Perilous Games (Gray Tower Book 3)

by J. M. Brister

  “Here,” he told her. “We’ll just sit like this and wait for the chaos to show up, and if you’re not doing better by then, I’m taking you to a hospital. Alright?”

  “Okay,” she agreed, suddenly feeling safe again.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  It took a little under a half-hour before the Gray Tower recruiter arrived at Ashlen’s house. Valerie Pierce may not have been a lawyer, but she held herself well. Jet black hair fell down her back. Her brown eyes told everyone she meant business. And she was in a kickass suit that she wore out to recruit that made her look the part of an actual representative. It would have to be good enough until more help could arrive.

  “You know that I have no idea what I’m doing, right?” Valerie said, shaking her head.

  “Just do what you can until back-up arrives,” Mercer told her. “You’ll do just fine.”

  He didn’t know Valerie very well, but he did know that she was a very capable woman and had brought in some top-level guys for Gray Tower. She would do well in any role. Besides, Bryant had already placed a few important phone calls into the right people. No one would give them a hard time.

  It was only ten minutes later that the first FBI agents showed up, and unfortunately, one of the first to arrive was a certain agent who Mercer despised more than anything.

  “You,” Anderson said in disbelief when he entered the house.

  “Me,” Mercer said, trying to egg him on a little.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Anderson demanded, his face growing red.

  “Spending time with my woman.”

  Anderson looked over at Ashlen who was huddled in blankets over on the couch. Valerie was sitting with her, trying to comfort her. Anderson pushed past Mercer and went straight over to Ashlen. Mercer followed, feeling amused. This was going to be fun.

  “Ash…Are you okay?” Anderson asked quietly.

  “I am now,” she said, nodding over to Mercer. “Thanks to him.”

  “Are you really going to shack up with this guy?” Anderson blurted out. “After everything he did?”

  “I could say the same thing about you, Paul,” she replied tersely.

  The wind seemed to come out of the agent’s sails a bit as he shook his head and turned back around to Mercer.

  “Where’s this dead agent located?” Anderson asked, looking as though he was back to business, though his expression betrayed him.

  Shit, Mercer thought. He doesn’t know it’s his partner.

  More FBI agents were filing in the house as Mercer waved Anderson to Ashlen’s bedroom. When they arrived, Mercer could sense Anderson tense when he saw the body on the floor.

  “Holy fucking shit!” Anderson exclaimed. “What did you do? What the hell did you do?”

  Anderson turned and tried to take a swing at Mercer, but Mercer was easily able to dodge it, grab the agent’s arm, and shove him to the wall.

  “Knock it off, asshole,” Mercer growled. “Your partner there tried to kill Ashlen. He was on Marino’s payroll. He was the leak at the FBI.”

  Anderson’s body went slack, and Mercer laid off him, stepping away. When the agent turned around, he looked pale.

  “He…he was the leak?” He stammered.

  “Yes, unfortunately,” Mercer confirmed.

  “He tried to kill Ashlen?”

  “I killed him first.”

  Anderson stood there, stunned. More agents filed in and started moving around the body while Anderson gaped at the scene.

  After a few moments, Anderson said, “Thank you for saving her life.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Then, Anderson’s eyes flickered to her bed, which was ruffled up from several rounds of sex. He stared at it as if looking right through it.

  He finally said, “Take care of her, okay?”

  “I will,” Mercer told him.

  And he would. Mercer would treasure Ashlen forever. He loved her—there was no doubt about it. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she seemed pretty keen on moving to be with him. That was a start, right?

  Mercer and Anderson left the scene and went back to the living room where Ashlen was looking better. Valerie was talking to an aggressive agent, looking flustered.

  “I said that they’re both allowed to leave,” she said loudly. “Immediately. Just get their statements, and we’ll be on our way.”

  “That’s not how it works,” the middle-aged agent said, looking angrier and angrier. “I don’t care who told you that you could go. You’re in the middle of a crime where a federal agent is dead. The only place you’re going is with us.”

  Anderson quickly strolled over and grabbed the other agent’s arm.

  “They can go,” he said. “This comes from the top.”

  “What do you mean ‘the top’? This isn’t procedure,” the agent said angrily.

  “The top,” Anderson insisted. “I’ll show you the paperwork.”

  He guided the agent away from where Valerie was standing beside Ashlen. Ashlen whispered a sincere “Thank you.” While Anderson walked away, all Mercer could do was nod. Perhaps Anderson had come around after all?

  Anderson nodded back, an understanding between two men. Mercer knew that he was going to drop the issue with Ashlen. Good. Maybe Mercer was starting to like the guy after all?

  When the agents left the immediate area, Mercer walked over to Ashlen and Valerie. Ashlen was still huddled under blankets on the couch. Meanwhile, Valerie was pacing in her high heels and power suit.

  “Did I screw that up?” She asked. “I think I screwed that up.”

  “You did fine,” Mercer reassured her.

  “You know that this is beyond my job description, right?” Valerie said with a smile.

  “So is shooting a federal agent at my girlfriend’s house, but here I am,” Mercer replied.

