Hard Play (Delta Force Brotherhood)

by Sheryl Nantus

  The waitress showed up with the burgers and fries they’d ordered, along with a third martini for Jessie.

  Lisa snagged it before Jessie could take it. “I’m not carrying you home.” She nodded after the two men. “So what’s up with Dylan?”

  “He just…” Jessie picked up a fry. “He just told me to take the job.”

  “Oh.” Lisa frowned. “Wasn’t that what you wanted him to say?”

  “Yes. No.” She shook her head. “I thought he was going to ask me to stay. For him.”

  Lisa reached across and pulled her into a tight hug. “Girl, he’s a good man. I won’t say a word against him. But from what you told me, you both knew this hookup had a chance of burning out when it was all over, right?”

  Jessie nodded.

  “So you move on. In your case you’re moving to New York and a new job. I’ll come visit you when you get settled. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Jessie forced herself to smile.

  Not okay.

  Never going to be okay again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dylan felt like crap.

  He stood on the roof, staring out over the city. The neon lights flashed on and off, illuminating the buildings around them. If he squinted he could make out a casino nearby and the scaffolding around it, preparing the building for demolition even though it was only a decade old.

  Nothing got old in Las Vegas. A few years and you were obsolete, the new model stepping up to push you out.

  It was an ongoing reminder that nothing lasted forever.

  He rubbed his chin, remembering the hurt look on Jessie’s face as he’d told her to take the job and leave, go to New York and move on to a new chapter of her life.

  The words hadn’t been the right ones, but it was all he could manage.

  Now he had to deal with the growing void in his heart. It’d been six days since she’d visited the club and laid down her news. Tomorrow she’d deliver an answer to her prospective employer and start preparing to leave Las Vegas forever.

  He spun on his heel and headed for the elevator.

  To hell with it. A few beers would help him sleep and maybe, maybe for the first time in weeks, he wouldn’t think about her.

  …

  The next morning the club was empty save for the cleaners, making sure the Devil’s Playground was ready for another night of fun. Dylan stood in his office and looked out the one-way window, watching Finn and Wyatt toss bottle caps at each other as they stood behind the bar, taking instructions from Faith when they felt like it.

  The head bartender looked skyward, knowing Dylan was there, and raised her hands in surrender.

  Dylan forced himself to smile, but his heart wasn’t in it. His stomach churned in nervous anticipation, driving him on as his thoughts warred with each other for dominance.

  He knew what he wanted, but for the first time in his life wasn’t sure how to get it. This wasn’t an operation he could prep for, analyze ahead of time, and make a concentrated attack on his objective.

  Or was it?

  His smile grew, spreading across his face as he ran the numbers.

  Maybe…

  …

  Jessie looked around her office for what could be one of the last times. She’d promised Anderson Investigations an answer in a week, and time was running out. By her watch she had until the end of the day, technically, to deliver her response.

  She’d delayed and delayed, argued with herself and dragged out every possible option until there was no more wiggle room. Today was the flashpoint, the end of one life and the beginning of a new one.

  That was the hard truth.

  Lisa had dropped off cardboard boxes yesterday in preparation for the upcoming move, bubbling over with happiness.

  It seemed the first date with Ace had gone well and they were planning a second.

  If Ace had said anything about how Dylan was feeling or acting, Lisa refused to repeat it.

  She’d refused to give her opinion on whether Jessie should go or not, saying it was all up to her.

  “I can’t make this decision for you. And I won’t,” she’d said on the phone. “I’d tell you to follow your heart, but I’m not sure you know where it is right now.”

  Jessie sighed.

  This wasn’t what she’d expected to be dealing with a year ago when she’d decided to take on Molodavi. Mobsters and corrupt cops, thugs and money-laundering—but matters of the heart had been nowhere on the radar.

  The phone rang and she picked it up. “Lyon Investigations.”

  “Jessie.”

