“Watch it, asshole. That is my daughter you’re talking about,” Senior all but growled from his clenched teeth. “Remember, at the end of the day, you will have to deal with me, and I like to fry the things that piss me off.”
“Shit, sorry, Senior. I’m just razzing my new partner,” Jacks chuckled.
Fuck, good save. There was no need to have Senior pull the plug before he got to know the woman a little better. Maybe this was just lust at first sight and after spending a week with her, it would solve all his problems. He hoped the overly observant man didn’t notice the other effects his daughter was having on him, like the rock-hard erection he was currently sporting. At least the conference table hid that little problem. Well not little, he was after all a Shifter, and they were known to be larger than the average man, he mused.
“Just keep in mind who you are dealing with, Jacks,” Senior replied. “I am putting my most precious possession in your care, and you know how dragons are about their treasures. I can almost feel the fire bubbling in my chest waiting to unleash it as we speak.”
Jacks gulped. He never wanted to be the recipient of dragon fire, no one did.
Ryleigh was red with embarrassment and yeah, more than a little aroused. She liked sparring with Jacks a little too much, but she needed to get the testosterone level down in the room.
“Dad, that is enough. I am perfectly capable of handling anything that comes my way, and you know it; after all, you trained me yourself,” Ryleigh declared.
This was getting out of hand. Using her Dad’s pride was wrong, but she also knew he had done his best to prepare her by sending her to endless self-defense classes and weapons training. The man was thorough, and she loved him for it. She wanted to laugh. When most girls were playing with Barbie’s, she was playing with AK47s. Yeah, he wasn’t a typical Dad, but she loved him just the same.
“Now, gentlemen, we would like Alpha taking the lead on the Franklin case, as stated before,” Senior announced. “Charlie and Echo teams will act as a backup as long as Liam and Milo don’t have any problems with working in that fashion. Zulu team has its hand full with the serials. Bravo is going boot on the ground in Texas.”
All the men appeared to be on the same page. Seems like this dick-measuring match was finally simmering down, finally.
“Zoey emailed me earlier, and she believes she is on Cassie’s trail,” Ryleigh revealed to the group. “It has led her to a facility located in El Paso, Texas.”
Kayden jumped out of his seat, visibly agitated. Ryleigh knew he wanted to go to his sister as soon as possible, but he needed to hear the rest.
“She doesn’t feel that this is an existing Pandora facility due to the lack movement, but is continuing to do recon,” Ryleigh disclosed to the men. “There has been practically no movement from within the gates, but the street kids in the area stay away from the facility at all costs. From what she has been able to find out, the street kids are also sticking together. Something happened to spook them.”
Fuck, Jacks knew what that meant. Street people knew what was happening in their towns. They needed to, so they remained as safe as possible, and if they were wary of the place, they needed to check it out because something was definitely going on there.
“Carter and Delta team will be working on their current caseload,” Senior continued.
“Guys, I’d like to put you in touch with our operative, Victoria Gramm, to help organize and prioritize your case load.” Ryleigh said. “At this time, we couldn’t see any connection to Franklin, Pandora, or Davis Defense in your cases, Carter, but we aren’t ready to rule anything out.”
“Will Zoey be meeting with my team or is she too deep under to make contact?” Kayden asked.
Ryleigh could sense his already extreme concern for Zoey. Who could blame the man?
“She stated that she would meet with you when the time is right, which she indicated would be soon,” Ryleigh said trying to reassure Kayden. “As mentioned before, I am her primary contact, and I’ll be unreachable for the next week or so. I’ve advised her of the need to collaborate with your team, and she has agreed. Expect a call in the next twenty-four hours on a meet and greet time. Also, if you have any guys on your team who could pass as a teenager, I suggest you get them up to date as well. Zoey is going to need backup.”
“Okay, gentlemen, if that is all, we have our marching orders,” Senior announced. “If any of you have a problem with the missions as assigned or the merger, please see me in my office. Our primary mission has been to protect and save as many women and children as possible. Now our task is going to include taking down the fuckers who think it’s okay to mess with Shifters.
“These fuckers are exploiting, harming, and killing our people for their personal gain. We have a report of how several wealthy people have ordered up Shifter babies for their own personal enjoyment. We can’t let this happen any longer. We must put a stop to this while remaining focused on helping as many people as we can.”
The men let out a Hoo Rah, showing their support of Senior’s statement. None of them wanted the outside world to know of their existence; they would make these people pay.
“Getting Franklin’s data is essential to taking these fuckers down,” Senior continued. “He was known for being OCD about details. We are hoping that we’ll be able to determine not only test facilities and the location of the children he created, but also identify members of The Pandora Group. Meeting adjourned,” Senior concluded.
Senior walked out of the conference room with others, leaving Ryleigh and Jacks alone. Ryleigh wasn’t really sure how she felt about it. The man had the ability to infuriate her and arouse her at the same time, and she didn’t know if she liked it
Jacks was excited about working with Ryleigh even though he didn’t or couldn’t show it that wouldn’t be cool. Plus, he kind of wanted to make up for being an asshole in the meeting. He waited for the room to clear before he made his move. She went to exit the room, but Jacks placed his hand on her shoulder.