  Ashlen perked up a bit and said, “Girlfriend?”

  He turned toward her, hopeful that he hadn’t just blown it with that little comment.

  “Yeah. That sound good to you?”

  “That sounds great,” she said and grinned from ear to ear.

  “I hate to interrupt this mushy stuff,” Valerie said. “But the FBI is going to need written statements from you both. Then, you can go.”

  “Great,” Mercer said. “Let’s get that done and get the hell out of here.” Then, he turned to Ashlen and said, “You still serious about moving to Virginia?”

  “Dead serious,” she told him. “Besides, I’m going to have to sell this house anyhow—ugly pink bathroom and all. I can never sleep another night in it again after what’s happened.”

  “Understandable,” Mercer said.

  He sat down next to her and held her in his arms. She immediately nuzzled into the embrace. And for the first time since the roadside bomb, he felt contentment.

  Epilogue

  Ashlen walked hesitantly into Mercer’s apartment at Gray Tower Headquarters. She had already seen the grand tour of the rest of the facility, and she had to admit that she was impressed. She wasn’t allowed to go down into the sublevels, which she was told contained an armory, shooting range, tactical training, classrooms, and offices. These were top-secret areas in which family members were not allowed to visit.

  However, what she did tour was awesome. The first level had a gorgeous atrium, a cafeteria-style dining hall, a workout room, and even a pool. There were a rec room and apartments on the second level, and on the third level were all apartments.

  She stared around Mercer’s small apartment and wondered how the hell she was going to live in such a cramped space with such a large man. The place was nice—she had to admit. It was an open floor plan in tasteful colors with modern appliances and fixtures. There was a small kitchen to one side with a dinette space. The living area was next to the kitchen. A large TV dwarfed the area. Ashlen now knew what Mercer liked to do in his spare time. When she toured his bedroom, she found it small but nice.

  It was not her house i
n Hamilton, but it would have to do. Besides, Mercer wouldn’t let her stay anywhere else. After discussing the Marino situation, they had decided that it would be safer for her to stay there just in case another hit was put out on her. Gray Tower HQ was probably the safest place in the world for her. And though she hadn’t been expecting to immediately move in with Mercer, she liked the feeling of being safe for once.

  “I know it’s a lot smaller than your house,” Mercer began. “And I know you didn’t exactly want to move in right away with me, but it’s the only way I know for you to be safe.”

  “It’s just fine,” she told him, and she meant it.

  Ashlen had enough space to write. She’d be with Mercer. Those were the only things that mattered to her.

  Of course, she was sad to leave her friends. She would be a bit isolated here, which worried her. She didn’t know anyone here, so she’d be alone except for Mercer.

  As if reading her mind, Mercer said, “I wanted to tell you about the PTSD group that meets twice a week. I…uh…haven’t been going, but I’ll start going with you if you’d like. You’ll get to meet a lot of people who are going through the same shit you are.”

  She smiled and said, “That sounds great. I’ll go.”

  “And I’d like to introduce you to some friends in a little bit if that’s okay?”

  Ashlen was, of course, happy to see Mercer’s buddies, but she wasn’t sure hanging around with a bunch of badasses was her cup of tea.

  After about twenty minutes of allowing her to unpack a few bags, Mercer brought her down to the dining hall. Ashlen was shocked to see that half the people there were female—not what she had been expecting.

  When they had gotten their food, Mercer steered her to a table with a group of people: three men and three females all gathered around a table laughing and smiling. Ashlen immediately relaxed.

  “Hey, Cade!” One man called. “Is that your girlfriend? How did your ugly ass end up with her?”

  Ashlen tensed, glancing over at Mercer. She remembered what seemed like such a long time ago when he had jumped down her throat about his scarring. Instead, he smiled and flipped the guy off.

  “Jack! Seriously!” A woman with a blonde bob haircut and black-rimmed glasses said. “You’re such an asshole.

  “Jack? Jack Hunter?” Ashlen said hesitantly as they got to the table, remembering him from so long ago.

  She had to admit that the man was gorgeous—short cut brown hair, sharp blue eyes, and a body that filled out a t-shirt and jeans nicely. He certainly wasn’t Mercer though. She only had eyes for her man.

  “In the flesh,” Jack said and got up from the table to shake her hand. “It’s nice to see you. Mercer’s told me all about you.”

  “Jack was the lead in the op that got you out of that warehouse,” Mercer explained.

  “Oh,” Ashlen said, shocked. “Then I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

  “It’s my job, Miss Cole…I mean, Ashlen,” he said. “Now, come on and pull up a chair.”

  Smiling, she sat down with the group, feeling at ease.

  “That’s Kat, Jack’s girlfriend,” Mercer said, pointing to the woman with the glasses.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Kat said, smiling.

  “This is Keira and her husband, Logan,” Mercer continued, gesturing to a gorgeous mousy-brown haired woman and her hunky husband.

  “Hey,” they said almost in unison.

  “They just got back from their honeymoon,” Mercer explained. Then, he pointed to another beautiful blonde. “That’s Alex. If you hang out with the three of these women, you’ll get yourself in a lot of trouble, just FYI.”

