Explosive (The Black Opals)

by St. Claire, Tori

  Befuddlement passed across Jackson’s expression. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Jayce mumbled, “Continue.”

  “My guy called while you were in there.” Jackson tipped his head toward Brice’s office. “He hauled in a George Vitorro and a John Santiago. With a gun pretty much down their throats, they were more than willing to talk.” His gaze shifted to Alyssa. “That’s your Georgie, so he says.”

  Kane filled in another blank. “Everything referenced a snitch or betrayer, Alyssa. Until today, you didn’t fit that mold. Brice here, did. Even when you were kidnapped, they specifically mentioned Brice. It’s pretty likely, as green as those two thugs were, they didn’t realize Brice’s home office was in the basement and mixed yours up with his.”

  Mistaken identity? Alyssa swallowed that thought down with wide eyes. All this, because they had the wrong office. Unbelievable.

  Jayce shoved the paper back at Jackson. “Still doesn’t explain why you took a pot shot at my head.”

  Jackson chuckled. “You were on to me. I had clearance. Sec Ops or not—after today, I didn’t feel right about it. I came here tonight to warn you off, so it wouldn’t happen again.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Alyssa cut in. “I just spent the last hour watching my life in slow motion, because someone was trying to get to him?” She pointed at Brice.

  “Yeah,” Brice muttered. “And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go drink my guilt off.”

  “Brice—” She tried to stop him, to reassure him he had no reason to blame himself. But he was already gone, the front door closing heavily in his wake. Alyssa sighed.

  “And you have the assholes in custody?” Jayce asked. “This is all fucking over?”

  “Yeah. Should be.”

  Instead of vanishing, Jayce’s scowl deepened. “Who planted the damned bomb?”

  “It’s Delfranco, Jayce. His network is vast.”

  “Who’s to say they aren’t going to hunt McTavish down for the rest of his life?”

  Jackson shook his head. “I’m taking him to D.C. for a little while. Clarke wants to interview him. I’ll see if I can convince him into protective custody. Either way, we have no reason to suspect Alyssa would be in continued danger. She legitimately doesn’t know anything, except maybe my name.” He shrugged, his confident arrogance returning. “I can change that on a whim.”

  So it was really over. Alyssa sagged into Jayce’s side, unaware tension had been holding her upright until it seeped from her body. She wanted to go home, curl up beside him, and forget tonight ever happened. She couldn’t remember ever being as bone-tired as she felt right now.

  His arm wound around her waist, securing her in place. She flattened a palm over his washboard belly and snuggled into his sideways embrace.

  “Take her home,” Kane urged quietly. “I’ll come by tomorrow and finish the security install. At least it will be there if anything else happens down the road.”

  “Yes,” she murmured, stifling a yawn. “Take me home.”

  T h i r t y – e i g h t

  Alyssa was fast asleep by the time Jayce pulled into her driveway. After the roller-coaster day they’d all had, he couldn’t blame her—exhaustion tugged at him as well. But there were still things they needed to discuss, and he’d hoped to have them all resolved before he gave in to the call of sleep.

  He didn’t have the heart to wake her though. Tonight certainly had been traumatic, and sometimes the brain needed sleep to be able to cope with the events. Rousing her too much might make tomorrow more difficult. Not to mention, he didn’t want to argue any more tonight. What remained unresolved between them was best left untouched until they’d both rested.

  He let himself out of the truck then moved around to her door. When he opened it, she startled awake, but brief consciousness quickly gave way to heavily drooping eyelids again. Leaning inside, he guided her arms around his neck. “Hang on to me, baby doll.”

  Faint strength infused her limbs, but it was ineffectual, and lasted a fraction of a heartbeat. Chuckling to himself, Jayce scooped her out of the seat, into his arms. Damned if holding her didn’t quiet something intangible inside him. There for a moment, as that neon blue timer ticked down to the wire, he thought he might really lose her. That he’d fail her when she needed him most. The possibility had nearly made disarming the bomb impossible.

