by Julia Bright
The stress of the last few days had been tugging at his senses. He needed this relief. Her fingers toyed with the back of his shirt before she pulled it up then her hands were plastered on his chest, driving him wild. He could drown in her sweetness.
He rocked against her, the sensation delicious. He let out a moan as his cock twitched. Everything was going just right when his phone rang. He desperately wanted to ignore it and did until the person hung up and called back immediately.
Angel put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back. “Just answer, I'm going to prepare the food.”
He huffed out a breath and grabbed his phone and answered right before it rolled to voicemail.
“Whitney here.”
“Hey, it's Jackson.”
Adam's heart lurched, and a headache began to develop at the base of his skull. Jackson had been there that day. He'd been injured and shipped back to the States. Jackson also was the unlucky member who'd caught Jenkins leg when the bomb had gone off.
“Hey, buddy, what's up?” Adam asked.
“I heard through the vine that that bastard who ordered the strike against us, the one that killed Jenkins, was killed.”
Panic flared for a second. How could the info already be floating through the community? Then he remembered Jackson's dad was connected.
“Which one?” He asked, hoping his question sounded normal. He didn't need anyone thinking he had something to do with the hit on Zaeim.
“The Desert Snake. He's dead, killed in a restaurant in Algeria. Word on the street is that it was local, but that's not the vibe I'm getting from Daddy-O.”
He prayed his voice stayed even. The last thing he needed was Jackson telling his dad he knew anything at all about the hit. “Wow. I had no idea.”
“He's dead now,” Jackson said.
“He is. Deserved to die, I guess.” What was he saying? He couldn't think straight. Jackson knew, and he said his dad didn't believe it had been a local actor. Shit, they would pay if the government found out it was two citizens who murdered a guy overseas, even if that guy was a terrorist.
“Yeah, he deserved it. Deserved any pain that came his way. I sure as hell hope he knew what was happening before he died.”
“War sucks,” Adam said.
He heard Jackson doing something on his end then Adam's phone dinged.
“There, you should have the article. So do you know anything about how it happened? Dad is being cagey. I don't like how he's acting at all.”
Why had Jackson asked that question? Fuck, did Jackson's dad think he'd done this? “How what happened?” He rolled his eyes, hoping he sounded convincing enough. Adam met Kel's panicked gaze.
“The guy is dead. That had to be an inside hit, but from everyone I'm talking to, they don't know how it went down. I overheard Dad, he seems to think one of our agencies went after him.”
He froze as his body clenched. Hell, how bad would this turn? “I've got no clue. But if I hear something, I'll call you.”
“Same here. I want to know who did it. I need to shake their hands.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” Adam said.
“So,” Jackson said, his voice stretching out over the one word. “Where are you now? I'm in Houston for a few weeks. I think my best option is to move back home with my parents. It's tough right now. I hate the idea of moving to Virginia, but I don't know what else to do. I kind of want to stay out of the way, live somewhere quiet.”
“I'm in Wyoming.” Adam was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that the government might think someone from the US had done this job.
“Last I heard you were in California. Too much crap on the coasts, both coasts.”
He nodded, hoping Jackson's dad dropped his hunt for the party responsible for Zaeim's death. The man deserved to die, but Adam didn't want to pay for his actions.
“I like it here. This place is peaceful, kind of quiet,” Adam said.
“You ever find that woman who twisted you up so tight you couldn't stand it?”
He wanted to groan, but he kept it to himself. One night after leaving Wyoming, he'd run into Chris Baker, a guy they'd both served with. He'd gotten smashed and told Chris about Kelsey. He regretted saying anything. He usually didn't let the guys find out about his women.
“No, not yet.”
“Well, if you do, I hope you can keep hold of her for a while.”
“Thanks.”
“Gotta go. I'll tell you if I hear anything,” Jackson said. “Just thought you would want to know.”
“Thanks, and stay strong, bud.”
“Same to you.”
The call ended, and his mind swirled with worry. He stared at his phone for a long moment, wondering how much Kelsey got from his end of the conversation. She wasn't stupid, in fact, she might be the smartest person he'd ever met.
“So people you know are calling to ask about Zaeim?”
He nodded then met her gaze, guilt filling him. “I won't ever let it slip.”
“What if someone puts two and two together?”
“How do you mean?” he asked.
She sighed and threw up her hands. “What if they figure out you were in Algiers at the same time that Zaeim died?”
He shrugged. “No clue.”
“This sucks. We should have gotten fake ID's.”
“It's almost impossible to fake a passport. Could you do it?” he asked.
“There has to be a way.”
She moved to the table and took a seat. The intimate moment had been dashed, and now there was only tension. He sighed and sat next to her.
“So before you make any plans to drop those accounts, do you think we could talk about this whole thing, like in a few weeks?” he asked.
The nod was almost imperceptible. “I guess so.”
“We'll be quiet. Is there any way they can track you back to here based on your computer use?”