  She stiffened in the chair at hearing Dylan’s voice. “Yes?”

  “Listen, I need your help.” He hesitated. “I’ve got a problem here. I don’t want to talk about it on an open line. Can you come over right away?”

  She looked at the empty boxes, waiting to be filled. “I can’t…”

  “You said you’d help the Brotherhood out whenever you could. I’m calling in your marker.”

  “Okay. Okay.” She stood up, her pulse soaring as her imagination ran rampant. “I’ll be right over.”

  …

  Patrick eyed her as she pulled into the garage, the brakes squealing as she came to a fast stop.

  He wiped a wrench with a dirty rag as she got out of the car, breathless as she took in the scene. Whatever was happening, it was somewhere other than the garage. “Where’s Dylan?”

  “In his apartment.” He frowned. “Something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure. Didn’t he say anything to you?”

  “Called down to say you were coming in. Only said to send you to his place when you arrived.” He shrugged. “That’s all.”

  She felt her stomach twist into a knot as she walked by him to the door leading to the hallway. “Thanks.”

  “Sure. Good to see you again.” He smiled.

  …

  The elevator doors shut behind her as she walked down the hall to his apartment, her heart racing. If it was something he couldn’t share with Patrick…

  The door opened before she reached it, and Dylan looked out. He gestured her in, putting a finger to his lips.

  “What?” she whispered as the door shut behind her. “What’s wrong?”

  He stood there in silence, hands jammed into his jeans. The light blue T-shirt was tight across his chest, and she flexed her hands, remembering the touch and feel of the muscles underneath, the scarred and puckered skin that made rough ridges under her fingers.

  She looked around the apartment, finding nothing had changed since she’d last been there. The phone wasn’t ringing. The laptop computer lay quiet. No one came out of the corner asking for help and Dylan…Dylan wasn’t saying anything.

  The truth dawned on her as she tried hard to tamp down the mixture of fear and desire building inside her.

  “There is no emergency, is there?”

  He tilted his head to one side. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because I know you, Dylan. I know you too damned well.” She crossed her arms. “So what was so important that you had to make up a reason to get me here?”

  …

  It was time to put all his cards on the table and see where the play went.

  Dylan reached out and took her hand. He looked over at the framed American flag sitting on the shelf. “That’s my father’s flag. I was only a teenager when he died. I remember the chaplain coming to the front door and my mother falling to her knees, collapsing under the weight of his words.” The images flashed in his mind’s eye, still painfully fresh. “He was a career soldier, married her out of high school. She was a smart woman. She knew what his job entailed and what could happen every time he deployed, every time he got on that plane and flew out.”

  Jessie walked over to the shelf and stared at the wood and glass case.

  “My mother was the strongest woman I ever met. Right up until the day she died, she was a fighter. But my father’s death cored her out, ripped her soul and heart in half.”

/>   She reached out and drew her fingers along the dark, varnished wood as Dylan went on.

  “When I left the military and started the Brotherhood, I thought I’d never have to face the same issues as my father because I had no one to love. No one to worry about going on without me, taking the risk alongside me whether they were in the line of fire or not.” He looked at her. “I never thought about it until I met you. Until I saw that photograph and wanted to know who you were, wondered what lay under that smile. And I fell marvelously, deeply in love with you. Before I saw you in that cage, I wanted you. I can’t explain it any better than that. I wanted you.”

  She raised an eyebrow, silently asking her question.

  “You were right about us taking a break, catching our breath and seeing if this was all something in the heat of the moment, our lust taking over. I’ve seen that happen to people, the thrill of the hunt or the fight pulling them along until it falls away and there’s nothing, no foundation holding them together. It destroys both parties.

  “When you came here and asked me about the job, asked my opinion about leaving Las Vegas, I wanted to ask you to stay.” His voice faltered and he cleared his throat. “I missed my chance then. I don’t want to miss it again; I want to tell you how much I love you and want to be with you. But also, I have to tell you what I’m afraid of, what scares me the most about being in love with you.”

