“If that’s what we need to do, then that’s what we’ll do,” Finn said vehemently. “But we need to do it in such a way, that it doesn’t look too easy. We need to make them work for it.”
“I can ping them around the world, but still, end up finding you.”
“Perfect.” Finn grinned. His team was the best in the world.
“How soon do you need to set this up?”
“What e-mail or Skype address are you going to use?” Finn looked at Mason, who nodded. “Mason’s,” Finn answered.
“Give me an hour, then call your general. We’ll still try to trace his phone. There’s still the possibility that he doesn’t have his location encrypted.”
Finn snorted, “Yeah, I’ll hold my breath.”
***
It had been decided that Sergei would make a brief call to the general, and demand he call Mason’s Skype number if he wanted Dasha, and would call off the attacks. Three minutes after Sergei hung up the call to come in, but the general didn’t do a video feed. He immediately started speaking in Ukrainian.
Earlier Angie had overheard Mason and Finn talking in the hall. Finn’s lieutenant had said since Finn had been on point for this whole operation, it made sense for him to continue to take the lead. The confidence Mason had in Finn was tangible, and it warmed Angie’s heart. Therefore, it was Finn who interrupted General Vlad Lutsenko’s tirade.
“General, I don’t know what you’re saying, nor do I care.”
“What is it you want? Why have you demanded this call? Who is Dasha?” the man said in heavily accented English.
“Cut the shit. If you want Dasha, you’ll start negotiating now.”
“I don’t understand. Negotiating for what. Who is this Dasha?”
“The girl whose boyfriend you killed. The girl who you are threatening to blow up half of Texas to find.” Finn said with barely suppressed rage.
“I am a high ranking officer of the Ukraine. I will notify your government of your slander.”
“Go ahead.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You are accusing me of some kind of crime, and I will not have it.”
“Fine, then we have nothing to talk about.”
“Wait, don’t hang up.” Everybody in the room grinned. They had the general just where they wanted him. He was stalling for time. He must be trying to trace the call.
“I cannot comment on this on an unsecure line, you must understand,” the man wheedled.
“I don’t have time for your bullshit,” Finn bit out.
“You must allow me to investigate what you are saying.”
“Dasha Koval. Does that name ring a bell? You know her from Odessa.” The screen went blank. The general had hung up.
Angie felt a surge of excitement. Another call came through, this time, it was Clint and Lydia whose faces came onto the screen.
“Austin. We were able to trace him back to Austin. We weren’t able to pinpoint his exact location, but his IP address was definitely Austin,” Lydia said excitedly.
“Will he be able to locate us?”
“Yes. I arranged it,” Clint promised.
“It sounds like we have six hours before they’ll be here,” Laird said. “I think we all need to get some rest.” Angie was on board with that plan. She was tired, and she hurt, and she wanted to rest in Finn’s arms.
“Maybe we’ll have six hours,” Mason said thoughtfully. “I hate taking things for granted.”
“You’re right,” Laird agreed. “I’ll take first watch.”
“I’ll relieve you in two hours,” Mason said.
Angie looked at her grandfather, who for the first time was beginning to look his age. She started to go to him, but he waved her off.
“I think I’m going to have a drink with Sergei, and talk over old times. You go rest, honey.”
“No, I need to go check on the girls.” Angie started towards the stairs.
“Penelope took cocoa upstairs to the girls an hour ago. She has everything under control,” Sergei assured her.
“But I should say goodnight.”
“They’re probably already asleep,” Sergei assured her.
“Are you sure?” Angie didn’t want to sound too anxious, but Sergei gave a knowing chuckle anyway.
“Yes. You and your man go to bed,” her grandfather finally ended the discussion. She grinned.
Finn was huddled up with the other men of his team, but at her grandfather’s words, he excused himself. He came over to her and put his arm around her. “Laird said we can have one of the cabins.”
“You mean one of the sister wives houses?” Angie teased.
