Critical Intelligence: 2016 Anniversary Edition (Immortal Ops)

by Mandy M. Roth

  Just like she wanted.

  “Uh, so how’s the weather?” she asked, nudging him slightly.

  Roi couldn’t help but smile. The fact that she didn’t push past him and was actually entering into a conversation with him was amazing, but hearing her make an obvious joke about the awkward tension between them now that they were alone took some of the sting away from being rejected. “It seems to be a little less frigid.”

  Missy gave him a wide-eyed, fake shocked look. “Hmm, considering it’s seventy out, that’s good to know.” She nudged him slightly again. “But I’ll admit that it may have been a bit cold for a while there. Sorry about that.”

  Was she admitting she was being too hard on him?

  His stomach tightened and his cock jumped at the idea that it had even a one-in-a-trillion shot at her. The second her tiny hand touched his thigh, he thought he’d come in his jeans. Thankfully, he didn’t.

  “Can I get out for just a minute?” She glanced downward as she rolled her dark brown eyes. “I promise I won’t run away.”

  Roi stared at her and had to fight the urge to seize hold of her. She was so perfect. So delicate yet strong at the same time. So his.

  Mine?

  Chapter Seven

  Missy stared at Roi as he observed her intently. The urge to kiss him was right there. It would be so easy to give in to it. She’d only end up hurting in the end. Her “job” wasn’t something she could share with others. They’d think she was crazy, for one thing, and if they happened to get past the initial shock of what she did, they’d be deathly afraid of her. Hell, she’d even tried being with a coworker, Eadan, and even that hadn’t worked out. Luckily, she and Eadan remained friends.

  Yeah, finding out your significant other worked for the government as an agent for their paranormal taskforce was a bit hard to swallow. It was hard enough for her to deal with what existed out there, but to expect the man in her life to understand and embrace the idea that she put her life in jeopardy every time she accepted an assignment was too much to ask for.

  Only a handful of people knew what she did for a living and that’s the way it had to stay. The only nice thing about Roi was he did something that required secrecy as well. Only his job didn’t involve lethal immortals doing their best to kill as many humans as possible. At least she didn’t think it did. And Roi, unlike her, had a group of men he considered family at his back. Missy was a solo operative, a Shadow Agent, with PSI. She had a bridge agent, often called a handler, but that was it. Eighty-five percent of the time, she operated alone. Her identity and her job were kept from the majority of the paranormal task force at her father’s wishes. He felt it kept her safer. If any agent turned rogue, then they wouldn’t be able to finger her.

  When Roi had tossed her over his shoulder and shoved her into a van with Melanie two weeks prior, she’d had to decide if she’d fight back or not. Something deep in her gut told her Roi wouldn’t hurt her and that it wasn’t worth risking Peren’s and Melanie’s lives by revealing that side of herself. The people she worked for didn’t like it when humans knew about what went on behind the scenes. Though a few things about the incident were still bothering her. Namely, Melanie’s claim that Lance had begun to morph into something that wasn’t human while he came in her. That’s the reason Missy had decided to do a bit of digging about Lukian and his men.

  “What do you need to get by me for?” Roi asked in a voice so low and so deep that she had to fight the urge to close her eyes as it wrapped around her.

  Missy glanced toward the table where the two men who gave her the creeps had been. Their sudden disappearance at the same time Melanie and Peren decided to head up to Melanie’s place wasn’t sitting well with her. “I’d like to grab a drink. For some reason I think being stuck in a booth with you requires liquor.” Smiling slightly, she let her dimples show.

  “Promise not to run?”

  She nodded. It wasn’t a lie. Well, it would be if the guys were up to no good and tried to get away.

  Roi leaned into her and their faces almost touched. “What would you like, sugar?”

  The tone of his voice told her he was playing with her, trying to get a rise out of her by calling her pet names. No part of her would be baited by him.

  “Mmm, baby, I’d like a stiff,” she paused a moment and couldn’t help but grin as Roi shifted in the booth, “one planted firmly,” it took everything in her not to laugh, “in my hand.”

