Rogue (Gladiator Series #2)

by E. L. Todd

  Table of Contents

  ROGUE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Want To Stalk Me?

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  EL’s Elites

  ROGUE

  E. L. TODD

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Fallen Publishing

  Rogue

  Copyright © 2017 by E. L. Todd All Rights Reserved

  Chapter One

  I knew we were in Europe, but I wasn’t entirely certain where. When we left Greece, we turned around and headed north again. Europe was distinctly different than America because it was significantly smaller. The combination of all the countries together still didn’t compare to the entire United States.

  After an hour of flying, we touched down at a beautiful place full of thick trees, grass, and ancient castles that rose against the decay of time. A stone wall as far as the eye could see stretched around one castle in particular.

  My face was pressed to the window while Daniel slept in my arms. After a long session of tears, he grew tired and fell asleep. His dirty blond hair stretched to his eyes, and he had a small hole in the sleeve of his t-shirt.

  Wilder slowly lowered the plane for landing, descending on the sea of green. We didn’t seem to be anywhere appropriate for landing, but I was certain Wilder knew what he was doing. He showed me more than once during our time together.

  Wilder turned to the right then approached the cement runway that had been hidden by trees a moment ago. We seemed to be in the countryside, mixed with the other small towns that surrounded the historic castle that loomed over everything else. “We’re in Carcassonne, France.”

  “France?” I blurted, feeling the excitement run through my veins. “I’ve never been.”

  “It’s a beautiful place.”

  “I can tell. Is this where RB12 is located?”

  “Yep.” Wilder straightened out for the runway then slowly brought the plane to the landing strip. The wheels touched down, and we had a smooth landing, still moving at a remarkable speed. Wilder applied the brakes and slowly brought the plane to a steady speed. He drove it off the runway and to the parking area designated for planes and helicopters. I was surprised to see a few other planes, helicopters, and even a fighter jet.

  “Where did you get these?” I asked.

  “I bought them.”

  “They let you do that?” I doubted the US government willingly parted with such pieces of machinery.

  “For the right price.” He parked in an invisible parking spot then killed the engine. The loud hum of the engine died away, and I could finally talk without having to scream. We exited the plane, Daniel in my arms because he was still asleep.

  “I got him.” Wilder took him from my arms and walked to the large building that was a mile away from the runway. Designed in the same fashion as the castle in the center of Carcassonne, it looked like a French estate rather than the headquarters for RB12.

  “This place looks awesome.”

  “Thanks,” Wilder said. “You’ll feel at home here. We didn’t want to do a bunker style headquarters. Rather hide in plain sight.”

  “I feel like I’m on vacation.”

  He chuckled. “It definitely won’t feel like a vacation soon enough.”

  After a long walk, we approached the back entrance to the estate, but with the massive rounded doors, it could easily be the grand entrance. A disguised keypad was attached to the side, and he quickly punched in a number.

  “Security clearance?”

  “Sort of. We each have a code that tells everyone inside who we are. The door isn’t locked, so it’s not really a key. So if someone wants to catch us off guard, they’ll use equipment to figure out the true code to get inside…but there isn’t one. It basically announces their presence to everyone inside. A nice trick.”

  “That is interesting.”

  Wilder stepped inside with Daniel still in his arms. “But they already know we’re here. They spotted us on the runway.”

  The instant we walked inside, I was immersed in classic French architecture. Instead of feeling like I was on a military base, I felt like French Royalty. Subtle colors of gray, black, and white marked the walls and decor, making it distinctly elegant. I expected a king to cross our path at any moment, a crown upon his head.

  Wilder moved through the large living room, a remarkable kitchen, and extra rooms that didn’t seem to serve any purpose other than appearance. He moved to a painting on the wall to reveal a keypad. He punched in another code, and from the floor to reveal a stairway that opened from the floor where the tile had been. “Follow me.”

  “This place is so cool.”

  He chuckled. “I know it is.” He took the lead down the stairs, walking for minutes before we finally reached an underground bunker. It was dark inside with the exception of the fluorescent lights and muted TV screens that showed maps and the news. “We do most of our operations down here. It goes pretty far underground.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  He stepped into the elevator then adjusted Daniel in his arms.

  I stood beside him and looked down at the peaceful boy who was anxious to be reunited with his father.

  Wilder hit the button, and we descended deep into the earth.

  “How are we going to return him to his father?”

  “We won’t be returning him anytime soon,” Wilder said. “We’ve got to free his father first, which I suspect won’t be easy.”

  The elevator ride was smooth to the bottom, just like an elevator in a luxury resort. Wilder didn’t falter as he held the small child. When I looked at him, I pictured him with his own son, a family. I wasn’t the mother in the scenario, but I did picture happiness in his future. I hoped I wasn’t wrong. “Anything I should know before we walk in there?”

  “No. They know who you are.”

  “They?”

  “Ben will be there.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “Shane is in charge of intel.”

  “What’s he like?” I asked.