  To his consternation, the front door was unlocked. On the bright side of the discovery, he didn’t have to wake her up to ask her for keys. On the rather dismal side, Kane and McTavish knew better. Still, knowing Jackson had the two men in custody made Kane and McTavish’s oversight easier to accept. And Jayce didn’t plan on leaving Alyssa’s side, which meant if anyone else tried to pick up where those two thugs left off, they’d soon regret it.

  Jackson, a new Opal.

  Not for the first time, the thought drifted through Jayce’s mind as he carried Alyssa to her bedroom. He wasn’t entirely as green as Jayce had initially thought—he’d just been fed incomplete information. Because Clarke hadn’t given him all the details.

  Because Clarke wrote Kane and Jayce off as expendable. What could Jackson possibly be tied in with that two good operatives were suddenly so invaluable? And why had something so obviously important been assigned to a man with such minimal field experience?

  Jayce pushed the thoughts aside. He didn’t want to dwell on that uncomfortable truth of his value in the Black Opals. Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow when he worked out the rest of things with Alyssa. Maybe answers would land in his lap.

  He nudged her bedroom door open with his toe and bumped the light switch with his shoulder. The lamp beside her bed blinked on, filling the room with soft, comforting light. Gently, he laid Alyssa on the bed.

  Despite his careful movements, her lashes fluttered open again. A faint smile crossed her lips, and she tucked her hand into his. “Stay with me,” she murmured.

  “I’m right here,” he answered quietly.

  As she relaxed into the bed, he plucked open the button on her waistband. Sliding his hands beneath the loose flaps of denim, he indulged for a moment and fitted his hands around the gentle slope of her hips. She had such perfect curves. He loved the way her skin felt against his palms. He loved everything about her, even her exasperating stubborn streak.

  And she had said she loved him as well. He smiled as her whispered confession surfaced in his head and eased her jeans off her hips. He’d broken through her walls before she sat in that death trap. Maybe morning wouldn’t bring an argument after all.

  Working her clothing off, he carefully stripped her down to nothing, then tugged at the quilt she lay upon. When she stirred again, he quietly instructed, “Lift up.”

  Alyssa arched her hips, allowing Jayce to pull the covers free. He tucked them around her, then stood to undress as well. Her body never failed to arouse him, evidenced by the stiffening of his cock. He couldn’t help but chuckle. One of these days, he supposed he’d stop being surprised by how one touch could have him hungering for all she had to give.

  In the morning, he promised his awakening libido.

  Jayce crawled over Alyssa and slid beneath the blankets at her side. He reached between their bodies to clasp her hand, then lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Clarke refused to leave his mind.

  In the scope of things, he understood missions were prioritized, not the operative assigned to carry them out. He wasn’t the first Opal to be compromised, and he knew, logically, he wouldn’t be the last. But it burned deeply to know Clarke had given permission to another Opal to take him out if it became necessary. He’d given Clarke ten years of his life. Devoted himself to the Opal purpose unhesitatingly.

  Even then, he was still expendable.

  Jayce didn’t know quite how he felt about that. Angry, maybe a little. Betrayed mixed in there somewhere too. And yet, acceptance filtered through the more uncomfortable emotions. It had always been a possibility. He’d just never believed it would happen to hi
m.

  Alyssa murmured something in her sleep, drawing Jayce from the oppressiveness of his thoughts. He turned onto his side, used his free hand to tuck a lock of hair away from her face. The contact of her palm against his wasn’t enough, and he draped his arm around her waist, pulling her body against his. All the places they connected seeped into his awareness. Jayce brushed a kiss against her silken hair and closed his eyes. No amount of betrayal would ever matter, so long as she didn’t shut him out again.

  * * *

  A heavy thump jerked Alyssa from dreams of the first summer she spent with Jayce. She edged onto her elbow and frowned at the door. Footsteps trod through the house below. Something heavy toppled over.

  Old habits surfaced, and her heart skipped several beats. Her gaze darted around the room, instinctively looking for a means of escape. As her consciousness fully awakened, she became of the weight around her waist. Jayce was holding her. He’d put her to bed after she’d sat on a bomb. A bomb.