“I don’t care what it is, as long as it affords us some privacy.” They snagged their stuff from the hallway, before heading out the front door and down the steps.
The night was clear and beautiful. The sky filled with stars. As soon as the cabin door shut behind them, she turned to Finn. “Are you all right? I know today has been stressful.”
He stared at her, his eyes deep and solemn.
“What?” she asked. He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her close. “What Finn? What is it? Are you all right?” He had to be all right. She needed him to be all right. He was her rock. He had to be steady. He had to be strong.
“Let it out, baby.”
“No. I’m okay. I’m worried about you,” she insisted.
His thumb traced circles on the nape of her neck. “Let it out,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry about your grandfather’s ranch.”
Oh God. The ranch. She practically grew up on that ranch, the bluebonnets, the ridge, the range. She grabbed at the front of his shirt, and her breath hitched. She swallowed. She needed to control herself. She needed to get past this. Nobody liked a whiner.
“I’ve got you, Angie. It’s okay, baby. I’m here for you.”
She looked into his eyes. This man who had been through so much. Who had lost so much. Yet he was here for her, and she could break on his shore. Angie let loose and started to cry. Big gulping ugly sobs, not just for the ranch, but for so much more. For all the times she hadn’t been allowed to cry because there hadn’t been someone to hold her, someone to offer solace, comfort, love, and tell her it was okay to need.
He swung her into his arms and took her to the too small bed that would be perfect to press close to Finn. She didn’t want a sliver of space between them as he sheltered her through the hours before dawn. Never once in the long minutes of her weeping did he tell her to stop, he just held her and kissed her and told her he was there for her and he loved her. Everything he did was like sunlight to a new rose. It helped her grow and flourish.
“I love you too, Finn.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t deserve you.”
“I think we’re both pretty lucky to have found one another. Now if we can survive the zombie apocalypse we can start talking about a future.”
“I want a future with you.” He tipped her chin up so he could see her face. “I want it very badly. I want you to go into the safe room with the girls. Please, Angie. You’re still not healed.”
“We don’t know how many are coming. You’ll need me.”
“We have a good idea. Declan said there are ten men who always travel with the general. You can be damn sure he won’t be here. So we shouldn’t have more than ten.”
“They could have hired some mercenaries.”
“This isn’t something they would outsource.”
Angie gave a weak laugh.
“What?”
“I have been dreaming for a strong, protective man to love me. Now I finally get one, and I’m pissed because he wants to put me in the safe room. Well, Finn, you knew what you were getting too, and it wasn’t the shy retiring type who would be going into hiding. So, thank God we love each other for who we really are.”
She saw him mulling over her point, and he didn’t laugh. He pulled her even closer. “If something happens to you, I won’t be able
to survive it.”
“I’ll be careful. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
“I know, but your last rodeo didn’t go so well.”
“It was an ambush. This time, we’re ready for them. Hell, Laird has landmines. I could learn to love him,” she said.
Finn huffed out a laugh. “The guy is something else. He is actually ready for the zombie apocalypse.”
She stroked her hands up the front of his T-Shirt and kissed his throat. She reveled in his groan.
“Angie, you need your rest.”
“I need this more.”
He clasped her wrists in one big hand. “I’m serious, we need to sleep.”
“Seriously, are you going to sleep, or doze with one eye open?” She watched him. It was a ‘gotchya,’ as he flushed. She shook her hands out of his grasp and cupped his face. “Make love to me.”
“Always. It will always be lovemaking.” Then he grinned down at her. “Well except for the times when we get to down and dirty fucking.”
She burst out laughing. “Oh cowboy, I can’t wait. Can we do that now?” she asked eagerly, her legs rubbing together.
“I think the lady will be satisfied.” His hand cupped her breast and squeezed, his thumb rubbed against her nipple, and made her moan.
She slapped her hand over his, pressing down. “Harder.”