  “Shane is a woman,” he said. “And she’s pretty cool. Quiet and keeps to herself. She’s very devoted to her job, and it’s difficult to pull her away from it sometimes.”

  “Cool.”

  “Maxine is one of our stronger agents. She just finished a mission about a week ago, so she’s recuperating.”

  “Anyone else?”

  “Most of the agents are in different locations. Seth should be there too. He’s a good man. Very stubborn and doesn’t listen most of the time—like you. But he’s good at what he does.”

  “I’m excited to be part of the team.”

  The elevator reached the bottom, and the doors opened. The underground bunker looked exactly as I imagined. Everything was gray and made of steel or stone. A curved countertop faced the entrance to the elevators, and a man a few years older than Wilder sat there eating a power bar. “Welcome back, Boss.” His eyes didn’t leave the screen he was looking at. He took another bite and chewed while working the mouse with his other hand.

  “Any news?�
� Wilder carried the small boy to the front of the desk.

  “No, unfortunately.” With thick glasses and a black beard, he looked too muscular to be the nerdy type. He finally flicked his eyes up and looked at me. “Hey, Gray. I’m Kyle. Welcome to the team.”

  “Thanks.”

  He returned to eating his protein bar.

  Wilder and I walked farther inside until we reached a large room with screens on every wall, showing the news stations of different countries around the world. People were seated at their computers, their fingers typing away. “These are our sniper techs. They monitor everything going on in the world, recognizing a threat before it reaches its full potential.”

  “Wow…”

  Wilder walked down the hallway until he reached another section, a small pod of computers. A man sat at one of the computers with a baseball in his hand. He tossed it in the air and caught it without taking his eyes off the screen. “Ben, we’re back.”

  Ben just tossed the ball up again, and a woman sitting beside him caught it. “Glad to see everything went well.” Shane felt the stitching along the side with her thumb. Her black hair was pulled in a ponytail, and she wore black jeans with a black t-shirt. She exuded power like she was a tough chick no one should mess with. “Man, that kid is knocked out.”

  “He’s had a long day,” Wilder explained.

  Ben’s eyes fell on me, and he let out a low whistle. “Day-yum.” He ran his hand through his hair to fix it then jumped out of the chair. “I knew you sounded sexy on the phone.” Ben wasn’t what I was expecting. He was over six feet and muscular like a Navy Seal. He had short brown hair that was just long enough to run his fingers through. With a dimple on each cheek when he smiled, he was seriously hot.

  Wow.

  “Let me introduce myself more properly.” Ben extended his hand, looking down at me with sexy green eyes. “I’m Ben. I’m utterly delighted to make your acquaintance.”

  I shook his hand and felt the heat grow in my stomach. “Thanks for making me feel welcome.”

  “Oh, I’ll definitely make you feel welcome. I’ll take you out to a nice French restaurant. You like cheese and wine, right?”

  “Could you not ask out the new girl the second she walks through the door?” Wilder snapped. He had a short temper sometimes, but I’d never heard him come off that harsh, not even to me when I deserved it.

  “What?” Ben asked. “You told me you weren’t into her, so she’s fair game.”

  Ouch. I wanted to pretend that didn’t hurt, but it did.

  “That’s not what I said,” Wilder countered. “She’s your colleague. Treat her like a human and not a piece of ass.” Wilder adjusted Daniel in his arms and laid him on the leather sofa.

  Ben stayed by my side and rolled his eyes. “He’s always bitchy like that. But I’m sure you already knew that.”

  “Not my first rodeo.”

  He chuckled. “So, how about that wine and cheese?”

  “Well, I do love cheese. If you ever hear someone say otherwise, they aren’t human.”

  “True,” Ben said. “That was actually a test to see if you’re a robot.”

  “Definitely not a robot.”

  “So, is that a yes?”

  I’d never had a guy ask me out the second he laid eyes on me. We usually had a few drinks and a decent conversation. I was flattered because he was a very handsome man. He had a nice smile, kind eyes, and a smokin’ body. “I—”

  “No bullet wounds. No scars.” A tall woman with killer arms emerged from the hallway, decked out in all black with a gun in her holster. Her long brown hair stretched down her chest, and she wore smoky eye makeup that made her look like an actress more than an agent. “I’m impressed.” She moved to Wilder and hugged him, something I didn’t see him do with anyone else.

  I tried not to be jealous because I had no right to be jealous.

  He returned her embrace before he pulled away. “I got shot one time. Give me more credit than that.”

  “How many times have I been shot?” She rested her hand on her hip, giving him an attitude that was naturally sexy.

  Wilder rolled his eyes and seemed amused at the same time. “Don’t jinx it.”

  “How many?” she pressed.

  “None,” he finally answered.

  She poked him in the chest playfully, touching him again when no one else seemed to have that right. “Exactly.”

  Ben placed his arm around my shoulders. “Maxine, we’ve got a new kid.”

  “Kid?” I asked.

