Facing Fire

by HelenKay Dimon

  Well, that was exactly the sucky few minutes Sutton had expected. She’d stayed quiet through most of it because, well, talking didn’t seem to help when it came to dealing with Josiah. And because the others seemed to be fighting the fight for her. Not a sensation she was accustomed to, but she didn’t hate having the support.

  She did hate the smile on Mike’s face. Too much of that would piss her off. “For the record, I am not interested in doing anything other than shooting Josiah.”

  Ellery nodded. “I can understand that.”

  Harlan pulled out a chair and sat down. “We’re moving her back to the farmhouse tomorrow.”

  “Why?” That wasn’t close to what she wanted. There she’d be isolated. At least here she could wander around on two floors, watch the monitors, and talk with a few people.

  Josiah’s scowl suggested he didn’t like the relocation idea either. “No one told me.”

  “You were too busy running around about the tablet and for the last few minutes making an ass of yourself,” Harlan said without missing a beat. “My point is someone needs to go with Mike and protect her. Right now I’m thinking it should be me.”

  Josiah butted before Harlan finished his sentence. “She doesn’t go anywhere without me.”

  The room went still. Ellery peeked at him over the back of the laptop. Even Mike froze in place. Looked pretty entertained as well.

  Lucas was the first to talk. “I wonder how she’ll feel about that.”

  Sutton started to answer but Josiah held up a hand to stop her. “She doesn’t get a say.”

  The man deserved that kick she’d been aching to give him. “You’re right. You don’t know anything about women.”

  A few hours later Josiah grew tired of the staring. He sat next to Ellery and studied the footage from the school and the pieces they had from other jobs tied to Benton. He looked for anything that could aid the operation or point to Benton’s newest hiding place.

  Every time he looked up one of them was staring at him. Usually Ellery, sometimes Mike. Harlan even walked in twice and grunted at him. The only blessing was that Tasha had been locked in a secure room talking with other intelligence officials about the bombing and how to stop the next one.

  The upstairs remained quiet. He’d sent Lucas up there twice to make sure Sutton hadn’t somehow gotten out. Not that she could. But she’d refused to stay down here. Refused to answers questions about her investigation. Begged off when Harlan started digging and going over old ground again. Normally they would have pushed but Josiah decided to give her a few minutes of space. But not many. Too much time and she’d hone her anger at him into a finely pointed weapon.

  Fuck that.

  Josiah stood up. They all openly watched him now, so he didn’t try to slip out. They wanted an announcement, fine. “I’m going upstairs.”

  Lucas nodded before returning to the pile of papers spread out in front of him. “About time.”

  “You’re a bit slow but it’s good to see you finally moving,” Mike said.

  That was about the reception Josiah expected. “Thanks for the support.”

  Truth was he didn’t exactly relish this confrontation. He’d accused her and she’d been looking into him. Really, looking at the news about the bombing, then tracing that back to his family. If she were Benton’s close associate she’d know all the information already. Maybe Ellery was right and the search was about Sutton checking on the guy she kissed. Sounded like something a smart woman would do.

  He couldn’t figure out how to kick his own ass, so he walked the steps and got to the door. This time he knocked. She didn’t say anything until he opened the door.

  “Get out.” She never lifted her head or took her attention from the file in her hands.

  He took a second to study her. She sat on the bed with her back balanced against the pillow and far wall. She wore dark jeans that hugged her curves. With her knees up and her bare feet flat on the bed, she looked relaxed. He sensed that was an illusion.

  Ignoring her command, he came into the room and closed the door behind him. Kept going until he stood at the end of her bed. “You don’t get a say.”

  “I will scream every time you come in here.” She lowered the file to rest on her knees. The one Ellery made for her, outlining some of missions they could trace back to Benton. “How about that?”

  “Mature.”

  “You should talk.” She snorted and performed the perfect eye roll at the same time. “It’s like being with the ten-year-old boy on the playground who pulls your hair to get attention.”

  “I have no idea what that means.” But he was pretty sure it wasn’t a compliment.

  “Of course you don’t.” She stretched out her legs. “Do not even think about sitting down.”

  After that he had no choice but to try. He gently shifted her feet, keeping a handle on her ankles, as he sat down. “We need to—”

  She pulled her legs in and tucked them underneath her. “I want to talk with Tasha.”

  “Why?”

  “Or that Harlan guy.”

  This was going even worse than Josiah feared. “About what?”

  “I will answer questions about my investigation. To them, not you.” She stared at him without blinking. “In case you’re not clear, I’m done with you.”

  The flatness of her voice tore at him. He rubbed a hand over his face. “Okay . . . fuck.”

  He had no idea what to say. His thoughts jumbled in his head. He wanted to trust her but felt better not doing so. He wanted to kiss her but knew he’d regret it. She had him spinning in circles and losing control. He despised the sensation.

  “I get that you hate that we kissed.” She picked up the file and dropped it on the floor.

  Talk about misreading the situation. He tried to stare some sense into her. “Wrong.”

  “It won’t happen again, but—”

  “It sure as hell will.” He grabbed on to her ankle and pulled her down the bed.

