Unmapped (Treasure Hunter Security #6)

by Anna Hackett

  “Let’s end this,” Peri said.

  Victoria wasn’t making any effort to hide her tracks. She was just running as fast as she could.

  Ronin skirted some rubble, studying the ground. They were closing in on her.

  He glanced over at Peri, who was walking with her sister and helping support Amber. She looked like she’d been dragged through hell. Both women did. His chest tightened. He wanted this mission over, and wanted to get Peri out of here.

  Then he thought about this assignment being over. His jaw worked. He still wasn’t sure what kind of future he had with Peri. She’d opened him up, shone light into the dark parts of his soul. He didn’t want to give her up. Ever. But he knew she deserved far better than him.

  They turned onto another street, and ahead, he saw ice had infiltrated this area of the city. A huge wall of it blocked the way. Toward the top of it were some ledges and tunnel entrances.

  Lady Victoria was at the base of the ice cliff looking up.

  Nowhere to go. A slow smile curved Ronin’s lips. “It’s over, Vicky.”

  The woman spun to face them, her face tight and angry. “Damn you! You ruined everything.”

  Dec took a step forward. “I’m not planning to make your day any better. Hand over the vajra.”

  The Silk Road leader shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if you kill me. The Collector will never stop.”

  “The Collector?” Dec asked with a frown.

  “The true head of Silk Road.” She smiled, and it wasn’t pretty. “He’ll see that you pay for everything THS has done. The Collector will break your business and your family apart, piece by piece.” She lifted a hand, holding the artifact up. “And if I’m going to die, we can all go to hell together.”

  She gripped the vajra with both hands, touching something on it. Suddenly, a blinding light shot out of the device.

  “What the hell?” Logan snarled.

  Every muscle in Ronin went tight. Hell. He lunged toward Peri.

  “She’s activated the vajra!” Dec shouted.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Fuck. Ronin raised his Glock. Beside him, Logan and Dec did the same. They all fired together.

  But nothing reached the woman, the bullets disintegrating in the light.

  It was so bright now, that tears streamed down Ronin’s face. He didn’t know what the hell the device really was, but if it was nuclear, there was nowhere they could run to escape it.

  He dived on Peri. They slammed to the ice, and he wrapped himself around her.

  “Ronin.”

  “I love you, Peri.” He wasn’t losing his chance to tell her.

  Her fingers dug into him. “I love you, too.”

  Amber hunkered down near them, her face pale. Ronin heard Logan groan and Dec curse. When Ronin looked up, through the light he saw Logan had one arm tossed over his face. Dec was trying to move forward, his face contorted with pain.

  Ronin tightened his hold on Peri. Shit, he’d failed her. He couldn’t protect her from this.

  Thwap. The sound cut through the air, and abruptly, the light was extinguished.

  Confused, Ronin watched spots dance in front of his stinging eyes as they adjusted.

  “Fucking hell.” Logan’s voice.

  Ronin lifted his head. Victoria was flopping on the ground, caught in a heavy-duty, black net.

  He looked up and saw a team of people standing on one of the ice ledges above. They were dressed in all-white, cold-weather gear, goggles pulled over their faces. One was holding a net-launcher device.

  The team threw ropes down the ice wall and seconds later, were rappelling down.

  Ronin pushed up, helping Peri to her feet. Her eyes were red and watery. The others all stood as well. They watched the team in white stride over to secure Victoria and the vajra.

  “Amber?” Peri called out.

  “I’m okay.”

  One man broke away from the group, and headed toward them. His cold-weather gear did nothing to hide the big, powerful body beneath. He moved like someone who had honed their body to be a weapon. He stopped and lifted his goggles up on top of his hood. The bottom half of his face was covered by a white bandana, so just his eyes were visible.

  They were a deep amber color.

  Dec stepped forward. “The team in black is the team in white today.”

  “Ward. Thanks for helping us locate a dangerous artifact.”

  “You mean weapon,” Declan said.

