Ride with the SEAL: Norse Security Book One

by North, Leslie

  “Fuck you,” she said, looking like she was going to hurl the plate back at him. “Stop telling me what to do.”

  “Stop acting like a spoiled brat and maybe I will.” He grinned then turned at the sound of another car pulling into the gas station lot. Instead of stopping at the pumps, the old black sedan pulled up to the front of the pizza joint and cut the engine. Cam stayed close to the building’s wall and squinted down at his watch. Three-fifteen a.m. Not exactly the prime time for a snack.

  Warmth pressed against his back and he realized Everly was right behind him now. Her breath stirred the tiny hairs on the nape of his neck and Cam suppressed a shiver of unexpected delight. That spot had always been a pleasure zone for him. He shook off the inappropriate feelings and scowled as two men got out of the sedan and walked up to the pizza shop’s door. They looked like rejects from a Blue’s Brothers movie—all black suits and ties and menacing attitudes. Hardly part of the local farming community prevalent in this rural part of Virginia. “Looks like we got company.”

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Everly said over his shoulder.

  He gave her a flat stare and she had the decency to look ashamed.

  “Sorry.” She gave a slight shrug. “Sarcasm’s my go-to when I get stressed.”

  “No?” Cam did his best to look and sound aghast, dishing it right back to her.

  She grinned and he felt the tight knot of tension in his gut uncoil slightly. They were stuck together right now, for better or worse. Might as well make the best of a difficult situation.

  “You recognize either one of them?” he asked, pressing back against the wall to allow her to sidle past him. She stayed close, her soft curves sliding against him again and conjuring the same zings of awareness as before. His blood pumped loud in his ears, drowning out the roar of crickets and everything but the woman who stood so close he could smell her flowery shampoo.

  Everly leaned around the corner a bit more to see inside the shop’s front windows then turned back quickly, knocking into him. Cam put a hand on her hip to keep his balance. The heat of her skin tingled against his fingertips. “I think they saw me.”

  “What?” Cam frowned. “Nah. It’s pitch black out here and we’re in the shadows. I doubt—”

  The sound of the bells jingling on the front doors warned of approaching danger.

  “Shit.” Cam inched back along the side wall of the building, tugging Everly along with him, until his rear hit the dumpster in the corner. Nowhere else to go and he’d be damned if he’d leave the Aeon here unprotected anyway. He’d worked too fucking hard to get it, to get this solo mission, and he wasn’t about to fail now. “Did you recognize either of those goons?”

  “No,” Everly whispered from the shadows. “But then again, all the soldiers start to look alike after a while.”

  It took Cam a minute to realize she wasn’t talking about military soldiers like him. She was talking about the low-ranking guys in the mafia. The Aeon was a bit too far away to make a dash for it now, judging by the sound of the footsteps headed in their direction. What they needed was a distraction then, something to throw the guys off the scent of the car and keep them from finding it. On impulse, he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it around Everly, then took her hand. “I’ve got an idea, but I need you to trust me.”

  She was silent for a moment, so long he feared she’d tell him to fuck off again. Then she sighed. “Fine. Whatever it is, make it quick. They’re almost here.”

  That was all the encouragement Cam needed. Before Everly could say another word, he had her in his arms and kissed her for all he was worth. At first, she struggled against him, but then she relaxed slightly, her lips softening beneath his. He took advantage and swept his tongue along her lush lower lip, discovering at last the answer to a question that had plagued him since high school—what did Everly Knight taste like? Sugar and spice and everything naughty, that was what. There was a hint of pineapple and garlic in there too from their pizza. It all mixed together to form a combustible cocktail of pure awesome.

  Still, Cam did his best to keep a modicum of control. After all, he was only kissing her to create a distraction, or at least that’s what he was telling himself. Peeking one eye open, he picked Everly up and her arms went around his neck and her legs around his waist. Moaning loud, he stumbled down the sidewalk with her and around the corner, running smack into the two goons in the funeral suits.

  Keeping one hand on the back of Everly’s head to press her face into his neck just in case these guys had recognized her, Cam gave them his best astonished stare. “Oh, shit. Sorry guys. Guess we got a little carried away.”

