“So, what do you think about Major Gaines?” Quinn asked curiously. He had to admit, he’d never thought about this side of his kid sister. She was simply a sibling who joined the military.
“Major Gaines is tough, incredibly smart, and a genius at strategy. We’re fortunate to have her on the team. I’ve never seen someone so calculating, cunning, and dangerous before in my life. I wish I had her skill.”
“But she’s a woman. Maybe she should be home barefoot and pregnant?” Quinn added.
The older man behind the desk laughed. When he leaned back in his chair, he looked every day his fifty-eight years. “If she heard you say that, she’d boot your ass across the compound. I trust Major Gaines, and you should too.”
“We do,” he admitted. “Maura is my baby sister.”
The man stared at him. “Yes, that was an interesting strategy. I see it runs in the family.”
Quinn shrugged. “I guess it does.”
“She’s got her hands full. How much do you know about Bravo Ghost?” he asked.
“Nothing case specific, but we are aware of her job and what the team does. How could we investigate if we weren’t privy to it?” Nate asked.
“Well, she heads up our lead team. We do have a second in case backup is needed. It’s run by Captain Bethany Harris.”
This was interesting.
“Two women at the helm of dangerous jobs?” Nate asked, trying to gauge the man.
“You’d be surprised, Director. If you want someone who is sneaky, tricky, and will slip under the radar, pick a woman for the job. In my experience, what they lack in brute strength, they make up for in brains.”
It was obvious that the man wasn’t a chauvinist.
“Do they do the same thing?” Quinn asked.
He pondered the question.
“Without being too specific,” Callie added.
“They’re the second line of defense. Her team is more into recovery, if you know what I mean. I know that Captain Harris wants to have a more active role with Alpha Phantom, but as of now, she backs Major Gaines up.”
“Are they competitive?”
He started laughing. “I run a base full of Marines. They are the most strong willed, competitive group of people I know. Alpha Phantom would love the jobs that Bravo Ghost handles. You could say that if you wanted to be elite, sign up for Bravo. Unfortunately, not everyone can do what they do. There was rigorous testing.”
“What kind?” Quinn asked.
“That’s classified, but I will say that more people break than pass. If you can’t handle pain, don’t sign up to be on Bravo Ghost.”
Quinton Gaines was seeing his sister in a whole new light. Frankly, it scared him shitless.
“I’d tell you more, but too many people in on the secrets usually means a leak.”
They understood that.
“Are the team members aware of each other?”
He shook his head. “No, in fact, Captain Harris’s team lives on base, while your sister’s team doesn’t. They aren’t aware of what the other group is doing. Missions are silent, and the only people who are privy are myself, my staff, and the two heads of the team.”
Interesting.
Now, they had a place to start. Competitive Marines could mean a jealousy issue. If this had nothing to do with Oracle, and that was the impression they were getting, then there had to be a starting point.
“We’re going to need to talk to Captain Harris,” Quinn said, making notes.
“You’ll have full access to anyone you need. All I’m asking, is that you keep two things quiet.”
They all waited until he continued.
“No one hears about Oracle, and you don’t tell anyone you interview that you’re investigating Bravo Ghost. You can mention that you’re working on their suspicious deaths, but no one can know about the existence of either team. We’ve covered our tracks in the paperwork. Maura is tagged as a drill sergeant and Bethany as a clerk.”
They understood.
Just then, the man’s phone rang. “I’m sorry, but I have to grab this. Give me a second.”
Once he answered, there were a few terse ‘uh huhs’ and a couple questions. When he hung up, he stared over at them. “It appears that Major Gaines was spot on as always. That was a call from the local authorities.”
“And?” asked Nate.
“There’s been a fire, and the town ME has a body.”
“Who?” Quinn asked.
“It was another member of Maura’s team. Captain Brick Brighton’s house burned to the ground. They found a body upstairs in the shower. We don’t have full confirmation yet, but the ME has requested dentals.”
It was both reassuring and frightening that Maura Gaines had been right all along.
“This is a mess,” the colonel stated.
Nate wasn’t going to let the ME touch that body. “Sir, I’m going to ask you for a huge favor.”
He stared at him. “Yes?”
“I want that body examined by our FBI medical examiner. The last four were a travesty. If we’re to find this killer, I need to make sure it’s done right from here on out.”
He thought about it. “Can you get clearance from Director Blackhawk?”
Nate nodded. “I know him well. He and his partner would insist. He’ll want it done this way.”
The man stood. “Well, then we’re going to take a little field trip. I’ll make sure my captain, if those are his remains, is transferred. Make your call, Director Carter. I’ll handle the rest.”
Nate pulled out his phone.
It was show time.
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
The Cabin
It had been one hell of a night.
Luke wasn’t quite sure what time it was, but he was pretty sure that he had experienced the most amazing evening of his entire existence. After returning to the cabin, he and Maura rolled around again in bed. They’d made love into the night, and even found themselves back in each other’s arms before dawn.
It wasn’t intentional.
