by Taylor Lee
Ian nodded. “Which is of course but only two of the assignments we have given to the delectable Sapphire.”
It wasn’t necessary for Ian to detail the rest of Sapphire’s assignments, they’d gone over them as a group so many times. But some vicious demon inside of him, the one that seemed to have made it his mission to keep Jase from taking deep breathes and ensuring that bile would reside permanently in his throat, made Jase tick off the rest.
“In addition to tracking the girls that we know have to be hidden somewhere off site, Sapphire must now get the intel on the auction. When, where, who will attend. Also what is the bidding process?” He added with a bitter snort, “And of course to do all of that she will need to worm her way into Roberto Ventrilo’s bad graces and ensure that he takes her as his own or, God forbid, decides to promote her as the bonus prize at the auction.”
None of his three friends was cruel enough to articulate that the likely scenario was that Roberto would do both. Attempt to take her as his own, and when he was done with her, sell her to the highest bidder.
Ian’s voice was soft, firm. “Remember, Jase. That’s what Sapphire has been trained to do. Just as we men have been trained to ensure that she will have the backup she needs to guarantee her safety.”
Noah and Grayson mumbled their agreement, but neither bothered to hide the concerned glances they were sending in Jase’s directions. Ian rose to his feet signifying that the meeting was over. As he walked Noah and Grayson to the door, he turned to Jase with a questioning frown.
“Do you have a minute, Jase? I have a few particulars I’d like to discuss.”
Jase snorted to himself. It wasn’t hard to guess what Ian wanted to “discuss.” Obviously, Noah and Grayson would have told Ian about the scene at Sapphire’s condominium. It was their duty to do so. Jase knew it, and had planned to raise it with Ian. While there weren’t written rules about relationships between team members, it was a given that sex was incendiary in any circumstance and a guaranteed time bomb when it involved a commander and his team member. He settled back in his chair and took a long drag off his cigar, willing the fragrant smoke to calm his rickety nerves.
After Ian ushered the two agents out the door, he walked over to his elaborate bar and unlocked the center panel. Rummaging among a number of ornate bottles, he withdrew one and held it up for Jase. Jase jerked back in surprise. He wasn’t a Scotch maven like Ian was, but he damn well knew good whiskey. He recognized the 1956 Highland Park single single malt liquor Ian held in his hand as one of the world’s great Scotch whiskeys. As Ian opened the bottle and reached for a couple glasses, Jase whistled appreciatively.
“Daaamn, Ian. I didn’t know that stuff existed in real life, much less that I’d ever taste it. Sure as hell hope that one of those glasses is for me.” With a hard thought that this might be the way that Ian was going to grease his intention, pull him off the mission, Jase added cautiously, “Although I’m not sure I want to know the reason for your generosity.”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Ian’s mouth. Striding to the table he placed the ostentatious bottle and two crystal Copita nosing glasses in front of Jase. Sinking into the chair across from Jase, he said with a nonchalant shrug,
“It isn’t every day that I engage in a conversation worthy of a $5,000 bottle of Scotch.”
Jase heaved an audible sigh.
“And this conversation qualifies?”
Ian nodded. His troubled sigh sounded as heartfelt as Jase’s had been.
“Yes, my friend. I have a feeling that it more than qualifies.”
He carefully poured precisely one and a quarter inches of the aromatic liquor into each of the specialty glasses and handed one to Jase. Deciding that, if nothing else, he was going to enjoy this premier libation, Jase reached for the glass and touched Ian’s glass in response to his host’s unspoken toast. Raising the glass to his face, Jase inserted his nose past the rim of the tulip shaped glass and breathed in. The intense aroma that exploded over his senses was almost shocking. He eased back to allow the sensations to settle somewhat. Swirling the liquid against the fine crystal he marveled in the sparkling array of amber, gold and silver colors. Pressing his nose once again into the nosing glass, he prepared to take a sip. The taste of the libation was almost as potent as the aroma.
