Walker (Bad Boys of X-Ops #1)

by Rie Warren

  Jade’s eyelids drooped over heavily dilated irises. Her tits rose and fell with fast panting breaths as she admired her handiwork.

  “You like being taken to the edge, Walker.”

  The tip of the knife moved lightning fast with the slightest bite just under the head of my cock, and—Wakan Tanka help me—I almost came on the spot.

  The cords of my neck strained. Muscles tensed all over my body. My seed was ready to spill over.

  I fucking widened my stance and pushed into her touch.

  “Not gonna hurt you. What a waste of an amazing cock that would be.” Her voice dropped, her free hand too.

  She cupped my tightening balls in her fingers, gently rolling them, while she drew the cold blunt side of the blade down my dick. It bumped over the rigid veins all the way to the base.

  Jade lowered to her knees, holding the flat of the knife against the tensed flesh of my thigh, and my cock towered above her parted mouth.

  My breath chugged in and out.

  I grabbed her hair in a white-knuckled fist. “You bite me, I’ll make you bleed.”

  She sent the KA-BAR end-over-end across the room until the tip planted into the wall with a quiver.

  “I already made you bleed.” She licked her lips before pressing her mouth to the tiny drop of blood beneath the thick ridge of my cock.

  I groaned, on the verge of spurting all over her face.

  She engulfed my cockhead with a soft kiss before gliding back and jumping to her feet.

  My cock arched from my groin, ready to blow. I clenched and unclenched my fists. “Next time my dick’s that close to your mouth, I’m coming inside it.”

  “Should I take that as a warning?” Jade wiggled her ass as she burrowed into her pack.

  Retrieving my knife, I pretended my cock wasn’t leading me around the room like a dowsing rod in search of something wet—her pussy—to sink into. “Yeah. That.”

  She hummed, laying out her clothes. I snarled, trying to coax my dick to a more bearable angle other than one hundred percent upright.

  Jade, naked, in daylight. No way would I ever forget the vision. Goddamn her bouncy tits and her silky-looking, slightly tawny skin. My eyes glued to the neat black arrow of her landing strip and her bare, succulent pussy lips. That shit needed a warning of its own: Danger Zone.

  Perky nipples, nice curves, and no superfluous flesh, because the woman killed people for a living.

  “Damn. If I’d known you had all that under your usual uniform of black-on-black I probably would’ve kidnapped you a lot sooner.”

  “You didn’t kidnap me. I let you rescue us.” She drew a brush down the long waterfall of her hair. “Won’t happen again. And no more kisses.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, Jade.” I advanced, grabbing her to me for a wet, fiery kiss.

  The hot suction of our lips parting sank down to my forever-hard dick.

  She pulled something over her head after sneaking on the tiniest pair of sheer panties I’d ever fucking seen. And I’d seen a lot of panties.

  “What the hell is that?” The dress wasn’t slutty or even vampish. It didn’t have to be.

  It was understated and all the hotter because Jade wore it like she frigging owned it. The dress was short, slinky tight, but went all the way to her neck. It had a wide belt she cinched at the waist, giving her even more of an hourglass shape.

  “A dress. Brooks Brothers for women.” She pushed her feet into heavy-soled black combat boots that took the look from High Street tailored to sexy gung ho. “When I’m not busy with the dark ops action I like to shop. And look like a lady.”

  I mashed my palm against my forehead.

  “Trying to unsee me naked?” She gave a husky laugh.

  “Yes,” I gritted out.

  She tossed clothes at me then swished to the door. “You’re underdressed, Walker. I could probably make an escape right now.”

  The fastest dresser in the West or East or wherever—fuck, too many countries, too few days—I yanked on my clothes and caught Jade’s hand. “Let’s go check on our prisoner.”

  “You have got to stop calling her that.”

  “Who? Madge?”

  “That too.”

  ****

  A few days to get my bearings would’ve been a motherfucking blessing. ’Course there was no such thing as laying low in this business.