  She stayed silent.

  He rolled his shoulders back, standing tall. “I’m afraid of giving you what my father gave my mother, the burden she had to carry because of her love for him. The waiting, the knowing that at any point a knock could come on that door. That there might not even be a body to bury. Just because I’m not in the military anymore doesn’t mean that weight won’t fall on your shoulders. But I got scared and cut you out of that decision, didn’t give you the chance to make your own choice. And I’m sorry for doing that.”

  He looked at his open hands. “I want you to stay. Damn it, I need you to stay, to make me whole. But I can’t ask you to do this without letting you know what you’re in for. My time will go to the Brotherhood first, and that means I won’t be home some nights, some days, some weeks. There’s a chance I might never come home at all. But I can’t imagine doing this without you by my side, not now and not ever. I just want you to know what you’re in for, to know what goes along with loving me.”

  He paused, his heart racing. “I hope you’ll say yes. But there’s an alternative. Say the word, ask me and I’ll quit the Brotherhood. I’ll sell out to the others and we can go off on our own, free and clear. I just can’t be without you anymore.” The idea pained him, but being without her hurt him more.

  The silence hung between them.

  “Jessie. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  …

  Jessie turned her gaze on him, pinning him in place. “I used to be a cop, in case you forgot. A damned good one. My father was a cop. A damned good one, too.” She shook her head. “Growing up, he was all I had, so yes, I know about those feelings. That fear every time he was late and the phone rang. I dealt with it and decided to become a cop because of it, because of him and his strength.” She stepped up and took his hand. “So don’t think I can’t handle the pressure. I can. I want to. I can’t stop thinking about you.” The words tumbled out. “Damn it, Dylan. I love you. I’ll take you. I’ll take the Brotherhood, because it’s so much a part of you that you couldn’t cut it out if you tried. I can’t ask you to stop doing this. So give yourself to me, all of you. I’ll stand with you. Those poor people who come to you for help need you.” She smiled. “I need you.”

  There. It was out, and she couldn’t take it back. She wouldn’t take it back for all the cages and all the shootouts in the world.

  Dylan smiled and shook his head. “I don’t want you to leave Las Vegas. Hell, I don’t want you to leave this apartment.”

  Her throat closed up.

  “I forgot you were a warrior, body and soul. I saw it in your eyes the first time we met.” Dylan chuckled. “I won’t forget it again.” He pulled her close. “I love you, Jessie Lyon. Will you stay with me and help those who need it, even at the risk of losing your own life?”

  She sniffled, the tears clouding her vision. “Is that some sort of Brotherhood pledge?”

  “No.” He kissed her. “That’s a McCourt pledge. Until death do us part and all that.” He pulled away, and she saw his own eyes were wet. “I’ve had these nightmares lately. The casino, Molodavi going after you and I can’t get there in time, and all I can hear is you screaming over the comm link as he hunts you down. I wake up hoarse because I’ve been yelling too.” The words burned his throat, but they had to be said. “I’m screaming because I’m afraid he’ll take you away from me forever, and I’ll never get a chance to tell you how much I love you. I want to do that every hour of every day from now on. I don’t want you to go to sleep without hearing it or to wake up without it.”

  “I’m continuing my work as a private investigator.” She chose her words carefully. “I need that independence in my life. I can’t stand around here and be seen as window dressing.”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips before he could protest. “I’m not talking about the men. They know my worth and I know theirs. But my work is also a good way for me to find those who we can help, those who need the Brotherhood and aren’t lucky enough to find their way here on their own.”

  He couldn’t dispute her logic.

  “However, when I’m not chasing down leads, I’m perfectly glad to be here with you. Home with you.”

  Dylan smiled and led her to the bedroom. “Then let’s get you settled in. First, allow me to show you the bedroom.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’ve been here before.”

