by Dawn Ryder
“Damascus is fine,” Miranda assured him quickly. “I need to share something with you, for Kagan.”
There was a short pause on the other end of the line. “Give me twelve hours to join you in D.C. Do not leave your escort, even for a moment.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
The line cut, leaving Miranda satisfied. Tyler Martin was dead but Carl Davis was about to get everything he’d wanted and killed to ensure he achieved.
Not while she drew breath.
Well, at least not while Carl was stupid enough to have private conversations at her charity events. Fate was finally delivering power to her after a lifetime of her being helpless against her family and husband.
It felt very nice, the knowledge that she had the means to thwart the way men like Carl got what they wanted when they deserved it the least.
She would make very sure of it.
* * *
Someone knocked on her door.
Agent Zane Bowan gave Jenna about two seconds before he pushed the door in.
“You’re reading Nancy Drew?” he asked incredulously.
Jenna looked up from the book. “Due to a lack of options, it was this”—she closed the book—“or ask you for some rope so I could practice the knots in the Boy Scout Handbook.” Jenna rolled off the bed where she’d been lying on her belly while reading. “I decided you’d refuse the rope request on account of being worried I might hog tie your boss and call it even.”
Zane cleared his throat in a very bad cover for the snort of amusement her comment drew from him. He flashed her three fingers. “We’re clearing out in three.”
More fun adventures …
Jenna looked at the pair of handcuffs still on her wrist. She’d snapped the second one closed below the first so it wouldn’t dangle. She picked up the book and laid it back on the shelf with the rest, deciding they’d been a set for a long time and didn’t need to be broken up.
She had new appreciation of things being taken away from where they belonged. Sam’s face was still burned into her mind. She was going to miss him so much.
Tears stung her eyes but she wiped them away.
Life wasn’t fair.
Sam and Paul were her adoptive family because her own blood kin had more in common with leeches than humans. She’d learned young that she wanted more from life than what she could swindle out of the people around her. It meant standing on her own two feet and working harder and always remembering that fairness wasn’t something she was owed.
Victory, on the other hand, was something she could claim.
And Sam would kick her ass if he found out she was crying over the way life had decided to throw her for a loop.
Yeah? Well he’d also high-five you for taking the chance to have Dare Servant.
Vulgar?
Sure was.
That didn’t make it less true.
And she was going to be comfortable with herself, no matter what. It was all she had at that moment, who she was. Strengths, weaknesses, bad habits, and good ones. So she’d embrace it and hug it tight because what really scared her the most was losing her confidence in being able to make her own way.
* * *
“We need to talk.”
Carl Davis frowned. Eric Geyer waited for permission to cross over the threshold into his private office.
Carl crocked his finger at his security chief, not caring for the way the man made sure the door was shut.
“Servant’s team managed to nab Ji Su, Kirkland’s associate.” Eric turned his tablet around and showed a live feed of the woman sitting shackled to an interrogation table.
“If she breaks, the Shadow Ops will have enough evidence to convict Kirkland on human trafficking and murder—”
“And there will be a nice money trail leading straight to me,” Carl finished.
Eric nodded but remained silent, waiting as Carl thought the matter through.
“Five more months and it wouldn’t matter,” Carl muttered. He leaned back in his chair, the springs groaning. “Five stinking months.” He straightened up and looked Eric in the eye. “Bury the entire operation.” He pointed across the desk at his security chief. “This is the test of your new position. If I go down, so do your chances of being head of White House security.”
“Servant’s team have a witness, three bodies, and now the madam,” Eric said. “I can send a man in to kill her but if she dies in interrogation, Servant is just going to know he’s digging in the right spot.”
Carl drummed his fingers on the desktop for a long moment. “Do it. Better a few agents who think I’m dirty instead of a madam who is talking and can be put on a witness stand in exchange for not being deported. After I’m president, I can use an executive order to shut down the Shadow Ops teams.”
Eric nodded and stood.
“Eric.” Carl stopped the man from leaving his office. “Good job staying on top of my interests. You’re just the sort of man I need at my side.”
Carl stared at the closed door for a long moment. He enjoyed power, some might say he was obsessed with it.
Pussies …
They tried to color him bad because he won, no matter the cost, and life was a competition sport. Had been since the dawn of time. He was just more honest about what he wanted.
And he was going to get it, even if he had to go through Servant’s team to do it.
Carl admitted, he’d enjoy the bloodbath.
Victory was best when the cost was high.
* * *
The newest location Dare’s team delivered her to had a barn.
Outside the dense urban areas of Southern California, Zane and Thais drove her into the Inland Empire to a house that had enough property for horses.
The animals were long gone. The barn was sitting behind the house, painted a brown and yellow combination.
“Same rules,” Zane spoke softly as he came back from checking the bedrooms of the house. “Stay away from the glass.”
“There isn’t a house in sight,” Jenna answered. “Who do you think is going to see me? A squirrel?”