  I’d put my burn cells on silent where Blaize was concerned but got a continuous feed from Storm, Justice, and Bane. Their intelligence left a lot to be desired. Intel? Jesus. Christ. The dudes were at least one screw loose in their heads, sending me stick figure memes about porn and cheesy pictures of Grumpy Cat.

  Any info they supplied led back to the same goddamn circle jerk of Sunni, Shia, Syria, and Beirut, plus every single international power player not under the US government’s thumb.

  Madge sure could cook a mean omelet though.

  We’d barely finished breakfast when Justice contacted me. I expected more porn logic, but his face showed on the screen.

  I skidded my chair back from the table. “If you’re breaking protocol you better have a damn good reason. I told you not to FaceTime me on this phone. That’s what the other throwaway’s for.”

  “How’s it going with the old harem there?” Justice asked.

  The resulting crossfire conversation happened at a rapid pace:

  “Huh? You’re getting face to face with me to find out about my three-way sexy times?” I scratched the back of my neck.

  Jade glared at me. Justice laughed.

  “OLD?” That came from Madge.

  “HAREM!” Jade pushed up from the table.

  “Besides, Jade doesn’t put out.” I smirked with an aside to Justice, “More like a bunch of harpies.”

  “Walker is a cunt tease!” Jade shot forward, shouting at the phone like Justice was deaf.

  “Got that wrong, lady. I’ll do you in ten seconds flat.”

  “Early emission problem?” She quirked an eyebrow.

  “Sounds like you need to gag her.” Justice grinned onscreen.

  “I’ve got something to gag her with. Non-synthetic.” I leered at Jade.

  Madge stood from the table. “Breakfast is over?”

  “Your whole existence is over unless Walker gets you out of there fast.” Justice panned to his workspace.

  The black and white computer map detailed bright red darts moving in on our hidey-hole originating from Asia, Russia, China, Algiers . . .

  “You got heat.” Spinning his phone, Justice spoke directly to me. “Two hours lead time. At most. They’ve honed in on your location.”

  “Fuck.” Remaining in Mt. Pleasant was a no-go now. I didn’t exactly want to bring World War Three to town. “Tell Storm I’ll send coordinates from the road. Don’t suppose you’ve got a safe house we can relocate to?”

  “I dunno. You’ve got that whole overuse of explosives issue going on.” His Abercrombie & Fitch face lit up with cruel intent. He stroked his chin. “But I suppose I can’t just leave you out in the cold to die.”

  “Thanks, man. You’re a real fucking buddy.”

  “Just get your asses—and your assets—somewhere Storm can pick you up.”

  Disconnecting the call, I turned to Jade and Madge. They’d heard everything and looked ready to sprint into action, but I needed some info from them first.

  Cursing myself for not confiscating every single fucking gadget or phone they might be carrying, I asked, “Either of you make contact with anyone since we’ve been here?”

  “We’re not stupid, Walker.” Jade, the spokeswoman of the duo, rolled her eyes. “Everything’s been turned off since before the speedboat.”

  “Just the same, I’m gonna check anyway.” Pocketing my own phone, I held out my hand. “Get the devices. All of them. And I’m getting Justice to go over them too.”

  Jade marched upstairs—stomp, stomp—and returned shortly—thump, thump.

  She placed an iPad and two ce
ll phones in my hands.

  “That’s everything? You swear?” I asked.

  “Trust issues?” Her upper lip curled in distaste.

  “Yeah. I got ’em Especially when someone just busted our hideout wide open.”

  I inspected all three devices for tracker devices, messages, calls, and Internet history.

  They looked clean, and I kept them really fucking close to me when I mentioned the unnecessary to Jade and Madge who stood watching me with identical ferocious glares, “We gotta jet.”

  Although I’d appropriated their techy shit, I thought it might be muy bueno to have Jade armed since we were on the run again. She and I made quick work in the master bedroom: two minutes and we were ready to launch out of there.

  She snagged her bag by the grips, but I captured her arm.

  “You pull a knife on any of your other lovers?” I asked.

  Glancing at my hand then at my face, she tilted her head. “Not usually. No.”

  “Are there other lovers?”

  “Are you calling yourself my lover?” She shook her arm free.