  Roi looked as though he’d been punched in the gut. His stomach drew in enough for her to notice. He clutched the table tightly as he stared at her with questioning eyes. “Uh, er, okay. I can give you that …umm, I mean get you that.”

  Turning, he went to slide out of the booth. Missy put her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, waiting for him to catch on that she hadn’t told him what type of drink she wanted.

  Roi stood and took a few steps towards the bar before stopping and facing her. “You said that to mess with my head, didn’t you?”

  Shrugging, she gave him a “who me” look. “I’d like a vodka and cranberry juice please.”

  “Your wish is my command,” he said, pausing and glancing at the table. “Done with the beer for the night?”

  “You can have it,” she replied.

  He lifted his hands. “Nope. Water only for me tonight. I’ll grab your drink. Stay put, okay?”

  “Will do.” She waited for him to walk away. The second he was almost to the bar, Missy shot off the seat and went in the direction of the back exit.

  Eadan?

  She waited for Eadan to answer her mental callback. They’d had the ability to communicate this way since she’d known him, but it had become much more powerful after her accident—or what everyone in the know had taken to calling an accident. It was odd that she could communicate mentally with Eadan but not his sister Melanie. She guessed it had something to do with the Daly family keeping Melanie in the dark on what she really was—Fae.

  What’s up?

  The sound of his voice made her smile. I had two men in my sights who felt like they were up to no good. One’s a short “wish it was still the seventies” kind of guy. He has…

  Say no more, Missy-bean. I know who you’re talking about. He’s palling around with a tall sandy-blond-haired guy who has on one hell of a thick gold chain?

  Eadan nailed the description and Missy found herself laughing slightly as she responded, Yes. I lost a visual on them and I’m not sure if they left or not. Melanie and Peren went up to Mel’s and those two guys disappeared. Too coincidental for my taste.

  Missy waited to hear Eadan’s opinion on the matter.

  I’m not sensing any threats in the building. And I can sense Peren and Melanie above us. They’re fine. Relax and enjoy yourself. I’ll be there in a minute.

  Chapter Eight

  Missy sat at the booth tapping her foot nervously on the floor as she waited for Roi to get back with their drinks. Or rather, her vodka and cranberry juice and his water. It was odd that the man came to a bar and drank water, but it wasn’t her place to comment.

  Craning her neck to see what was taking Roi so long, Missy’s jaw dropped when she saw him standing on the other side of the dance floor with his lips firmly locked on some busty redhead. The woman moved her head back and forth and tongue was clearly visible as she pulled back from Roi.

  It was just as she suspected. Roi was a womanizer and that wasn’t what she wanted or needed in her life. Why she’d even bothered to open up to him one iota was beyond her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t called it right. He was totally a pig’s asshole. That was even being too kind. He was worse. The fact it bothered her to the degree it did was unnerving.

  Roi twisted his body, holding their drinks in the air and walking backward, away from the woman on the dance floor. The busty woman followed him, reaching for him as he went. It was clear to see he was laughing and even grinding a bit against her as she continued to yank on his shirt, pulling him back to her. Missy
saw red and had to sit and remind herself that she had no right to be jealous.

  You have lost your mind! You’re friggin’ pissed over Playboy Roi.

  “Pour Some Sugar on Me” came on next and Missy turned, knowing that Eadan, Melanie’s brother and her ex, would be coming for her. It was their special thing. He liked to pretend to be DJ and play songs that they’d laughed or danced to while growing up together. This song in particular held special meaning for them.

  Eadan broke through the growing crowd and smiled brightly at her. He ran a hand through his long, silky blond hair and spun in a small circle with his arms out, showing off his faded jeans and white T-shirt. She rolled her eyes, laughing slightly.

  “Nice outfit. Glad to see you’re going out of your way to impress the ladies,” she said, some of the sting of seeing Roi with the other woman fading away.

  Eadan laughed. “Hey, I don’t need to impress anybody. I’m sexy enough as it is.”