  The two men stood like a solid wall of black doom. They exchanged a look then tried to peer around Cam to the area where the Aeon was parked in the darkness.

  “C’mon, baby,” Everly groaned, her hot breath scorching the side of his neck and making his damned cock twitch to life. She ground herself against him in blatant invitation, her fingers twining into the hair at the back of his neck. Cam’s knees shook before he steeled himself. This was all for show, not real. Not at all. No matter how it felt at present. “I wanna fuck you all night long.”

  Cam gave the two goons an embarrassed grin. “Women.”

  Goon number one nudged goon two and their stiff posture relaxed slightly. Without a word, they backed away slowly. The door to the shop opened and out came the pregnant waitress with a pizza box in her hand.

  “Order ready,” she said, handing it to the two guys.

  Okay, so maybe the goons really had come for food. Cam glanced at their sedan again. It was old and rusted and hardly government-issue. Not what he’d expect a bunch of mafia guys to ride around in either. The two men handed the waitress a fifty then continued to back toward their car. And it was entirely possible the waitress had been on the phone because she was taking their order. It all fit. Maybe too well. That knot of tension that had loosened when he’d kissed Everly now pulled tighter again.

  He didn’t breathe again until they’d pulled out of the parking lot. She squirmed out of his arms and handed him back his jacket.

  “What the hell was that all about?” She stared as the sedan’s red tail lights faded into the night. “Who were those guys?”

  “No idea.” Cam took his jacket from her and licked his lips, still tasting Everly there. Distracted, he rushed back to the Aeon and entered the passcode before starting the engine. Everly climbed into the passenger seat, her expression concerned. “But we need to get out of here.”

  “Where are we going to go?” Everly huddled into her corner of the seat, looking as confused as Cam felt. “Can’t go back to the shop.”

  “Nope.” Cam flicked on the headlights then pulled out of the gas station. “You’ll see.”

  4

  They pulled up in the driveway of the nondescript white bungalow on a quiet side street just outside Fredericksburg. Everly had been snoozing in the passenger seat for the past hour and Cam was careful as he shut off the engine not to wake her.

  He undid his seat belt, then got out, gun drawn. Norse Security had purchased this property a few years back as a safe house to use when needed for missions. Technically, Cam didn’t have permission to be here now. This would only strain his already tight budget for this case too, what with utilities and food he’d have to pay for, but dammit, he needed a quiet place to think.

  So far, all his best laid plans on this mission had gone to shit. Then there was that ill-advised kiss with Everly in the gas station parking lot. He was glad she’d fallen asleep on the way here. Saved him from having to deal with a bunch of questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. Things like why he’d deepened the kiss when a simple meeting of lips would’ve done. Or why his cock got hard as granite each time she touched him. It was all damned inconvenient. And confusing. And bewilderingly hot.

  Cam walked the perimeter of the small home, checking for anything out of the ordinary, then jumped the chain link fence in the back and scanned
the yard before fishing out the extra key they always kept stored under a rotted board at the corner of the small utility shed. He let himself in the back door then performed a quick check of all the rooms in the house, turning on a few lights as he went. The sun was starting to come up and the neighbors would be up soon. He wanted to make sure he and Everly were inside and the Aeon was well-hidden in the small garage before then. No sense drawing any more unwanted attention at this point.

  Once he’d confirmed everything was all clear, he went outside again, through the front door this time, and walked around to Everly’s side of the vehicle. She was awake now, staring at him through the windshield. He gestured for her to come out and she opened her door hesitantly, looking around at the quiet blue-collar neighborhood like it was an alien planet or something.

  “Where are we?” she asked, her voice still husky from sleep.

  He felt that gruff tone all the way to his toes. Cam shook off the erotic images filling his head—of them hot and heavy against the wall, Everly grinding against him as he drove hard into her, urging them both toward completion—and looked away. “Just outside Fredericksburg. This is a house owned by my security company. We’ll be safe here for now. Why don’t you go inside while I pull the car into the garage in the back?”