  The man in white shot Dec a hard stare. “It doesn’t matter what it’s called. I’m securing it.”

  “Target restrained.” A woman in white came to stand behind the man.

  “Who the hell are these people?” Peri demanded.

  The man lifted a hand. With a start, Ronin realized the man wasn’t wearing a glove and his skin was a bright, silver color. No. Ronin looked harder. The man had some sort of high-tech prosthetic.

  “It’s none of your concern, Ms. Butler.” The man’s voice was deep. “But I assure you, the artifact is in safe hands.”

  “And it’ll be studied,” Dec said with a scowl. “And reverse engineered.”

  “No,” the man replied. “It will be secured. That’s all I can tell you.” He glanced at his team, then stepped back. “We’d be happy to give you a ride back to Aurora Station. We have a helicopter.”

  “We aren’t giving them our find,” Logan growled.

  The man straightened. “I work for the government, Mr. O’Connor. Your government. I’m authorized to take the weapon in.”

  “You fuckers nearly killed Hale and Agent Alexander on the last mission we were involved in,” Dec said.

  Ronin was well aware Dec was still pissed about the drone incident in the Kalahari Desert.

  “That was…a mistake.”

  “And maybe it’s a mistake giving you this artifact, too,” Logan said.

  “Are you going to fight us for it?” the man asked in a silky tone.

  Logan’s hands curled into fists. “We could take you.”

  Ronin tensed, waiting to see what Dec wanted to do.

  Dec sighed, looking tired. “You know what? I want a hot shower, a beer, and then a plane ride back to my wife. So sure. You want a dangerous artifact, it’s yours.”

  “I fucking hate these guys,” Logan grumbled.

  “You did good work today. This could have ended badly.” The man’s gaze connected with Declan’s. “I’m not authorized to tell you this, but we’re called Team 52.”

  Dec raised a brow. “Which tells me nothing.”

  Ronin got the distinct impression the man was smiling behind his bandana.

  “It beats ‘the team in white’ or ‘the team in black’,” the man said.

  Peri grabbed Ronin’s hand. “It’s over?” Her gaze moved to her sister, love and relief on her face.

  “Yeah.” He pulled Peri tight against his side. “Time to go home.”

  The Team 52 woman stepped toward them, also moving in a way that implied she could kill with very little effort. Ronin knew advanced combat training when he saw it.

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to hand over all recording devices, and any images you’ve taken.” Her voice was crisp and no-nonsense.

  “I really want a hot shower and some pain relievers,” Amber said with a moan. “And a triple-shot latte.”

  Peri squeezed her sister’s arm before she turned and pressed her face against Ronin’s chest. “I want to sleep for two days straight.” She leaned into him and lowered her voice. “Care to join me?”

  She’d soon learn that whatever she wanted, whatever she asked of him, the answer would always be the same. “Yes.”

  The trip out of the frozen city went fast with Team 52 escorting them.

  Soon, they were walking across the snow in the weak Antarctic sunlight toward a sleek, white helicopter. The damn thing wasn’t like anything Ronin had seen before and highly modified.

  Ronin helped Peri and Amber inside and they settled in the seats
in back. Up front, another white-suited soldier wearing a mirrored helmet raised a hand in welcome, but didn’t say anything.

  Ronin sat and slung an arm around Peri. She snuggled into him, her gaze on her sister, who had already buckled up and closed her eyes.

  Logan slammed the side door closed. Moments later, they lifted off.

  Ronin stared out the window. He watched the members of the mysterious Team 52 walking around the entrance down into the tunnels beneath the pyramid. But seconds later, they blended in with the ice and snow, and were gone. Then, he stared at the peak of the pyramid until it, too, disappeared from sight.

  “We’ll never hear anything about this city, will we?” Peri whispered. “All that history will be buried.”

  Across from them, Dec shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “There’s important unknown history down there,” Peri said. “History the world should know about.”

  Ronin leaned forward, sliding a hand into his pocket. Making sure his moves were hidden from the pilot, he slid out a small memory card and discreetly showed it to Peri. “Good thing I’m sneaky and very good at hiding things.”

