Assassin's Game

by Ella Sheridan

  Curses rang out around the table.

  Eli stepped back and mimicked Levi’s posture, hands on his hips. “I haven’t found the entrance, but I know about where it has to be, given these images. And I can tell you personnel there seems light.”

  Monty spoke up. “From the images I saw, some of those buildings could date back to the fifties, maybe sixties. The Cold War was ramping up. Maybe they needed an obscured entry and exit for important officials?

  “So we have a tunnel and general idea of how many guards will encounter,” I summarized. “What’s the plan to get in? And where do we go once we are in?”

  “Patience, Beautiful,” Eli said, one side of his mouth curling up. “We’ll get there.” He reached for the tablet. “Let me work on cleaning some of this up so we can see how it fits together.”

  For the next four hours we worked to hammer out a plan. With not enough hours of darkness left, we decided to make sure our plan was solid and hit the complex tomorrow after midnight, when the least staff would be on duty and most would be struggling with lethargy. That left us with almost twenty-four hours to wait.”

  Usually, the waiting sucked. Tonight...

  Maris moved to my side as the meeting broke up. “They’ve given me a room on the second floor we can share. Leah apologized for it being only one, but Geneva is staying in the only other furnished room on that floor.”

  If they only knew. Real beds were often a luxury we couldn’t afford to indulge in, although lately my back had taken to protesting that. “I—”

  Eli appeared at my side. “Don’t have to share, but thank you, Maris,” he finished for me, giving my sister a half-watt version of his flirty smile. “I think I can make sure she’s comfortable.”

  In his room, he meant. That idea simultaneously heated my core with hunger and my cheeks with embarrassment.

  Maris just smiled. “All right.” Her gaze shifted to me—no hint of teasing, thank God. “Your duffel is in my room when you want to grab it.”

  “Thanks, Sis,” I said, then leaned in, lowered my voice, “for the info and for not making me feel put on the spot.” She winked as she turned toward the elevator.

  “Nix,” Rhys said, appearing at my elbow. “A word, please.”

  What the hell was he upset about? Given our situation, it could be any number of things, so I stayed quiet and followed him to a corner of the room, waiting for him to spell out whatever was riding his ass.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he hissed, his back to the room, broad shoulders blocking my line of sight.

  I widened my eyes. “I would think that would be obvious given we just spent hours talking about it. If you had a problem with the plan...”

  “What I have is a bad feeling about all of this, but especially Maris going off God knows where with these people without even a hint of protest from you. Why are you risking her safety for—”

  “Because I trust them,” I said. “Maris trusts them. Look, Rhys”—I scrubbed my hands down my face—“we’ve been through years of combat together. You know my instincts; hell, you practically read my mind on ops. And I’m telling you, more than anyone I’ve ever met, I trust these men to be on our side.” Maybe it was the way Levi defended his brothers so ferociously. Maybe it was the way Eli had reacted to the loss of Abby’s baby. Whatever it was, I knew that us, together, as a team, was the right call.

  “You’re only saying that because younger brother apparently has a magic dick.”

  My gasp echoed against the concrete walls. Rhys stared down at me, unrepentant, a stubborn tension in his jaw.

  “Did you really just fucking say that to me? Seriously?”

  Blue eyes glared. “I did.”

  I took a deep breath, searching for a calm amid the raging instinct to punch my teammate’s lights out. We fucking needed him, and not with only one good eye. I reminded myself where his head was, who he was worried about. Maris.

  It didn’t work.

  I got right in Rhys’s face. “Look, dickhead”—Rhys narrowed his eyes, but I ignored the warning—“if you think my actions as a woman undermine the safety of this team, you can fuck off.” I sure as hell wasn’t going to offer an explanation or defend myself—if Rhys didn’t know by now that I couldn’t be led around by a magic dick, after all we’d been through, how close we’d become over the years, he never would.

  Another deep breath, just to keep my voice from shaking. “Take the time to think about it, Rhys. Think seriously. Because I’m with Eli, period. By the time we leave for this op, you better decide how you feel about it—and what you plan to do. It’s up to you.”