  “I changed the sheets,” he pointed out.

  “Ah, well. That’s different. What else have you done since I was here last?”

  “Plenty of things. But first, let me show off this fine mattress. And pillows. And the sheets again.” He touched his chest. “I’m wearing a new shirt, too.”

  She settled on the edge of the bed. “Show me. Everything.”

  She watched as he pulled his shirt off, exposing his lean, muscled torso. Jessie reached out to run her hands along his toned abs, relishing the tanned skin under her touch.

  Dylan took hold of her wrist, stilling her.

  “I want this to last,” he said in a hoarse voice. “But you’re making it hard.”

  Jessie glanced down at his obvious arousal and licked her lips. “I’m okay with that.”

  “Are you sure about this? I’m not a saint. I’ve done bad things in the past. And will do so in the future, if it’s needed.”

  “For good reasons. For good people,” she leaned in and whispered. “You saved me. Now it’s time for me to save you.”

  He ran his hands gently over her body, skimming the fresh bandage on her shoulder.

  Jessie pulled back and smiled at him, a devilish smirk replacing her previous grin. “I’m not made of glass. Show me how much you want me.”

  His gaze raked over her, hungry and eager.

  “As you wish.” The low rumble sent heat flashing through her veins, and she had to force herself not to tremble.

  Then his mouth was on hers and there was nothing but raw lust and hunger, his hands on her waist, pulling her against him hard—so hard she thought for a second she was up against a wall.

  He began to nibble along her jaw line, his hands slipping down to squeeze her breasts. She fumbled at the waistband of his jeans, unable to control her shaking.

  He would have none of it. With a grunt, Dylan pulled her hands away and undressed her, hard and fast, leaving her naked and open to him.

  It was like trying to control a twister. Every time she tried to do something, he would counter it with something else, pushing her hands away by kissing her or touching her, sending her mind spinning.

  His jeans were next, flying to the side, and he was up
against her. Jessie reached out to find him fully erect, silk over steel, and judging by the moisture at the tip, ready to go.

  He fell to his knees in front of her with a grin, a predator’s smile.

  Then he was between her legs, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin. His day-old stubble skipped along her thighs, delivering a mixture of pain and pleasure as he lifted her legs to sit atop his shoulders.

  Jessie gasped as his tongue made a first, delicious swipe along her innermost core, the heat bringing her almost to the edge right then and there.

  Dylan smirked. “Not yet, sweetheart. We’ve just started.” His mouth landed back on her again, and she shrieked, a long, drawn-out wail ripped from her very soul.

  …

  He was losing his mind in the best possible way.

  The taste of her, the scent, the simple fact she was here—it all combined to push him close to insanity in a record amount of time.

  Now he applied the same ruthlessness he had used in the field, in combat, to draw Jessie closer and closer to coming.

  God help him, he loved this. He’d heard other men dismiss it as a necessary evil, not keen on delivering this particular type of pleasure to their woman.

  They were idiots.

  He drew a finger along the underside of her right leg, laughing as she writhed at his touch, her grip tightening in his hair as he slipped one finger home, leisurely sliding it in and out.

  She made a sound, some sort of animalistic sound he couldn’t place.

  He added a second finger, his left hand squeezing her ass as her hips rose and fell.

  “Dylan,” she gasped.

  He flicked his tongue over the tiny bud, loving the taste of her.

  Jessie’s thighs tightened against his head, and he felt her muscles trembling under his tongue, the slickness signaling her surrender to his attack.

  He pumped his fingers in and out, thrilling to her response as she twisted and turned, trying to direct him to where she wanted him the most.

  Another flick and her low answering cry shot right through him, kicking his libido into high gear.

  Dylan shifted his hips in an attempt to keep his own arousal at bay, at least for a little longer. It’d be so easy to rise up over her and slide home, bury himself so deep in her they’d never be apart again, together forever in mind, body, and soul.