She shook her head, looking miserable. The food was done, and the steaks helped him even out. They were both brooding though. Before the call, they'd been ready to hop into bed, now he didn't think she'd be willing. He wanted to ask what was on her mind, but he didn't dare. She'd lost so much, and then she'd taken revenge. There had to be a lot swirling through her thoughts.
After they both finished eating, he reached over and took her hand. “I'm headed home. I'll come out tomorrow if that's okay.”
“Sure.”
“Thank you for dinner.”
“No problem. I have plenty of food.”
He stood, and she stayed put, her eyes glassy. Maybe he should stay. She didn't look right. No way would he leave her like this.
“Hey, Angel, you okay?”
She shook her head then whipped it around to stare at him. “I'm fine, just tire. I'm going to bed and plan on sleeping for a few days.”
He nodded, the lack of an invitation to join her was loud and clear. “Um, call when you wake up.”
She sighed and smiled, but he doubted she would call.
“Get some sleep.” He walked out and headed to his truck. Driving away was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
He'd told his security job he'd be gone for two weeks, so he had a few days to do nothing. He headed to bed, afraid he'd never see Kelsey again. The woman affected his soul, leaving him desperate for more and she had no clue how tempting of a treasure she was.
13
Everything felt hollow after Adam left. He was her anchor in the storm that hit after they'd found the asshole who had destroyed her family. The empty rooms of Gramps house reminded her of other times. One room brought back memories of an October trip where Gramps set up a haunted room for them, then the time Richard had found a snake in the yard and wanted to help it. Turns out it was venomous. Luckily, the thing didn't bite him. Then there was the Christmas they'd been snowed in. The times they'd gone snowmobiling, swimming in the pond, riding horses. She remembered it all, every single trip here where she'd grown and developed into the woman she was now. The mem
ories played through her mind. Sadness filled her with grief so thick it was hard to breathe.
Her dad had sacrificed so much. Gramps had sacrificed for them too. They'd had a wonderful life growing up, and now it was all gone.
The absolute pain of her loss twisted her up. She dropped to the floor and leaned against the door jamb as she cried. The tears were for everyone she'd lost. So much tragedy, so many people died because of stupidity.
After she had no more tears to cry, she headed to bed and slept late. Being so far from home had messed up her sleep schedule. Not that it was that great before, but now exhaustion pulled at her. Maybe this was her body getting reset. Too much stress had hit her hard.
Once up, she grabbed a coffee then headed outside to sit on the porch. The two men she hired from town were loading their trucks with hay. She ambled over, wondering if life would ever go back to normal.
“Ms. Brantley, it's good to see you. I didn't think you'd be back,” James said.
Her lips turned up in what she hoped was a smile. She was still out of it from the trip and her activities in Algiers.
“How are the cattle?”
“Good. I think we need to switch pastures next month.”
She nodded, thinking she would need to look into it. “Sounds good. We'll figure out a date.”
The crunch of gravel made her turn. She didn't recognize the truck at first, then she realized it was Adam. Her heart squeezed. He didn't need to come out here again, but she was glad he did.
Mitch looked from her to the truck then back to her. “You know him?”
“I do.”
“Oh.” Mitch’s brows were bunched, his lips pinched.
Did she detect jealousy or anger from Mitch? His voice had been flat, and now he had a weird look on his face. What was it about men who thought they had a claim on her just because they knew her? Maybe she was reading it wrong, but he had no right to be disappointed.
Adam cut the engine and got out of his truck. He waved and headed her way, his steps sure.
“Good morning, Angel.”
Her cheeks heated, and she wanted to tell him again not to call her that. She heard Mitch snort but ignored him. She wouldn't place herself in the middle of some pissing contest between two jerks.
“Did you sleep last night?”
“Sure did,” Adam said. “My head hit the pillow, and I don't think I moved. How About You?”
“I slept.”
Adam nodded then turned to look at the trucks loaded with hay. “Do you need any help on the ranch today?”
“James and Mitch have it covered for today,” she said.
Adam nodded. “How about we go into the kitchen and talk?”
“Sure.”
She waved to James and Mitch before she headed in, followed closely by Adam. They'd been through a lot together. Maybe she should tell him to walk away, but she liked him. It was crazy. Perhaps it was the intense time they'd shared that made her feel close to him.
They'd spent the night together on the ferries, and then in the hotel. They'd been together, her asleep, and he hadn't tried anything. He hadn't touched her when she'd been her most vulnerable.
“You heard anything else?” Adam said after he shut the door.
“No.” She took a few steps then turned. “I haven't looked. I didn't...” She blew out a breath, trying not to think about how lost she'd been last night.
Adam stepped closer, his heat hitting her straight in the chest. Maybe he felt it too, but she didn't have time to hook up again with another local. Her gaze flicked to his lips, and she remembered how hot those had been. She didn't want an ex floating around and have to chance running into him when she went to the market or drove into Cheyenne for dinner. Ex's were messy. They caused memories to keep coming back even when you were over the relationship.
“How about we go look together? Actually, I'd like to learn some stuff, you know, what to do, how to set up my own little command-and-control center.”
She chuckled and turned, heading into the kitchen. “Let me find something to eat and then sure, we can talk.”