  Without a backward look, I moved around him and headed for the elevator. Eli stood not too far away, concern on his face, but I gave him a grim smile and a shake of my head even as I took his hand. I wasn’t discussing this, not with him, not with anyone. The hurt cut too deep, and warriors hid their wounds; they didn’t give in to them.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Eli —

  Mikaela walked from the bathroom into my bedroom just as I finished my call. The T-shirt I’d given her hung halfway down her legs and did fantastic things for her braless breasts. One hand was raised as she worked a towel against the thick length of her hair, and her face was scrubbed clean, the soft olive skin glowing in the faint light from the lamp beside the couch I was sitting on. A quick glimpse of my face and she paused. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” I held out my hand, needing her beside me, and she crossed to the couch. I got a flash of her bare hip and part of an ass cheek as she lowered herself onto the cushion. I shifted against my suddenly tight pants—and grinned when she cocked that sexy brow at me.

  “So...” She cupped the ends of her hair in the towel and squeezed. “Everything is okay.”

  Her words still held a hint of question, and I knew she wouldn’t leave it alone until I talked. “It is, yes. I was checking in with a friend of mine, making sure he hasn’t had any trouble.”

  Mikaela did a final rub with the towel, then set it in her lap. Reaching to one side, she delved into the duffel bag she’d retrieved from Maris and pulled out a brush. “Were you expecting trouble?”

  I reached for the brush, took it in my hand. “Turn around.”

  A smile tugged at her lips, probably because my words were hoarse. Yes, you have the power to affect me, Beautiful. A lot, in fact.

  I was more than comfortable with that. And with her knowing.

  When she was settled, her back to me, I lifted a section of hair and started at the bottom, teasing the tangles out. “Just being extra cautious,” I said. “Abe’s not just a friend; he’s my business partner.”

  “What kind of business?”

  “A bar.”

  Mikaela made a sound in her throat. Pausing to be certain I hadn’t pulled her hair, I breathed in the scent of her mixed with some shampoo I couldn’t identify, before continuing to brush. “We met a long time ago, back before either of us got our lives together. I guess some people would say, given what I am, that I never did get it together, but...” My shrug made me suddenly conscious of my lack of shirt and the close proximity between us. “We helped out each other. Given the depths X has gone to, to dig into our lives, I’m keeping a close eye on Abe to be sure he stays safe.”

  “So you’ve got someone watching him,” she said, reading between the lines.

  “Damn straight.” I leaned in to nuzzle her neck. “Just don’t let him know that.”

  Mikaela laughed. We sat in silence for a while, the rhythm of the brush and our breathing the only sounds in the room. That and an occasional snore from Diesel where he lay in his bed, wedged into the corner between the bathroom wall and my entertainment center. It was the only place he would sleep, squeezed in so he was surrounded, knowing nothing would come at him. I glanced over, giving in to the need to be certain he was snoozing peacefully, then continued with my brushing.

  Only when every section of M
ikaela’s hair was straight and silky smooth did she tip her head back and sigh. “Where did you learn to do that?”

  I set the brush at her hairline and drew it all the way back, a long, hard stroke I repeated over and over. “Brooke. She loves having her hair brushed. Thirty minutes and the girl’s putty in my hands.”

  “She gave away our secret,” Mikaela murmured, an almost purr in her words. “I might need to chat with her about that.”

  I chuckled as I leaned in, pressing a kiss against her shoulder. “I don’t think you should. I need all the tricks I can get.”

  “Mmm.” She tipped her head to one side, granting me access to the smooth expanse of her neck. “I don’t think you do, Eli.”

  “No?”

  She leaned back, allowing me to take her weight. “Too many secrets and I’d be putty in your hands.”

  I set the brush aside, found the hem of Mikaela’s shirt, and pushed until my palms met the bare skin of her smooth stomach. “I think you already are.”

