Leather, Lace and Rock-N-Roll

by Mia Dymond

  There was slight movement between his legs. Oh, hell, no. He refused to sit there and discuss panties with her. Especially since he wondered if she wore any.

  “I don’t wear panties, Hot Shot,” he tossed back at her.

  The sexy little smirk she gave him before she spoke actually made him second guess his admission. “What do you wear?”

  “Nothing.”

  When her mouth fell open for a split second, he thought he might have actually shut her up. Except when her pouty lips curled into a vampy blood-sucking smile, he knew better.

  “Me either.”

  Every single ounce of his military training came into play as he demanded discipline from his body.

  Un-freaking-believable.

  Only the buzzer from the intercom spurred him to action. He reached to press the button. “Yeah?”

  “Steele and Shadow,” the voice on the other end answered. “5842.”

  Cameron tilted her head to one side. “That’s not the code I used.”

  “I know.”

  “Why?”

  “I know everything.”

  She snorted. “Sure you do. Why does the gate open with two codes?”

  “Five.”

  “Five security codes?”

  He nodded. “I reprogrammed the system. Each code is assigned to a different individual.”

  “You are a major overachiever.”

  He shrugged and headed back to the front door.

  Steele ambled inside with his usual carefree smirk. “Captain.”

  Max closed the door and turned. “Living room’s this way.”

  Max led Steele and Shadow to the living area. “Have a seat. As soon as Hawke gets down here, we’ll talk strategy.”

  Steele’s eyes widened.

  “Watch yourself.” Max gestured for him to sit in a vacant chair. “She’ll chew you up and spit you out.”

  Cameron narrowed her eyes on him. “You’re such a sweet talker.”

  He let his lips curl into a mocking grin. “Am I wrong?”

  Max prepared himself for a full frontal attack when she simply shrugged and sat back down on the sofa. Hell. The silence wasn’t good.

  She finally folded her arms across her chest. “Nice to see you again, Brett.”

  “Holy shit,” Shadow mumbled.

  Max turned and pinned Steel with an icy stare. “You know her? How the hell do you know her?”

  “We met at the coffee shop,” Cameron said.

  “She made him, Captain,” Shadow chimed.

  “Leave him alone, Terminator.”

  Steele’s jaw dropped.

  Shadow snickered. “Well I’ll be damned.”

  Steele cleared his throat. “I expected more of a crowd when we came in.”

  “Diablo PD cleared everybody out last night. We haven’t been out yet today. My vote is we stay in.”

  Cameron snorted. “Like that’s gonna happen.”

  Max turned and raised an eyebrow in question.

  “The calendar,” she answered.

  He frowned. “Calendar?”

  “You know, the thing that keeps track of months and days?”

  “What about it?”

  “Your brain must be the size of a peanut. The photo shoot at the fire station is scheduled today.”

  “Re-schedule.”

  Cameron folded her arms across her chest and both eyebrows met over her eyes. “No.”

  Max heard Steele suck in a hard breath. Shadow sat frozen. The tick of a clock somewhere near counted the seconds it took to keep him from turning her across his knee and paddling her until her ass was a bright, cherry red. His cock ached just thinking about it. And then just when he was ready to react, Hawke and Rachel saved him from total humiliation.

  Max took one look at Hawke and knew the earth was about to shake. “You told her.”

  Hawke nodded as he and Rachel walked down the stairs. “She knows.”

  As expected, Cameron spoke next. “Knows what?”

  Max turned his attention to Rachel. “You want to tell her?”

  Rachel limped to the sofa and sat next to Cameron. “No, you can explain. I’m not sure I really believe it myself.”

  Max raised an eyebrow at Hawke.

  “I did the best I could,” Hawke mumbled.

  Max folded his arms across his chest and briefly summarized the mission. When he finished, it took him two full seconds to realize the room was bathed in silence. He stole a glance at the two women, amazed that one in particular hadn’t initiated a full frontal attack.

  Hawke broke the momentary peace. “Captain, she wants us to use her as bait.”

  “Are you crazy?” Cameron squealed. “He’s a terrorist.”

