by Norris, Kris
Christ, it had felt real. Genuine. As if she’d been waiting all this time for that exact moment. And for a split second, he felt her love for him. Saw a flash of their future together. Happy. Perfect.
And damn if he hadn’t loved her right back. Hadn’t wanted all of that and more. With her. Forever.
Which was crazy because the way she’d looked at him just now—when she’d asked if he’d used his time leaks to win them the raffle—it hadn’t been love or even lust. Shock. Maybe a hint of fear. A heady mixture of both. Which was perfectly normal. Still…
The only reason he hadn’t gotten out his phone and downloaded a damn annulment form right then—went against Cannon’s advice—was the panicked look in her eyes when he’d told her they could undo it.
He hadn’t been expecting that. The lack of regret in her expression. In fact, if he was reading her right, the only thing she seemed to regret was not remembering the night the way he did. Of course, that might just be his damn sixth sense leading him astray. Giving him false glimpses of hope when it should be flooding him with images of why Deputy Marshal Lance looked as if he’d just lost his best friend.
Cannon grunted behind him. “Of course, it’s just the beginning. No one thought our good luck was going to start now.”
Lance chuckled. “I’d say Six used it all up not getting his ass shot off last night. But this is definitely not good news.”
He moved over to the table, grinning at Kam. “And how’s the blushing bride this morning?”
Kam’s body tensed, her shoulders dropping as she primed herself for battle. “Good enough to knock you on your ass if you call me that, again.”
“Someone’s not a morning person.”
“I’m not patient, either. And weren’t you supposed to bring food? I’m starving.”
“Sorry. Got a bit sidetracked when I got a call from LVPD. A buddy of mine works narcotics. Seems that Suburban you guys crashed last night got towed to their impound before your friends had a chance to clean it. CSI tore it apart looking for drugs or weapons. They didn’t find any contraband, but they got some blood swabs. Fingerprints, which they’re running, now. They’ll give me a call if anything useful turns up. In the meantime…” He gave the envelope a shake before opening the flap and removing a bunch of photographs. “They did find this wedged between the seats.”
Lance spread the pictures across the table, tapping on an image of Kam and Six in his truck. “Looks like they’ve been stalking you two for a while, now.”
Dread settled in Six’s stomach. He recognized the shot. It had been taken a month ago. In Seattle. And he hadn’t even picked up on the fact they were being tailed.
Jericho leaned in closer. “That’s not from a regular camera. See the angle? They got this off a traffic cam.” She looked up at Six. “Guess that means you’re not slipping as much as we thought.”
They thought he was slipping?
She laughed. “Relax, Six. I’m just yanking on your chain. And judging by the rest of these images, more than one of them came from ABMs or drones. No way you could have known.”
But he should have. Should have gotten some kind of inkling that trouble was brewing. That he was being shadowed, even if it was from afar. But he’d been too focused on the woman sitting next to him in every damn photo. The one he was staring at like some love-sick puppy in at least half of them.
Cannon picked up another, and Six braced himself for the razzing he knew was coming his way. But Cannon didn’t smile or jab him in the ribs. Instead, he frowned, drawing the photo closer. “This looks like a satellite shot from the Port Authority. When you guys rescued Ellis.”
“Aided in my escape.” Ellis frowned. “What? I was doing fine until Colt and Ice gave me a concussion.”
Colt sighed. “I’d let it go, guys. I’ve discovered it’s impossible to win an argument with an operative.”
“Ex-operative.”
“You can take the girl out of the Agency…”
Ellis elbowed Colt. Hard. But the man just smiled, looking at her the same way Six was looking at Kam in the photos.
Kam reached over to the edge and grabbed a few that were stacked together. “How the hell did these get in here?”
Six stared down, focusing on the images of Kam in her uniform. Fatigues, mostly. The first couple looked as if they had come from an official file. What the military would keep in their records. But the others… They’d been taken in the field. At different bases. In towns. Including one of her standing beside a truck, flanked by a squad of men. All heavily armed. Lethal. A few faces vaguely familiar.