Luke was exhausted, but when she rolled into his body, waking him, Luke didn't have any choice. It was a matter of his lower anatomy taking over, acting as his brain.
Now, he was paying for it.
As he lay there spent, he could hear her moving around in the other room. How she had any energy was beyond him. She just may be super Marine after all.
If her stamina in bed meant anything, Luke wouldn’t bet against her.
Sitting up, he could see his reflection in the mirror across the room, and not only was he disheveled, but he was grinning like an idiot.
Yeah, it was a damn good night.
He couldn't help but be smug as hell.
Swinging his legs out of bed, he grabbed his boxers off the floor. He really wanted to go out and see what she was doing. Not only was there noise, but he could swear he smelled food cooking.
How was that possible?
Luke had planned on heading out to fish, except he had slept in. He was pretty sure that she couldn’t get into the locked shed behind the cabin to get the gear.
Then again, maybe a ghost could pick a lock.
Opening the door, he silently leaned against the doorframe to watch her work. Maura was moving around the small kitchen, cooking for them.
It heated his body. This was something he could get used to seeing all the time. Better yet, he didn't mind getting up first to cook for her, if he could get her to stay in his bed.
There was only one condition. It would have to be for the rest of their lives.
Maybe it was silly or impetuous to assume that they could end up together, but he didn't care. After last night, all Luke knew was that he needed to do anything to keep Maura in his life. If she wanted him to pop the question right there and then, he would.
That was how sure he was.
In fact, he was going to start dropping hints to get her to warm up to the idea. When this was over, there was no
way he was going to let her walk away.
He simply couldn’t.
Already, his heart was gone.
Luke wanted to savor the moment. Watching her, he noticed that she was wearing his shirt and that her hair was wet. He was definitely confused, but enjoying how the shirt clung to her body. It showed off the curve of breast at her side, each and every time it stuck to her wet flesh.
Yeah, that was the hottest thing ever.
She must have sensed him standing there because she glanced up. “Hey, Lucas! Are you hungry?” she asked. It was hard not to leer, since he was standing in the doorway in nothing more than a pair of plaid boxers.
And she knew what lie beneath.
Maura forced herself to breathe through the wave of heat. What she wanted to do was run at him, jump up, and wrap her legs around his waist. After last night, she couldn’t help herself.
It was the best sex she’d ever had. There’d been plenty of sweaty romps, but what they had was chemistry. It had exploded around them, sucking them both into the heated pleasure.
It was beyond hot.
“Yeah, I actually am. What are you cooking? It smells like heaven.” Well, not really. Since getting accustomed to her hair, that was his first choice. “In fact, your hair is wet. Did you go swimming?”
He approached and looked down into the cast iron pan.
“No, I didn't go swimming, I went noodling.”
He stared at her like she was talking a foreign language.
“Let me guess, you didn't grow up in the south?” she asked. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen that look before when she told her Marines what that was.
When he shook his head, Maura continued, “Well, when we were kids, my daddy taught us to catch fish with our bare hands.”
Luke’s mouth hung open. “Seriously?”
“Yep. Yesterday, before you assaulted me at the watering hole, I was underwater scoping out the bottom. During the day, the big fish go into holes down there, and I found a few decent locations.”
Now he was staring at her like she was crazy.
Yep, she’d seen that look before too. What she wanted to tell him was that in her life, noodling was the least insane, gross thing she’d had to do.
A fish could take off a finger. Her other missions could kill you. There was no comparison.
“You stuck your hand in a hole, blind in the water, to seek out a fish? That’s crazy shit, Major.”
She started laughing. “I've been in scarier places. What’s the worst that could be in there?”
Luke shook his head. “You’re one hell of a date. I used to get excited when a woman would share her popcorn with me in the movies. This is so much wilder.”
Plating up the fish, she grinned at him. “Well, I said I liked an adventure. That should have been your first clue.” Leading him to the little table, he stared at what she’d prepared.
“You also went and got berries. I think I may still be asleep at this point.”
She took a seat. “Why are you so shocked?”
He didn't have words. “Is that coffee?”
“Yes, why?”
Now, he was pretty sure he was in love. “Where did it come from?”
“My pack. It’s instant, but it’ll do. I don’t like to give up too many luxuries. Food and coffee are the two that I’ll keep as much as possible.”
He took a sip and sighed.
“So, what do I get now that I cooked you food and made you coffee?” she teased.
“A marriage proposal,” he stated, studying her reaction. Oh, she was good at being stony, but he was far better at reading people like that.
Maura stared at him. If she hadn’t been well-trained, she would have fallen over.
Luke didn't bat an eyelash. That was the first time he’d bring it up. Now, it was time to switch it up and distract her. “This fish is amazing. Here, I’ve been using worms to catch my dinner. Anymore, I’m bringing you along. Then, I can use a sexy Marine as bait.”
That made her laugh, breaking the ice that was closing in on her heart. “Okay, chew your food, Lucas. There’s plenty of fish in the stream,” she reassured.