For the next several moments, neither Jase nor Ian spoke. Their silence confirmed that it would be a travesty to spoil the extraordinary experience of smelling and tasting the inimitable liquor with words. Eventually Ian broke the silence.
“I will confess that I never thought I would be having this conversation with you, Jase. Even after Diamond insisted that I warn you.”
Jase started and frowned.
“Diamond warned you? About me? Why? What did she say?”
Ian gave a casual shrug.
“Not to put too fine a point on it, she said to tell you to keep your gun holstered. More specifically, although less colorfully, she said that when it came to her blonde-haired, voluptuous agent, that you damn well better keep your pants permanently zipped or you’d be dealing with her.”
Chapter 22
Jase’s momentary incredulity quickly flared to anger. Shoving at what was certain to be a heated response he forced himself to take a deep breath and aimed for humor. The edge in his voice was apparent even to him.
“I’m surprised, Ian, that Riley Davis thinks it’s necessary to have a go between rather than talking to me directly about her concerns.” He added dismissively, “Frankly, I’m more surprised that Diamond Legree, as she is known in the field, would care if Roberto Ventrilo or Jase Malone was hot for one of her agents. Particularly Sapphire, who she has been riding hard. Hell, Diamond all but fired Sapphire, in front of God and country, and didn’t seem to give a shit how that might have embarrassed her, even hurt her.”
Ian disagreed. “You’re not giving Diamond enough credit, Jase. You’d be surprised how protective she is about her ‘girls.’ If anything, she seems most protective about Sapphire. I think it’s because Gabriella reminds her of herself. They are both beautiful, strong, opinionated women. Like Sapphire, Diamond has put up with a bunch of shit from the assholes who are determined to put her in her place.” He added with a sneer, “That place being on her back, or, better yet, on her knees.”
Stunned at Ian’s cavalier description, Jase tried to convince himself that it would be unwise to give in to his need to drive his fist into Ian’s patrician nose. He glared at him instead. His voice was low, rippling with anger.
“I’m surprised that you consider Riley’s behavior toward Sapphire ‘protective,’ Ian. In my mind, bullying is a better description. That said, it’s time for me to leave. The fact that Riley, and apparently you, think that I’m simply another of those overbearing assholes out to humiliate and use Sapphire as a one night stand is a charge I’m not willing to dignify with an answer.”
Jase shoved the glass filled with the exotic liquor across the table, resisting the impulse to throw the hundreds of dollars of Scotch in Ian’s face. He settled for knocking his chair over as he stood hastily then strode toward the door.
Ian’s quiet command stopped him.
“Jase, come back. Now, man. Please. Sit down. Christ, Jase. You can’t leave like this.”
Jase halted and closed his eyes, not wanting to give in to the mix of wrath and pain that had him in a vise, made it impossible to take a deep breath. Ian’s soft appeal brought him back to his senses.
Drawing on years of good will between the two of them, Ian was persuasive. “C’mon, buddy. You know that isn’t what either Riley or I think about you. Please, Jase, come back here and sit down. We need to talk.”
Jase stood silently for a long moment then, with a deep sigh, reluctantly returned to the table. Picking up the overturned chair he smacked it down with a bang then sank into it. He was surprised that the sorrow racking him was stronger than his anger. In fact his biggest concern was how to hide his pain from Ian. It turned out
he didn’t have to.
Ian reached over and poured a generous portion of Scotch in both of their glasses. He waited until Jase met his gaze then held up his glass in an appeal for accord. Jase nodded his agreement and took a healthy swallow of the outrageous Scotch. He almost choked on the explosion of flavor surging through his mouth. So much for savoring the nectar of the alcohol gods, he thought with a disgusted snort. He forgave his uncouth behavior, deciding that this moment called for uncivilized actions. He was grateful that the burn from the potent liquor was so intense, it blasted through some of his torment. But enough was left that he still felt like he’d gone ten rounds in the MMA ring with Fabrício Werdum.
Ian’s words caught him off guard.
