Men of Mercy: The Complete Story

by Cross, Lindsay

  She loved this man. She wanted to help restore that part inside him they had broken. She wanted to be with him always. Panting with need, Hayden worked her way down his abdomen, loving the way his stomach hollowed out as she went lower.

  She was drowning in desire, in the need to make him lose control like he'd done to her. She kept moving down until her chin bumped the tip of his cock. Hoyt growled, and fueled by some kind of sensual power, Hayden wrapped her hand around him.

  She watched, fascinated, as a small drop of pre-cum beaded on his tip. The heat of him burned her palm. Drawn into some kind of haze of pleasure, she leaned down and licked him, enjoying his earthy taste. Hoyt jerked and moaned. Empowered by his response, Hayden took him fully in her mouth.

  “Sweet Jesus.” Hoyt's grip tightened in her hair and Hayden closed her eyes in pleasure.

  She worked him, taking him deep into her throat, her lips stretching wide to accommodate him. He was so hard for her, so perfect. Hayden moved up and down, flicking the head of his cock with her tongue before moving back down his shaft, until Hoyt was matching her movements thrust for thrust. She wanted all of him, she wanted to taste him come apart in her mouth. Tension coiled inside her.

  Hoyt pulled her from him, breathing hard with exertion. When Hayden reached for him, he held her away. “No, not yet.” His words were harsh with need, nearly driving her past control.

  “Lay down and spread your legs for me.”

  Hayden followed his command, shaking and trembling with the knowledge he was about to take her. Finally make her really his again. Hoyt lowered himself to her, the thick head of his cock nudging her slick entrance.

  He slid inside slowly, stretching her folds as she held her breath at the intense pleasure. Hoyt's face was pulled tight, almost in pain, as he slowly eased into her. And then he gave a hard thrust and Hayden moaned in sweet ecstasy as he filled her completely. Her world narrowed to this moment, this man, this connection.

  Hoyt held himself up, his entire body shaking. His jaw clenched and his eyes squeezed closed. Hayden touched his face, traced that deadly sexy scar and his eyes opened to look at her. What she saw there made her heart stop.

  His eyes were bright, reflecting a need so deep it made her tremble. “I love you.”

  Hoyt kissed her slowly, sweetly. “I love you too.”

  And then he pulled out and pushed in again, filling her, stretching her. Over and over, he moved with strong steady thrusts that made the tension build and crawl through her blood. Taking her, all of her. Hayden wrapped her legs around him, urging him on. This was what she'd been wanting, what she'd been missing. Oh God, she loved him.

  Hoyt increased his pace, moving faster but still careful not to jar or hurt her. He could have set her on fire for all she noticed. The tension building and coiling in her womb had captured all of her senses.

  “You’re so perfect. So tight.” He pushed in to the hilt. Hayden sucked in a breath and jerked up toward him.

  “Hoyt, I'm so close. Don't stop.” Urging him on with her feet, Hayden lifted her hips to him. Hoyt was sliding into her, setting her nerve endings on fire. He took her harder, claimed her. She could feel every inch of him inside her. The ball of tension inside her coiled tight. “Hoyt.”

  “I've got you, baby. I'm never leaving you again.” Hoyt thrust deep.

  She let go, screaming his name as her release took control, wringing her of all remaining strength. Hoyt thrust harder, fast and deep. He stiffened and shouted her name, joining her.

  Hoyt fell to her side and gently gathered her into his arms, his hot breath fanning her neck. Hayden held him to her, savoring the sensation of his body pressed against her.

  Hoyt kissed her shoulder, “I mean it. I'm never leaving you again. Ever. You're mine.”

  Hayden felt the hot rush of tears flood her eyes. Finally, he'd come back to her.

  She wasn't ever going to let him go.

  Chapter 32

  Hoyt’s phone rang, and he snatched it off his bedside table, careful not to bump Hayden. “What?”

  “Malik just called,” Hunter said. “He cracked the new code, and there's a car headed our way right now. Could be a VBIED.” Vehicle born improvised explosive device. Shit.

  “ETA?”

  “Fifteen minutes, tops,” Hunter said. “Merc and Cord will be watching the houses.”

  Adrenaline surged and Hoyt shot off the bed. “On my way.” He disconnected the call, not wanting to waste time or give Hunter another chance to dig into him.

  Hayden stretched with her good arm and blinked awake. Hoyt couldn’t resist stopping to give her a small kiss before heading into the walk-in closet to grab a fresh pair of camo pants and a tan shirt.

  Hayden gave him a slow sensual smile when he emerged from the closet, and Hoyt stole a second to lie down next to her. He wanted to hold her, to touch her for another minute before going into battle. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  He threaded his fingers through the hair at her temple, marveling at the silky texture. He'd never get enough of her.

  Hayden snatched his hand and kissed his palm. “No, you didn’t hurt me.” She trailed butterfly kisses up his wrist and arm, pulling him across her body so she could nip his neck. Hoyt went hard in an instant, ready to bury himself inside her again.