  Peri laughed, a warm sound he’d never get tired of hearing. The others chuckled as well.

  “What about the vajra?” Peri asked.

  Dec sat back against his seat, crossing his hands over his flat stomach. “It might be in the safest place. I don’t like these guys, but Special Agent Burke at the FBI says they’re the good guys. And he respects them.” Dec sighed. “Right now, I’m more worried about telling Mel and her crew about Lars.”

  Ronin pulled Peri closer. Right now, he didn’t care about traitorous scientists, abandoned ice cities, and dangerous artifacts.

  On this mission, he’d found something far more amazing and far more important. And now, he had to work out how to love her and keep her happy.

  “Let’s just go home,” Peri whispered against him.

  “I’d like that.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

  Peri’s fingers dug into the bedcovers in her room at Aurora Station as Ronin powered into her from behind.

  “Deeper,” he growled. His hands clamped her hips, tilting her. On the next thrust of his cock, he hit deep, and a long moan escaped her lips.

  He was so big, thick, and hard inside her.

  “So fucking good, Peri.” His voice was low and thick. “I’m going to fuck you forever. Every day.”

  “Yes.” She thrust back to meet him. Right now, they were warm, safe, and everything was right in her world. Right now, there was only her and Ronin.

  He slammed deep and then covered her body with his, pressing against her back. His mouth found hers and she tilted her head to give him better access. The kiss was wild and rough.

  They were alive, and this was the best celebration of that.

  One of his hands slid under her, skating down her belly. When his fingers brushed her clit, she bit down on her lip to stifle her cries. His hips stopped, and he held himself deep inside her.

  “Don’t stop, Ronin!”

  “I won’t, baby.” His fingers moved down, touching where his cock was lodged. “Just want to feel you stretched so nicely around me.”

  “Ronin, move.”

  “So impatient.” He pulled back and then drove back into her.

  Peri pressed her head against the bed. “Feels so good.”

  “Yes. Say my name, Peri.”

  “Ronin.” She moaned helplessly as he kept pumping into her, pushing back to meet him. “My Ronin.”

  “I love hearing you say my name when I have my cock inside you. Touch your clit, Peri. I want to feel you come on my cock.”

  She followed his order, touching the swollen nub. She moaned again.

  “So damn sexy.” His voice was guttural. “Let me feel you come and then I’m going to fuck you really hard. So you know who you belong to.”

  Another flick of her finger and pleasure battered her in a fierce wave. She cried out his name, everything an assault on her senses—the thick girth of him stretching her, the wash of intense pleasure shaking through her body, the heat pumping off him, the harsh groans escaping him with each hard thrust.

  Then he thrust deep and held himself there, his body shuddering. A groan tore from him and she felt his release pour inside her.

  They collapsed on the bed, his weight pinning her down. She didn’t care. She’d never felt this good and she never wanted to move.

  “Love you, Peri.” His lips pressed to the back of her neck. “Be mine.”

  Warmth burst in her chest. “I already am.”

  “When we get back to Denver…I don’t want to be apart from you.”

  She heard the faint hesitation buried in his voice. She nudged him and had just enough energy to turn to face him.

  “My house is big enough for one sexy former G-Man.” She cupped his face. “We’ve been through a lot in a short period of time—” she felt him tense “—but we both know we have the real deal here. I’m not letting you get away, Ronin.” She snuggled into him. “You’re mine now.”

  He relaxed against her. “I think I’ve been waiting for you my entire life.”

  Darcy Ward raced to finish up for the day. She started shutting down her computer system and then glanced at her watch. She needed to be at Peri and Ronin’s house in time for the barbecue. She was bringing Ronin’s secret gift for Peri.

  Who knew the big, bad, and lethal Coop had a romantic streak?

  The entire THS team was gathering at Peri and Ronin’s to celebrate the successful Antarctic mission, and the fact that they’d rescued Peri’s sister and helped take down another Silk Road top dog. Oh, and helped save the world.

