Delta Force: Six: Wayward Souls

by Norris, Kris

  Six tucked her hand into his lap, smiling at her when she glanced up at him. “Well played back there. Definitely pulled our asses out of the fire.”

  She snorted. “Nice pun. Though, it nearly backfired. I had no idea they’d scan everyone leaving.”

  “It worked out.”

  Crow grunted. “Do I even want to know what it is you really do, buddy? Because it’s not natural.”

  Six shrugged. “I’d tell you, but then, I’d have to kill you.”

  “Right. Fine, keep it to yourself. I think I’d rather not know, anyway.”

  That’s when it hit her. How much Six had shared with her. The risk he’d taken when he obviously had never shared it with anyone else. Not even his teammates. His brothers.

  Which meant…

  Trouble. That’s what it meant. Because she knew there was no turning back. No changing gears. No more denying how in love she was with him. All she could do was turn into the spin—pray she came out the other side intact.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “So, that’s it? We just sit here and wait?”

  Six resisted rolling his eyes as he studied Crow. His buddy stood behind Kam, peering at the computer screen as a small bar slowly inched across the screen. He’d been on-edge since the op—since seeing Devlyn—and it seemed his impatience hadn’t improved.

  Crow nudged Kam. “How long will this take?”

  Kam pushed back the chair, looking up at Crow. “As long as it needs. A few hours, at least.” She scoffed at Crow’s grunt. “Do you have any idea the kind of math the computer’s doing to decrypt the data? The complexity of the algorithms it’s running? We’ll be lucky if it doesn’t take days. Like I told you before. No other program was able to unearth anything hidden within the intel. If there’s a list or something equally telling mixed up in there, it’s as elusive as Bigfoot.”

  Crow’s mouth cracked a hint of a grin. “I hear he prefers this neck of the woods.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch a glimpse, then.” She rocked back in the chair. “We have to assume that Bains eventually wanted this found, since he told me it would enlighten me. I’m sure we’ll discover what’s on there if we just let my decryption run its course.”

  “I’m just glad you three got out of there before the cops and media showed up.” Cannon. Relaxing on one of the couches beside Jericho. Eyes narrowed. Face set. “Things would have turned ugly, fast, and you’d all be sitting in jail, right now.”

  Kam glanced over at Six and smiled. Beamed. “That was all Six.”

  Six chuckled. “All I did was get us out the front door. You got us safe passage, sweetheart. Activating the fire alarm was brilliant.”

  “Except where I boxed us in.”

  “Nothing we couldn’t adapt to. And a better option than what we were facing.” He focused on Crow. “That ex-teammate of yours didn’t look like the kind of woman who would have given us a break.”

  Crow snorted. “Not unless the break involved our bones. And Kam’s right about you, Six. Getting us past all those agents. Still don’t know how you did it.”

  Six grinned. “Mad ninja skills mixed in with a healthy dose of luck.”

  “Something tells me it’s not quite that simple.” Crow held up a hand. “Don’t even bother. I’ve officially given up trying to figure you out. I’ll just tap my heels together three times and believe.”

  “Pretty sure that’s to send you home, but…”

  Cannon chuckled. “All right. It’s getting late and we could all use some down time until Kam’s program is finished spitting out the data.” He pointed at Kam, Six, Gibson, and Crow. “You four should turn in. Get some sleep.”

  “But…” Kam glanced around. “We didn’t help out last night. We should—”

  “Kam. Other than a few hours of sleep, you and Six haven’t stepped out of the fire since it started days ago. And god knows how things will shift once we see if there’s anything on that drive. How the next few days will play out. There’re more than enough of us here to work up a rotation without you four.”

  “And if there isn’t anything on that drive? Then what?”

  “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there.”

  Six stood, offering her his hand. “Come on, sweetheart. There’s no arguing with Cannon when he gets that look. And he’s right. We should take the break where we can.”

  Kam accepted his hand, walking toward the hallway with him.

  “Oh, and Six…” Cannon winked at them when they stopped and twisted to glance at him. “Try to keep the headboard banging to a minimum.”

  Red slashes burned a path along Kam’s cheeks and, for a split second, she looked as if she wished they were still avoiding capture in the damn NSA building. Still fighting their way out.

  Six gave her hand a squeeze, nodding at Cannon. “We’ll keep it as quiet and you and Jericho, and Colt and Ellis, did when we were all holed up together.”

  Cannon laughed. Loud. “Hell, yeah. That’s a deal.”

  Six’s hand on the small of her back, turning her—giving her a gentle push toward the hallway. Kam followed, gaze focused straight ahead, and he knew she was trying to ignore the way the team followed their progression down the hall. That they were all acutely aware that her and Six were going to the same bedroom. Would be sleeping together. Or, not sleeping.

  Normally, that wouldn’t bother Six. Ops and sex went hand-in-hand. No better stress relief than a tumbled between the sheets. Or up against the door. Bent over the couch. But under the current circumstances—the Hail Mary wedding still evident around both their fingers—it definitely changed the nature of the situation. Made him more self-conscious of what sleeping with Kam entailed. That it could potentially affect the team if he screwed things up.

  Which was probably the crux of the entire situation. It wasn’t just sex. And the more times he surrendered to her—to all the emotions that bled through to the surface with her in his arms—the less chance he’d have of reining them back in. Burying them if she decided their tryst ended along with the threat.

  They stopped at the doorway, Six smiling down at her as he pushed open the door then motioned her in. But it was the look in her eyes—all heat and lust and something he’d seen in his own reflection that was so much deeper—that had him inhaling. Holding his breath as he realized he’d already lost any chance of burying his emotions. Of returning to the old Casey.

  She stepped inside just clear of the door, and he was there. Shutting it behind them, spinning her into his arms then claiming her lips. Hard. Desperate to revisit her taste—the feel of her flesh against his.

  A soft moan, and he was delving inside, tracing every inch of her mouth, lifting, breathing, then tasting her, again. More desperate than before. As if the future hinged on this one kiss. How strongly she reacted. How needy he made her feel. If she ate at his mouth the way he was devouring hers.

  God, he hoped that she was just as lost. As invested. That with every touch, every soft moan, she fell harder. Deeper. That she was as close as he was to coming in his damn pants. That just the slide of her mouth over his, the press of her body against him, had her melting.

  Six shuffled them backwards, grinning when her calves hit the bed, and she fell back onto the mattress. Quickly following her down, he braced his weight on one elbow, gently tucking some hair behind her ear. “Christ, how do you get more stunning with every passing minute? It’s not fair, sweetheart.”

  Kam stared up at him, eyes glassy. Lips lifting into a soft smile. The kind that told him she knew he’d been sincere. That he meant every damn word.

  She palmed her cheek, stroking her thumb across the corner of his mouth. “Six…Casey.”

  His closed his eyes on a raspy breath. He loved that she called him Casey in here. He wanted to be that man for her. “Damn, the way you say my name. Say it, again.”

  She lifted her head—nipped at his lower lip. “Make me shatter, and I’ll scream it.”

  A hitch in his bre
ath as any remaining blood drained from his brain. Filled his damn dick until he thought it would simply explode. Kill him on the spot because just the thought of seeing her fly apart did him in. Pulled him under until her pleasure—her damn happiness—was all that mattered. All that registered in the glow of the soft light.

  He leaned in—returned the gentle nip. “Challenge accepted. Guess it’s time to fall on that sword for real.”

  Then, he was moving. A hand under her back, lifting her just long enough to tear off her shirt—unhook her bra. Four seconds, and she was bare from the waist up. Her skin beading from the swirl of cool air as he placed her back on the bed, quickly shifting lower. Another four seconds, and her jeans were flying over his shoulder—nothing but a blur of blue denim. Socks and panties followed and bam—she was naked. Completely nude in ten seconds flat.

  Best damn use of his Delta skills, yet. Disrobing her as quickly as he took apart his Sig. Only he had no intentions of putting her clothes back on. Hell, if he had his way, he’d kept her naked and in his bed for the foreseeable future. Just order food in. Maybe have Colt or Crow leave it outside the door. They’d do it. God knew they owed him a few favors. Surely delivering some food sounded like better payback than taking a bullet for him. Risking their lives.

  Of course, they’d do that without hesitation, red ink or not. Just like he’d do it for them. For Kam, whether she balked at his every attempt or not. Because her getting hurt was inconceivable. Messed so much with his damn brain that he could barely focus on the job. On what needed to happen next.

  Kam moaned, giggling when he trailed his fingers up her calf, stroking the sensitive hollow behind her knee. That sound. So pure. So light. He vowed to unearth all her ticklish areas. Discover what made her smile, laugh, arch into him. While he’d done some exploring last night, he’d barely scratched the surface. Hadn’t come close to completing his Kameron Monroe map—the one where he knew every inch of her. Could draw her from memory. Recognized if she’d gotten so much as a new freckle on her skin. An oversight he’d correct, now. Just like the one where he hadn’t tasted her. Gotten her to flood his tongue. Though, he was pretty damn sure she’d taste like her skin. Sweet. A hint of earthy musk.

  Time to put that theory to the test.

  Kam watched as he continued up her legs, tracing small circles across her skin as he kissed the path his hands had taken. The arch of her foot. Her ankle. Her knee, then inner thigh. And when he finally reached her groin—eased her drenched flesh apart—she bucked against his mouth.

  And god, he’d been wrong. She was sweeter. Hotter. Better than he’d imagined. Feeling all that wet, soft flesh move beneath his tongue. Her fingers locked in his hair. The desperate noises she made as he slipped a finger insider her—felt her contract around him.

  It pushed him over. Had him sucking, nipping, anything to make her come. To hear his name hiss from her lips. Have her entire body convulse in his arms. He knew he should slow down. Draw it out. Make it last half the night because there was no better place to be than right here. Drowning in Kameron. If only that damn message would get through.

  Instead, he upped his pace. Needing to have her surrender to him. To be lost, like him. It only took a few more minutes to get her quivering on the edge. Muscles tensed. Fingers fisted around his hair. Breath held. Her thighs locked around his shoulders, as she arched into his touch. Another few moments, and her head was twisting on the bed, hair tangling around her face. He took two heartbeats to stare at her—watch her fight to stay poised on the brink of her release.

  Then, she was hissing out his name, contracting around his fingers. Shattering in his arms as her skin flushed pink, every muscle clenching tight, then releasing.

  Six didn’t wait for her to finish. Couldn’t. Just climbed up her body, gathered her beneath him, and thrust inside. All that warm, wet arousal covering him. Dragging him to the brink like she’d been seconds earlier. Only, he wasn’t going over that quickly. He didn’t care what it took. If he had to recite every damn mantra he’d learned in the Teams. Go over old mission strategies. Hell, sell his damn soul, because he needed more time. Time he’d wasted these past several months lusting after her from afar. Letting his worry about seeing their future rule his actions.

  Not anymore.

  Of course, he could have drawn her orgasm out longer. Kept her hanging. Longing. Writhing beneath him as he took her repeatedly to the edge without letting her fall over. But, he hadn’t been able to hold back.

  He could now. Lying on top of her, staring into those fucking greener than green eyes with the glowing amber rings. He wanted to freeze everything. Just stay in that moment. No threats against her. Only the two of them. Joined. Hearts beating in sync. Bodies moving as one.

  Then, she smiled, and everything moved triple-time. Him thrusting. Her chanting his name. Her heels banging against his tailbone. Her eyes rolling back as she climaxed around him. His damn dick exploding. Emptying inside her in a series of wrenching spurts. The kind that left him barely coherent, clinging to her as if his life depended on it. Needed her to keep him whole.

  Kam’s harsh breathing finally pulled him back, and he smiled as she shuddered through a few more aftershocks, finally collapsing limp on the bed. He shifted his weight slightly—bushed sweat-damp hair off her face.

  “So beautiful.” He dropped a light kiss on her parted lips, resisting the urge to delve inside. Deepen it. Not when he knew she was already drifting. “I’ll never get tired of watching you give yourself to me.”

  That luscious mouth lifting—grinning up at him. Satisfied. Content. “Me, either. Seeing your eyes roll back as your neck cords…” She swallowed as if it hurt. Managed to wedge her arm between them—palm his jaw. “Casey, I…”

  He kissed her. Hard. Deep. Because she would not be the first of them to say she loved him. It was coming. He knew it. The way her eyes had grown glassy. The slight twitch of her mouth. The hint of furrow in her brow. She was a jumbling mess of emotions just bursting to get out.

  But he wanted to say it first. And not while they were making love. It was too easy to assume it was the endorphins. The aftereffects of the climax. He wanted her to believe him. To sense his sincerity. Which meant looking her in the eyes, fully clothed, the threat a distant blur in the rearview, and saying those three words with complete conviction.

  Kam inhaled once he released her, staring up at him like he’d done to her before. As if she had her own sixth sense and was trying to make it work—give her a glimpse of the future. Of where they were heading. Then, she sighed, snuggling into him when he slid to the side—wrapping his arm around her waist. His hand nestled between her breasts, right over her heart.

  She covered his hand with hers, wiggling her butt until she seemed comfortable. “You have to promise to stay, again.”

  “I promise.”

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  He snorted. “Trust me, the pleasure was all mine.”

  “Not for making me see stars, silly. Though, tonight was definitely off the charts. I meant for today. For having my back. Trusting my judgement.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “For treating me like one of the team. An equal.”

  “You always have been. I know I get protective sometimes, but…”

  But I just don’t want to lose you because I can’t freaking see straight without you. And I fucking love you.

  “I’ve come to accept it for what it is.” She winked at him. “A Delta Force thing. Just don’t get upset if I have to occasionally knock you on your ass.”

  He chuckled. “Deal. Now, try to get some sleep. With any luck, I can have my way with you, again, before duty calls. Because once we discover what’s on that drive, we’re ending McCormick’s threat once and for all.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Call me crazy, Kam, but that doesn’t look like the Rosetta Stone list of operatives and safehouses I saw before.” Crow leaned in. “Are you sure the program’s finished?”

  Kam
peered at the single line of numbers, unsure how to answer Crow. “The program’s finished. But…” She raked a hand through her hair, shoving it behind her. “I’m not sure what this is.”

  Six’s hands landed on her shoulders, gave them a comforting squeeze before his fingers carded through the ends of her hair. She wasn’t even sure he was aware he was doing it—seemed completely focused on the monitor. But the simple contact eased the panicky feeling in her stomach. Settled the flock of butterflies that had suddenly taken flight at the thought that she’d failed. Once again, coming close but not quite achieving her goal.

  He smiled at her when she looked up at him, his brown eyes taking everything in before he nodded at the computer. “Let’s look at our options. We have twelve digits. Could be an international phone number. Or date and time.”

  “Serial number or other kind of ID number? But…I don’t see Bains giving it to Kam if he wasn’t convinced she’d figure it out, eventually.” Crow scrubbed a hand down his face, nodding at Kam. “What does the hacker in you think?”

  “That he should have picked someone else?” Kam groaned as she bit at her fingernail. “I…”

  She inhaled, leaning forward as she stared at the number, making the necessary adjustments in her head.

  “Sweetheart?” Six’s hands tightened around her shoulders. “You okay?”

  “It’s an address.”

  “An address? But, it only has numbers. Do you think it’s another code?”

  “No, it’s an IP address.” She tapped on the keyboard, praying her hunch was right.

  The screen went black for a few seconds then flashed back, a grid overlay covering the monitor—a single dot pulsing in the center.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. Always knew you were brilliant.” Six dipped down, planted a quick kiss on her mouth—seemingly oblivious to the fact everyone was standing there, watching them—then motioned to the screen. “Can you tell us where that is? I don’t see any kind identifying marks. Hell, I don’t even see any landmasses.”