Under the Wire: Bad Boys Undercover

by HelenKay Dimon

  Needing more, she opened her thighs. Brought her knees up and rested the bottom of her boots flat against the floor. Every movement was an invitation, a silent request that he do more. Her body was primed and her control hovered right on the edge. It wouldn’t take much to throw her over, and he had the skills. Boy, did he have skills.

  His mouth lingered over her neck. His tongue licked and his teeth nibbled on her skin. The combination had her hips bucking even more.

  Just when she thought she’d have to scream and beg, he opened the button of her pants. The zipper ticked down and his hand slipped inside. Over her stomach and then under the band of her sensible cotton underwear. Lower and lower and until his middle finger slid over her. Then he slid it out again. Not just a little either. He brought his hand to his mouth and plunged his finger deep inside, wetting it.

  The move, so sexy, had her squirming, and when he slipped his hand down the length of her again she gasped with relief. That long finger pressed inside her. Pushed in and out, over and over. She met each thrust. Grabbed his hand through the outside of her jeans and held him deep inside her.

  His thumb slipped over her, teasing her as his other finger worked. Within seconds her deep breathing turned to excited pants. She squeezed her thighs together, trapping his fingers inside her. Clenched her internal muscles and willed her body to let go.

  Still, Reid plunged his finger inside her. He rotated between pushing and rubbing. Pleasure kicked up inside her. The crushing need wound tight. Every muscle in her body begged for mercy as she hung on to the edge of coming.

  When he slid a second finger inside her, she lost it. Her body moved and her fingers tightened on his arm. The orgasm slammed into her, stealing her breath. Her head fell forward as he held her. She could hear him whispering something to her. Soft words that merged into a hum, a sound that made it even easier for her to relinquish control.

  Her body pulsed and her skin caught fire. Every inch of her came alive, and when it was over, she fell back against him again. Through it all he never stopped touching her. His hands traveled over her and his fingers inside her. His mouth caressed her and his words encouraged.

  With him she was beautiful and powerful. Not broken or someone who needed coddling or to be sheltered. He treated her as a woman and celebrated when she enjoyed his touch.

  She had no idea how she was going to leave him again . . . or why she ever thought it was such a good idea to do it in the first place.

  Rather than run through all the reasons to be careful, she cocooned her body in his warmth. Put her hands over his arms where they wrapped around her and snuggled in closer.

  The loving hold relaxed her. Every muscle loosened and her eyes eased closed. “I can barely move.”

  He kissed her temple. “That was sort of the goal.”

  “What about you?” She knew she should get up and let him have a turn. She had to wake up first.

  He laughed and the rich sound washed through the room. “I’m fine.”

  “I can feel you.” His erection pressed into her. Then she thought about all that moving around and her screaming. “And I haven’t forgotten about your injuries.”

  “The bleeding stopped. We’re good for now.”

  “We shouldn’t risk it.” She looked around for her pack and shifted so she could grab it.

  He held her still. “Close your eyes for a few minutes. Parker will be here soon enough. You should catch some sleep while you can.”

  She’d been running on fumes for days, afraid to sleep. All the fear and exhaustion caught up with her. She fit her head into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes.

  “I’m sorry.” It took all of her strength to move her jaw and get the words out.

  He skimmed his lips over her hair. “For what?”

  “Not ending it better. I truly thought I was doing what was best for both of us. Not just me. You, too.”

  The words sat there as silence fell. She thought he might answer, and when he didn’t she let her body drift off. She’d almost fallen asleep when she heard his whisper.

  “I wish you were sorry for ending it at all.”

  15

  TASHA CIRCLED around the parked truck and stepped right in front of Mickey. He’d been back inside the private home in the small city at the base of the Urals for about thirty minutes. She already had her people back in Virginia checking out the address and names of the people inside.

  She waited until he was almost on top of her to speak up. “Interesting to find you here.”

  His head snapped up and his frown deepened. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  If he’d discovered the listening devices she’d planted in Niko’s office, this visit would have been expected. She knew about this trip, Niko’s plans and his stupid idea of setting her up for an international prison sentence. It had been so easy that she’d made contingencies in case he identified the device and was setting her up. Looked like that was an undue worry.

  There was nothing worse than a man who thought he held all the power.

  Mickey pocketed his keys and the piece of paper in his hand. She didn’t have enough time to read the handwriting. The urge to wrestle him to the ground for it did hit her, but she refrained from launching an attack.

  Well, not a physical one. “A German accent on a man working for an American who has an unhealthy obsession with Russia.” She looked him up and down and made sure to show him an expression that telegraphed she didn’t like what she saw. “It’s like a bad logic puzzle.”

  There was nothing wrong with him, in general. The whole blond-haired blue-eyed thing didn’t do much for her. Her fiancé and fellow team member Ward was the tall, dark, and dangerous type. He wasn’t a former Stasi errand boy like Mickey either. Mickey had a dicey past with some questionable activities in it. It shouldn’t surprise her that Niko tracked him down and hired him. Nothing should surprise her anymore.

