by Liliana Hart
“Told you,” Shane said, taking the money and putting it in his wallet.
“You can’t seriously be talking about bringing your sister into this mess,” Brant said.
“She’s been in this mess for years,” Declan said. “She wants to help us destroy the cartel once and for all, and she has the resources we need to do it. She’s an expert in the field. She speaks the language, and she can read the hieroglyphs. She’d be invaluable on a mission like this. We use civilian consultants all the time.”
“No. Absolutely not. She’s your sister, for fuck’s sake. Has she pissed you off so much lately that you feel the need to take her into cartel territory and leave her to a horrible death? They’ll make an example of her. She has no field training, and it’ll endanger the entire team. Who’s supposed to protect her?”
“From my understanding,” Shane said, the perpetual grin he kept on his face in place as usual. “You did a fine job protecting her the last time. Surely you can manage it again. Besides, we drew straws before you got here and you lost.”
Brant narrowed his eyes at Shane, wondering exactly what he knew about the time he’d spent with Darcy four years ago, and then he immediately dismissed the thought. If her brothers knew what had really happened between them, his body would’ve disappeared a long time ago.
He’d both cursed and congratulated himself on walking away from Darcy all those years ago. The further he’d driven from Surrender, Montana, the more he’d wanted to turn around and go back to her. She was his weakness. And in his line of work, there could be no weaknesses. Not unless you had a death wish.
A day hadn’t gone by where he hadn’t thought of her, and he’d kept track of her from a distance—making sure she was truly safe after her run-in with del Fuego’s men. He’d done thorough background checks on the men she’d dated and he’d made sure doors had opened in her career. He had the power to do those things, and he used it without apology because he’d come to realize shortly after their one night together that no one was more important than she was, even if he couldn’t be the man in her life.
Brant scooted back his chair and stood abruptly, planning to get his coat and walk out the door before the craziness of this conversation could go any further. The need to get away as soon as possible was getting stronger with every passing second. Being around Darcy again would be a mistake—he knew it as sure as he was standing there.
“We’re going to take her into cartel territory,” Declan said, the friend gone and the commander taking his place. “And she’s going to do her job by deciphering whatever needs to be deciphered so we can find the location of the labs and keep hundreds, maybe thousands, of people from getting killed. She’s an expert on the Maya. There’s no one more perfect for the job. She’s already familiar with the cartel, and she was the one who helped us realize how they’ve been communicating all these years. And she’s not completely untrained. We’ve all worked with her since she was a kid. She knows how to protect herself, and I wouldn’t hesitate to let her watch my back if things turned to shit.”
Brant’s hands fisted at his sides, and the lack of control brought his anger to the surface. Anger over the way he’d had to leave Darcy. Anger at himself for not being the kind of man who could ever have a normal life. And anger at Declan for pushing the matter when he knew damned good and well nothing good could come of it.
“This is a mistake,” he rasped, his throat dry at the prospect of what his future held.
“Is there something you’re not telling me about the real reason you don’t want to do this?” Declan asked, narrowing his eyes and coming to his feet to look Brant eye to eye. “You clearly have a problem with Darcy. You haven’t been to a family get-together since Cade and Bayleigh’s wedding, and you left as soon as the ceremony was over even though you were the best man.”
“I had food poisoning,” Brant gritted out. “And I’m with all of you all the damned time. I’m surrounded by so many MacKenzies I can’t piss without one of you holding my dick. What the hell is your point with all this?”
“Nothing. You’re just being more unreasonable about this than usual. Darcy’s an intelligent woman, and you’ve known how to handle her since she was ten years old. She’s always listened to you more than the rest of us. I’d think finally shutting down the del Fuego cartel would be your top priority.”
“No one knows about priorities better than me,” Brant said.
Declan nodded somberly. Not many people knew the details about Brant’s first wife, or that he’d even had a wife for that matter. He hadn’t had her for long. Declan was one of the few who knew the real story.
“Which is why Darcy is going in with you,” Declan said. “She’s the only team you need on this op. Shane and the rest of his SEAL Team will be your backup, and Max and I both have agents already in the area. We trust Darcy’s safety with you. I can count on one hand the number of people I’d say that about, and four of them are her relatives.”
“Great,” Brant said. The urge to put his fist right into Declan’s face overcame him, and he could tell by his friend’s raised brow that he was daring him to try. “Just great.”
“What’s the matter, Brant?” A silky voice called from the door—a siren’s call that had his blood pumping and his cock hardening in an instant. “Afraid I’ll be too much for you to handle?”
Chapter Three
Darcy walked into the room like she owned it. Like a woman who didn’t care that the man who’d broken her heart was only a few feet away.
She’d dressed carefully for the occasion—jeans appropriate for a night out at a bar, and a soft silk blouse in a watercolor floral print, topped with a cropped violet jacket. Her tan leather boots came up to the knee and fit like a second skin, and four-inch heels spiked to a sharp point. The underwear beneath the clothes had been selected with care—cobalt lace panties and a matching bra that were the same color as her eyes. No one would see them, but it gave her confidence all the same.