  She crossed her arms and gave him a sour stare. “Right. So you can take off with the Aeon and ditch me here? I think not.”

  Too exhausted to argue anymore, Cam acquiesced. “Fine. Then make yourself useful. Open the garage door while I get the car started again.”

  “Or you could open it while I drive the car,” she offered, her smile sticky sweet.

  “Yeah. Nice try. I’m not giving you the passcode.” Cam tapped his fingers on the hood of the car. “Garage door. Now.”

  Everly grumbled under her breath while she did as he asked, standing off to the side near the fence after pulling up the overhead door. Cam got the Aeon into the garage with only a minor snafu when a rake fell on it. He winced slightly, hoping it wouldn’t leave a mark, but fearing it probably would, then cut the engine and climbed out. Once the car was secure, he closed and locked the overhead door then led Everly inside the house, just as the neighbors were starting to stir.

  Everly looked around the place, her expression unreadable. “Not as bad as I expected.”

  “Hey, it’s no Ritz-Carlton, but it’s clean and well-stocked.” He opened the fridge to show her bottled water and beer. Then he pointed to several boxes of power bars on the counter. “You thirsty? Or hungry?”

  “No.” She rubbed her arms. “What I’d love right now is a shower.”

  Cam showed her where the bathroom and guest bedroom were, then left her to it. The last thing he needed was to stand around, thinking about her naked and wet. He double-checked that all the doors and windows were secure, then settled at the kitchen table with a bottle of ale and his cell phone. Time to check in with the guys.

  His boss, Kevin “Loki” Low, answered on the second ring. The guy was a former SEAL himself and still kept those crazy pre-dawn hours. “Norse Security.”

  “Hey, Lok. It’s me.”

  “Where the fuck are you?” Loki demanded, sounding none too pleased. “You were supposed to be back here at headquarters an hour ago.”

  Wincing, Cam took a swig of his ale before continuing. “Things went… awry.”

  “Awry?” Loki’s tone was less than forgiving. “Shit. I knew better than to send my tech guy out on a mission like this. Is the car still in one piece?”

  “Yes. The Aeon’s fine.”

  “Then what’s wrong? Why aren’t you here?”

  “Well, I kind of got involved with someone.”

  “Involved?” Cam could just picture Loki’s raised brow and narrowed gaze. “How?”

  “There was someone there when I got to the garage to grab the Aeon. Knight’s daughter, Everly.”

  A string of curses that made even a well-seasoned guy like Cam blush issued through the phone line. Loki finally exhaled slow then said, “Where are you now?”

  “At the safe house, in Fredericksburg. Everly’s here too.”

  “What?”

  “Look, she helped me, okay?” Cam scrubbed a hand over the top of his buzz-cut hair. “She’s really good with cars and engines and stuff. I used to know her in high school. She might come in handy on this mission.”

  “No.” Loki bit the word out, harsh as acid. “If you need tactical support, I’ll send Hunter.”

  “I don’t need Hunter and I can handle this on my own. You never would’ve gotten the Aeon out of that garage without the passcode, which I was able to hack, remember? So, quit giving me shit. I’m the right guy for this mission, I swear. I just need to make sure I can trust Everly.”

  “I’m not sure you can.” Good old Loki. Always the voice of reason. “Is she hot?”

  Cam wrinkled his nose. “Hot?”

  “Yeah. You said you knew her in high school. She in your spank bank or what?”

  “Fuck.” Cam rubbed his hand over his face. This was not the conversation he wanted to have at this moment. Not with Everly on the other side of the wall in the shower and not after that steamy kiss they’d shared that had left him with a raging hard-on and enough fantasies to last for a good, long time. He couldn’t tell the truth to Loki. Not without seriously embarrassing himself. “No.”

  A silent beat followed, then Loki said, “Well, whatever. You watch yourself. And her. I never trusted a woman as a wildcard and I’m not about to start now. This mission’s too important. Get some sleep tonight and call me again in the morning. Let me know when to expect you.”

