by Nana Malone
Except, they're not treating you like a teammate.
It sucked being uncertain.
Just as we hit the edge of the tree line, I turned and saw the standard uniforms of Victus. I breathed a sigh of relief.
My guys weren’t shooting at us. Those weren’t our uniforms. And this time, I felt zero guilt when I aimed my gun higher. I hit my target square in the chest.
Marcus turned, saw my hit, and nodded. “Nice shot.”
“Well, it’s easier to shoot someone when you know they're not yours.”
I went to grab his gun in case any of his little friends came for him too. And then I heard it on the walkie-talkie Marcus had picked up.
“Someone give me a confirmation on Lyra Wilkinson. She's the target. Out.”
I froze, sure that I couldn't have heard that right. Sure that it was a mistake. How the hell was I in the target package?
Marcus wouldn't let me stop though, dragging me with him as if I’d never slowed down. “You don't have time for this.”
But I’d already heard it. Someone was coming for me. Whoever they were, they wanted me dead. And I had no idea why.
Unless…
Tyler.
He’d told them I was here.
* * *
Marcus
Lyra had been quiet since returning to the safe house. There wasn’t much I could say to make her feel better. There was no agony aunt advice for situations like this. As expected, my team had been waiting with a ride out of there, but they delivered bad news too.
Someone had beaten us to the weapon. Rhodes said there had been a short and nasty firefight, so our little mission was not exactly a rousing success.
And watching Lyra in bits was killing me. Someone was most certainly trying to kill her. The question was if it was someone from her own team.
Not that I gave a rat’s arse about her feelings.
Liar. You love her.
I had told myself that I didn't want anyone else after Simone, that I couldn't love anyone else after her. But that was a lie, obviously, because I had fallen for Lyra. Even though I didn't want to. She was supposed to be fun as opposed to being a distraction. As opposed to blowing my cover.
But still, I'd ended up falling for her in the kind of way that filled me with fear that someone was coming after her. The kind of way that made me distracted because I wanted to kill them. It had taken over the mission directive in my brain.
Annihilate anyone who wanted to cause her pain.
By the time she made it out of the bath and came out with a tightly cinched robe, she looked slightly less shell-shocked. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“You know, your team, getting us out of there. I’m sorry I hesitated. I don't know what happened.”
“You just found out that someone is deliberately trying to kill you.”
“Not someone. Tyler.”
Just hearing the guy's name had me grinding my teeth, but I wasn’t convinced she was right. “To what purpose? It doesn't make any sense. He helped us get out and then helped Victus try to kill us? Why?”
“I don't know.” She buried her face in her hands, and I could tell the confusion and frustration was eating away at her.
“Well, you said things didn't end well between you. I mean, what happened?”
“Honestly, we just broke up. There was nothing nefarious behind it. There's no reason for him to come after me. No reason to hate me. It just doesn't connect, but his return to LA at the same time Victus showed up is just too coincidental. It doesn't jive.”
My brow furrowed. “You can't give me a single reason he’d be out to get you?”
She shook her head. “Look, when we broke up, he was the one who dumped me. We had no reason to be on each other's radar. It just doesn't make sense.”
“Okay. Then let's get some rest. We'll figure it out in the morning.”
She dug her hands into her hair. “There's no way I'm sleeping with all these questions running through my head. I've been through it a million times. You’re right. He helped us.”
“All right, then who else might be calling the shots?”
She ran a hand through her damp curls.
“Shit. I didn't get you a shower cap.” I’d meant to pack one for her.
“It's okay. Tomorrow, it'll just dry out bigger. I have some products in my bag, so I'll put some conditioner on it. Hopefully it won’t be too crazy.”
“I should have remembered. I'm sorry.”
She gave me the softest smile with a little peek of a dimple, and a swift rush of blood warmed my body. “You saved my life already tonight. Well, honestly, two nights ago as well. I don't expect you to also save my hair.”
I cleared my throat. “Right.”
“But, before we go on, I want to apologize.”
I frowned. “For what?”
“Before, when I said that you… us, it wasn't real. I was pissed off. Angry. You put yourself in danger because of me, and I'm not even sure I deserve that.”
“Don't be ridiculous. Of course, you deserve that. You know how I feel about you.”
Her gaze lifted and met mine. “There is a part of me that doesn't entirely believe it or trust it.”
“Well, you should.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I absolutely should.”
“Okay, so what are we going to do?”
“You mean, besides getting some rest? Nothing.”
“Lyra, we have to come down from this. We can't think if we're in a constant state of adrenaline all the time.”
“I know. I want my life back. My people. They’re the only family I have left.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “Hey, stop. Worrying about whether or not your team is trying to have you killed is not at all helpful. Let's just focus on what we know, okay?” I went over to the liquor cabinet, pleased to find some whiskey in there, and poured us both a glass. “I don't know how good this stuff is, but it will calm the nerves.”
She took it with a smile. “Thanks.”
She lifted the glass and drained it quickly.
I chuckled. “Maybe slow down just a little.”