  “I’m asking if you have anyone waiting at home for you.”

  She snorted a laugh, but her voice came out softer than usual. “No. There’s no one.” Her eyes flicked to me. “You?”

  “Same.” I busied myself handing over the Beretta, her ammo supply, a KA-BAR similar to mine but with a smaller grip, and lastly her dagger.

  Jade touched my hand. “Cheers for this.”

  It was an oddly tender moment while we prepared to evac, and she accepted her own weapons like they were the most precious gifts in the world.

  Turning my palm, I touched my fingers to hers. “I know what it’s like to be without them. I feel naked without my C-4.”

  She drew up with a burst of bubbly laughter so unexpected it made me chuckle.

  “Yes. And then there’s that,” she said, giggling and shaking her head.

  “And then there’s that.”

  While we hustled, gathering the last of our shit, it felt like we’d reached some kind of accord.

  Clean up, clear out, and disappear were Jade’s and my specialty. Madge seemed pretty well versed in the procedures necessary to vanish from search and sight, too.

  She kept her head down, got her gear together, and was second out the door after me. Jade performed a last sweep—and fingerprint swipe—of the premises before joining us in the borrowed-not-stolen vehicle.

  I started the engine. “Did anyone remember to load the dishwasher?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Walker.” Jade strapped into her seatbelt. “It’s not a holiday rental.”

  And I considered the truce between us null and void with her pinched words.

  Damn woman.

  “No. It’s Hunter’s new wife’s old house. And you don’t know the world of pain he’ll put on me if we left one speck of dirt in the place.”

  “I did the dishes.” Madge sighed from the backseat.

  I aimed the rearview mirror at her. “What about the sheets? Did anybody put them in the washer?”

  “I stripped the beds as well.”

  “You just saved my life.” I put the SUV into gear.

  Madge solemnly nodded. “Now you save mine. Again, I am not just a spoiled rich lady.”

  “Don’t get used to it.” Jade daggered me with a glare. “And don’t you think for one second I’m ever going to do your dishes or laundry.”

  “Woman. Seriously?”

  Chapter Ten

  The U. S. of A. On the Run.

  TURNED OUT I DIDN’T need to contact Storm with coordinates. He got to me first, pointing us to Langley AFB. I’d texted Hunter as soon as we’d vacated Mt. Pleasant, telling him I hoped the incoming tangos redirected before they razed JB’s house to the earth. Then I blocked him just like I had Blaize, because I didn’t need any more flak back from anyone.

  Two women were difficult enough to deal with.

  After that, I’d driven hell for leather, making the rendezvous in just under-seven hours instead of the six I’d planned on. Two women and their doll-sized bladders slowed me down, undercutting the clean and green highway conditions.

  “You got size issues or something?” I asked Storm, cruising into the cockpit of the C17 aircraft as it trundled down the runway at Langley Field.

  I didn’t even want to know how he’d hijacked the transport on such short notice.

  “Ladies like big things.” He peered at the controls.

  “Only if you know how to use the big thing in question.” Jade appeared next to me.

  And here we go.

  Everyone crushed into the cockpit—Justice, Madge, me, with Bane acting as the copilot for a change, although the amount of enmity between him and Storm seemed to have doubled in the two days since I’d seen them. They’d been sniping at each other when we’d arrived, insulting one another ever since.

  Sometimes I wanted to crack their fucking skulls together.

  “Oh, I know how to handle something big.” Pulling back on the thrust, Storm took us airborne at one hell of a hellacious angle, narrowly missing the traffic control tower on purpose.

  I turned green at the gills during lift-off. I hadn’t been fucking kidding about the vertigo thing. Really, really not helpful when I spent half my life shuttling from one part of the globe to the other.

  As soon as we reached a more stable cruising altitude that only made me swallow bitter bile with every tiny bump of turbulence, I turned to the guys. “What exactly do we know?”

  “Nada. Except the sheikah here is drawing agents from all across the world like a heat-seeking missile to a locked-in target.” Justice sat in the jump seat, fielding incoming messages on his tablet.

  “Zip.” Storm concurred.