  “We haven’t confirmed he’s in Diablo,” Shadow said.

  “Wait an everloving minute.” Cameron cocked her head to the side. “You guys are SEALs? And Sean Pirelli and the band? And Greg?”

  Shadow snickered. “Hell, no.”

  “Just us,” Steele explained. “Hawke’s cover has really given us one helluva wild ride. The band is really a band. And just like a real diva, Hawke has a manager and people. The only difference is they don’t know anything about us or that Hawke is a SEAL.”

  “And it needs to stay that way. The mission is top secret and now a matter of life and death.”

  Max braced himself for the next round.

  “And you are in charge?”

  Max stood his ground. “Yeah.”

  “So, you’re responsible if anything happens to Rachel?”

  He knew better than to avoid an answer. Besides, that wasn’t a question, rather a full-fledged threat. “Something like that.” Max ran a hand across the top of his head. “There is no doubt in my mind that Diego is in Diablo. I hate to break up the party, but I think it would be best to reschedule your fundraiser.”

  “No.” Rachel and Cameron answered in unison.

  Max’s palm itched and he rubbed it against his thigh.

  “Hawke and I discussed this, Max.” Although Rachel spoke softly, her determination barreled through. “I won’t hide.”

  Max glanced at the wound on her thigh, now circled with ugly shades of red and purple. “What if it’s worse next time?”

  Rachel’s face paled and just when he prepared to drive his point home, the mouth beside her jumped in.

  “If you’re half the bodyguard you claim, there won’t be a problem.”

  Steele’s eyes resembled saucers. Shadow inhaled a slow breath. Hawke just shook his head. And Max knew she’d managed to push him to his limit. All that sass was too much for one man. Except there were now four witnesses. Four witnesses who wouldn’t hesitate to give him hell if he caved.

  Very slowly, he forced his angry retort into hibernation and then injected calm into his voice. “If I agree to this, and I did say if, we do things my way.”

  And of course someone had something else to say.

  The blond lioness shot him the evil eye. “If you let her get hurt one more time, I’ll have your head on a platter.”

  Max swallowed hard. Normally, he’d write that off as dramatic overreaction. Except one look into those incredibly sexy, narrowed eyes told him she wasn’t issuing an idle threat. And, it probably wasn’t his head she’d go after.

  Shit.

  He glanced at Steele and Shadow, fidgeting like school boys on their first date. His balls started to shrivel.

  Max straightened his shoulders. “Here’s how this is going to go down. Re-schedule the event in a couple of days. We’ll use the time to review strategy and make absolutely sure Diego knows the specifics.” He glanced at the hellcat on the sofa. “No one, and I mean no one, leaves this house without an escort.”

  He fully expected the next challenge. “Excuse me, Sergeant Slaughter, but I have clients to see.”

  “Uh, Captain.” Steele finally spoke. ““I could go with her.”

  Max clenched down on his back teeth so hard he almost bit his tongue. Damn, damn, d
amn, just … damn. Whether it was desperation to shut her up or pure stupidity, Max issued his final ultimatum. “I’ll go with you.”

  He glanced back at Rachel. “Does anyone know about this?”

  “Just the fire department and the fundraising committee as far as I know. We agreed to keep it as quiet as we could. No one expects Hawke to be there.”

  Max ignored the sinking feeling in his gut. Hopefully Hawke knew what the hell he was getting them all into. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  In the corner of the Diablo firehouse garage, Hawke stood braced against a fire pole surrounded by Shadow, Max, and Steele, watching the action behind tinted lenses and wondering why the hell he’d been so agreeable. The area appeared to be perfectly safe for the event. The two largest fire engines, both ladder trucks, had been parked side by side directly in front of the garage. This kept wandering eyes, or cameras, out and provided a discreet photography back drop. Diablo Police Department officers stood guard outside the area. Swat team snipers lined the tops of adjacent buildings. Though the whole operation reeked of military genius, Hawke knew that if Diego wanted Rachel bad enough, he would find a way to test the barriers.

  Inside the perimeter however, things were a whole lot different.