Chapter 18
“Well, baby girl, are you ready to meet my team and talk strategy?” Jacks asked.
Ryleigh wanted to groan. She liked Jacks calling her baby girl like she was his. She really needed to get her emotions under control or this man would walk right over her, and she hadn’t let that happen since she was a little girl.
“We will have to fly out soon if we are going to have any time to come up with a workable plan of action. You are also going to have to show me some physical therapy moves if we are going to make this look good, and I’ll show you some wifely duty moves, so we are more believable in our roles,” Jacks said with that same little sexy smirk.
“No problem, Teddy Bear, we can take my plane anytime you like,” Ryleigh replied facetiously.
Jacks wasn’t expecting such a playful response.
“With your team being in Michigan and Franklin’s residence being in Tennessee, I propose a meet in between, maybe Kentucky or Indiana,” Ryleigh suggested. “Do you think your team can mobilize and secure a facility within the next couple of hours? We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it in.”
“Oh, Sweet cheeks, I don’t think my team will have any problem with that at all. We will meet all of your expectations and then some.”
“Jackson, do you think you could get rid of the silly nicknames? I am your partner, not your plaything,” Ryleigh asked, exasperated.
“Just getting into character, Baby,” the asshole had the nerve to laugh. “You know what they say, practice makes perfect and all that. You might want to come up with a sexy little nickname for me as well since we will be playing the part of a happily married couple. I figure by the way your face turned the shade of a stop sign a couple of times during the meeting, it won’t be that hard.” Jacks nudged Ryleigh with his elbow and gave her a little wink. “Come on, Baby, give it your best shot,” he said playfully.
This back and forth was fun, and for some reason, she really enj
oyed sparring with him. Maybe it was the weird draw she felt toward the guy, but Ryleigh couldn’t let Jacks get the better of her.
“Oh Jackson, I could, but I don’t think it would do our cover any good to call you an asshole or a conceited bastard,” Ryleigh responded. “But I’ll work on it. How about Paddington? I could start as soon as we meet up with your team. What do you think about that sweet little nickname?” Ryleigh thought that she had him, but the jerk couldn’t let her win.
“Oh, come on, Sugar,” Jacks shot back. “As you reminded me earlier, you’re not stupid. Surely you can be more creative than that. We aren’t going to convince anyone we are a couple if you don’t start talking all sweet like and showing me some affection.”
Dang-it, she wondered if she would ever have a normal reaction to this man. She could feel the heat on her face and neck and knew she was glowing again. She didn’t want to admit she liked the idea of showing him some affection, preferably in the bedroom or, dang it, the conference table.
“Come on, give your sexy man a hug,” he challenged, holding his arms open, “and make me believe it, or are you not cut out for the job? You know Shifters can smell emotions and right now you are a little pissed, but I detect something else too. Do I turn you on Ryleigh?”
It sounded more like a declaration rather than a question. The nerve of this guy, he must really think highly of himself to assume that she would be attracted to him. Even though she was so attracted to him, he didn’t need to point it out. That was just rude.
“Remember, this is all for the mission and if you can’t even give me a little hug, how are you going to make the targets believe we’re together?” Jackson accused. “I don’t think that you have what it takes to go undercover for this mission.”
Yep, the man was a total jerk, and at least now Ryleigh could say that the embarrassment from earlier wasn’t the only thing coloring her cheeks. He seemed to know what buttons to push to piss her off.
“Maybe you should assign another operative, or I can get in touch with one the women we frequently hire to play the wife or girlfriend on missions. Most of them are pretty good at their jobs. Getting fully into the role they’re playing, if you know what I mean,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “The PT stuff can’t be too hard to learn,” he said, with a wistful smile on his face.
The bastard was standing here with her and thinking of another woman. Suddenly, it became apparent that she was experiencing the rage of the green-eyed monster, otherwise known as jealousy. This new feeling made her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, and she didn’t like it at all. No man had ever had this effect on her.
What the hell! I don’t get jealous; I don’t even know this man, who he’s been with or if he’s even available. Why the hell was she getting all clingy and jealous? Shoot, he could have a girlfriend, a wife, or even more than one. It wasn’t unheard of in the Shifter community, her Dad had told her that much. What the hell was she thinking? She was not going to break up someone’s relationship just for a mission.
Why did she even need to consider his relationship status? It was merely an essential performance for the mission as opposed to a real relationship, not that she would know how one of those worked. But hell, she felt compelled to put this gorgeous asshole in his place and fast. Ryleigh quickly composed herself and got into character. Time to use some of the lessons that Mia had taught her.
Walking up to him slowly, with the right amount of sway in her hips, she seductively played with the top button of her blouse trying to look as innocent as possible. When she got within a few inches, she popped the button open and started playing with the second button. Watching his reaction, she noticed his breathing had escalated, and his pupils had become larger with the green around them glowing brightly. He tried to keep his cool, but he was not as unaffected as he wanted her to believe.