He couldn’t help it. “I need to build up my reserve. Apparently, the woman I sleep with has worn me down.”
Yeah, she did, and Maura was proud of that.
It had been a long time since she had sex, and the natural release of endorphins made her feel high as a kite. This was just proof. She was a danger junkie.
There was nothing more lethal in this world than the man before her. He could take her to her knees. Now, she only hoped he didn't figure that out.
“I’ll catch you another fish for lunch, but you get to clean it. Why should I do all the work?” Maura teased.
He pointed at her shirt. “Uh, you’re wearing my clothes, so I did actually have some hand in this.”
Maura found him funny. “How about you tell me about yourself?” she inquired. “Generally, I like to know more about the men I sleep with, preferably beforehand. I’ll have to make an exception in this case.”
He wanted to tell her that he was going to be the only one she was sleeping with from this point out. Luke was kicking into territorial, and there was no heading back.
Swallowing his fish, he put his fork down. “Well, I’m an only child. My parents both died a few years ago. My mother had cancer, and it wiped her out pretty fast. My father was an avid runner, and one day, he was hit by a car. Since then, I’ve been all alone,” he admitted.
It was obvious that he was in pain over that. Maura could hear it in his voice. “Yeah, that’s bullshit. I’ve seen you with Nate and Callie. You’re one of them. You’re definitely not alone in life, Lucas. You have more family than you realize.”
He was glad too. They were all he had left in life.
Well, until Maura. Now, she’d be his all.
If he could convince her to stay.
“They adopted me. I always tell everyone that the best day of my life was when I was paired up with Nate to be his partner. I never thought I’d get a sister in the mix, too, but I lucked out.”
“Was there ever anything between you and Callie?” she asked, despite it making her stomach tighten. She’d always wondered, since that one day in the hospital. Luke didn't leave her bedside, clinging to her hand for dear life.
“I asked her to marry me all the time. She was waiting for Quinn to roll into her life.” Luke was blatantly honest, only because he didn't want to start what he was trying to build with lies. If she wanted all his secrets, Maura would get them. “For a while, I hoped, but now, I know that fate had a plan for her.”
Yeah, and him.
“I see. Do you ask women to marry you a lot?” Why that pissed her off, she couldn’t figure out. It wasn’t like she owned the man before her.
“I only bring it up when I feel something here,” he said, touching his heart. “Marriage is sacred to me.”
She stared at him, knowing that he’d just hinted at it to her. If that wasn’t a clear indicator, nothing was. “I see.”
He hoped that she did because he planned on asking her one day too. Luke already saw that in their cards.
He was going to marry Maura.
Whether she liked it or not.
It was just going to be a really hard fight.
“You had a house full of kids, right?” he asked, sipping his coffee. “That had to be interesting. I know as a kid I always wondered what it would be like to have a built-in playmate. One who had no choice but to watch your back.”
She snorted, despite the telling tone of his voice. “Oh, it was something, all right. I have one sister and four brothers. What we had was pandemonium, especially since my sister and I were the babies. Try growing up with all those overbearing men trying to boss you around. When we wore my daddy out, they took over. You’d think the day Meg and I were born they’d taken an oath to make our lives hell.”
“Which one was worse?”
Oh, that was eas
y.
“Quinton was the biggest pain in my ass all through childhood. All his life, he’s been bossy, stubborn, and tough. He filled the role easily. When my mom passed away, dad was overwhelmed. The boys stepped in and took over. We had five mothers.”
“I bet dating was fun.”
That made her laugh. “I could tell you stories that would give you nightmares. Once, I went out with this really nice guy. For one reason or another, he thought another girl was cuter than I was.”
He didn't understand that. Apparently, the man was blind and an idiot.
“Well, he broke my heart. I came home from school crying.”
“Uh oh.”
She nodded. “He should have known better. My brothers tracked him down at the drive-in with the girl. One lured the babe away, the other four stripped him naked and shoved him in his trunk. At the end of the night, he was embarrassed to be found with no clothes.”
Luke laughed. “That had to suck.”
She grinned. “For him, yeah. For me, not so much.”
He loved when she smiled. Maura made his heart skip in his chest. In his lap, his fingers itched to touch her cheek. Just a simple stroke of flesh, and he craved it more than the air he was breathing.
“There were times that didn't work in my favor. Once word got out that Maura and Meg had a posse of big brothers, the boys hid. There were few brave enough to go there.”
Luke was glad. That gave him a better shot with her. He’d face down Quinn to get the girl.
“You can tell that you were raised by men. Look at your career. It says a lot about a person.”
She didn't disagree.
“What would you have been if you weren’t a Marine?” he asked, finishing his berries. It was possibly the best meal he’d ever had in his entire life.
“A soldier in the Army?”
He laughed. “Yep, that proves my point.”
“Well, what about you? What would you have been?” she asked curiously. The man before her was an enigma. While in life he was cool, calm, and collected, in bed he was a storm of emotions that nearly took Maura to her knees.
It was sexy as hell.
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