  “My boss is an—”

  “Egotistical asshole.” That was the easiest fill-in-the-blank she’d ever done.

  Mickey folded his arms in front of him. “Why are you here?”

  A fair question. She’d been following Niko. When he walked into a private meeting at this house and Mickey veered off, she decided to follow the more interesting of the pair. The guy most likely to actually get his hands dirty.

  A wild car ride and an hour later, she’d followed him to a nondescript building that claimed to house a trucking business and back to the private home again. She assumed Niko was still inside as she and Mickey stood on the street outside. Interesting Mickey would find his way around the area and back to his boss again without any trouble.

  “I’m looking for my men and your boss’s science expedition.” She also wanted answers, but she’d get those with or without his help.

  The CIA briefing she demanded on the way to Russia had filled in some mission intel holes. As expected, they’d gotten wind of a potential weapons production and planted assets on Niko’s documentary team. Whether Niko knew or not didn’t matter to her. She hadn’t known. Never mind that she was in charge of the best undercover, off-the-books team either the CIA or MI6 had right now.

  The whole thing reminded her that intelligence agencies in the U.S. didn’t like to share information or risk losing credit. She’d come to the Alliance, created it, after her time in MI6, British Intelligence. Having to dig around for intel on this problem in the Urals that should have been discussed with her before a plan was ever put in place ticked her off.

  One of these days the suits in the CIA would learn to play nice with others. She just hoped they didn’t get any more scientists killed in the meantime.

  “Stay away from Niko’s people,” Mickey said with more than a little menace in his voice.

  That order almost guaranteed she wouldn’t.

  She leaned against his car. Lifted her heel and made sure to scrape it along the paint. “Or what?”

  “Some men are intimidated by women who act
tough, who pretend they are as strong as men.” He looked her up and down, almost as if he welcomed a fight. Wanted one.

  No thanks. This guy spent a little too much time in communist lockdown in his younger years. He’d forgotten to move forward like the rest of the world had. “This is a fascinating story.”

  “I am not one of those men.”

  She wasn’t impressed with whatever he was and whatever he intended to get out of this men-are-better bullshit conversation. “Are you intimidated by women who are tough and don’t have to pretend to be like men because they like being women? I fit into that category. The can-kick-your-ass category.”

  He leaned in, baiting her. “Try it.”

  That was so tempting. “You’re a bit too eager.”

  “You should leave the country while you still can.”

  “Or?” She watched Parker walk up the sidewalk behind Mickey. For a guy who had been trained, Mickey didn’t seem to notice he was being stalked.

  “I dunno, Tasha. That sounded like a threat.” Parker clapped Mickey on the back as he walked by him and came to a halt next to Tasha.

  Mickey’s eyes narrowed as his attention switched to Parker. “Who the hell are you?”

  Tasha talked right over him. “Please continue. I should leave or . . . what will you do?”

  “Imagine what certain government officials would do if they found you hiding in the Urals.”

  There it was. Niko’s big play. Pin her down here somehow then call in his bigwig friends. As if he was the only one with friends in this country. “For the record, I never hide.”

  “Then I hope you know how to run.”

  Before she could say anything, Mickey took off. He ignored the car and stalked his way to the end of the block. Turned the corner and disappeared from view.

  They didn’t run after him or panic. Didn’t have to since Parker had pressed a tracker on Mickey’s suit jacket when he said hello . . . or whatever that was.

  Parker stared into the empty air where Mickey just stood. “He seemed nice.”

  “Niko’s lapdog.” Tasha looked at the GPS on her watch and followed the green dot as it moved along the street grid on her map.

  “He was trying to get you to go after him.”

  “Obvious, right?” Tasha didn’t like that part. Niko wanted a bold move to discredit her. She understood that but coming to the Urals right after they talked about it seemed ballsy even for Niko. “Niko is determined to leave my body in Russia. That much is clear.”

  “Are we worried about that?”

  “No.” Even if she were, she would never show that in front of her men. That was Admin 101 stuff. “Did you enjoy the ride?”

  “I was really enjoying the snowmobile. The helicopter wasn’t as much fun.”

  She’d needed him to get to her fast and be able to head right back out to Reid. That meant emergency transportation. “Be happy I didn’t make you walk.”

  “Blame Reid. He’s the one who dragged me here.” Parker glanced around. “Where’s Caleb?”

  “Holed up in a hotel room running illegal computer programs.”

  Parker nodded. “Hacking.”

  “Apparently that word offends him.” Tasha hadn’t signed up to deal with the Layne siblings, but they kept making her life difficult. “How are Reid and Cara doing?”

  Parker smiled. “He’s injured and she’s driving him crazy.”

  “How crazy?”

  “I like how you skipped over the injured part.”

  “I assume if you were worried about that he would be with you.” A big assumption since Parker seemed to think the entire team was invincible. But getting shot and bleeding out might be an easier road for Reid than dealing with his feelings for Cara. “I’m more concerned with the part where he’s still in love with her.”

  “You figured that out, huh?”