  It took a moment for her to remember Jackson had contained the two men who’d been skulking around her house and recall Brice had said he was going to drink away his guilt. That he even felt guilty twisted her to pieces. It wasn’t his fault, and she couldn’t stand the idea of his believing she might blame him.

  “Damn it.” Brice’s voice drifted up to her, his oath slightly slurred.

  Definitely the racket below came from her roommate, not more burglars. Alyssa glanced over her shoulder, checking to insure Jayce was sleeping. He’d been through as much as she had today, maybe even more. She didn’t want to wake him when she’d only be gone a few minutes.

  Satisfied the noises below hadn’t disturbed him, she slipped from beneath the covers and grabbed a lightweight robe from her closet. As she belted it around her waist, she tiptoed to the door, then slipped into the hall beyond.

  Stifling a yawn, she descended the stairs. The effort of remaining virtually motionless for an hour, every muscle she possessed clamped into a hard ball, had taken a toll—her thighs protested every step she made. When she reached the bottom, she said a quiet little prayer of thanks that Brice hadn’t stumbled to his room. She couldn’t guarantee she’d make it further than the front room.

  When she reached her destination, he was already stretched out on the couch with the television on. The low volume droned a quiet distraction. He tipped his head back as she approached. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s okay.” She sat down on the edge of the couch near his waist. “Are you sober enough to talk for a little bit?”

  “More sober than I’d like to be.”

  With a soft smile, she ran a hand down the length of his arm. “You’re my best friend, Brice. I don’t blame you for this.”

  “You ought to.” He looked up at the ceiling, heaved a sigh, then lowered his gaze to hers. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, and I couldn’t tell you. Tole—er, Jackson made it clear I couldn’t say anything. I’m sorry, Alyssa.”

  She gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m okay. It’s over now. Don’t blame yourself.”

  “Yeah, well, I will be for a while.” He tucked his arm around her waist and dragged her into the couch, his hold casual and comforting—the way it always had been. She soaked it up for a minute, enjoying the easy companionship they shared. His embrace was nowhere near as soul-deep soothing as Jayce’s, but it was nice in a brotherly kind of way.

  “Speaking of things I ought to do,” she remarked quietly. “I love Jayce.”

  “God, it’s good to hear you say that.” Brice chuckled. “I was beginning to think you’d never admit it. Are you kicking me out?”

  Alyssa traced the flower pattern in the cushion with a fingernail. “Well…no. Not immediately.” A thread loosened beneath her nail, and she pressed it flat with her palm. “But I do want to rebuild our dreams together, and that vision didn’t include a roommate.”

  His low laugh resonated into her back. He gave her a tight, brief squeeze. “It’s all right, Alyssa. This is how it should be. How it always should have been. I’m not supposed to be in the middle of this.”

  She twisted her head to better see his face. “You’re not upset?”

  “Upset? God, no. Since the day I met you, you’ve been crazy about Jayce. Sure, we’ve had some good times, but I’ve always had my head on straight—I want you to be with him. I’ve been trying to make that happen for the last several years.”

  With a happy sigh, Alyssa turned her cheek back to the pillow his bent arm served.

  “Besides,” Brice continued, “I met up with Jackson tonight. I think he’s right—I need to go into protection for a while. Delfranco could tail me for years. You’re better off without me in your shadow.”

  “And you’ll be safe.” She gave him a small smile.

  “Yes.” He gave her hip a pat. “Go on back to bed. We can talk about that subject over breakfast.”

  “Mm. Yeah.” Her lashes fluttered heavily. “Give me a minute to find the energy to move. I ache all over.”

  “Sweetheart.” He gave her a gentle nudge. “I can’t stay awake myself. Head on upstairs. Jayce is up there, isn’t he?”

  “Mm-hm.” Try as she might, she couldn’t summon the energy to move her leg. “Just…another…minute.” Another handful of seconds, and she’d shove upward, and drag herself up the stairs.