His mouth slammed down on hers, she opened, her head spun as the sexy thrusts of his tongue matched the timing of his leg scissoring between her thighs. Her head was about to explode. He unbuttoned her blouse and then unclasped her bra. Soon the feel of his calloused hands caressing her breasts was sending her into the stratosphere. She gasped, and his head reared back.
“Angie,” he said thickly. She looked into storm blue eyes. “Am I hurting you?”
“Only if you stop.”
He lifted her up, and stripped off her top and bra, leaving her in the Capri pants.
“Let me get up. I want out of my clothes. I want you out of your clothes.” She saw him looking at her bandage. “If you obsess about my ribs one more time, I won’t lick your cock.”
Chapter Fourteen
Could there be a more perfect woman than Angie Donatelli? She made him laugh, she could make him lose his mind in bed, and she was a true partner.
“I was staring at your breasts.” Which was partly true.
“Oh, well that’s acceptable,” she conceded, her eyes twinkling.
He helped her out of the bed and knelt in front of her.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you out of your clothes.” He unbuttoned her Capris, slowly pulling her pants and panties down her body. She was his ideal. She braced herself on his shoulders and stepped out of her clothes.
She was wet, he could see moisture glistening on her folds. It was too tempting to resist, he leaned forward and tasted.
“Finn,” she wailed. He continued to lick and torment, holding her upright, then she folded on top of him. “It’s too much.” He lifted her to the bed. Angie melted onto the comforter. He quickly stripped as she watched him through hooded lids. She smiled when he pulled a condom out of his wallet.
“I love how you look.”
“That’s my line,” he responded.
“No seriously. I see you, and I get aroused.” She moved her hands down her body and parted her legs. “See?”
She was going to give him a heart attack. “Yeah, I see.” He crawled onto the foot of the bed and parted her legs even further. He continued his play where he had left off, loving how Angie responded. She enjoyed every moment, thrusting upwards.
“More. Your fingers. Your cock.”
He thrust two fingers inside her tight, wet sheath, and gloried at the way she shivered and begged for more. He caressed that spot at the top of her channel. She trembled, and he suckled her clit, making her pussy clench as she shouted her release. He waited until she calmed, and then started all over again.
“No, it’s too much.”
“One more,” he coaxed. He could drown in her pleasure. Her shudders began again, and her feet and shoulders were the only things touching the bed. She screamed his name as she came again.
He couldn’t roll on the condom fast enough. He plunged in as her sheath still quivered.
“Oh God, yes.” At this rate, he wouldn’t have to thrust as her pussy clutched around him. But soon he was driving in and out, and she was begging for more. He wasn’t going to last much longer, and he was damned if she wasn’t going to go with him. He kept his balance on one arm and moved his other between their bodies until he found her engorged clit.
“Oh, oh, please.” He circled it softly, as he surged up and up. She let out a shriek he thought was his name and clamped down on him. He lost his mind, his body, his soul.
***
Four hours later he walked out of the cabin and found Drake and Mason. They turned as he walked towards them, and they had the same shit eating grin on their faces.
Drake was smoking a cigar, and he offered him one.
“Jesus, when did you start smoking?” Finn asked.
“I do it when I’m celebrating. You know, weddings, babies, friends who get their shit together.”
“Fuck you, Avery.” It felt good to be around his team again. “So I’m not the only one who can’t sleep?”
“There’s just too many variables. I don’t trust that they’re all coming from Austin. They could get here sooner,” Mason said. “Sleep is overrated. Drake decided to join me on watch.”
“Didn’t stop Finn from taking a nap,” Drake said. Putting air quotes around the word nap.
“Cut the guy some slack, you’re just jealous,” Mason said.
“No, I’m not. I found the love of my life back in Austin. She’s an entertainer named Maxine.” Finn rolled his eyes. “She asked for my number and everything.”
“No, she said she had your number.”
“Same difference. She intends to call me and have her wicked way with me.” They laughed, and then stood in companionable silence for a while.