  Her back arched at my words, or maybe it was the approach of my hands as they traveled up her body. Either way, I answered the call. Cupping her breasts from underneath, I marveled at how right their weight felt in my hands. “Perfect.”

  The sound Mikaela made didn’t agree. I pinched her nipples in retaliation. “Eli,” she gasped.

  “You were saying?”

  Mikaela held her breath until the pads of my thumbs settled on her hard nipples and began a slow circling. “Your touch is perfect,” she said, the words breathy.

  I nipped her earlobe. “Nice save.”

  I caught her smile, and then buried my face in her abundance of hair and breathed deep. “Do you have any idea what your hair does to me?”

  “No idea,” she said, laughing. “And as long as your hands keep going, I don’t care.”

  Was that right?

  Mikaela whined when I slid my hands away. “What the hell?”

  “Come with me, Beautiful,” I demanded, the words strained.

  When she turned to face me, her green eyes had darkened to forest and her lips were swollen, probably from biting them. I’d give her something to do instead of bite. Taking her hand, I led her to the bed, turned, and pulled her shirt up and over her head quickly. The sight froze me in place. “Christ, Mikaela, you’re just...” I couldn’t continue; I wasn’t smart enough, nor did I have the words. Not to mention every drop of blood in my body now felt like it was pounding in my cock.

  Mikaela smiled—a tease. She dropped her hands to her hips and slowly stroked upward. “Yes?” Small fingers covered her breasts, and she pinched her own nipples.

  “Holy fucking shit,” I croaked, reaching for those hands. “Stop before I come in my pants. Again.”

  She ducked her head, trying unsuccessfully to hide her pleased smile. “That seems to be a problem for you.”

  I bent at the waist and pulled Mikaela half over my shoulder. My smack was supposed to land on her ass but—intentionally or unintentionally—came up a few inches short. Right on her exposed core. “Just goes to show how potent you are, little minx,” I said over her cry. When I dipped my finger between her lips to test her readiness, a gush of wet heat met me. “Be good.”

  “Be good? Be good?” Her palm landed on my ass cheek, the effect muffled by the fatigues I still wore. “I’ll show you be good.”

  “I hope so.” I turned and dumped her on the bed. Diesel jerked his head up at the noise, surveyed the room with snort, then went back to his snores. Mikaela bounced once before sitting up in the middle of the bed, all silky hair and soft skin and jiggling breasts. God, those breasts...

  I swallowed hard against a dry throat as I stripped off my fatigues. Propping a few pillows against the big wooden headboard, I climbed on and settled myself at the head of the bed. “Come here, Beautiful.”

  Mikaela went to her hands and knees. An intent look glinting in her eyes, she prowled toward me, not even glancing at the erection sticking straight up between my legs. When she got close, I spread them and urged her inside.

  Slender fingers gripped my penis. A groan rumbled through my chest. “You know what I want,” I said. “That mouth right here. That hair all over me. Give it to me, Mikaela.”

  She licked her lips as she surveyed my cock, and I admit I held my breath as I waited for her to decide. When her head dipped and the slick pressure of her tongue stroked over the sensitive head, I exhaled like she’d punched me in the gut.

  I needed more, so much more. Rushing her was probably a dick move—I shouldn’t take this moment away from her—but fuck if I had the discipline to listen to a single should. Instead I gripped her head and guided her over me. Her hair trailed along my thighs, pooled between my legs to caress my sac. My cock thumped at the feel of it, and then she was sliding me into her mouth and I groaned hard as she took her first suck. “Mikaela!”

  She let me in, all the way, until my tip hit the back of her throat; then she backed off, moved forward, again and again. I sifted my fingers through her hair, loving the feel of her nails biting into my thighs as she took me, the little moans she made every time I bumped the back of her throat, the fierce look of concentration on her face as she pleasured me. So beautiful. I didn’t think I’d ever see another woman who could even come close.

  Spreading my legs a bit more allowed Mikaela closer, gave her a better angle above me—and gave me the reach to find her hard nipples through the tangle of her hair and tug on them. She gasped around me, almost choking, and then her eyes closed and her mouth clamped down on me, sucking hard in rhythm with the pull at her breasts.