  “Everyone is a kid when they’re new.” He kept his arm around my shoulders as he looked down at me, those dimples showing.

  “Nice to meet you.” Maxine walked toward me with her long legs then shook my hand. “If you have any questions, let me know. I’m more than happy to help.”

  “Thanks.” It annoyed me that she seemed like a genuinely nice person. I didn’t have a valid reason to dislike her, other than my misplaced jealousy.

  Maxine returned to Wilder and exchanged a look with him, having a silent conversation no one else could hear.

  I didn’t need to question Wilder about the exchange to know what happened between them. It was as obvious as text written in a book. I knew they weren’t together, but they definitely had a physical relationship behind the curtain.

  I shouldn’t care.

  I had no right to.

  So I wouldn’t.

  ***

  Daniel walked into his new bedroom at the chateau then sat on the solid ground. He took a look at the twin sized bed then the toy box against the opposite wall. He yanked the lid off and immediately started examining the contents.

  “Do you mind taking him under your wing?” Wilder asked as he stood beside me in the hallway.

  “Babysitting, you mean?”

  “If that’s what you want to call it.”

  I didn’t come here to babysit, but I was worried about Daniel. He was in a new place with strangers. Most kids wouldn’t have been as brave as him. “Yeah, sure.”

  Wilder obviously expected me to object. His look softened once I gave my answer. “Your room is across the hall. That way you guys can be close to one another.”

  I eyed the open doorway that led to a bedroom twice the size of Daniel’s. “That’s great. Wouldn’t mind a shower.” I was doing my best to forget about Maxine and her obvious claim on Wilder. She probably gave him exactly what he wanted, regular physical intimacy without the commitment. She was an agent too and probably shared the same philosophy.

  “I need to take care of some paperwork and what not. I haven’t been back in a while. But call me if you need anything.” He began to walk away, his two guns sitting in the gun holster with the straps that wrapped around his shoulders. In the black t-shirt he wore, his body screamed with strength.

  “Wilder?”

  “What’s up?” He turned back around and looked at me with those pretty blue eyes.

  “Are we going to have a plan soon to get Daniel’s father back?” It seemed like Daniel’s mother was no longer in the picture. If we didn’t get his father back, he wouldn’t have anyone. We obviously had bigger problems to worry about, like the pulse that could be turned into a deadly weapon, but I’d always had a soft spot for kids.

  “We’ll figure that out soon. Now that we’ve taken Daniel they’ll be on their guard.”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  Wilder turned around and walked away. When he turned the corner, he was no longer visible in my line of sight. Once he was gone, I thought about the reality of my situation. I’d fallen for a guy who was the biggest manwhore I’d ever met. He wouldn’t change—especially for me. It was time I started to look at him as a friend—and only a friend.

  I stepped inside Daniel’s bedroom and watched him play with the Lego’s he found. “I’m gonna take a shower, Daniel. I’ll be right across the hall if you need me.”


  He didn’t take his eyes off his hands. “Okay.”

  ***

  I kept my bedroom door opened and sat by the window as I searched the web on my computer. Now that I was no longer a prisoner, I had the privilege of using the Internet once again. There had been several articles mentioned about my disappearance. There was still an active investigation into my whereabouts. It said my father had gone missing as well, so police assumed the two of us were together.

  Knuckles rapped against my open doorway. “Hey, Cutie.”

  I looked up to see Ben standing in my doorway. “Hey, Dimples.”

  “Dimples, huh?” He grinned. “You like my smile?”

  “Best smile I’ve ever seen.”

  “Yeah, I get that a lot.” He brushed off his shoulder then stepped inside. “So you wanna have that date?”

  “Right now?” I hadn’t even been there for an afternoon.

  “Girl’s gotta eat, right?”

  My stomach automatically rumbled in response. “I am hungry. But honestly, I don’t have any money. I’ve kinda been Wilder’s prisoner for the past few months.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I don’t let my dates pay for their dinner anyway. Let’s go.”

  We were in the south of France, and I was so eager to enjoy it. I never thought I would travel to such a romantic country. “Absolutely. But I’m in charge of Daniel…” He was only eight years old, so I couldn’t leave him alone.

  “Shane is down the hall. I’ll ask her to keep an eye on him for a few hours.”

  “Great.” I set my laptop on the bed and walked out with him, excited for a dozen reasons. He handed Daniel off to Shane, and we walked into the garage and got inside a black two-seater car. The engine roared to life the second it was on, and we headed onto the main road surrounded by trees and deep green grass.

  I stared out the window and enjoyed the view, the hills with European houses sprinkled along the scenery. The sky was the same sky I’d stared at my whole life, but it looked so different in a new place. It was much brighter than I’d ever seen it.

  After a short drive, Ben pulled into a small village sitting inside a valley. He parked on the cobbled street, and we walked together along the small shops. Couples of different ages were out, holding hands and smiling as they enjoyed their evening. I could smell cheese and fine foods in the air.