“You might not have a location chip in your shoulder any longer,” Thais said on her way through the door with a huge laptop case. “And we might think we’ve done a good job of making sure our gear is clean, but you can never be too sure.”
Zane caught Jenna by the wrist and inserted a key into one of the handcuffs.
“Didn’t re-tag me?” Jenna waited for the agent to finish the second cuff before moving away. “There’s a surprise. I just assumed you had the surgeon put one in a lot deeper while he had the chance.”
“It might have been used to track you while we’ve got you off grid,” Thais said.
The female agent was busy pulling laptops out of her bag. There was a focus in her that made Jenna feel more like a third wheel than ever. It wasn’t that she was short, it was just clear Thais wouldn’t have thought to fill Jenna in if the question wasn’t asked.
“I will close this case and have something to show for my personal effort.”
Dare’s words rose from her memory.
He’d been honest.
And so had she.
Yeah, brutally honest …
Heat teased her cheeks as the memory rose from her mind. Not that Thais or Zane noticed. The two agents were completely focused on bringing their tech on line. She might have found it fascinating except the sight made her realize she was just a piece of evidence being kept on ice until they could move on to the next case.
She wandered into the kitchen, peering into the refrigerator with a skeptical look. Zane appeared right on cue.
He plunked a cluster of plastic shopping bags onto the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Provisions.”
He winked and headed into the living room to help set up.
Guess you’re on kitchen duty …
Jenna put the perishables in the refrigerator as the sun went down. A set of wind chimes was jingling outside the back door. S
he moved toward it, intending to open it and let in some fresh air.
“You were told to stay away from the glass, Jenna.”
She stiffened, freezing, with her hand on the handle of the sliding glass door.
Dare’s voice punched all her buttons once again, and the topic didn’t seem to matter a bit, only the fact that he’d emerged from thin air and was telling her what to do without asking her what her plan was.
She flipped the lock and shoved the sliding glass door open anyway.
“Do I really need to put you back in cuffs?” he said.
She turned on him. “There is nothing except that barn out there to see me. I’m not going to become paranoid.”
Her words came out in a rush because she’d thought she was composed.
Dare undermined that poise in a few seconds. Her body didn’t give a fig for her pride or the fact that she was miffed over him leaving the second he finished with her.
Nope.
All her flesh cared about was how damn much she wanted another taste of him.
His eyes narrowed. “You need to work on adjusting to the situation.”
“You’re just being a hard-ass,” she shot back. “Fine, whatever floats your boat.”
She walked through the other doorway that led into the living room. Greer was watching her as she walked across the living room toward a door that would open into another bedroom.
Holding cell …
The furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust, the blinds closed tight against the powerful desert sun. Still there was a strip of carpet along the wall that had been bleached over time.
“We’re not done talking, Jenna. Procedures are in place for your protection.”
Dare followed her into the room.
“You’re just putting on a show because you have a problem with them knowing we had sex.”
No filter between brain and mouth, but it was working for her right then.
Dare didn’t move. He slowly shook his head. “My team is my family, Jenna. They know who I sleep with.” He closed the space between them. “In my world, bed partners can be your worst enemy. No one is on this team who doesn’t understand there is no privacy.”
“Then why did you follow me in here?” she asked. “You wanted me out of sight. Mission accomplished.”
His lips thinned. “I need to make sure we have a clear understanding.”
“I think you’re making it clear you didn’t care for the attraction between us.”
His lips twitched, curving up and giving her a glance at just how handsome he was when she wasn’t facing his professional mask.
“It’s there, baby and trust me, you don’t want to encourage me.”
There was a warning in his tone. The problem was, Jenna was in the perfect mood to jump at the challenge. She propped her hand on her hip. “What evidence do you have to support the fact that I’m a little frightened rabbit who is somehow scared of your big-bad-wolfness?”
There was a strange little thrill twisting through her insides again. This time, it lit her passion up faster because her body recalled precisely how much she’d enjoyed the way they connected.
“You’re playing with fire, Jenna.”
She snorted at him and flicked her hair. “Won’t be the first time I’ve lit up my own hair. Does save on haircuts though.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment. “You actually set your hair on fire?”
“I’m hands on,” she offered with a shrug before she reached out and gently tapped the new scrape on his chin. “I sort of expect you to get it. Maybe I’m wrong. Door is behind you.”
He was torn. She watched the way he contemplated her, half his rigidness gone while he stubbornly clung to his desire to press her into the position he’d decided served his team best.
“I … get … it … Special Agent Servant.” She jabbed him in the center of his chest with her index finger. “I’m just a thing. A piece of supporting evidence. Well I’m neatly stored away so you can get back to your case now.”
He caught her hand.
Not her wrist, but her hand.
The touch shocked her because it was so tender. Innocent and sweet. He dropped his professional mask while he stroked her fingers
“Alright, I feel like I should have had more restraint,” he admitted. “You’re new to the situation, I’m experienced.”