Six hovered over her. “Is that Afghanistan?”
She nodded, all the color draining from her face. She swayed, but he was already moving. Wrapping his arms around her then pulling her against his chest. Short, choppy breaths raked across his arm, shivers trembling down her limbs.
He brushed his lips against the shell of her ear, ignoring the instant jolt of heat along his skin. “Slow your breathing, sweetheart. Or you’ll pass out.”
She nodded. Too fast for him to believe she was in control. Six shifted his arms—held her tighter without making it look as if he was keeping her on her feet. Kam hated being coddled, but damn, the last thing she needed was to give herself a concussion.
It took a minute, but her breathing eased, her body relaxing into his. He smiled against her hair, giving her a squeeze before easing back. He waited to see if she’d step away—break his hold completely—but she didn’t move, still bracing half her weight against him. Relying on his strength to keep her steady.
Hell, yeah, he’d keep her steady. He’d have her back—be her rock—for as long as she needed it. Longer, if he could manage because the way she fit against him… It was better than he’d imagined. Better than when she’d flirted with him last night because this Kam wasn’t drugged. Wasn’t making rash decisions as a result of her inhibitions being waylaid. Letting him be strong for her—cup his hands on her waist as she took a deep breath—was a conscious decision.
Kam rested her fingers over his, and he couldn’t help but stare at the matching bands. The way the diamond—even if it was fake—sparkled in the light. It shouldn’t make him smile. Ease an ache he hadn’t realized had taken root deep inside his chest.
Cannon shuffled sideways. “You okay, honey? I can only imagine how this must feel. Having someone invade your privacy like this.”
Kam took another breath. “It’s not that.” She grunted. “Not only that. I can see how someone could have hacked into the traffic cams. Maybe used a telephoto lens to spy on me so I wouldn’t notice. But this…” She tapped her finger on the image of her with the squad, standing beside the truck. “This is from two years, ago. From that day…” Her voice trailed off, and she pressed a bit harder against Six.
He followed in kind, increasing his hold on her. “What day, Kam?”
Her chin quivered, and it nearly unhinged him—knowing she was on the verge of tears. That’s when it all clicked in. The truck. The men. The explosion. She’d never talked about it directly, and Six had never asked. He understood demons. How hard they were to vanquish. And he wasn’t one to push.
Kam swallowed, coughed a few times, then exhaled. “That must have been taken when we were leaving that stupid town. Just a few hours before the truck hit an IED on the way back to base. Before everyone died but…”
He nodded. “But you.”
“And Reynolds. He made it out, too.”
“Only because you helped him, right?” He smiled when she snapped her head around to look at him, taking the time to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. God, it was so damn soft. “We’d heard the basics.”
“But…” She looked at the others in turn. “None of you ever said anything.”
Ellis smiled and clasped her hands over one of Kam’s. “We figured you’d tell us when you were ready. If you wanted.”
Kam broke eye contact. “Not much to tell. The truck blew up. I got insanely lucky
—barely had a scratch. Everyone else…” She released a shaky breath. “There wasn’t much left. Reynolds was thrown clear. I grabbed some weapons and a first aid kit, and we hiked to an outlying post.”
Ellis waited until Kam lifted her head—met her gaze. “You left out the part where you saved Reynolds’ life. Dragged his ass all those miles. That it took you four days, most of that time spent avoiding insurgent cells. Dodging enemy forces—”
“It wasn’t anything special.” She cut off Ellis when the woman went to speak, again. “It was merely survival. I didn’t do anything heroic. But I’d like to know why these men have a picture from that day. How they got it. What it means.”
Ellis tilted her head. Frowned. “Can I take a closer look?”