  Ashlen laughed, and Alex said, “I’m so glad to meet you. Us girls need to hang out together soon.”

  Mercer nodded toward the last guy.

  “That’s Ryan Hale. He was also in the raid that got you out of that hellhole.”

  “Thank you,” she said as he nodded in her direction.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Ashlen noted that Ryan and Alex didn’t seem like a couple like the rest of them.

  With introductions out of the way, they all began to dig into their food. There was laughter and jokes. Ashlen felt at ease and realized that maybe she wouldn’t be so lonely at Gray Tower after all.

  It was after some time that a distinguished-looking man strolled up to the table. He had dark brown hair and an athletic build. His presence demanded attention, and everyone at the table immediately stopped talking when they saw him.

  “Shit,” Mercer mumbled.

  “What’s wrong?” Ashlen whispered.

  “That’s my boss, Miles Bryant, and I was…uh…ordered not to have sex with you when I was on bodyguard duty.”

  She gasped. Had their relationship gotten him in trouble?

  Bryant stopped at the table and stared at Ashlen intently. Then, he frowned at Mercer.

  “I remember not that long ago that I specifically told you to stay professional with this young lady,” he said pointedly.

  Uh oh, she thought.

  Mercer stood abruptly and said, “I’m sorry, sir. It just…happened.”

  Bryant stared him down for a moment. Ashlen had a lump in her throat, her body tense. She couldn’t imagine how Mercer was feeling.

  Then, without missing a beat, Bryant smiled and shrugged.

  “As long as Miss Cole decides not to bring a lawsuit, I won’t press the issue. Seeing that she’s moved in with you, I figure Gray Tower is safe, right Miss Cole?”

  “Yeah,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

  “Great,” Bryant said. “Well, I’ll leave you all to your meal. Have a good night.”

  Jack began laughing when Bryant was out of earshot.

  “Dude, you almost fucked up big time,” he said.

  “You and Logan started this shit,” Mercer countered.

  “You got me there,” Jack said with a big grin on his face as he reached over and kissed Kat straight on the lips.

  Ashlen smiled at the scene. Maybe this move wasn’t going to be so bad after all? Maybe she could make living with Mercer work? They had only been together for a few days. Her house wasn’t even on the market yet—she still had to get cleaners in to try and get out the bloodstain on her bedroom floor. She shuddered at the thought, happy to be far away from that place and as close to Mercer as possible.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Mercer grinned as he led Ashlen back to his apartment. He knew she had fun with the group. This was evident by the smile on her face. He had been a bit worried about transplanting her to Virginia and wanted to make sure that she got in with the Gray Tower women to help ease that transition. Hopefully, she’d be happy here. Hopefully, she’d be happy with him. He’d take Jack’s advice and try his best to make her the happiest woman on this earth.

  “So,” he said slowly. “What do you think of the group? There’s more you haven’t met, but you will.”

  She grinned and said, “I liked them. Keira, Kat, and Alex seem so nice.”

  “Don’t let them fool you,” he warned playfully. “They are so much trouble. It was only a few months ago that they dolled up Kat to seduce Jack on a private island.”

  Ashlen burst out laughing.

  “I feel sorry for Kat. Jack is a handful.”

  “Believe it or not, he’s better than he was. Kat’s softened him up a bit.”

  “Oh, I’d love to see him before then.”

  “Trust me, you wouldn’t.”

  They laughed. It felt fucking good to laugh. Mercer couldn’t remember feeling so happy. The anger and emptiness had faded, and contentment had replaced it.

  “So, what now?” She asked innocently, but he knew exactly what she meant.

  They had been fucking like rabbits for the past week, and he still couldn’t get enough of her.

  “I have a few ideas,” he said huskily and moved toward her.

  He dipped his head and kissed her fiercely. She melted into him, returning his
kiss. For a long while, their mouths explored each other’s until they were both breathless.

  When the kissed finally ended, Mercer peered down at her, an odd expression on his face.

  “What’s wrong?” Ashlen asked, suddenly panicked.

  “I just want to tell you how much I love you,” he said.

  “Oh,” she said, her face beaming.

  It never got old telling her that he loved her. Mercer should have just told her in the hospital, but that was all in the past now. He was now looking forward to the future—for once in his life.

  “I love you too,” she whispered.

  And with that, Mercer scooped her up and carried her off to bed.

  About the Author

  J. M. Brister lives in sunny Northeastern Ohio with her husband, daughter, and three Siamese cats. When she’s not writing romance novels, she enjoys hanging out with her family, editing for a gaming and geek culture website, and spending way too much time playing video games. She is also very active on social media.

  Check out her website: http://jmbrister.blogspot.com

  Author’s Note

  I hope that you enjoyed Mercer and Ashlen’s adventure. The Gray Tower journey will continue with a fourth book and hopefully many more to come.

  If you appreciated Perilous Games, would you please write a review? I am a small-time, independent author and reviews are the lifeblood for authors without big publishers. It also allows me to improve as a writer and as a storyteller.

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work. I hope that you will join me for Book 4!