  Rachel’s rich auburn hair tumbled carelessly down her back as she tossed her head and positioned the first fireman against a freshly-waxed fire engine. He watched through narrow eyes as her dancing fingertips filled the ridges of the man’s sculpted muscles with oil. Hawke released a long sigh. He had no other choice but to size up the competition with pained tolerance. The whole place was thick with testosterone and it was directed at his woman. Even if she was totally pissed off at him right now, she was still his.

  Hawke peeled his eyes off Rachel long enough to glance at Max. “Thanks, Captain.”

  “Don’t thank me yet, Hawke, we can’t keep the media out for long. I give it an hour tops.”

  “Maybe it won’t take that long.”

  Max rubbed the back of his neck. “Tell me why we’re here again.”

  “Moral support,” Hawke mumbled.

  “Damn.” Shadow whistled low under his breath. “How much oil does he need?”

  Hawke lifted his sunglasses and tossed Shadow a menacing stare.

  “At least she’s safe,” Steele added.

  “Steele,” Max growled, “you’re not helping.”

  Hawke stiffened as Rachel ran her hands over her victim’s body for the umpteenth time.

  “Mr. August,” Max reminded him.

  “I remember,” Hawke spat through gritted teeth.

  Shadow chuckled. “Cameron looks happy herself.”

  “Screw you,” Max muttered.

  “Okay, Rick.” Rachel lifted her hands from Rick’s glistening skin. “Any more oil and you’ll shine brighter than the truck.”

  She positioned Rick against the steps leading to the top of the fire truck and looped a hose around one of his biceps. “What do you think, Cameron?”

  Cameron aimed her camera at Rick. “More abs.”

  Rachel braced her hand on her hip, twisted her lips, then pointed to his abdomen with her free hand. “Are you tan down there?”

  Rick cast an uneasy glance at Hawke. “Most of the way.” Hawke returned a brutal and unfriendly stare.

  Rachel shrugged, unsnapped Rick’s pants, and wiggled them low on his hips.

  Hawke growled low in his throat and turned his attention to Max, who stood morbidly quiet. With his arms crossed across his massive chest, Captain Sterling appeared deadly, ready and willing to snap someone’s neck.

  When Hawke glanced back at the truck, he fully understood Max’s unspoken discomfort. With her signature high heels planted six inches apart on the cement slab and slightly bent at the waist, Cameron swiveled her hips to capture each side of Rick’s physique and clicked several more pictures. The hem of her short skirt bounced against the back of her thighs.

  Shadow snickered beside them.

  “You have something to say, Shadow?” Max challenged.

  Hawke watched Shadow’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “No.”

  “Come here, Rick.” Cameron waltzed toward the half-naked civil servant. “I’ll hold your hose while you climb the ladder.”

  Hawke’s eyes widened. Did she mean that like it sounded? Or was he so damn turned on by this whole thing he heard wrong? He held his breath and looked at Max. Not a clue.

  “Next victim,” Cameron sang, handing Rachel the camera while she picked up the bottle of oil.

  Rachel set down the camera and glanced at Hawke. One look into her eyes told him exactly what he wanted to know. She still felt the brunt of his betrayal and he was helpless to change her mind.

  Hawke released a heavy breath as she turned her attention back to the bronzed muscle next to her. What the hell did he hope to accomplish by this? He checked his watch, nervous as a whore in church about how this mission would play out.

  Cameron tilted her head to one side and glanced at Max. “We’re short a month.”

  Max shifted his weight. “In your dreams.”

  “Too hot out here for you?”

  Max gave his head a slight nod. “Something like that.”

  She shrugged and glanced at Steele. “What about you, Brett?”

  Hawke expected Steele to oblige but one sideways look from Max changed that. “No thanks, Cameron.”

  Cameron headed back to the fire trucks and then stopped to cast a catty smile over her shoulder at Max. “Wuss.”

  Before Hawke or anyone else could react to Cameron’s challenge, tires screeched against the heated pavement and doors slammed in the quiet afternoon. Flashes of light bounced off the fire trucks. Policemen barked orders through bullhorns.