Kam nodded, handing over the photo. Six shifted, once again putting his chest at her back. Kam tensed, looked over her shoulder at him, then smiled. It wasn’t much more than a small curve of her lips, but it hit him full force. Stealing all the air in the room and, for a moment, he wondered if he’d have to rely on her to hold him up.
Then, she leaned into him and, damn, his heart kicked over. Had him stepping fully into her, palming her hips. He wasn’t sure who benefitted more because having her close—feeling her heartbeat echo through his chest—it soothed something inside him. Brought everything into focus. Made it all clear. He wasn’t going to leave her side until he’d rounded up every last one of the men who’d chased them. Until the asshole behind the operation was either in jail or dead. Preferably the latter. Six didn’t care what it took. If he had to break ranks. He’d see she never had to look over her shoulder, again.
Ellis studied the photo, frowning. “Which one is Reynolds?”
Kam leaned forward, somehow managing not to break his hold, as she drew her finger along the image. “That’s odd. I don’t see him.”
She picked up another image of her and a couple of the same men, stopping at a guy barely visible off to the left. As if he’d realized a second too late that someone was taking a photo and had tried to turn away. Hide. “There. That’s Reynolds on the edge.”
Ellis squinted more, then inhaled, glancing back at Colt before making the rounds—looking everyone in the eyes. “Do you recall Reynolds’ first name?”
“I…I don’t remember. He was new. Had only been there a few months, and I’d only gone on a couple of other reconnaissance trips with his unit. I didn’t work with him, again, after…” She cleared her throat. “He transferred.”
“Actually, I’m pretty damn sure he’d already completed his mission. Or maybe that was the problem. He hadn’t. After all, you made it back alive.”
Kam looked at him, brow furrowed, lips pursed tight before focusing on Ellis, again. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“His name isn’t Reynolds, it’s Slader. Ian Slader.”
Six shuffled Kam to his side, stepping closer to Ellis. “How the hell do you know that? You’d already been gone for three years when that photo was taken.”
“Because he’s not military. He’s CIA. Well, pseudo-CIA. He’s been one of McCormick’s go-to guys for at least as long as I was part of his SOG unit. And I’m pretty damn sure he wasn’t on the pier that day McCormick got arrested. Slipped through the cracks, I guess.”
“McCormick had one of his guys watching Kam? But…why?”
Ellis sighed, her shoulders drooping as she shook her head. “I was always worried that McCormick would take an interest in Kam because of me. Because she helped gather intel on the CIA for that shit show in Somalia. But when nothing ever came of it…” She glanced at Kam. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
Kam took Ellis’ hand. Squeezed it. “You’re wrong. You did everything you could to protect all of us. Staying gone when you knew we could have helped you… This is on McCormick. No one else. Still…I don’t know why he would have been watching me.”
“McCormick only had one motivation—to make a fortune selling death to the highest bidder. If he was watching you—was having you followed—then it’s because you have something he wants. And it looks like he’s finally ready to collect.”
Six held up one hand. “Wait. The guy’s been locked up for seven months. How the hell is he doing anything?”
“Is he? All we know is that the CIA was going to ‘handle it’ internally.” Ellis made air quotes as she huffed. “Which is basically them doing whatever the hell they please. For all we know, they simply sent him off to command some black ops site overseas.” She held up her hand. “I’ll call some people. See what I can find out. While I didn’t accept the CIA’s offer to re-enlist, I’ve kept a few contacts there. Have a few favors owed. I’ll do whatever is necessary to get to the bottom of this. I swear.”
“Ellis…” Six looked at Colt, noting the red creeping into the man’s cheeks. The white in his knuckles as he fisted them at his side. “I think you’ve been through enough. The last thing you need is to get sucked back in. And I’d rather not have to go a few rounds with one of my best buddies because you’re putting yourself at risk, if it’s all the same to you.”
“You guys risked your lives for me. Hell, you got shot. Wouldn’t be much of a teammate if I didn’t do the same.”