She laughed. “Ah, it's fine. You've never seen me drinking with Addie. We may be little and cute, but we both can drink anyone under the table.”
“Something tells me I should believe that. I'm just worried about you.”
“I'm okay. I'm tougher than I look.”
“All right. Fine.” I sat down across from her. “Is there anything that you can remember from your last mission before our date?”
She shook her head. “It was supposed to be pretty standard. My team was a four-person, one of them Addie, the others were Tomlinson and Grey. Both solid, younger agents. No disciplinary actions on them. They follow orders well. Just standard stuff. The target was a dick and a human trafficker. And while in the process of apprehension, I sort of knifed him to death. But he wasn’t a member of Victus. My name isn't on any chatter circles or anything like that.”
My brow furrowed at that. “And before that, anything off-kilter that you can remember? When was the last time you went after Victus?”
She frowned, and I could see her mentally riffling through her memory. “I don't know. A year ago? Two?... Two. Yeah, maybe two. A long time to wait for retribution, don’t you think?”
“Think about that date night when Stannis showed up. Anything suspicious then?”
“No. I mean, I got chewed out by Roz before I met you. You know, because… murder.”
The way she said it, that look on her face, I couldn't help it. I laughed. “Jesus.”
“Look, I'm not a sociopath. I do recognize the loss of human life. It's just that he was filth, and he was going to kill the girls, and I just couldn't let him. And I know that Roz wanted us to use him. I know what the protocol is. I'm not an idiot. Conserve life so that we can get information and cut off the head. It's just that I couldn't let him carry on. He fucked with my idea of righteousness and all that shi
t, so I let my knife do the talking. And if I'm being honest, I would do it again. A hundred percent.”
“Okay, you don't have to explain yourself to me.”
“Sorry. Sometimes I just get hot. And I just… You know, it gets the better of me because when I joined, I just wanted to do the right thing. Make the world better. Save people's lives. And if I can't do that, if what I'm doing doesn't accomplish that, then why the hell am I doing it?”
“What did Roz say about that?”
“Oh, God, I'm forever catching a lecture. ‘We need to be able to utilize these people, Lyra. Think of the bigger picture, Lyra. You have to use your head, Lyra.’ Same bullshit. Different day.”
“All right. Do you think that she might know something useful about Tyler? Is she worth approaching again?”
“Well, we have a difference of opinion.”
“What does that mean?”
“She is currently very protective of your favorite person.”
I frowned. “Why is she protective of the twat?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what, your guess is as good as mine. She doesn’t seem to like him, but she acts like I should kiss his ass.”
I frowned. “Do he and Roz have history? With Victus?”
“I guess some time ago, he'd been chasing Pierre Como, one of the founding fathers of Victus, before I joined The Firm.”
“How old is this guy anyway?”
She smirked at that.
I was glad my jealousy was amusing her.
“Let's see, I was nineteen when I joined. At the time, he was twenty-three. He was sent on some undercover stuff and then transferred to the New York office for a while.”
“Okay, New York office makes sense. So he went after Victus. What happened then?”
“I don't know. Pierre Como was killed. His lieutenants were supposed to be taken out too, but something went wrong. And with that going bad, Tyler was reassigned. That was all before my time.”
“So The Firm was after Victus, the missions failed, Tyler was reassigned, and then it all settled down to nothing. But what if he didn't fail? What if exactly what was expected to happen, happened?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. He was after Victus, but he only killed one of the heads. The second head, which allowed the organization to thrive, lives and flourishes.”
I frowned. “So you're saying that Tyler went bad?”
“I’m just throwing out the possibility.”
“That would mean all this time he's been working for them. But that doesn't make any sense, because when he was a Valentine op, he wasn’t even on any major terrorism cases. I mean, he was, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t affect that much change, is what I’m saying.”
“Think about the women and men he's been assigned to.”
She frowned at that. “Actually, yeah. He's been very good undercover. Or at least he was then. After we split, he became a field agent, so he was a Valentine op for maybe three years. He's been a field agent again since last year.”
“Do you think Addie can look into it?”
She nodded. “I can ask her.”
“All right. So let's say our theory is right. He's working for Victus. They got to him and have him in their pocket. Why come after you? And so suddenly, out of the blue.” I frowned, thinking it through. “Maybe he knows the Whitestop weapons deal is going to take place here in LA.”
She picked up on my thread of thought. “Obviously, Victus agents showing up on American soil is going to trip off all kinds of sensors, right?”
“Right.”
“So, I guess it's all a distraction. If someone comes after me, no one is going to be paying attention to what Victus is really doing.”
I shook my head. “By coming after you, that in fact did put him on the map. Because they came after you, The Firm started looking a lot closer.”
Her brow furrowed. “Yeah, that doesn't link.”
“Every theory I run implies some kind of advanced knowledge. And there's no appropriate reason why they’d be coming after you. For what reason? You're also an agent. What would be the purpose of eliminating you?”
She shook her head. “I don't like the idea that it could be random.”
I nodded. Me either. I don't believe in coincidences.”