He helped her by chopping vegetables for omelets and then poured up coffee for both of them.
“How about let's eat in the computer room, and we can begin our search.”
He chuckled and shook his head. She narrowed her gaze and stared at him. “What?”
“I think we should call it the command center. I mean, that is what it is. You do command and control in that room.”
“I don't think I'm in control of anything.”
He set the food on the table and turned to face her. “Listen, what we did, how we did it, it was amazing. It's not every day you get to take down a terrorist like Zaeim.”
Dark emotions filled her. On the one hand, she was glad the bastard was dead, but it didn't bring her brother or her father back. And when she sat down to search on her computer, she knew there would be more men out there just waiting to destroy someone's life.
“I'm conflicted,” she said.
Adam slid into his chair and grabbed his plate. He took a bite and chewed. His brows bunching before he swallowed then pointed his fork at her.
“I can see that. It's not what you trained for. I spent years in the army knowing I'd end up killing someone. The Army trained me for this. There's a tradeoff to taking someone's life. Yes, that Zaeim guy was a real person, but he thought nothing of taking lives every single day. Maybe he didn't kill them with his own hands, but he bought the supplies, paid for the bombs, recruited, fed, and took care of the men and women who blew up your brother and father. Don't think this guy is innocent. He's not like you or even like me. I killed him, and I've killed others, but he wasn't killing people to make the world a better place, no, he existed to terrorize.”
“So you don't feel guilty?”
“No. There isn't even one ounce of guilt. That man placed one of these stars on my chest.”
The memories of that night they'd spent together hit her hard. He'd pointed to the star at the top, telling her it was Jenkins' star. At the time, she hadn't understood, now she did. She wanted to ask him about the other stars and find out who they were for, but it didn't seem appropriate when she was trying to distance herself from him instead of hopping into the sack because being with him felt right.
“So, Angel, why don't you show me what to do.”
She couldn’t deny him the satisfaction of ending another reign of terror. Helping him was only logical after he laid it out the way he had.
They spent the next few hours going through accounts, pages, and chat forums. They lurked in the darkest corners of the web, hidden from most of the world. She showed him how to access information, how they talked, and what codewords meant what. He helped her with words the software wouldn't translate.
There was a knock on the back door, interrupting their session. Kelsey stood just as Adam got up. Her shoulder brushed against his chest, sending sparks through her. She jumped back, awareness flooding her.
“Sorry,” Adam said.
She glanced up, noticing his cheeks were a little darker. She didn't have time to dwell because there was a harder knock.
“Coming,” she called out, but then said under her breath where she thought no one could hear. “Jesus, just give me a freaking minute.”
Adam laughed behind her as he followed her down the hall to the kitchen. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything about the knocking which wouldn’t stop. She got that the house was big, but she was moving as fast as she could.
James and Mitch were on the porch, both of them shuffling from one foot to the other when she opened the door. She squelched her agitation and pasted on a smile. “How did today go?”
“Good. Listen, we were wondering—” Mitch cut off his words as Adam moved behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
For a second, she thought about brushing it off, but she didn't like the attitude both men were throwing off. Mitch's lips turned down in a more severe frown as
his nose curled up like he'd smelled something bad.
“You were saying?” Kelsey prompted.
“You need to get your fences fixed,” Mitch spit out the words, his gaze shooting to Mitch.
She clenched her fists, squeezing them tight. She didn't like how the man was looking at Adam. This was her house, and she could have who she wanted over.
“Tell me where and then I'll buy the supplies for the work.”
“We can do that,” James said.
“How about you tell me where the fence needs to be fixed and I'll call in the order. When it's ready, you can pick it up and begin the work.” The hair on the back of her neck rose but settled when Adam squeezed her shoulder and moved closer.
“Or I could pick it up,” Adam offered.
She thought Mitch was going to spit on her porch. Instead, he gave his head a short shake and stepped down to the grass.
“No need for that, Ms. Brantley,” Mitch called out over his shoulder.
James followed Mitch off the porch and out to their truck. She watched as they took off a little too fast.
“What the hell was wrong with them? I swear, they've been acting weird today, well, since you showed up. It's weird. They've never acted that way before.” She shrugged off Adam's hand and headed into the kitchen. “Oh crap, it's almost three. We didn't break for lunch.”
“How about I go into town and buy steaks, then we can grill for dinner?”
“No need for that. I have a freezer full of food. Let me pull two out and defrost them.”
“How deep is this freezer of steaks you have?” Adam asked.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “My grandfather has a deal with the butcher. I didn't realize how much meat they would deliver when the guy asked if I wanted the same deal a few months ago. I have more beef than I can eat before it goes bad.”
“Well, if you don't mind, I'd love a good steak. The ones last night were amazing.”
She nodded and opened a small door. He followed her down to a basement that held a freezer, some other equipment, canned food, and a wall with what looked to be pull out bunk beds.
“Beds?” Adam asked.
“My grandfather was sure the commies would destroy the world when he was young. He built this room to survive a nuclear bomb.”