  “Zilch.” Bane barely glanced at me, the stoic motherfucker.

  “But how about you and Jade, huh?” Justice looked up long enough to throw me under the bus.

  Subtle. Real subtle. About as subtle as an ax cleaved through a skull.

  “Walker is dead to me after this mission.” The woman in question casually tossed back her hair and tossed me into the grave.

  “Ouch.” Bane looked over long enough to wince.

  “That’s gotta hurt,” Storm uttered from the side of his mouth.

  “And you know everything I know about Majedah’s situation. She is not the rightful target. Her husband is.” Jade huffed.

  “Can it, Lucy Liu.” Justice clicked away on her phone I’d handed over earlier.

  “I’m so glad you gave me back my Beretta.” Jade’s warm tone was a warning light if ever I’d heard one.

  I stood up straight. “Why?”

  “So I can shoot him!” She pointed at Justice who merely shrugged.

  Madge watched the entire showdown with a small frown between her eyebrows. The woman was one cool customer who knew when to keep her mouth shut, unlike her ballsy protector.

  Despite her threat, Jade didn’t reach for her hip holster, but she did watch every fast tap of Justice’s fingers while he inspected her and Madge’s phones and the iPad.

  Finally he sat back. “Nothing. No incoming received. No outgoing sent. They haven’t been tagged.”

  “I told you that, Walker.” Jade started to retrieve her phone, but I grasped her wrist and shook my head.

  “No.”

  Her fist curled, and I felt her clubbing pulse beneath my fingers. One by one her fingers opened and relaxed. Then I released her, gathering the items from Justice and putting them in my pack.

  “What about Hunter?” Jade asked, her hands on her hips. “He knew where we were.”

  “Hunter?” My eyebrow ratcheted high. “Hunter’d get himself killed before he narked out anyone else.”

  “So we’re back at ground zero,” she said.

  “What’s the word from Blaize?” I turned my back on the two females, addressing Storm.

  “Oh, you don’t wanna know,” he answered.

  “She’s ripshit
pissed,” Justice said, and there was no mistaking the yeehaw in his voice.

  “Yeah. She doesn’t like this wild goose chase thing you got going on,” Bane interjected.

  “Well, I don’t like being the turkey with a target on my tail feathers either.”

  “So, why don’t you just hand over the asset and be done with it?” Storm glanced over. “Because Blaize is gonna come down on you like an avalanche, brah.”

  Madge snapped Storm’s earguards with a painful sounding thwack. “The asset is right here.”

  “And you’re all arseholes,” Jade added.

  “Aaand you want to go down on Blaize, Storm.” Bane’s added commentary was so not welcome.

  Storm half stood with his dangling earguards and walloped Bane one. “Shut the fuck up about Blaize.”

  “It’s not his fault she’s hot.” I sought to relieve the tension, only succeeding in dialing it up another notch.

  Jade slammed me with a glare I felt like a dagger in my throat.

  “What? It’s the truth.” I defended myself. “So is Madge here. And you’re not so bad either when you shut your trap.”

  Hands flapping in the air and hair swinging down her back, Jade swiveled away. “Men! I don’t know why I bother. I should just be a lesbian.”

  Storm’s, Bane’s, Justice’s, and my eyes pinged open like hell yeah bring on the girl-on-girl action!

  The cockpit was beginning to feel as claustrophobic as a closet, and there was a lot of cock-of-the-walk going on.

  Just once I wanted to fly the fucking friendly skies.

  Once more, I stood down and tried to defuse the situation, stating quietly, “I’m not handing over Madge because I want to know the truth first.”

  “First?” Hissing, Jade spun toward me.

  “First?” Madge pretty much mimicked Jade.

  “You know we’re all at risk of losing our jobs, possibly our American citizenship, maybe even our lives because of this stunt.” Justice didn’t really excel at the peacekeeper’s role.

  Now Storm and Bane’s hackles were up as well.

  “So why don’t you just fuck off and die already?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “I did that in my previous life.” Pretty Boy Justice smiled, flashing a mouthful of brilliant white teeth.