  The man had a point. At six-foot-three, with a head of long hair, sinewy frame, and chiseled good looks, he seemed like a runway model, not a guy who hung out at his parents’ bar. He’d always seemed to ooze sex, a lot like Melanie did.

  Must be in the genes.

  He thrust his hand out to her. “Wanna dance?”

  “Only if you promise to beat the sleazebags away with a stick. Mr. Gold Chains kept trying to get me out there earlier and you were nowhere to be found. No, instead you kept feeding into his hand by turning into the disco king. Thanks a lot for the music choices there.”

  Eadan took hold of her hand and pulled her to him. “You know you wanted him. He may be the complete opposite of what you find sexy, but some piece of you had to respect the courage it took him to wear that outfit in public.”

  Missy laughed as they made their way through the crowd and stopped once they’d reached the center of the dance floor. Eadan immediately assumed his position behind her and tugged her hips back toward him. Missy tossed her hand up and over her shoulder, placing it on his neck, while he slid his hands around her waist. They moved together, dipping down, grinding against one another.

  Eadan caressed her stomach tenderly. “Mmm, I can’t listen to this and not think about when…you know.”

  Missy smiled as she moved against him. “When you took my virginity?”

  Eadan pressed his body to hers and chuckled. “Yep. That’d be what comes to mind. I never planned on it happening. I was so mad at you for disobeying a direct order and—”

  “I ignored you, went to my hotel room, and slammed the door in your face. I thought I could keep you and your lecture away by playing eighties music. You accepted the challenge, used your ‘gifts,’ and barged in on me while I was undressing. The look on your face was priceless.”

  Eadan groaned. “You would have to bring that up. Want to make fun of me for starting before the fun began?”

  “I think you mean finishing, sweetie.” Missy bit back a laugh.

  “I think you’re right.”

  Their simulated sexual dance had them lost in a world all their own. A man approached. Eadan pulled her closer to him, pressing his erection against her lower back. It didn’t shock her, but for once, it didn’t end with her twisting in his arms before agreeing to “handle” his problem. No, this time, her attention went to the other side of the bar, where she’d last seen Roi and his redhead. She spotted the redhead but couldn’t find Roi.

  Good, maybe the asshole left.

  “Mmm, Miss, you need to stop with the hip thing or…just stop please,” Eadan said, sounding as though he were in pain.

  She pushed her hips back at him more, twisting ever so slightly, rubbing him just right. He moaned and ran his hands up her stomach, tickling her as he went.

  Chapter Nine

  Roi stared at the empty booth and felt his heart sinking. Missy had left him and gone up to Melanie’s place. Setting the drinks down on the table, he glanced up to see the crazy redhead from the bar staring at him. He’d just spent the last five minutes fighting her off him. The Roi of two weeks ago would have used her for release and left her. No, now he’d suddenly grown a moral compass, and its name was Melissa. She had also clearly given up on him. In her eyes, he was a lost cause—Playboy Roi.

  The worst part of it all was how very accurate she was and how proud of that he’d once been. He loved women and they loved him. It wasn’t like he could help it. The ultimate irony was having the one woman he wanted snub him over and over again. Now he had to track Missy down and abduct her again, all in an effort to keep her safe. That was sure to help their nonexistent relationship.

  Roi’s wolf senses kicked in and he caught her scent. Hope surged through him. Maybe she hadn’t left him after all. He heard it then, over the sound of the music—Missy’s low, sultry laugh. It made his cock, which seemed to be suffering from redheaded crazy woman slumber, wake up fast. The Melissa homing device that had once been his dick knew which way to look for her.

  What he saw next made the beast within him attempt to surge to the surface. His nostrils flared and his body burned for the change. The need to shift and let the wolf within out was so bad that he had to bite down hard in an attempt to draw attention off it. Narrowing his gaze on Missy, he watched as she rubbed her tiny body against some tall guy who at first glance could be mistaken for a girl. His long, straight, white-blond hair and baby face were about as polar opposite to him as Missy could pick.

  If that’s the type of man she wants then I’m out of the running. Not that I even got a number to participate in the race.