  He took her lips and nipped at them until she opened and allowed him entrance. Hoyt took possession of her mouth and cupped her breasts.

  “I want you.” Her breathy whisper nearly snapped his control.

  Hoyt groaned. He knew he needed to get out of this bed, but somehow his hand trailed down her satiny stomach and dipped into the silky juncture between her thighs. Christ, she was soaking wet for him. “You make me forget myself.”

  She gave a throaty chuckle. “Good, I like that.”

  Hoyt shoved a finger inside her tight sheath, reveling in her gasp that turned quickly into a moan of pleasure.

  “Minx.” Hoyt pulled out and plunged in, imagining his cock was stretching her tight walls instead.

  Hayden tried to yank him down to her. “Stop being a tease. I need you, now.”

  “Hoyt, are you coming?” Jared banged on the door. The mission, the terrorist.

  Fuck. He was so close. Just another minute and he could be inside Hayden.

  “Come on man, they could be on their way right now.”

  Hoyt dropped his head to Hayden as deep ragged breaths ratcheted from his chest. “Be there in a minute.”

  “You can't leave now.” Hayden lifted her head and took his mouth this time, her small tongue darting between his lips.

  Hoyt was a man undone, torn between indescribable pleasure and the need to protect his woman. “I have to. We’ve clocked a possible suspect on the way.”

  “Where?”

  Hoyt hated himself for being the one to destroy the sensual haze clouding up her eyes. “On the highway.”

  He stood and finished getting dressed. “I need you to stay inside this house until I get back. Don’t go near any windows or doors. Merc and Cord will be watching the houses. If you need anything they can help.”

  Hayden got to her knees, her breasts swaying with the movement. Jesus.

  “Please be careful.”

  “I will.” Hoyt pressed a quick kiss to her temple and walked to the door. “When I get back, you better be here in bed, ready and waiting.”

  A few minutes later, Hoyt climbed on top of the command center roof, his rifle case slung over his shoulder, and made his way to the low-lying camo net tent he and Jared had set up earlier.

  “Took you long enough.” Jared lay on his stomach beneath the netting, his eye glued to the scope of his sniper rifle.

  “You're just grouchy because you had to spend so much time convincing Sparrow not to join us up here.”

  Hoyt placed his case on the roof and carefully extracted his rifle. He flipped the bipod and set up a few feet back from the edge.

  Jared leaned forward. “I had to convince her she was p
art of the detail guarding the house just to get her to stay put.”

  Hoyt winced. Sparrow was from the same rough mountain country that had given life to the Crowe boys. She gave new meaning to the word tough. “At least you convinced her to stay put.”

  Jared snorted. “We'll see how long that lasts.”

  Hoyt checked his weapon. The M107 .50 cal was heavier than his MX2010, but perfect for taking down vehicle-born explosives. A well-aimed shot could blow an engine block and stop a VBIED nearly a mile out, protecting soldiers from losing limbs and their lives.

  Although he never enjoyed taking a life, he would do anything to protect his men. And he’d take out an entire army to protect Hayden. Hoyt loaded a clip and chambered a round.

  Hoyt narrowed in on the turn off from the highway a little over a half mile away. It was early, about six p.m., and the sun would set in the next hour. “Christ, it’s hot.”

  Jared finished adjusting his scope. “This Mississippi heat isn’t a joke.”

  Hoyt flipped the safety on his rifle, pressed his shoulder against the stock and got ready. “Where did you stash Sparrow’s grandpa, Squirrel?”

  “Stash? You don't stash that man anywhere. It took both me and Sparrow to keep him from slipping into the woods. Finally set him up with a 12 gauge at the front window. Lord help anyone stupid enough to actually try to come in through the front door uninvited.”

  “What do you want to bet Hunter had the same problem with Evie’s grandpa, C.W.?”

  Jared chuckled in response to that, but beneath their laughter was a bedrock of respect. Both of the older men were as tough as nails and they would defend their family to the death.

  Hoyt's comm crackled to life. “Command to over watch.”

  Hoyt pressed the button and responded, “Go ahead.”

  “Recon team has an unidentified vehicle heading south on Highway 1. Be ready. Driver is male. Black hair. Blue Explorer SUV.”

  “Roger. Tracking.”

  “You get that, brother?” Hoyt said.

  “Got it. Hold.” Jared pressed his eye to his scope and Hoyt did the same. Both of them watched the turn off for the vehicle.

  The gravel road leading from Hank’s property had about a twenty-foot clearance on either side, where it was flanked with thick pine trees that reduced much of their visibility, but it would be easy for Hoyt to take out the vehicle.

  “Target acquired,” Jared said.

  Hoyt spotted the SUV as soon as his brother spoke. The car slowed, and Hoyt tensed and lowered his finger to the trigger. Then the vehicle accelerated and continued straight on the highway.

  “Christ.”

  “Tell me about it. What do you think about this guy, Malik?” Jared asked.

  I don’t trust him; his presence is too convenient. He knows too much.