  The line went dead and Cam stared up at the ceiling, wondering when the fuck his life had gotten so complicated. An annoying buzzing sound kept issuing from somewhere in the house and Cam pushed to his feet to investigate. He found the culprit in the guest room, amidst the pile of clothes Everly had discarded to take her shower. Her phone was halfway sticking out of the pocket of her faded jeans, the screen lit up with a text.

  After a quick glance to make sure the bathroom door was still closed across the hall, he picked it up and read the message. No specific person listed as the sender—just Knight’s Garage. Which most likely meant the mob who’d taken over her dad’s place. Apparently, Everly had forty-eight hours to get the Aeon back to them or she wouldn’t be paid.

  Cam considered this as he put her phone back. Honestly, he shouldn’t care less whether she got her money or not. He was here to complete his own mission and prove his point to the guys that he could handle things solo. But as he headed out of the bedroom and back toward the kitchen, that damned message niggled in his brain. What money? Why did she need it? Was she in some sort of trouble? He didn’t know a huge amount about underworld chop shops, but he’d guess that since the Aeon was rare, parts wouldn’t be all that plentiful, or lucrative. So why else would they want the car? Could the mob be after the same valuable technology that he and the federal government were? And if so, why had they picked Everly to steal it for them? She was a lot of things—smart, industrious, distractingly gorgeous—but definitely not a computer whiz. Not like him, anyway. She worked with her hands, was good at it too. He couldn’t change a tire without a manual.

  Which made this whole situation even more confusing than it already was.

  He needed to find out what Everly needed the money for, the sooner the better. If she was in trouble, then he’d deal with it. They might be complete opposites, working on different sides of this mess, but he’d known her back in high school—and yeah, maybe Loki hadn’t been entirely off the mark in the naughty fantasy department. Anyway, if Everly needed help, he was probably the only person at the moment who could give it.

  With a sigh, he slumped back down into his chair at the table and lifted his bottle to take a good long swig. Just then the bathroom door opened and steam billowed out, followed by a half-naked Everly wrapped in a towel. She looked fresh and clean and…and…

  Fuck it all to h
ell and back.

  This was not good. Not good at all.

  Cam clunked the bottle back down on the table, managing to keep his mouth shut and not gape at her, but just barely. Based on the way his senses rioted every time she was around, he was in far more danger here than she would ever be.

  “You finished in there?” he asked, not making eye contact as he sidled by her, eager for a cold shower to dampen his unwanted arousal. “My turn then.”

  5

  While Cam took his shower, Everly dressed in her same old clothes then wandered into the kitchen to have a bottled water and a powerbar. There was a TV in the living room, and Wi-Fi too, based on the strong signal she got when she checked her emails on her phone.

  Feeling restless, Everly took her stuff into the living room and flopped down on the sofa, remote in hand. There was nothing on this early in the morning except farm reports and the local news. With reporters droning on in the background, Everly pulled up the text on her phone again.

  Forty-eight hours. Shit.

  What she should be doing was going outside and trying to rig up that device Cam had to steal the passcode for the Aeon and drive the hell out of here. She had no reason to stick around and every incentive to go—the money from this job would be more than enough to get her out from under her dad’s shop and the mafia’s thumb and get her established in a place of her own.

  She’d dreamed of owning her own body and repair place since she’d rebuilt her first engine at the age of twelve. It was a dream come true. It was her calling, the only thing she’d ever been really good at. It was the sole thing keeping her going right now.

  Maybe not the sole thing…

  She bit her lips and caught a lingering trace of Cam still there—salty sweetness from the pizza they’d shared, a hint of spice too, and endless yearning desire. Truth be told, she’d always kind of found him cute in high school, in a hot nerd sort of way. He’d reminded her a bit of Clark Kent in his pre-superhero days, all awkward moves and buttoned-up perfectionism. Seeing him now, minus the glasses and pocket protector, all corded muscle and simmering strength—well, Camden Thursday had grown into a fine-looking stud. She was sure the military had helped, but there was something else about him. A quiet reserve, a steadfast commitment to doing what was right, that seemed to draw her in like a moth to a flame.