  That look... “Shit, shit, shit. Mikaela!” The need to shoot my load began a fast crawl from the base of my cock up. I could feel pre-cum leaking into her mouth, knew the real thing wasn’t far behind. “Mikaela, I’m coming, Beautiful. I’m coming,” I groaned, pinching her nipples hard. The next pull of her mouth and rub of her tongue kept me from holding back—I emptied myself with an explosive jet down her throat.

  Mikaela choked. Between one shot and the next, I pulled her off me, up my body, and forced her down on my cock. “Go, baby,” I demanded hoarsely. “Go.”

  And she did. Mikaela ground down, her body tight around my erection, her wet clasp keeping me hard as she rode me with wild abandon. Leaning forward, I grasped a nipple between my teeth and sucked her until pulses surrounded my cock. Mikaela’s cries rang in my ears, and damn if I didn’t come all over again, right there inside her.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Nix —

  “We need to talk about it,” I said as Eli ushered me back into the shower. The damn thing was too big to be crowded, but at least naked and wet, he was less likely to run. The thought was actually amusing—Eli running. From me. And then I thought about the horrified look on his face when he realized he had come inside me without a condom, and all amusement fled. I should be glad that he worried about it, about me, but some small part of me felt like he’d slapped a DEFICIENT tag on my forehead with that look.

  It was utterly ridiculous. I was in no place to, and definitely was not interested in, having a baby, whereas Eli was, in many ways, perfect father material. He probably wanted kids someday. Just not with me.

  Jesus Christ, Mikaela, stop! It doesn’t matter what he thinks or wants. You are who you are, and if that’s not good enough, fuck him.

  I rolled my eyes at my inner bitch. That’s what got me in trouble in the first place.

  Water splashed nearby, and then Eli was pulling me beneath the spray. I closed my eyes to keep the water out—and to keep Eli from seeing the absurd emotions duking it out in my gaze. At least until soft lips settled on mine and forced them apart. Eli pushed his tongue into my mouth, and I had to look, had to see if he was kissing me because he wanted to or because he’d seen something I’d desperately hoped to hide.

  But his eyes were open too. Long, dark lashes holding fat water droplets framed eyes of amber fire. Hungry eyes. Desperate eyes. But not bad desperate.
No, Eli looked like I was the air he breathed, not something he needed to get away from.

  We kissed until the desperation for air drove us apart. I tipped my head back and let the water take over, let myself hide even while cursing the fact that my hair would be back to wet and tangled and I wouldn’t be able to escape into sleep.

  Maybe Eli will brush it again.

  Just the thought threatened to buckle my knees. The man had magic hands, whether they were working my body or a hairbrush. In fact, Rhys should have worried more about Eli’s hands than his cock, though that was magic too.

  Speaking of hands... Eli sluiced water over my body, even nudging my legs apart and directing a handheld nozzle to blast a warm spray between them. I squeaked at the intimate invasion and opened my eyes to stare down at him on his knees, intent on cleaning my pussy. “Eli—”

  “Shhh.” He leaned forward, placed a tender kiss on my thigh, my lower belly, the opposite thigh. “Let me take care of you. I didn’t before, but—”

  He broke off with a muttered curse, a vee digging between his brows, and I knew then... It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about what had happened between us. It was that he was too busy beating himself up to find the words to say.

  Stepping back, I took the nozzle from him, gripped his bicep, and urged him to his feet. He came, but this time he wouldn’t look at me. Even as I rinsed him, even with my hand between his legs, cupping him to hold him steady for the water, he stared at the floor, no reaction. Well, some reaction—his cock hardened again, and the balls hanging below firmed at my touch. He liked my hands on him, my mouth. He liked being inside me. And I liked all those things with him too, more than I’d ever expected. Which meant we had to talk this out.

  “I’m on a birth control shot,” I finally said. Eli’s eyes jerked up to meet mine. “It’s okay, Eli. I can’t get pregnant.”