She grinned then. “You sound like Roz. She doesn't believe in fate or coincidence. She believes that everything happens as a matter of consequence.”
“She sounds a lot like Michael.”
“They’d probably get along like a house on fire.”
“Maybe. What if we're looking at this the wrong way?”
“What way is that?” she asked.
I shook my head. “What if he's freelancing?”
She blinked. “But for who?”
“What if some other asshole hired the hit?”
“Yeah, I suppose that's possible. But who is in bed with Victus? That doesn't make any sense.”
“Not sure. I’d start by taking a look at who wants you dead.”
“You really aren't just going to let me die, are you?”
“Like I said, my feelings for you are real, Lyra. So, whether you like it or not, for now, you're stuck with me. I will do my best to keep you safe.”
* * *
Lyra
He did care about me.
All this time, I'd been walking around not trusting him, not believing him. But he'd risked his life now two, three times to save me?
That wasn't a man who was just doing his duty. That wasn't a man who just happened to be there and did the right thing. That was a man who loved me.
I lifted my gaze up to his. “Thank you, Marcus.”
He lifted a brow. “For what?”
“You saved my life a bunch of times. I feel like being grateful is the least I can do.”
“Yeah, well, you're too cute to let die. Especially first thing in the morning when you're extra cranky and haven't had coffee.”
“I'm not cranky.”
“Yes, you are. Very cranky, but it's cute because you scrunch your nose up when you look like you're about to murder someone.”
“Stop. I'm being serious.”
He sobered immediately. “You know I would do anything to keep you safe, right?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I'm sorry I'm just seeing that now.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I'm patient.”
I laughed at that. “Marcus?”
His voice dropped to a whisper. “Yes, Lyra?”
“Make love to me?”
The grin that spread over his lips was slow and sexy, tantalizing and seductive. “No scratching your itch this time?”
I shook my head. “I mean, I have all kinds of itches that need to be scratched, but this time, I just want you.”
“Understood. And for the record, I’ve never stopped wanting you. I'm sorry our jobs and who we are got in the way.”
I shook my head then. “I don't think it did. Right from the start, we've been paired because we were exactly who we were supposed to be.”
And then I wrapped my arms around him. Drawing myself up onto my tiptoes, I brushed my lips softly over his. I could feel the vibration through his body. That low moan that reverberated. I recognized his need instantly because it was exactly what I felt.
“Lyra, you are so beautiful.”
I almost didn't hear the whisper because it came out as a low growl just as he was dropping his head back down to mine, kissing me like he wanted to make it count. When our lips met, it was more of a slow sizzle than the scorching inferno of the last couple of times we’d kissed. But that sizzle was no less dangerous, no less combustible. But it also came with trust. And love.
Marcus's hands wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me close. So close I could feel every muscle, feel his strength, and there was no hiding the steel bulge pulsing at my belly. “Marcus, it seems like you're happy to see me.”
He whispered against my lips. “I'm
always happy to see you.” Then he lifted me easily, as if I weighed nothing. His hands on my ass gripped me tight, holding me just where I needed him. I groaned against his lips.
He used that opportunity to slide his tongue in, teasing mine, stroking into my mouth, making me want him. Making me need him. Making me see that, all along, this thing between us had been something different. Something special.
Love.
He carried me into the bedroom, and when he laid me on the bed, he didn't waste time, and neither did I as we fought over clothes and how quickly we could shun them. But when we were naked and he crawled over me, he slowed things down. Starting at my toes, he sucked one into his mouth, and I squealed. “Marcus, what are you doing?”
He laughed. “There isn't a spot on you that I don't want to kiss. Even your toes.”
When I lifted my head, I saw that he was serious. He kissed the arch of my foot. My ankle. Smoothing his hands up over my calves, he followed that same trail with his lips, his tongue, little nips of his teeth.
When he reached the backside of my knees, I shuddered. I knew where he was going.
He lifted his head. “Oh, you're anticipating now?”
I wanted to say something quippy and funny. But I had nothing. All I could do was moan and nod. “Uh-huh.”
He flashed me a wicked grin. Something that made him look younger, more carefree, far less serious. This Marcus was inside him too. The fun one. The playful one. And I couldn’t wait to learn about all the parts of him again.
When he reached the apex of my thighs, I thought for sure I was in for another ride like last night. But instead, he gave me one soft kiss on the clit, making my hips buck and rise up off the couch, and then he kept moving. Up to my hips. And then up my belly. When he got to my breasts, he kissed each nipple tenderly but with tongue. Like a soft French kiss. My breath caught, and I whispered, “Marcus, please.”
“Oh. We're not done kissing yet. You have to turn over now so I can kiss your back.”
I laughed. “You can't be serious.”
“Oh, I'm serious.”
I shuddered as he rolled me over. He was being thorough. Gently, he moved my hair aside and kissed the nape of my neck. Down along my spine. My shoulder blades. When he reached the dimples just above my ass, he kissed each of them with intention, making me squirm. “Marcus, you're teasing me.”