A stab of jealously took her by surprise, and knowing that she logically didn’t have a hold on him failed to shelter her from the impact.
“No, I haven’t had a relationship with a witness before.”
“Ahh…” She was stepping away from him.
You mean recoiling …
“It’s kicking my ass,” he admitted, holding onto her hand and following her. “I know better. You don’t.”
He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. Remorse was in his eyes, undermining the hold she had on her fear. All of her doubts about her future came rushing toward her.
“Don’t pity me.” She pulled her hand free and held it against her chest. “I can’t take that.”
His expression tightened with some sort of decision. “We need some space.”
Dare caught her hand again, wrapping his fingers firmly around hers as he turned and led her out of the room. His team members looked up as they emerged but he only took her through the living room and out the open sliding-glass door.
The sun was almost gone, but there was still plenty of warmth in the air. He took her toward the barn, moving around to a set of stairs she hadn’t realized ran up the far side of it.
They creaked ominously as he started to climb them.
“They’re sound,” he advised as he kept climbing up to a door.
She was free for a moment while he dug out a set of keys and opened the door. She followed him through, curious to see where he was taking her.
It was a loft. A railing ran along one side, and there were several large bins stored along another side. Dare moved toward one and pulled the lid off. He lifted something out and turned around to send it unrolling across the floor.
“A sleeping bag? How did you know that was there?”
He raised an eyebrow at her question as he yanked the zipper open and laid it flat.
“I wouldn’t let my team move you anywhere I hadn’t scouted out first, Jenna.”
There was a hard edge in his tone, one that struck her as protective. “I trust you.”
And she did.
His lips twitched in response. “Maybe you shouldn’t, Jenna.” He unclipped his chest harness and held his badge up for her to get a solid look at it. “This is my life.”
And he was warning her that he wasn’t going to choose her over it.
“But nothing seems to change the fact that I can’t stop thinking about getting you alone. I know the logic, and it just won’t sink in this time.”
He dropped the chest harness beside the make-shift bed, watching her to see her reaction. His hands were curled into fists as he waited.
Waited for her …
Jenna moved toward him, laying her hand on his chest and rising onto her toes so she could kiss him. He let her lead for a long moment, standing still while she teased his lips with soft motions of her own.
And then he was framing her face with his hands, his fingers threading into her hair as he took command of the kiss.
She let out a little sound of bliss, the need to kiss him back growing into a hungry impulse that defied any sort of thought process. There was only the way he tasted and the rush of sensation it unleashed and the way she craved more.
“We’re going to do this right this time, baby…”
He’s pulled away from her, maintaining his hold on her head. His midnight eyes glittered with determination, making her insides twist with anticipation.
“I’m not going to rush,” he promised.
There was a solid warning in his voice, one that made her shudder. He leaned over, sweeping her hair aside so he could pres
s his lips against the delicate skin of her neck.
“Ohhh…”
“Like that,” he whispered next to her ear before he was kissing her neck again.
It was slow. So slow she felt like she was caught between the moments of when he was in contact with her and the time that she waited for the next connection to happen.
“I didn’t bare you last time…”
She shivered, suddenly feeling like her clothing was too hot. But Dare kissed her neck again, this time lingering over her skin and nipping her.
She jumped; earning a soft chuckle from him.
“Two can play this game,” she muttered as she turned and slid her hand up his chest. He was hard beneath his shirt, the cotton fabric frustrating her because it was keeping her from the contact she craved.
“I hope so.”
There was longing in his tone. It poured fuel on her confidence as she worked the buttons loose on his shirt and moved down to his waistband. His breath was raspy as she popped open his fly, dipping her hand inside to stroke the bulge of his cock.
“God, you drive me insane,” he rasped.
It was a rough compliment, the tone of his voice telling how much he wanted to be in control.
But neither of them were. He stepped back and shucked his clothing. Peeling it away as he locked gazes with her, watching her reaction.
Jenna stepped back, enjoying the sight of his skin coming into sight. They’d had sex, and yet she’d never gotten a look at him. Now she watched as he revealed a dark mat of hair on his chest that tapered down into a V around his cock.
He was already hard and swollen, his cock jutting up, thick and ridged.
She reached forward, curling her fingers around it and drawing her hand up to the head.
“Christ…”
He leaned his head back, the muscles along his throat tight as she reached down and clasped him at the base.
She caught his scent, inhaling it deeply as she drew her hand up his cock. His breathing was raspy, and her heart accelerated. Honestly, she’d never been so aroused in her life. She could feel her folds growing wet, her clit throbbing softly with need.
It was blunt.
So very physical and yet the most erotic experience she’d ever had.
What had been awkward before felt perfectly right tonight. She slipped to her knees, pumping her hand up and down his shaft. He caught her hair, and, once more, it fit the moment. She opened her mouth and licked him.