  The move flopped her onto her back as she slid across the comforter. When he had her where he wanted her, he let go. Looming over her, he balanced his weight on his elbow. Then he kissed her, going in slow, giving her time to push him away. He expected the rejection but it never came. When his mouth hovered over hers, she held on to his shoulders and tugged him in closer.

  This kiss exploded like the first. Rocked through him, leaving him ready for more. His hand slipped up and under her shirt. His palm rested on her flat stomach as his heartbeat shot into danger territory. He could feel her fingers clench and unclench against his shirt. He ached to rip it off and savor the friction of skin against skin.

  Forget the people downstairs and every stupid misstep. Ignore the lingering doubts and concerns about his loyalties. He wanted her with a white-hot need that left him feeling ripped apart and raw.

  He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue over hers. The touch sent a shot of electricity spinning around them. The tension filling the room had nothing to do with fighting. It wove around them as their hands traveled and their lips roamed.

  Desperate to taste her, he slid his mouth down her neck, breathing in her scent and licking her soft skin. Every part of her came alive under his hands and tongue. His erection pushed against the front of his jeans and his common sense evaporated. He wanted her with every ounce of strength inside him.

  A soft sound filled the room. She sighed as her hand slipped through his hair. She lifted his head, slightly but enough for him to see into her eyes. “Are you familiar with the concept of mixed messages?”

  The spell snapped but he couldn’t get angry. It would take a while for his body to cool down, but he got it. His timing, as usual with her, sucked.

  He dropped his head to her shoulder and placed a row of tiny kisses there. “I’ve been told I can be an asshole.”

  “Understatement.” Tough talk, but the way her lips skimmed over his forehead said her anger had disappeared, or at least decreased enough for him not to get pu
nched.

  He lifted up on his elbow again and stared down at her. His fingertips brushed over her cheek and across her forehead. Just touching her soothed some of the frustration boiling inside him from this assignment. “I guess I deserve that.”

  “I like kissing you and want more, but I was serious. I am done.”

  They sure as hell didn’t feel done. “You said that already.”

  One hand fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. The other wandered over his face to the back of his neck. “I thought repetition might help.”

  All of that touching made him crave more. He slid his thigh between hers. Didn’t try to hide his erection or his need for her. “You or me?”

  “Both.”

  He didn’t want to ask, but . . . “Okay, done with what exactly?”

  “The suspicions.” She lifted her head and moved up higher on the pillows until their faces were on the same level. “If you accuse me again, we really are done. No kissing. No anything.”

  The words, strong and bold, cut through him. “I have a job to do.”

  But that’s not the part he’d miss, and that’s what scared the crap out of him. The idea of not following through with this and seeing where this charged attraction could go hit him like a punch.

  She nodded and her hair spread across the pillow. “So do I.”

  “But you won’t say exactly what. You dance around the facts. That needs to end. The work I do can be harsh and, frankly, pretty shitty sometimes.” He couldn’t deny it and didn’t want her to think he’d turn into some smooth-talking Prince Charming. Those days were long behind him. He could turn it on for a job, but he didn’t want to fake it with her.

  “And dangerous.”

  “Always but that doesn’t bother me.” That came with the work and he accepted it from day one. “But it doesn’t stop the fact I want to strip these clothes off you, wrap your legs around my waist, and fuck you until neither of us can speak.”

  She treated him to a sexy anytime smile. “That’s subtle.”

  “I’m not subtle and I’m not all that nice.”

  She brushed her fingertips over his bottom lip. “You can be.”

  Something about her caught his blood on fire. He looked down at her and saw a beautiful, intelligent, determined woman who didn’t cower at the sight of his gun or shout of his anger. She deserved better, but he couldn’t let her go. “My duty is to this team.”

  “And if I get in the way I’m expendable?” When he didn’t answer she frowned. “Then I guess I know where we stand.”

  “I wish it were that simple, but I can’t keep you out of my head.” Nothing about his feelings for her, his attraction to her, what he wanted to do with her, was simple. Anything but.

  “You make things hard.” She took his hand and put it on her chest, right between her breasts, and slid her fingers through his.

  His brain misfired. “Probably.”

  “Here.” She turned on her side and when she did, she took him with her. His front pressed against her back and his face nuzzled her hair.

  “What are we doing?” Other than slowly torturing him, he wasn’t sure.

  She wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and held him there. “Resting.”

  She had to be kidding. She had to feel his erection and what she did to him.

  “I doubt I’ll be able to sleep much in this position.” He was already sweating. Thinking about something awful would come next if he had any shot at chivalry here.

  “I’m still ticked off at you,” she mumbled into the pillow.

  “Oh.” That admission tamped down on some of his excitement. “Will lying like this make it better?” He couldn’t quite bring himself to say “cuddling” but he hoped she understood his point.

  “Yes.” She scooted back until nothing separated their bodies but a few pieces of flimsy clothing.

  “Make you willing to open up and talk about why you’re in Paris?”

  “You can stop acting like I’ve been hiding information from you for months.” She sighed in that way women did when they couldn’t believe they had to spell out a point. “We’ve known each other less than three days and I’ve trusted you enough to share pieces of my life with you for the last five hours of that time.”