“Well, I guess I don’t have to ask if your feelings for the delectable Sapphire are real. Hell man, the pain I see in your eyes is definitely not the response I would expect from an arrogant asshole on the prowl.”
Jase let the silence stand for several long moments taking an occasional sip of Scotch. When he thought he had control over his emotions, he met Ian’s penetrating gaze and shrugged.
“Christ, Ian. I think I’m falling for her.”
Ian started and sat up straighter in his chair not bothering to mask his incredulity.
“As in…love?”
“Believe it or not, that is just what I said to her.” Jase snorted and took another sip of the Scotch that thankfully was getting smoother, less violent, by the mouthful. “I told her that I was falling in love with her.”
He shook his head in disgust, remembering Sapphire’s reaction to his bombshell remark. He glanced at Ian and seeing the disbelief in his expression, Jase sniffed. “Yeah, she looked like you do now. Then she laughed. Said that’s what you would do if I ever told you what I said to her.”
Ian was thoughtful. “Please note, Jase that I’m not laughing. Just as I find it hard to believe that Sapphire laughed. Face it, man, coming from you that is quite a statement. No one could have mistaken it for a joke.”
When Jase just shook his head, Ian was quiet for a moment then said carefully, “However, I can understand why she might question the word.”
Jase snapped. “What? You think lust is a better word? No doubt you’re right, Ian. Lust is probably a better word to describe the hard on I’ve had since I first saw that damn video of her taking down those badass Cartel members. Christ, man, each one of those goons was twice her size and heavily armed!”
He shook his head and sighed. “Yeah, my ‘condition’ could, and, probably should, be called lust. The problem is—and you know this as well as I do, man—I’ve been in lust plenty of times. Hell, almost every goddamn night of the year.”
Settling back in his chair, Jase rubbed a weary hand over his eyes, wanting to block out the concerned expression on his friend’s face. Christ, he knew he looked and sounded like a basket case. But, something bigger and more powerful than his usual iron tight control made him want to talk about it, bare his soul. See if making a fool of himself with Ian would help him sort through the emotions that were threatening to plunge him into despair.
He met Ian’s gaze with a grim, mirthless smile.
“I’ll admit it, man. I do feel lust for her. Christ, how could I not? You’ve seen her. You know as well as I do what is under those sexy clothes she wears and that dismissive, ‘I’m not available so back off, asshole,’ vibe that she sends out. How the fuck am I supposed to resist that? Hell, for a self-described hound dog like me, everything about the woman is kryptonite.”
Jase guffawed. “Do I lust for her? Does a dog have fleas? Do hurricanes have big winds? Does thunder follow lightening? Hell, yes, I lust for her.”
His voice roughened. “I don’t care how ridiculous this sounds, Ian, but that woman has touched me in ways and places no woman ever has. I don’t know if it’s because she is so strong, so accomplished or because she is so damn vulnerable. All I can tell you is that at some primal level she and I are responding to each other in a way that I never have with another woman.”
Thankfully, Ian was thoughtful, not amused or dismissive. Jase didn’t know how he could have handled a smartass, offhand response. “Trust me, Jase, I don’t question your sincerity or the depths of your feelings for Sapphire. She is an extraordinarily beautiful and accomplished woman. And, yes, you’re right about her being vulnerable. Both Diamond and I see that in her as well. Which is why—”
Jase interrupted him harshly. “Which is why Diamond ordered me to keep my pants zipped and stay away from her precious Faberge Egg agent. I get it, Ian. Obviously Riley is smarter and more perceptive than I gave her credit for.”
He gave a rueful sigh. “Would that I had been man enough to behave the way that I should have. The way that I have behaved in every damned mission I’ve led. Christ, Ian, you know me. I’m a stickler on maintaining professional relationships with the members of my team.”
Jase rose to his feet and began pacing across the room. He was now getting to the heart of his anxiety. Doing the best he could to tamp down his agitation, he appealed to his colleague.