“And exactly the reason why immersing yourself in the CIA, again, is a bad idea. Besides, there must be someone else inside the Agency we can trust. A way to get intel without having you open yourself up to all of that, again.”
“Hadn’t realized you’d taken over Colt’s position as mother hen of the group, Six, but…I’ll start by hacking into their employee database. See if any familiar names pop up. Okay?”
Six groaned. “I don’t see how hacking into the CIA’s secure database is less dangerous.”
“That’s because you’re not a hacker. But don’t get your panties in a twist, big guy. The guys still love you.”
Lance cursed. “You do realize I’m a Deputy U.S. Marshal, right? As is Jericho and Cannon. And you’re openly announcing your intentions to commit a felony. Correction—an act of treason.”
Ellis smiled at the man. “Did I? Pretty sure Kam and I were just reliving our glory days.”
The man grunted. “Just, don’t tell me anything else. I’d like plausible deniability.”
“Consider my lips sealed.”
“There’s an internet café not too far from here. Might be a good place to do your digging. Keep it removed from everyone else.”
“Sounds perfect. Besides, I’m hungry, too.”
“I’ll walk you both over. Bring back that food I promised. You guys good here on your own for a bit?”
Cannon nodded. “We won’t stray too far. And thanks for jumping in. Lending a hand. If you ever need anything…”
“You’ll be the first guy I call.”
Ellis gave Kam a hug, smiling at the two of them before heading out, Colt trailing behind. He hadn’t teased Six, yet, about the impromptu wedding, which meant he was biding his time. Waiting for the perfect moment to rub it in Six’s face. Six just wished it was the wedding that had him tied in knots and not the woman still pressing against him. His…wife.
Christ, that one word, alone, should send him into full soldier mode. Have him pushing back. Focusing on the task at hand. Finding the quickest way to eliminate the threat. Anything and everything to distance himself from the fact he and Kam were legally married.
Instead, his damn hands flexed against her waist as he drew in a deep breath. Inhaling the lingering scent of her perfume.
Kam placed her hands over his, again, giving them a squeeze before twisting to the side—leaning against the table. “This is crazy. I don’t have any deep dark secrets.”
Cannon sighed. “We’ll figure it out. Promise. But, in the meantime, we should go through all the photos. See if there’s a common thread. Establish a timeline. Knowing when it all started—if it’s been constant or something that cropped up after you helped out with Ellis—might narrow down why he’s targeting you. Those photos from Afghanist
an could just be from your military file. I’m sure McCormick had access to it and more.”
Cannon moved a few of the photos around. “Curious how you’re in damn near every photo since the pier, Six.”
Six met his buddy’s gaze. “Isn’t it? Almost as if someone had planned it that way.”
Cannon grinned, the bastard. “Well, when you find a pairing that works…” He stepped back, taking Jericho’s hand in his. “You both look exhausted. Why don’t you take a couple of minutes to freshen up? We’ll go call Jericho’s uncle Jack—Admiral Hastings. See if he can use his influence to find out exactly where McCormick is. We can go through all the pictures once Lance gets back with some food.”
He switched his focus to Six. “After all, you two are on your honeymoon. You probably need some alone time.”
Six was going to kill Cannon. Slowly. And he was going to enjoy every moment of it.
Kam palmed her face, shaking her head as Cannon and Jericho closed the door, leaving them alone. “I was right. We’re never going to live this down.”
She pursed her lips, and damn if he didn’t want to taste them. Just slide his mouth over hers, delve inside. Know what it was like to kiss her when it was a conscious decision. When she ached for it half as much as he did.
Kam motioned to the pictures. “I should start going through these. Maybe get some answers.”
“The photos can wait. Why don’t you have a shower? Decompress. We can jump in after you’ve had something to eat.”
“I’m the one who spent the past several hours sleeping. If anyone needs to shower and decompress, it’s you.”
“Already had a shower, sweetheart. And I can go three or four days without sleep if need be.”