  “All true.”

  “But yes. I’ll tell you.”

  He sensed this was a test, and damn it, he would pass it. Even if it killed him. “Then we’ll stay here as long as you want.”

  14

  THE BELL would not stop ringing. Sutton shifted and a heavy arm tightened around her. The memories came floating back. The fight . . . the making up. Josiah didn’t exactly apologize but she assumed the cuddling was his way of trying.

  With a sigh she settled back against him, then it hit her. He was awake and alert. Muscles stretched taut and glancing at his watch.

  By the time the bell wound up again Sutton knew something terrible was happening. “I thought we were safe here.”

  Pulling an arm out from under her head, he shimmied to the end of the bed. Stopped only to glare at her. “Stay here.”

  Wrong. She was going with the guy with the gun, and he’d better hand one over. She wanted to know what had him snapping into operative mode and be prepared for whatever was about to hit. “What is it?”

  He shook his head as he grabbed the knob and slowly opened the door an inch. He squinted as he looked out. “I’m not sure.”

  He opened the door wider and stepped into the short hallway. He didn’t admit they’d somehow landed right back in trouble but she heard it in his curt tone. His mind was somewhere else. Planning and coming up with strategies to solve whatever problems faced them now.

  “If you’re looking like that I’m not staying up here alone.” Despite the moodiness and constant change in position, she trusted him.

  “Maybe.”

  “You don’t have a choice this time.” She dropped her voice to a whisper because it felt right. The floor had taken on an eerie quiet. None of the sounds of the ground floor seeped through, and that had her insides jumping and twitching.

  He stared at her for an extra second before nodding. He looked at a space on the floor. “Shoes.”

  “Right.” She didn’t bother to untie the sneakers. Just slipped them on and then jammed her heel inside as she walked.

  He held up a finger in front of her face. “You stick right to me and follow everything I say. Got it?”

  “Yes.” So long as her legs worked, they’d be fine.

  As they moved toward the stairwell, then down the steps, she tried to force her mind to focus. They’d only been up there for a few hours. That put the time somewhere late at night. Her stomach picked that moment to growl and remind her she’d skipped dinner.

  Despite Josiah’s size, his feet didn’t make any sound when they fell on the concrete. Those lean muscles flexed beneath his shirt and he took sure steps. She tried to control the anxiety welling inside her. All of her training clicked together in her head. She’d feel better with a gun of her own. Until she had one, she’d depend on her other skills. Kicking, screaming, biting.

  At the ground floor door, Josiah repeated the exercise with the door. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him because he threw it open and walked out into the large area.

  “What the hell is going on?” he asked.

  Sutton glanced around the room. The space buzzed with activity. They were all there, all on alert. Images filled every screen. They kept moving and shifting and passing papers and looking at notes. All but Mike. He stood so close to one of the screens he almost brushed against it.

  “Mike?” she called out.

  He glanced around with eyes glazed with worry. His gaze fell on Josiah. “It’s Drew.”

  Josiah put his gun back in its holster. “Fuck.”

  She didn’t know who that was or what was happening. Tasha called out a series of clear orders. Every time she stopped talking Sutton would hear a click, then static. She guessed she was seeing an op
eration in real time. Something to do with Drew, whoever that was.

  “Okay.” Josiah went up to stand next to Mike. “Who do we have there?”

  Mike didn’t break eye contact with the screen. “Most of Bravo team.”

  That explained where this was happening. Likely somewhere in the U.S. Sutton had heard enough and deciphered the information enough to figure out the Alliance was made up of two teams—Bravo and Delta. Josiah ran Delta. A guy named Ford ran Bravo. The men were spread out but Ford stayed back in the U.S. That meant Ford and his men, all except Lucas, were rushing in to help this Drew.

  This office had enough going on with the limited personnel on hand. The constant clicking from Ellery’s typing on the keyboard played in the background. Lucas wrote notes and Tasha would nod, then relay some new command. The feed stayed dark but Sutton could make out shadows and movements. They all seemed to recognize what was happening. She wanted them to fill her in but dared not ask.

  She moved up closer to Ellery’s desk. Stood right behind her, hoping to pick up some bit of information.

  “The chatter stopped.” Tasha made that comment and Lucas winced.

  Mike shifted and touched his head, then put a hand on his lower back. He was alive with anxiety. It pounded off him and covered the room like a suffocating blanket.

  Sutton didn’t see bombs or Benton or anything she recognized from the last horrible video. This scene looked more like the one at the school. Only this time she stayed inside and warm while other people ran around. She feared that meant the gunfire would soon start.

  “Is that a house?” She didn’t mean to ask the question out loud. No one really listened anyway. They all concentrated on the screens.

  Harlan moved in beside her. “Alarms went off at Mike’s place.”

  “Is Drew his brother?”

  Harlan stared at Mike’s back for a second. “Boyfriend.”

  Sutton’s heart turned over. A new and very personal target. Someone for Benton to hurt while he really attacked Mike. “Oh God.”

  “Our people are moving in.” Harlan dropped his voice low and managed to keep it even despite the steady beat of activity. “It’s just a race to see if we can get to him first.”