  “It seems that only Cara doesn’t get it.” Tasha knew that wasn’t fair. The Alliance men were not easy. Still, her instincts screamed to protect Reid. To protect all of them. Keep them happy and doing their best work.

  Not that she could speak to what went on behind closed doors. The one thing she had learned on this job was that people were not always what they pretended to be. But she refused to believe Reid fell into that category.

  “You’re not a fan of hers,” Parker said.

  “I actually am. She’s tough and smart. She doesn’t balk about the realities of Reid’s job. She’s had some crap thrown at her and never backed down.” In other words, perfect for Reid. He needed a woman who would challenge him. Cara could be that.

  “But?” The amusement was right there in Parker’s voice.

  “I need him to concentrate on this mission.” Having a team member put more emphasis on handling relationship squabbles than following mission directives was her administrative nightmare.

  “What is the mission exactly?” Parker studied the dot moving on his watch.

  “To find out what the Russians—government sanctioned or not—are hiding in the Urals that’s worth killing people over.” Then get rid of it. The CIA likely had a different strategy, but that was hers.

  Parker lifted his head and took a few steps to get out of the way of a crowd of schoolboys approaching on the sidewalk. “Where does Niko fit in?”

  If anyone else had sent the documentary crew to Russia, Tasha would have found it innocent. But with Niko, a man driven by self-centered motivation, the answer blurred. He had an ulterior motive. And unless the people at the CIA briefing her were lying, and doing it well for a change, no one there knew Niko’s team had anything other than a documentary in mind.

  It looked as if both the CIA and Niko were using the scientific expedition for different reasons. That left it to her and the Alliance to get those scientists out alive. “I’m going to spend the next few days figuring out everyone’s end goal.”

  “What will I be doing?”

  “Helping Reid track down the missing scientists and figuring out who’s holding them. Once we know that, I’ll call in other team members.” They’d already been briefed. When she knew more, so would they.

  Parker shrugged. “There aren’t that many left to find.”

  And Tasha didn’t ignore the human toll. Someone would need to answer for getting so many smart, decent, well-meaning folks killed, and she would make sure that happened. “That’s part of the reason I have Delta team on standby in Germany.”

  “You could bring them in now.”

  “Too many agents on the ground and the CIA will crawl up my ass for messing up their fake scientist scheme.” The last thing she needed was a red tape nightmare.

  The Alliance didn’t have the same restrictions as the CIA or MI6. Her team worked undercover and off the books. Only a few even knew of the team’s existence, but those at the very top of the CIA did, and that made for some awkward in-fighting.

  She didn’t have time for that nonsense. Not when lives were at stake. She’d apologize for stepping on toes and bruising egos after everyone was home safe.

  Parker joined her in leaning against Mickey’s car. “I’m guessing Cara is a CIA plant on the documentary expedition.”

  “I would only know the answer to that if I looked at confidential files I shouldn’t have seen.” The same ones that included mental health and physical evaluations of Cara, as well as a host of security clearance information.

  “So, yes?”

  She liked Parker’s refusal to guess at an answer. “Yes. I hate when we’re out here fighting for information from the same people who are supposed to be on our side.”

  Parker nodded. “Amen to that.”

  “So, let’s clean up the CIA’s mess, neutralize whatever bullshit Niko has planned, and get Cara and whoever is left of her expedition back home again.” Being successful in all of that would result in all sorts of paperwork and meetings and internal investigations, but Tasha didn’t really care. She had a job to do and she would do it.

  “Then Reid can figure out wha
t he’s going to do about her.” Parker shook his head. “He’s not exactly thinking straight right now.”

  Cara had rattled the usually solid agent once before. Had him tied in knots months ago and making uncharacteristic mistakes until a few of his team members took him out on a weekend mountain retreat. Tasha didn’t know what they did back then to straighten him out but she didn’t want a replay of the after breakup mess either. “Any possibility he’s over her?”

  Parker made a face. “Not a chance.”

  “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

  “Yeah, well.” He shrugged. “Love sucks, or so I’ve been told.”

  She smiled. Couldn’t help it since she had a fiancé back at the office in Virginia, barking orders and insisting she travel with backup. “It doesn’t have to.”

  Parker threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Tell Cara and Reid that.”

  “Let’s hope I don’t have to.”

  16

  THE TENT flapped in the strong wind. Cold whipped up around her. She heard a scratching sound. A rip. A tear. She tried to focus. To lift up and stick her head out of the safety of the sleeping bag. She’d bundled in so tight that she could barely breathe.

  The tugging by her feet didn’t stop. She felt a pull then a rough yank. A scream raced up her throat right before pain shot through her head and the world went dark. Time passed, she didn’t know how much, but her body bounced against the ground. The dark night flashed by her.

  Dragged. The thought formed in her head and she struggled to free her arms from the bag. The zipper smacked against her cheek as she struggled to push a hand out.

  “You need to hide.” The harsh whisper echoed around her.

  She opened her eyes to see Cliff hovering over her. Ripped clothes and blood dripping down his arms. Fear mirrored in his eyes.