At least she had his attention, he wasn’t laughing now. Closing the space between the two of them, she ran her hand up his chest until it went over his shoulder, gliding to the back of his head. Pulling him closer, she lightly licked then kissed his neck. Under her hand, she could feel the shiver that ran up his spine. Ryleigh then gently sucked his earlobe into her mouth.
After releasing it, she whispered softly in his ear.
“Sorry, baby. Being so distracted by your raw magnetism, I forgot my place.”
She could feel his generous cock harden where it pushed against her stomach. Lordy, the man had to be huge because his manliness covered all of her stomach. How was he keeping it contained in his pants, she wondered? But she had a job to do, putting this jerk in his place.
“How was that, asshole?” she cooed. “Still, think that we aren’t going to fool anyone?”
Ryleigh quickly stepped away, trying very hard to hide the fact that that little scene affected her as strongly as it had him. She had to maintain the upper hand in this situation. The jerk couldn’t win.
“I don’t know. I think we may be okay, but you’ll have to up your game if you want someone to believe you’re anything but a scared little girl playing a game,” Jacks replied, attempting to save a little face. “Your cheeks give you away every time. If you ever want to learn what a woman should know at your age, just let me know, and I can put you in touch with one of the girls we use for our operations.”
Ryleigh wanted to scream. Jacks was such an ass. She could think of a hundred ways to kill him, but didn’t think any of them would be painful enough for the conceited jerk.
“Oh, just in case you got the wrong idea, partner, my cock gets hard when the wind blows just the right way. Your little act wasn’t anything special.”
What the fuck am I doing? Jacks thought to himself. This woman got him hard in zero point two seconds, and he told her the fucking wind could make him hard. Not only that, but he said she needed more lessons. Fuck, if she were any hotter, I would have come in my pants when she took my ear in her mouth. Why can’t I seem to say the right thing around her?
She appeared to have a knack for pushing all my buttons and challenging me. God, I wonder who she learned that little move from or who she has been doing that to; it was fucking perfect. Holy, Mother, he couldn’t think of this woman with another man, his bear was already surfacing. If the bear had his choice, Ryleigh Quinn would be mated and claimed already. Shit. This was quite the dilemma.
Asshole! Ryleigh screamed in her head. She couldn’t let him know that he was getting to her. Two can play that way; she was playing his game and was going to win it. Declan “Senior” Quinn had not raised her to be second best.
“That’s okay, Jackson. No need for further training by your groupies. Oh wait, you said trained professionals.” She rolled her eyes. “Exactly what are they trained for? Since there are no female members of NAC, I can only have assumed they are paid professionals. Could you name that profession? Escort, prostitute, or maybe stripper; are those the ladies you would like me to train with? You know, it might be interesting, I could even teach them a few things.”
Damn, why was she baiting this man? This week couldn’t move fast enough for her. The sooner that she could get away from this sexy yet infuriating man, the better. Shoot, if he knew her real secret, he would probably scrap the mission quicker than bad beer turns to pee.
“Oh, honey, they’re definitely professional, as well as very well paid. They earn it in ways that your big brain couldn’t even fathom. But I think you’re right, we can play an old married couple. You know, the ones who barely talk or touch,” Jacks snapped. “That should be convincing enough for the old biddy and her crew.”
Ryleigh wasn’t going to let Jacks’ last statement stand. She needed him to acknowledge that she wasn’t the only one having issues with the sparks that seemed to be flying between them, so she decided to hit him where it hurt, his pride.
“If that’s what you want Jackson, I am here to serve, but I am a little confused about something.” Ryleigh inquired. “I’ve never had to pay for a man’s services. What’s it like when
you have to hire a woman? I would think it would be, I don’t know, a little distant, cold even. Do you like distance, Jackson?”
Shit, Jackson decided to not answer that last question and divert Ryleigh’s attention. No way was he going to tell her. Until she walked into the conference room, distance was all he ever wanted from the women he entertained in the bedroom. He fucked them and was out of there as fast as he could get dressed.
“Listen, if we are going to mobilize the team and fly out of here, we better get going,” Jacks suggested. “Do you need to contact your pilot so he can file a flight plan? Getting a departure appointment out of JFK might be a problem. The sooner we get him on it, the better.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Ryleigh responded. “The flight plan has already been filed. I put in a tentative destination of Clarksville, TN. We’re ready to go in a half hour. Better get your boys moving, Jackson, time’s a wasting.”
Chapter 19
The ride to the airport was quiet except for the phone conversations Jacks had with his team. At least she could breathe, Ryleigh thought. The Alpha bear wasn’t putting off any of those vibes, and she felt more like herself since the meeting ended at NAC headquarters. This man was exhausting. She let out a deep breath.
“What was that for?” Jacks asked.
“What do you mean?” Ryleigh responded.
“You sighed and your shoulders relaxed. Why so comfortable all of a sudden?” Jacks interrogated her further.
“You’re imaging things. I’m fine, the same way I have been since we left headquarters,” Ryleigh assured him.
“No, you’re not. What changed?” he demanded.
Jacks was persistent, staring at her, waiting for her to respond. The man wasn’t going to let this drop, Ryleigh knew it, but there was no way she would give him the satisfaction of knowing how he affected her. So, she decided on doing the mature thing.
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 12