She looked good and she knew it—like a successful woman who had ultimate control over her sexuality. The naïve girl she’d once been no longer existed, and she’d decided if she was going to be forced into Brant Scott’s presence, then by God, she was going to make him suffer.
“Cat got your tongue?” she asked, her smile devilish as Brant seemed frozen in his tracks.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” a man she didn’t recognize said, holding out his hand for an introduction as he rose from his seat.
“Darcy MacKenzie,” she said, liking the man instantly. He had a warm smile and a teasing glint in his chocolate brown eyes that told her he could probably hold his own with her brothers.
“Nice to meet you, Darcy MacKenzie,” he said, lifting her hand to his mouth in a gallant gesture. “I’m Max Devlin. I’ve got an eighteen-foot sloop that rides the waves like she was part of the ocean. Maybe you’d like to come out with me some time?”
“No—” the three other men in the room said simultaneously, making Darcy smile even wider.
“Something tells me you say that to all the girls.”
“Just you, sweetheart,” he said, winking. “How can someone as beautiful as you be related to these assholes?”
“I’m pretty sure my mother had an affair with a Neanderthal. It’s not something we like to talk about though,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Shane’s very sensitive.”
She heard Brant snort out a laugh and she winked at Max Devlin, taking back her hand as she made her way to the empty seat next to Brant.
“Jesus, you still have that smart mouth,” he said, shaking his head. “Nice to see you haven’t changed.”
“Oh, more than you can possibly know,” she said, her eyes going cold as she met the shuttered look of his gaze. He wasn’t giving anything away, and she’d be damned if she let him read anything from her but the loathing she felt.
Tension coiled off her in waves, and she cursed herself for thinking seeing him again after so long wouldn’t
affect her. But here she was, hating him so much she could have done violence and still so turned on that her panties were soaking wet.
He hadn’t changed, was all she could think. He still made her breath catch and her heart stutter in her chest. It had been years since she’d seen him. His dark blond hair was longer, but it was still short, and he still seemed bigger than life—his chest broad and hard beneath the white t-shirt he wore—his riding leathers encasing the hard muscles of his thighs. The green of his eyes seemed electric, and she remembered how they’d darkened as he’d slid inside of her.
“Long time no see, Brant. What’s it been? Four years since I last saw you?” The smile she gave him was meant to drive him crazy, and from the pressed line of his mouth, she could tell she was doing an adequate job. “One would think you’ve been avoiding me after our little adventure with the del Fuego cartel, but my brothers tell me you’ve been keeping busy. We’ll have to catch up on old times now that we’re going to be working together.”
“Cut the man a break, Darce,” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “Why you couldn’t have been born mute is beyond me. There’s a reason Brant gets the honor of carting your ass around the jungle—I’d probably strangle you within five minutes of crossing the border.”
Darcy narrowed her eyes and turned to snap at the brother closest to her own age. There were only two years between them, and they were more alike than either of them wanted to admit. Their mother swore every gray hair on her head was because of dealing with her two youngest children.
“You know,” Max broke in before a fight could start, “I wouldn’t mind taking her in with my team. I have a feeling she and Jade are going to hit it off just fine.”
Jade Jax was the lone female agent on Max’s team, and she was one of the best damn snipers Brant had ever met. She was deadly. And the thought of her and Darcy teaming up was enough to make his balls shrivel in fear.
Shane clapped Max on the shoulder in sympathy and sighed. “Darcy has you trapped in her evil spell. Everyone wants to be with her in the beginning, my friend. And then she opens her mouth—”
“Enough, Shane,” Brant said before he could continue to insult Darcy. “Leave her alone. She’s here to do a job like the rest of us.”
“Since when are you so quick to defend her?” he asked. “You were the one telling boss man what a bad idea this is. I happen to agree with you. It’s got disaster written all over it.”
Darcy met Declan’s cool stare and wondered what he was thinking. She could tell he was doing his damnedest to analyze the scene before him as quickly as possible. Nothing much got by Declan, and when his eyes narrowed and he looked between her and Brant, she had a feeling he’d come to some sort of conclusion.
“My decision is final on the matter,” Declan said, standing and grabbing his leather jacket from the back of his chair. “Darcy goes in with Brant. The other teams will go in as planned, and we’ll stay focused on them the entire time. Full disclosure between all teams. I don’t want covert agency bullshit on this, or I’ll make all of your lives miserable. And believe me, I can do it. Darcy can fill Brant in on what she’s found so far.”
Declan focused his attention on Max and Shane. “I’ll leave it to the two of you to update your teams by 0800 tomorrow morning. I want everyone in place near Darcy’s best estimate for the labs within forty-eight hours.”
Darcy knew she wasn’t going to like whatever orders her brother was about to give her. She could tell by that devilish gleam in his eyes that she’d seen so often in her childhood. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, warning him of retribution if she didn’t like what he had to say.
“Brant, you and Darcy will act as tourists,” Dec said. “Newlyweds on their honeymoon who are interested in the ruins. That’ll give you a good cover. I’m sure the two of you can manage to make it look believable.”