“You know how important it is for a commander to be in control of a mission. Even one less dangerous than this one. Fuck, we are dealing with a psychopathic sadist. One who beheads his enemies and chokes young girls to death in front of an audience!”
He whirled and faced Ian. “And what are we doing? We’re using a beautiful young woman as bait to take him down. If that isn’t outrageous enough, now her commander, the one she and all of you trust to keep her safe, is struck by an engorged prick and doesn’t know if he can allow her to do her job or that he can protect her while she does.”
Resuming his tortured pacing Jase dragged his hands through his tousled hair then stopped and took a deep breath. Forcing his voice to be calm, he tried to explain the issues that were tearing him apart.
“The long and short of it, Ian, is that I truly don’t know if I can let Sapphire do this. Not because she isn’t capable. Hell, we couldn’t have found a tougher more accomplished warrior. Add to that, she is the prototype of the woman Roberto craves. But, dammit, it isn’t her I’m worried about. It’s me! Frankly I don’t know if I can do everything I need to do to make this mission work. My job is to put her in Ventrilo’s path. Taunt him with the fact that she’s mine and encourage him to make a play for her. And when he does, as he surely will, I’m supposed to concede and let him take her off somewhere and do God knows what. Meantime we’ve just learned that there’s going to be an international white slave auction run by Caligula’s damn doppelganger. And you and I know without a doubt, that Sapphire will become the prize filly at that hideous auction.”
Ian put his elbows on the table and rested his cheek against his fist. After a long moment he looked up and nodded as if coming to an important conclusion.
“I’ve got it, Jase. First, man, let’s deep-six any idea either of us might have about taking Sapphire off the team. We both know that isn’t going to happen. One, she doesn’t deserve to be pulled. She’s worked hard to achieve this level of work. Besides, Diamond would have my balls in a vise if we even suggested it.”
When Jase hesitated then nodded in agreement, Ian continued.
“Two, in a crazy way, this agitation of yours can be productive. We can take advantage of it. If anything, we can amp it up!”
Ignoring Jase’s disbelieving snort, Ian persisted.
“Don’t you get it, Jase? Your role has always been to act like a besotted lover who has found the woman of his dreams. Given what a competitive prick he is, you knew that your infatuation would only heighten Roberto’s need to go after her. Forgive me if I sound callous, but your angst can only add to the role that you planned to play. Not to be cynical, but you can use all this romantic fervor to your advantage. And frankly to Sapphire’s advantage. She will be able to point to your overwrought behavior as the reason that she is willing to go with Roberto. To get away from your overbearing possessiveness, if nothing else. Follow?”
“Of course, Col. Ross, you are correct. If anything I’m likely to be more convincing in my role than I usually am. The fact that I’m in love with Sapphire, and close to crazy with possessive fear, should serve to make the mission more likely to succeed.”
When Ian frowned as if questioning his seeming agreement, Jase added, “Of course, that presumes that I don’t cut off the son of a bitch’s dick with my k-bar and shove it up his ass the first time that he so much as smiles at Sapphire.”
Ian startled and then allowed a slow smile to spread across his face. In an amused understatement, he agreed.
“Well, yes, Commander Malone, a successful mission does, at the very least, assume that.”
Chapter 23
Sapphire yanked off her leather sparring gloves and tossed them to the floor. She didn’t have to look in the mirrored wall of her full-sized workout room to know that she was flushed and drenched with sweat. No mystery why: she’d been pounding the bag with her fists and feet for over an hour. Her brief breaks from attacking the leather target had been filled with a series of challenging isokinetic moves. Her challenging regimen was based on velocity. In her world it was a given that if you wanted to be fast you needed to train fast. Sapphire tested that dictum every time she entered her gym. She was accustomed to driving herself physically at a pace that often amazed even her, but today she had outdone herself. Grabbing a towel she scrubbed at the back of her neck then swirled the rough cloth across her dripping forehead. She knew she would require at least thirty minutes in a hot shower to blast the exhaustion from her frazzled body.