled her inside. Her clothes and hair were plastered to her body.
“I’ve been walking around in the rain,” she said.
Something in her voice made him pause. “Okay.”
“I’ve hated the rain for years. I’d forgotten that it could be nice to walk in the rain.”
He gripped her arms and watched her face.
Her gray gaze met his. “I’d forgotten that Bec liked to dance in the rain. She was always dancing.”
“Cal—” He desperately wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her.
“I’ve spent so many years remembering the bad and blaming myself, that I’d forgotten the good.”
“Your memories are yours forever, Callie,” he told her. “They’ll always be a part of you.”
She nodded. “I’d forgotten how much I loved them. Still love them.” She stepped closer to him, her cheek to his chest. “Falling in love with you helped me remember that.”
God. God. His brain wouldn’t work. He opened his mouth, closed it.
She looked up at him and smiled. Then she stepped back, looking at his shirt. “I love your shirt.”
Brooks didn’t give a crap about his shirt. “You love me?”
“You’re pretty lovable, Brooks.” She walked forward, backing him up until his knees hit the couch. He dropped down and she straddled his lap, careful of his injury.
“I love you, Brooks Jameson. Your body, your tattoos, your brain, your smile, your glasses.” Her lips twitched and she rolled her hips. “Your cock.”
He groaned, cupping her ass.
“Did I mention your glasses?”’
“Yes,” he rasped. He was going to have them bronzed.
“Your sense of humor, your kindness, the way you look at me like I’m the best thing you’ve ever seen.”
“You are, Callie. I love you so much it makes my brain stop working.” He lowered his voice. “You’re mine?”
“Yes.”
“You’re mine.” He kissed her.
He meant to keep it loving and sweet, but it turned hot and dirty fast. As he tried to pull her closer, he bumped his shoulder and stifled a groan.
“Let me do the work,” she whispered.
She shoved at the waistband of his sweats and he lifted his hips. She pushed his sweats down and her hands circled his cock. Then she was stroking him, taking her time, fingers running all over him. Soon, he was groaning loudly.
Finally, she rose and shucked her wet clothes. Then, beautiful and naked, she was back in his lap, positioning his cock.
“Condom?” he said.
“I’m clean and protected. I’m okay without if you are?”
He nodded vigorously. “I’m clean too.”
She slid down.
They both groaned.
Joined.
She was warm, tight, and so wet. He sank a hand into her hair. “My Callie. My very own gorgeous badass.”
She moved faster. “Touch me, Brooks.”
He ran his hand over her, caressing her breasts, thumbing her nipples, stroking her belly. Then, he moved lower and found her clit.
He rubbed at that swollen nub and she moved faster, taking him harder and deeper. Their breathing turned to harsh pants.
Being inside her, locked together with her, was everything.
“Brooks, oh, God, Brooks.” She threw her head back and came.
Glorious. As her body clamped down on his cock, he was one beat behind her, groaning and shaking through his own release.
She collapsed against his uninjured shoulder.
“Love you, Brooks.”
“Love you, too, Callie.” He stroked a hand down her back. “That was way better than the Xbox game I planned to play.”
She lifted her head and laughed. Brooks watched her, thinking that he was one lucky geek.
Chapter Twenty-One
Callie walked out of the elevator with her team and into the base. They’d had a good, hard training session.
She smiled. She was feeling so happy.
She spotted Arlo stomping out of the warehouse, and even the bad mood throbbing off the older man didn’t bother her.
It had been a week since Amy Holder had tried to destroy Las Vegas. And it had been the best week of Callie’s life.
Every night, if they weren’t at base, she and Brooks were together at his place or hers. They had a running battle playing Gears of War, and she’d discovered that he was a decent cook when he set his mind to it. The man could apparently do anything. They’d also had lots of sex—intense and mind-blowing, fun and laughter-filled, sometimes sweet, but always sexy.
Her man’s big brain meant that he was good at research, and he liked testing out new things and getting creative.
They’d had dinner with his family, who did nothing to hide their glee that Brooks and Callie were a couple. They were also planning a trip to visit her mom soon and hang at the beach.
Blair strode past Callie, pulling her CXM off her shoulder. Callie followed her and the others into their locker room. She listened to her team talkin
g around her as she stripped off her gear and stowed it in her locker.
“Look at you, in a rush to see your man.” Blair sounded highly amused.
Callie pulled out some clean clothes. “Oh, and you aren’t always in a rush to get back to your detective every time we land in Vegas?”
Blair’s eyes turned unfocused. “I can’t get enough of that man, even when he’s driving me crazy.”
Callie threw an arm around her friend and hugged her. “We are pretty darn lucky.”
Blair snorted. “You mean MacKade and Brooks are pretty darn lucky.”
Callie headed for the showers. “That, too.”
After she’d showered and dressed, she waved to the others and headed for the computer room. As she strode down the corridor, she spotted Jonah heading in her direction.
“Callie.” He inclined his head.
“Director.” She had a hunky man of her own, but she still had to admit that Jonah Grayson was prime eye candy. The man had tall, dark, and handsome down to an art form, and he wore a suit so well.
“I understand that you and Brooks are in a personal relationship.”
Callie froze. Shit. “Yes. I assure you, it’s serious, and we’re both professionals.” She thought of what they’d done in the computer room. More than once. Okay, they were professional-ish.
Jonah raised a dark brow. “Brooks? Professional? Have you seen his T-shirts?”
Callie smiled. “I mean that we’ll continue to do our jobs to the best of our abilities.”
A faint smile edged the director’s luscious lips. God, he was ridiculously good-looking.
“I never doubted it. Be happy, Callie.”
“Thanks.” She paused, not sure she should say anything. He was the boss, after all. Curiosity finally won out. “How come some woman hasn’t ever tied you down?”
His green eyes glittered. “I haven’t found one who’s kept my interest.” With a nod, he continued down the corridor.
Callie was madly in love with Brooks, but she was still a heterosexual woman, so naturally, her gaze went to Grayson’s perfect ass hugged by his fitted dress pants. The woman in her wondered just what it would take to capture and hold Jonah Grayson’s attention.
Shaking her head, she headed for the computer room. When she entered, Brooks was sitting at his computer, completely absorbed. He had his feet up on the desk.
Mission: Her Freedom: Team 52 #6 Page 16