Darcy’s mouth dropped open, and before she could utter a protest she heard Brant mutter something that sounded like, “I’m going to kill you.”
Declan’s smile was sharp, so the ragged scar along his left jaw turned white. “All we need you to do is find and decipher the codes they’re using so it will lead us to the labs. The teams will be there to back you up if you need us, but you’re going to be on your own for most of the mission. We’ve got to stop that drug from being manufactured. I’m sure you can put aside your differences for the greater good.”
She saw Brant’s mouth clamp shut out of the corner of her eye, and he nodded once at Declan.
“Are you getting any closer with the hieroglyphs?” Dec asked her.
Nerves slid through her belly at the thought of how much they were depending on her. She’d done all she could with what she had, but she knew she wouldn’t find the location from the bits and pieces of information she was being sent.
“I’ve narrowed it down to region,” she said. “But it’s at least a hundred mile radius.”
“Keep working on it,” Declan told her. “And bring Brant up to speed. I need you to narrow it down to a fifty-mile radius within twenty-four hours. That’ll still give us enough time to get the teams in position.”
Darcy nodded and watched as her brothers and Agent Devlin gathered their things.
“I guess we’re done here for the night,” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “I barely got to finish my beer.”
“Look on the bright side,” Max said. “You’ve got the rest of a Saturday night to yourself and a phone number in your pocket.”
“There is that,” Shane said as he closed the door behind them, leaving her alone with Brant for the first time in four years.
“I don’t suppose I can talk you into changing your mind, can I?” he asked, breaking the tense silence.
“No,” she answered. Her throat was suddenly dry, but she had no interest in the beer that sat in front of her on the table.
He shifted his body subtly, so only inches separated them, and she could feel the heat pouring from him and enveloping her in its hold. The strength of him hadn’t diminished over the last few years. If anything he was bigger, broader, but the desire in his eyes was somehow hotter.
“Go home, Darcy. For your own sake. You know I won’t be able to keep my hands off you, and then we’ll be back exactly where we were four years ago. I can’t do that again.”
“What, you mean fuck me and walk away without looking back? I think I’ll pass this time around. I’ve already seen the ending of that story.”
He moved even closer, forcing her to strain her neck up to keep eye contact. “It was more than fucking and you know it. And I told you I had to leave. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. You knew exactly what we were doing before I ever tasted that sweet pussy of yours.”
Her breath caught at the memory his words evoked, and a bitter laugh escaped before she could control it. “I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t have been surprised that you ran as far and fast as you could. You’ve been nothing but honest with me since the first time you realized I’d grown breasts. I don’t know what I was thinking.” The sarcasm dripped from her tongue and she finally gave in and put some distance between them. Standing so close was muddling her brain.
“And you don’t have to pretty it up,” she said sweetly. “Fucking was exactly what we had between us. Nothing more. I’ve gotten over it, and I’ve mostly forgiven you for being an asshole and not even bothering to say goodbye. It makes things easier, I think. And it’s not like you’ve been avoiding me on purpose these last few years.”
“You’re pissing me off, Darcy.”
“Then I apologize. I certainly don’t want to start this assignment out on the wrong foot. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”
“Which leads me back to my original question,” he said, patience obviously waning. “How the hell am I going to keep my hands off you? I’ve thought of that night between us every damned day since I walked away. And I’ve regretted it more than you can ever know.”
“Don’t lie t
o yourself, Brant. You regret that things aren’t what they once were—that the game was played out between us and the sexy banter and flashes of heat aren’t at your fingertips any longer. You regret the fact that you alienated yourself from my family because you were afraid of what my reaction might be when I saw you. You didn’t have to worry, you know. I wouldn’t have made scenes or demands. You punished yourself for nothing. I forgot you as soon as you walked out the door.”
“You lie,” he whispered, his hand coming up and cupping the back of her neck, bringing her closer so she felt the warmth of his breath against her lips. “I dream of your taste, Darcy. It’s like a drug that seeps into the system and stays there forever. And you’re right. I did punish myself. I should have stayed and made love to you until dawn. But I knew if I did I’d keep coming back to sink inside that tight heat of yours, and it wouldn’t be fair to make you believe there could be anything more than that between us. There are things you don’t know about me. Things I’m not sure I could ever explain.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing you left. You did us both a favor. And it’ll make working with you now that much easier.”
“Wishful thinking, sugar.”
Darcy trembled as his body touched hers ever so slightly, and her nipples tightened in response to his obvious arousal. His lips whispered over hers—a delicate touch that was barely a kiss at all—but she felt the tug and pull all the way to the sensitive bud between her thighs.
“We’re both fighting a losing battle here,” he said. “We might as well give in and see where it takes us. I need you so much I ache with it.”
Darcy put her hand to his chest and pushed out of his embrace. “Maybe we should get you some cream for that.” She moved further around the table, putting more distance between them. She looked down his body to the obvious bulge straining against his zipper. She’d never gotten to taste him, and her mouth watered with the need to release his cock and take him into her mouth. She held in the shudder of longing and forced herself to look him in the eye.