  The man ran his hands up Missy’s stomach and came to a stop under her breasts. She didn’t seem to notice or mind, as she moved her hand over his and held it, rocking with him. They moved like they knew each other’s bodies well. Too well. Another stab of jealousy went through him.

  She’s fucked him. More than once.

  The very idea of Missy being intimate with anyone other than him set Roi into a rage. Blinded by his fury, he stormed across the dance floor. The closer he got to them, the stronger the scent of Missy’s arousal became. He had yet to have Missy respond to him like that. She never seemed to take to him sexually.

  I’ll rip his fucking head off! No one touches her! She’s mine!

  Surprised by his claim on her again, he slowed slightly. The song changed to something with a slower rhythm. Blondie ran his hands up and over Missy’s breasts. The beast within Roi clashed with the man. Each was as enraged as the other. Neither could figure out who would win the honor of killing the prick. Somehow, Roi managed to remain in control. He tapped the blond pretty boy’s shoulder and was surprised at how muscular the guy was, not that it mattered. He’d still tear him limb from limb.

  “May I cut in?” Roi asked, his voice raspy, his words short. The wolf was too near the surface to do much else.

  “Sorry, buddy, she’s not interested.”

  Missy glanced up and smiled. “Hey, Roi.”

  “What? You know this one? Hmm, I just assumed he was another one of the endless stream that seems to think they’re your dream guy,” the blond said with a snide grin.

  Roi really wanted to cut the man’s head off his shoulders and kick it across the bar. He held back, for the moment. Though pretty boy head-kicking was sounding better and better as the seconds ticked on.

  Missy shrugged and kept pushing her tight little body against the pretty boy. “I sort of know him.”

  Sort of? She sort of knows me? What the…?

  He gave the man an ice-cold stare. The man just smiled, locking his blue-gray gaze on Roi. There was something different about him. He didn’t smell like a shifter or a vamp, yet he didn’t smell human either.

  “Come on, Missy.” Roi reached for her, but the pretty boy grabbed his arm. He sneered as he glanced down at the man’s hand. He’d eat it as a fucking snack if the dick wasn’t careful. “I strongly suggest you remove your hand from me, unless you’re willing to lose it.”

  “Roi!” Missy gasped, put
ting her hand over the pretty boy’s. “Eadan, it’s okay. I’m fine. I swear. Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  This is the famous Eadan?

  “I’m not leaving you with him.” Eadan narrowed his gaze and squeezed Roi’s arm with the strength of a supernatural. That amount of force would have sent a human screaming and to the emergency room. It didn’t faze Roi.

  Roi glanced down at his arm and smirked. “I’m warning you, boy. One…”

  “Who the hell are you calling boy?” demanded Eadan.

  Roi snorted. “You’re what? All of twenty? Get the hell out of here, boy! You aren’t even old enough to drink.”

  “I’m thirty, asshole.”

  That caught Roi by surprise. Eadan didn’t look that old; then again, Roi didn’t look his real age either. “Come, Melissa.”

  “She’s not your lap dog.”

  Roi snarled, but Eadan didn’t back down. The man was either very brave or very stupid.

  Missy forced herself between them, pried them apart, and pointed at Eadan. “It’s fine, Eadan, sweetie…really.”

  Eadan sweetie?

  Blondie shook his head. “It’s not fine. Can I talk to you in private?”

  Much to Roi’s chagrin, Missy nodded. He didn’t move. Missy did. She pulled Eadan toward the edge of the dance floor, about ten feet from Roi, and began to whisper. His ultrasensitive hearing picked up on her voice instantly.

  “Would you like to tell me what’s going on? You never act like this,” Missy said, sounding hurt and angry.

  Eadan snorted. “Melissa, he bothers me. I don’t know. He’s different from the—damn it, I can’t explain it.”

  Missy snorted. “Pfft, why? What’s the matter with Roi, aside from the fact he’s an ass most of the time? I’m positive that he’s harmless, er, at least harmless when in reference to me.”