  In the two weeks since the team had returned, everyone’s scratches and bruises had healed, and in the biggest surprise move of all, Ronin Cooper had fallen in love.

  Darcy smiled, shook her head, and tapped some keys on her keyboard. Coop had a surprise planned for Peri today, and Darcy couldn’t wait to see the woman’s face. She was so thrilled to see Coop opening up and completely in love. She paused for a second, staring off into space.

  Her brothers had fallen in love, and with fantastic women Darcy was thrilled to have in the family. Jeez, even Logan had taken the plunge. Why couldn’t Darcy find the right guy?

  Her heels clicked on the concrete floor as she headed over to turn the light in the kitchenette off. She pushed all the silly notions about finding romance away, and in her head, she ran through her plan, instead. She needed to get home and change, then load her car up with all the food and drinks she had for the barbecue, plus the big surprise. She’d put herself in charge of the catering. If that task was assigned to her brothers, they’d end up eating chips and hot dogs. Darcy suppressed a shudder.

  “Darcy?”

  The too-familiar male voice startled her. Her head jerked up, and she saw a rugged face filling one of her screens. A screen she’d just turned off.

  “Burke.” How the hell had Agent Arrogant and Annoying broken into her system? Again. “How did you crack my system?” Annoyance raced through her as she strode across the space. “You might be the FBI, but this time I’m going to have you arrested—”

  His intense, unsmiling face stared at her, his green eyes glittering, even across the screen. “I need you.”

  Darcy’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

  “I need you for a mission,” he said.

  Oh. A mission. Right. “You want to hire THS?”

  The FBI agent nodded. “But this job will require your special skills. On site.”

  What? Darcy dropped down into her chair. She didn’t go into the field. “No.”

  “You owe me, remember. I believe a certain team saved your brother in Antarctica.”

  She sucked in a deep breath. “Tell me.”

  “There’s an exhibit coming up at the Dashwood Museum.”

  Darcy tilted her head. She knew that after the Smithsonian, the Dashwood was one of the most respecte
d museums in Washington DC. “Go on.”

  “A private collection of previously unseen artifacts is going on display. It includes one particular and very special artifact.”

  “Let me guess?” she said. “Something Silk Road wants.”

  Burke nodded. “Yes. Something I believe Silk Road’s Collector won’t be able to resist.”

  The Collector. Since Dec and the others had returned from Antarctica, she’d been running searches on the Collector, trying to find out who the now-sole leader of Silk Road was.

  She crossed her legs. “Can’t you flash your badge at the museum, and be arrogant and annoying—?”

  “They believe their security is good enough, and they haven’t broken any laws.” His tone suggested he wouldn’t mind throwing a few Dashwood employees behind bars. “I’ve convinced them to bring in added security…paid for by the FBI, of course.”

  “Of course.” So THS would go in and provide security for this exhibit. It was something they’d done plenty of times before, although she knew the guys didn’t love standing around museums all day.

  She’d had the unfortunate luck to have dealt with this special agent far longer than she would have liked—Burke always rubbed her the wrong way. That also meant she could read that poker face of his pretty well by now.

  “But it’s more than that,” she said, venturing a guess.

  “I want you to help me set a trap.” His face hardened. “I want you to help me catch the final leader of Silk Road.”

  She straightened, electricity spiking through her. “You’re sure the Collector will want this particular artifact.”

  “Yes.”

  It was an opportunity she knew her brothers wouldn’t want to miss. It was one she didn’t want to miss, even if it meant she had to work side by side with Alastair Burke. “Okay. I need to talk to Dec and Cal first, but they’ll say yes. I’ll help you.”

  “Good.” Fierce satisfaction crossed his face. “How soon can you get to DC?”

  Ronin led a blindfolded Peri up the garden path, ensuring she didn’t trip or stumble.

  “What’s going on?” she said with a laugh.

  “Just a few more seconds.” He maneuvered her over a crooked paver, and made a mental note to fix it when he got a chance. “Ready?”