  “His arrival feels too coincidental. But Mr. K has him on lock down. He’s watching his every move while he tracks these social media channels. The worst thing he can do is give us mis-information.”

  “Like just now?”

  Hoyt nodded. “Yeah, but now we’re ready.”

  “You gonna fill me in on what’s going on with you and Hayden?”

  “When did you get so interested?”

  “You scared to answer the question?”

  Actually, he was. Jared and Hoyt’s relationship had been strained ever since Jared rescued him from his torturers. His big brother was usually the dark one, the one people shied away from. But after Hoyt’s physical recovery, they’d switched roles, and neither brother was comfortable in his new position. But now, with Hayden by his side, Hoyt was starting to feel more like his old self again.

  Jared rolled to his side and faced Hoyt. “I’m happy for you, brother. You deserve happiness.”

  Hoyt blinked his eyes a few times, holding back the tears that wanted to fall, before turning to face his brother. The emotional speech was entirely uncharacteristic of Jared. “Thanks.”

  “I never really said this, but I should have—a long time ago.” Jared cleared his throat and stared down at the roof beneath them, presenting Hoyt with the top of his black hair instead of his eyes. “I'm sorry for not being there that night. It should have been me. Not you.”

  Hoyt sucked in a breath, his veins locking down on his blood flow. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I mean I should have protected you that night. They should've taken me instead of you. I'm sorry I wasn't there.”

  Hoyt struggled to comprehend Jared’s words. Is that what this new distance between them had been about? Not the fact that Hoyt had lost his shit, but Jared’s guilt? For one of the first times since his torture, Hoyt reached across the distance separating them and touched Jared’s arm. “I would take that torture a thousand times over before I’d ever let them harm you. It's not your fault. I've never thought it was your fault. And if anything ever happened to you, I don't know how I would handle it.”

  Suddenly Hoyt understood everything. He’d struggled with his guilt over not being there for Hayden when she was shot, and Jared had been suffering from the same sort of struggle for a lot longer.

  “I've always protected you–”

  “Yeah, when we were kids. But in case you missed the last ten years or so, I went through the same training you did to get here. Which means, brother, I'm pretty badass myself.”

  Jared’s head jerked up in astonishment and then his lips cracked into a smile. “Don't go getting a big head on me. I'll have to take you down a notch.”

  Hoyt rolled back onto his stomach and pressed his eye to the scope. “Give me another few weeks to put on some more muscle first.”

  Jared chuckled and resumed position, and the last wall around Hoyt’s heart crumbled. He hadn't realized how much tension he’d been carrying around.

  Now he had a chance at a future with the woman of his dreams, and his brother would be there beside him. Hoyt found it hard to channel the fury that had been at his fingertips for so long. It was like someone had strapped a rainbow on his ass or something.

  Chapter 33

  The sun sank low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the road between Highway 1 and Hank’s front gate.

  “This would be a lot easier if we had streetlights.”

  “Yeah, good thing we brought these.” Hoyt pulled out his clip-on AN/PVS-29 night vision sniper sight and clicked it onto his weapon.

  Jared fit a night vision adapter over his spotter scope. The sun made its final descent, casting the men in total darkness. Ethan had disabled all of the street lights on Hank’s property to make it more difficult for the enemy to locate the houses. They’d blacked out the windows with trash bags. The sliver of moon provided the only light.

  “I was hoping to get this shit settled before nightfall.” And go back to resume what he’d started with Hayden.

  “You and me both, brother. But we got a long time before shift change.”

  “You think Squirrel has been driving Merc and Cord crazy?”

  “I'm sure he has,” Jared said.

  It felt like they’d been perched on this roof for days, and the knowledge that Hayden was stretched out in bed waiting for him made him want to run to her. Hoyt suppressed the groan. Three more hours.

  “We got a possible bogey headed your way, boys,” Ethan said through their comm system. He was set up directly below them in headquarters, monitoring the cameras and satellites for movement.

  “Description.”

  “Black four-door SUV, windows blacked out. Traveling at seventy miles an hour.”

  Hoyt pulled the stock of his rifle to his shoulder and sighted in the turn off. Someone was booking it out there on the old highway, going way over the speed limit.

  About a minute later, a shiny black SUV cut a hard right, its tires squealed off the pavement and throwing up dust as it transitioned to gravel. The SUV accelerated instead of slowing down. “Ready.”

  Jared looked through the scope. “Vehicle approaching at approximately
seventy MPH. Hold low one mil. Right half.”

  Hoyt adjusted his scope to halfway between the cross hairs and the millimeter dot on the right, leaving him right below the right headlight of the vehicle.

  “You see through the windshield?”

  Jared paused and then said, “I've got a definite target in the passenger seat. He’s armed.”

  Hoyt pressed the call button on his shoulder. “Commander?”

  A second later, Grey answered his unspoken question. “Cleared to fire. Confirmed enemy combatant approaching with possible IED.”

  “Roger.”

  “Adjust down half a click. Target’s speed increased to eighty MPH,” