He stared at the two agents standing over Cade. One was Hispanic while the other was way too dressed up to be taken seriously. Jack assumed one was Agent Anderson and the other was Agent Rodriguez. Both were in some serious trouble—they just didn’t know it yet.
“Gentleman,” Jack greeted the two agents. “I’ll be taking Mr. Cade now.”
“Who are you?” The one who was probably Anderson demanded.
“Way above your paygrade. Mr. Cade is to be released along with Ms. Cole. Now.”
Anderson looked flustered, and his eyes darted to his partner’s.
“Are you supposed to be his lawyer or something?” Anderson asked, looking Jack up and down.
Jack glanced at Cade who was handcuffed to a chair, smirking the whole time. He hated the fact that Gray Tower had taken so long to get to his friend. Usually, they worked any “issues” out with law enforcement quickly. Someone was asleep at the wheel on this particular op—something that Jack was going to fix quickly.
“Hardly,” Jack chuckled and reached out to Anderson to give him a sheet of paper.
Anderson looked down at it, and his eyes widened. Jack, of course, knew what it said. They were orders telling all FBI agents to stand down on Cade and Ms. Cole as a matter of national security. The feds couldn’t ignore this order. Jack just felt bad for the agents who decided to go rogue and capture Cade just because.
“Oh, what the hell is this shit?” Anderson exclaimed.
“Well, if you want to work with me here, I’ll at least give you the good parts,” Jack said and winked.
Anderson steamed but kept his mouth shut. Jack was a little disappointed. He had wanted to put the agent in his place.
“Why don’t we uncuff Mr. Cade and take this to a conference room with Ms. Cole?” Jack continued. “I’ll fill you in on the details there.”
“Fine,” Anderson grumbled, glancing over at his partner in annoyance.
When Mercer was released from the handcuffs, he stood up stiffly and glared at the two agents, rubbing at his wrists. Jack’s friend looked as if he was going to strangle the agents, especially Anderson. If Jack were in the same place, he’d probably want to do the same. Gray Tower rarely ran into issues with law enforcement, but when they did, it could get ugly.
Cade and Anderson stared each other down for a moment. Jack wondered if the agent might end up getting decked by his friend, but Mercer kept his cool.
Good man, Jack thought.
He couldn’t imagine the bullshit Cade had just gone through, but it must have been a lot.
✽ ✽ ✽
Mercer, Jack, and the two agents strolled into a conference room. Ashlen was there, staring at her hands which were clasped in her lap. She looked beautiful, despite the obvious worry on her face. Her blonde hair was now straightened out since he had last seen her. Even though she didn’t have a stitch of make-up on, she looked incredibly gorgeous. And more importantly, she looked relaxed.
When she saw him, her face seemed to brighten significantly.
“Mercer! Are you okay? I was so worried!” She exclaimed.
She tried to approach him, but Agent Asshole Anderson (Mercer’s new nickname for him) held one of her arms.
“I’m fine,” Mercer replied, his voice turning into a growl. “But if your FBI buddy doesn’t take his hands off of you, we might have a problem.”
Anderson looked like his head might explode as his hand relinquished from Ashlen’s arm.
Ashlen gently touched Anderson’s arm and said, “Paul, it’s okay. He’s not a bad guy.”
Paul? PAUL? Why is she on a fucking first-name basis with this asshole? Mercer thought.
Then he studied them a little closer but could only come to two possible conclusions: either Agent Asshole Anderson got friendly with women very quickly or he had previously known Ashlen. Mercer found the second conclusion a little hard to believe, so he was going to go with the first one, which meant that Anderson was on Mercer’s shit list.
Ashlen’s eyes glanced up to Jack who was standing in the doorway, arms crossed. She glanced hesitantly at Mercer, and he nodded, letting her know Jack was okay.
Of course, Jack Hunter never missed a beat. He glanced at Mercer and then back at Ashlen. Then, he smirked and winked. Jack knew that Mercer and Ashlen had had sex. Mercer swore the man could read minds. He pushed the issue with Jack out of the way for now and turned his attention back to Ashlen.
“Is Mercer free to go? What’s going on?” She asked, looking pleadingly at Anderson.
“Ash…” Anderson’s voice trailed off.
Ash? Dear Lord, maybe they do know each other, Mercer realized, although, he did kind of like the shortening of her name.
But he couldn’t think about any of that right now. It was time to get down to business.
“Look, Ashlen,” Mercer cut in. “Don’t worry about me. It’s been handled. I’m more worried about you right now. Are they treating you okay?”
She nodded slowly.
“Good,” Mercer continued.
Jack cleared his throat.
“If we’re all done with the drama, I’d like to get down to business,” Jack said, clearly annoyed.
Mercer ignored his tone and told Ashlen, “This is Jack Hunter. He’s my boss at Gray Tower.”
Jack nodded her way as Mercer watched her process the news.
“Wait,” Paul piped up. “Gray Tower? Now, this all makes sense. You mercs think that you can come in and do whatever you want because you know people in the right places. It’s bullshit, but it all makes sense.”
Mercer grinned and then shrugged.
“We get the job done,” he told the agent.
Anderson rolled his eyes while Rodriguez gestured to the conference table.
“Why don’t we all calm down and try and work with each other here?” Rodriguez suggested.
Mercer grudgingly sat down next to Ashlen as the other three men took their seats. He was mildly annoyed that Jack was even talking to the FBI at all, but it helped when law enforcement knew why they had to turn a blind eye.
“So, what’s the deal here?” Anderson asked.
“Ms. Cole will be in Gray Tower’s protective custody until further notice,” Jack replied coolly.
“Absolutely not,” Anderson said firmly. “She stays in FBI custody. Bruce Marino is after her, and she needs to be protected.”
“Well, we agree on one thing,” Jack said. “She does need to be protected, but it ain’t going to be from the FBI. Your Special Agent in Charge, Mr. West, has agreed to it. End of discussion.”
Anderson stared at Jack, glaring daggers at the man. Mercer could see a swirl of emotions cross the agent’s face, and he smirked at the agent’s frustration.
“We’ll be taking her to a safe place after this,” Jack continued. “That will be the last you hear from us.”
“But…” Anderson stammered.
“End of discussion,” Jack repeated.
Anderson heaved out a heavy breath and said, “Can the FBI at least assist in getting Ashlen relocated? I would personally like to see that she’s in good hands.”
Jack looked at Mercer and then back at Anderson.
“I suppose we could use some extra security at the hotel we’re taking Ms. Cole until she is properly secured at a safe house,” Jack told him.
Anderson’s face brightened a bit.
“We can do that,” he said quickly.
“Great,” Jack said. “I’ll give you the details, and then we’re out of here. I’m sure Ms. Cole doesn’t want to spend her entire day in a conference room.”
After ironing out a few details, they all rose. Mercer was pleased with the results. Sure, this was a huge hiccup, but Ashlen was still safe. That was all that mattered. He just hoped that this whole ordeal didn’t draw any unwanted attention.
Before they left, Mercer noticed Anderson hanging around Ashlen. A sense of possessiveness overcame him. It wasn’t any of his business, but he wanted to know h
ow they knew each other.
“I would like a moment with Ms. Cole before you guys leave.
Mercer stiffened. He didn’t want those two alone together, but unfortunately, Jack agreed.
“Sure,” Mercer’s boss said. “You have a few minutes before we get out of here.”
Mercer reluctantly left the room, wondering what the hell was so important that Anderson wanted to speak to her alone.
✽ ✽ ✽
“Is there any reason why you’re acting like an asshole?”
Ashlen sat back down at the chair she had been sitting in before and picked up the Styrofoam cup of black coffee Paul had given her earlier. It was cold, but she didn’t care.
“So, tell me,” Paul said, ignoring her question. There was a slight edge to his voice. “Are you sleeping with him?”
The question made Ashlen choke on her coffee. Her eyes darted up at Paul who was scowling at her.
“Excuse me?” Ashlen asked, suddenly feeling like she had been backed into a corner. She was now realizing why Paul was acting like a dick: jealousy.
“I said, are you sleeping with him?” Paul asked again. When she hesitated, he continued, “It’s a simple question, Ash.”
“I’m not going to answer that question,” she bit out, trying to glare at him as much as she could. She crossed her arms under her breasts and hoped she looked pissed.
“I’m going to take that as a, ‘Yes,’” Paul replied and started pacing back and forth across the conference room.
Ashlen shut her eyes and shook her head. Why did he have to start this now?
“Regardless of whether I am or not, it’s still none of your business,” she replied quietly.
“Damn it, Ash,” he growled, still pacing. “I saw him giving you those looks—bedroom eyes for crying out loud. And you were ogling over him too. I don’t get it. What do you see in him? Hell, he’s a damned mercenary. Do you think he’s going to support you? Is he the type who would commit to marriage?”
Paul had struck a nerve. He had brought up all her fears about Mercer in one swift blow. She could love him all she could, but she couldn’t make him love her back. And even if he did love her, which she wasn’t sure about, he refused to commit to a relationship. Maybe Paul was right? Maybe she was being a complete fool?
Ashlen felt tears start to well up in her eyes. She tried to stop them from streaming down her cheeks, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to allow Paul to see her crying over a man the way she had cried over him at one point in time.
“Oh God, Ashlen, I’m sorry,” Paul apologized, coming to her side. “I shouldn’t have said those things. That was uncalled for…and unprofessional.”
“I don’t know,” she mumbled, wiping her eyes. “You might be right…but Mercer is a good man. And he saved my life. I would appreciate it if you laid off him and his company.”
Paul gazed at her for a moment with those brown eyes of his, his anger seemingly gone. For a moment, she forgot how pissed she was at him. For a moment, she forgot about their bad history together.
“Look, I’ve already agreed for them to take you into their custody. I just hope you’ll be safe with them.”
“I will. Even with the short time I’ve been protected by them, I have a good feeling that they know what they’re doing.”
Ashlen didn’t remember exactly how it happened, but she found herself in a hugging embrace with Paul. She didn’t know if he had meant it to be friendly or meant something more, so she squeezed out of it as soon as she could. However, she did notice that he still used the same aftershave.
“I hope you’re right,” Paul said whispering in her ear.
“I am,” she said firmly.
Chapter 18
Mercer walked Ashlen into the hotel room in Charlotte. It wasn’t anything fancy—just two full beds, a table and chairs, and a television—but it should be safe for now. He was, of course, annoyed that the FBI was still involved. Jack had kind of pissed him off with that, but Mercer also knew that part of his friend’s job was to smooth over ruffled feathers in different law enforcement areas.
Once the door was closed and they were alone, Mercer turned toward her. Even with her tired expression, she looked so fucking beautiful. Memories of that morning flooded back to him. He hated that he wanted her so much, but they couldn’t be intimate anymore. There was too much shit going on, and he knew she would get too emotionally involved. He couldn’t give her that. He wouldn’t give her that. Mercer wanted to stay numb. He didn’t do feelings, even though he knew he was in love with her. Talk about a contradiction.
Besides, he had a career that he loved. Gray Tower had pulled him out of the brink, and he wanted to keep sane. What would happen if he gave in to Ashlen? All the work he had put into his career could disappear if he got involved with her.
Still, he couldn’t help but stare at her and those big blue eyes of hers. He couldn’t help the stir of emotions that flooded him.
Ashlen stepped toward him until she was right in front of him. She reached out her arms and hugged him. The gesture startled him, and he went rigid for a moment. Then, he gently wrapped his arms around her.
They stayed in that position for probably too long. When the hug broke, she reached up to him and kissed him softly on his cheek.
“The ball’s in your court now,” she told him, inching back and staring up at him.
Her face was way too close to his. All he wanted to do was kiss her and then take her to bed. But hell, he didn’t want to start something with this girl that he couldn’t finish. Where would that get him? Did he want the responsibility of another person? All he wanted to do was work at Gray Tower. She’d just get in the way of that.
Everything in his brain told him to back away and get out of the situation. Yet, he still bent in for a long kiss.
Ashlen moaned softly as their lips met. Mercer deepened the kiss and inserted his tongue in her mouth, grabbing the back of her head and pushing her closer. Lust crept up through his groin, and he could feel himself getting a painfully hard erection. He pushed her with his other hand against him, not breaking the kiss. She was very aware of his erection and ran a free hand down his chest to the bulge in his jeans.
He finally broke the kiss and let out a long hiss through his teeth as she caressed his erection through the stiff fabric.
“How about we take this to the bed?” She asked slyly.
“Yeah,” he said huskily.
With one sweeping motion, Mercer picked her up and carried her to the bed, pushing her down on it a little more forcefully than he would have liked. He knew that after all the adrenaline from this morning that they were not going to have polite sex. It would be hot and heavy and probably a bit rough. However, the way Ashlen was acting, he knew that was what she wanted as well.
Quickly, he pulled off his shirt and shucked his jeans, sliding his boxers to the ground. His erection stood straight, touching his belly. Ashlen smiled and began sliding out of her jeans.
“No,” he told her. “I get to do it.”
Ashlen smiled and laid her head back down on the bed. Mercer knelt toward her and ran a hand from the top of her jeans, down her thigh before running it back up to the button of her pants. He tugged them down slowly, making sure to gently brush her clit through her underwear.
She let out a soft moan as he slowly slid her underwear down her legs. He then stared at that beautiful pussy of hers and imagined how fucking good it would feel when he was buried inside of her. Then, he ran his hand underneath the hem of her shirt. Ashlen smiled as he hovered over her and moved her shirt up inch by inch until he could pull it over her head. A lacey bra was all that covered her breasts, and he could see her nipples through it.
Mercer reached down her back and found the clasp to her bra. He easily unclipped it and slowly pulled off her bra, revealing small but perfect breasts and dusty pink nipples. His hands cupped her breasts as he positioned himself over her, pushing her legs apart with his lower torso. She moaned
as he positioned himself at her entrance and then pushed himself into her in one slow thrust.
Ashlen let out a short gasp as he filled her. His hands trailed down to her legs, and he hitched them across his ass as he began to pump inside of her.
Why did she have to feel so damned good?
Mercer didn’t want to go slow as he found his rhythm, so he immediately began to quicken the pace. Ashlen’s breathing began to hasten, and she lay her head back on the bed, closing her eyes. He smiled at her expression: lips pursed, eyes tight, face in complete ecstasy.
His pace quickened, and he grabbed her legs and hooked them up over his shoulders to go in deeper. She let out a gasp as the head of his penis plowed against her womb.
“Mercer…” She whispered and gripped his biceps tightly.
He pumped into her more, his pace growing frantic. Pushing her legs further toward her head, he had to smile at how damned flexible she was—and how damned tight as well. Mercer knew he wouldn’t last long like this, but he saw how much Ashlen was enjoying this.
She let out a low moan as he continued his onslaught. Then, she tensed up and cried out. He could feel the convulsions of an orgasm in her body. A smile crossed his face as he rode out her climax and then finally released himself inside of her.
Slowly allowing her legs to relax, Mercer collapsed on top of her, breathing hard. They stayed like that for a while, listening to each other’s thudding hearts. His heart felt like it was pounding through his chest.
When he finally rolled off her, she grinned and sat up to kiss him. He welcomed the kiss and pulled her in close, taking his time to taste her. When the kiss broke, Mercer couldn’t help but stare at her beauty. Then, he glanced at the scarred side of his body and wondered why she was even interested in him in the first place. He rubbed his bad knee self-consciously. It was starting to act up after what he and Ashlen had just done.
She frowned and said, “Are you ever going to tell me about what happened to you?
Mercer’s whole body stiffened when she said that. Why did she have to push this with him? Couldn’t they just bask in the aftermath of sex?
Perilous Games (Gray Tower Book 3) Page 14