  T h i r t y – n i n e

  Jayce woke to a roomful of bright sunlight, a cock that hungered for Alyssa, and an empty bed. He frowned at her vacant pillow. This was not how he envisioned his morning playing out. Hell, he’d been dreaming about burying his head between her legs and lapping at her sweet little pussy until he was high on her intoxicating flavor. After last night, he needed to lose himself in her for a little while.

  Grumbling beneath his breath, Jayce took his cock in his hand and gave himself two firm pulls to take the edge off. The rest, he’d save for her, once he found her and dragged her back to bed.

  He threw the covers back and slid into his dress pants, not bothering to fasten them all the way. They’d have to have a talk about how mornings transpired once he left the Opals. Namely, she wasn’t allowed to leave the bed until he’d had her at least once.

  Jayce paused at the door, what just flitted through his mind registering in full. Leave the Opals? He frowned for all of a nanosecond, before the twinge of uncertainty faded. Yeah. Retirement was looking damned good, considering he was already disgusted with Clarke’s decision to hire Sasha Zablosky before Clarke marked Jayce as expendable. He didn’t want to stick around for the next occasion Clarke gave the go-ahead and the next Opal who didn’t have a conscious about killing an agency man.

  Besides, if Jayce had walked away learning one thing yesterday, it was the realization that bombs could kill. Not that he’d never known that. It just hadn’t stared him in the face so blatantly. If he was going to try and rebuild a life with Alyssa, he didn’t need his work cutting that future short.

  Speaking of Alyssa—he had some serious desire to burn off. He pulled open the bedroom door, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. It had been a long time since he’d had a spontaneous quickie. Maybe he wouldn’t drag her all the way back up here. Fuck her hard and fast wherever he found her, then take her back to bed and spend another hour taking his time making love to her. Mm. Yeah.

  He descended the stairs, playing through possible scenarios in his head. That kitchen countertop of hers was perfect height and just wide enough to lay her over it. If she were working in her office, he could set her on the edge of the desk. Eh—screw it. He’d go with whatever came to mind when he found her.

  Jayce rounded the corner into the living room and skidded to a stop as his gaze locked on Alyssa. Son of a bitch. He’d found her all right. Tucked into McTavish’s embrace, her body molded against his, fast asleep with her head resting on his arm.

  Fuck! In all the possible scenarios, this one had never crossed his list of possibilities. And the sight of her laying there turned the pleasant
tingle of arousal into sharp needles that jabbed all the way down his spine. He stood there for a minute, absorbing the scene, letting it sink through his naïve belief that somehow yesterday had changed things, until his gut began to twist.

  Nothing had changed at all. She’d gone to McTavish for comfort. Only this time she hadn’t just turned to McTavish, she’d left the very bed she shared with Jayce. When was he going to learn she didn’t want to let him in?

  Disgusted with her, with himself, Jayce turned around and returned to her room. He was going to hard-code that picture of Alyssa cuddled up with McTavish into his brain, and he wasn’t ever going to forget it. She might have said she loved him, but he’d been the fool once again, reading more into her words, only to have them belied by her actions the next time he turned around.

  He’d thought, really thought…

  Jayce bit back an oath as he swiped his shirt and suit jacket off the floor. God damn if she didn’t know how to cut him open and make him bleed.

  He stuffed his arms into his shirt, buttoned it hastily, and jerked his gun and holster off the floor. He was done fighting a losing battle. If Alyssa wanted McTavish, then Jayce wasn’t going to bang his head against an unmovable wall trying to convince her she didn’t. McTavish could have her; Jayce was leaving. Leaving her. Leaving this house. Leaving Boulder as soon as Jasmine said her vows tomorrow.

  Taking the stairs in double-time, he made for the front door. Done. Done. Done.

  Damn her!

  Jayce slammed the front door behind him and jogged to his truck. As he jerked the door open, he felt the shameful burn of tears gather in the corner of his eyes. He blinked them back, sniffed hard to make sure they remained buried, and keyed the pickup’s engine. He hit the gas, then hit the brake, and stared at her house. Pain, sharper than all the years of wondering and wishing for her, registered behind his ribs. She’d never completely broken his heart the first time. The stabbing agony ripping through him now evidenced the destruction of what remained.