  “Cat’s out of the bag,” Max drawled.

  Shadow frowned. “Did Huntington call in a press release?”

  Hawke shook his head. “No. Are you sure it’s media?”

  Shadow left the area and crawled the ladder of one of the trucks. After hesitating only a few seconds at the top, he climbed down and returned. “A whole shitload of news vans out there.”

  “Rachel.” Max signaled for her to come closer. She handed the camera to Cameron and stepped next to Hawke. “You and Hawke talk to them out front. Keep it brief. If Diego makes a move, he only needs a few seconds.”

  Rachel paled and Hawke prepared to scoop her from the pavement. Instead, she cleared her throat and nodded.

  Max looked back at Hawke. “Snipers at ten and two,” he continued. “He’ll have to dance to get a clear shot. I’ll be on your ass. If he wants in, he’ll have to come through the blockade.”

  Hawke glanced at Rachel. Her fingers shook as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “You sure you’re still mad enough to do this?”

  Daggers flew from her emerald gaze as she answered. “Of course.”

  Hawke balled his fists until the muscles in his fingers protested. “Let’s get this over, Max.”

  All action in front of the camera stilled. Fireman lounged against the trucks almost if they appreciated the interruption. Even Cameron stood quiet. Hawke grasped Rachel’s elbow and lead her around the safety of the barriers until they stood in front of the crowd.

  Hawke painted on an undercover smile as he glanced around the area. Reporters thrust microphones in his face and fired questions as cameramen shouldered their equipment and rolled tape.

  Where are you, you son-of-a-bitch?

  Hawke took a calming breath and wrapped a hand low on Rachel’s waist. “Rachel is responsible for this event, ladies and gentlemen. She can answer your questions much better than I.”

  Rachel gave him a small smile then turned to address a reporter in front. Hawke listened to Rachel’s soft, silky voice in one ear and kept his other one trained on the activity around them. Considering the media circus, no one seemed out of place. And true to Captain Sterling’s word, snipers waited on rooftops, scopes t
rained on the area.

  And then someone had to screw the plan.

  Hawke smelled her before he caught a glimpse of her ducking under the yellow tape in front of the crowd. Perfume, strong and sickening sweet, assaulted his nostrils until his eyes watered. He glanced at Max. Max raised a hand to one ear and spoke in a low, almost inaudible tone. “Stand down.”

  Max took two steps to the left and snatched Monica Kensington by the elbow. Her eyes widened when Max whispered something in her ear.

  Hawke turned back to Rachel and waited for her to finish speaking before he squeezed her to his side. “And now we have to get back to the shoot. Thank you.”

  He hustled Rachel back behind the fire trucks before he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Three seconds later, Cameron sunk her claws into Monica before either he or Max could get a word in.

  “Care to explain why you slithered in here, Monica?”

  “No reason.” Monica tossed her head. “I was driving by and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

  Cameron narrowed her eyes. “More like you wanted to see if you could take credit for this.”

  “Now, now Cameron dear, you mustn’t be so suspicious. I thought I might be able to help with the media.”

  “So helpful you ducked right under the tape,” Cameron drawled.

  Hawke raised his eyebrows. Pretty smart chick. Obviously, Cameron knew Monica’s m.o.

  Rachel released a sigh and placed a hand on Cameron’s forearm. “We appreciate your concern, Monica, but as you can see, Cameron and I have everything under control.”

  Monica sneered. “Are you sure? You know the wealth of my influence.”

  Although Rachel didn’t advertise it, Hawke didn’t miss the sarcasm laced in her response. “I’m well aware of your professional recognition but we’re doing just fine.”

  “I—”

  “Monica, give it a rest already.” Cameron snorted. “We don’t need you.”

  Hawke bit his lip and glanced at Max.

  “C’mon.” Max dragged Monica by the elbow to the back door of the garage. “Out.”

  Monica’s shrill voice echoed off the walls until the door slammed.

  “Good riddance,” Rachel mumbled.

  Hawke smirked. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Did you see him?”