“I like the old man, it’s a shame about his ranch,” Drake said as he put out his cigar.
“From everything I’ve come to know about him, he’d take Sergei and Dasha in again in a heartbeat,” Finn said. He thought about the poor girl and all she had been through. Then he thought about her daughter. It shouldn’t be much longer now that they had her location narrowed down to Indianapolis, but he wouldn’t be happy until he saw them together.
“Quit with the dark thoughts. We agreed those were a thing of the past, now that you’re in love.” Drake clapped Finn’s shoulder.
Finn shrugged. “I’m working on it.”
“Drake, cut it out. There’s a whole hell of a lot of things up in the air. If you tell me to start shitting rainbows, I’ll cut you. Now’s the time to have our head in the game.” Mason told his second in command.
“You guys need to learn to take life as it comes. Right now, it’s a nice night. We need to concentrate on that.”
“Do you hear that?” Mason asked as he cocked his head. “Fuck, it’s a helicopter. Move men.” They immediately dispersed. No talking was necessary. They each knew their role. Finn bolted towards the cabin where Angie was, but before he could get to the front door, it was open, she was dressed and holding her gun.
“Helicopters,” they said simultaneously.
“I’ll make sure Pops and Sergei are awake.” She ran toward the main house. Having a woman helping him get the girls to the safe room would be a Godsend for Laird. Finn had a wild hope that the man would push Angie in at the last moment and lock the door.
The sniper rifle had been placed in the guard tower earlier, which was where Drake was currently headed.
As he opened the gun box, he could hear the helicopter coming over the fence. Mason appeared by his side holding one of the assault rifles and handing Finn another. The rotors from the helicopter were kicking up a storm as they landed in the middle of the compound, the sou
nd was loud, but the distinctive sounds of a rifle report were still heard. Drake had found some targets!
“Give us Dasha,” came over a loudspeaker.
Finn and Mason went low behind one of the two Hummers. Finn heard a crash, and peeked under the vehicle and saw the first oversized truck crash through the compound’s gate, with another one on its heels.
“Wait for it,” Mason said with a feral grin on his face.
As the first truck moved closer toward the helicopter on the dirt road, there was a massive explosion, and the truck flew into the air and landed on its side. It was a smoldering wreck. The other truck barely managed to swerve past it. Men were now getting out of the helicopter.
Finn and Mason took aim and hit their targets. There was a barrage of bullets coming back at them.
“They’re aiming for the gas tank,” Finn growled as he grabbed Mason’s arm. Then there were bullets flying past them from the house.
“Get into the house boys.” It was Lou! Finn glanced behind him and saw the muzzle of guns from various windows in the house, and realized they had cover to get into the house, or better yet, into the detached garage. That would allow them two angles to fire at the intruders. He pointed, and Mason nodded, then they ran.
“If you get hurt, I’m going to fucking kill you, Gault,” he yelled to his commander. With those words, Mason kicked it up a little bit and took the lead. They ended up crashing through the door of the garage at the same time.
Finn slammed the door shut, and Mason went to one of the three windows and smashed it open with the butt of his rifle. He took aim and fired.
“Did you hit something?”
“Nope,” Mason said, as he fired again. “But they stopped advancing. Drake hit another one. We have at least four dead out there, not counting the men dead in that truck Laird got with the landmine.”
A bullet pinged through one of the other windows.
“Dammit!” Mason took aim again as Finn went to the third window and busted it open and fired.
“Give us Dasha or you will all die.” An explosion rocked the garage. Finn and Mason looked at one another. From the angle of the windows, they couldn’t see what had happened. Finn went to the back wall of the garage and shot a hole through it, then he could see the cabin that he and Angie had shared was now a burning shell. He took an old filing cabinet and shoved it in front of the hole he had just made and came back to Mason.
Her Fierce SEAL: Midnight Delta Book 6 Page 18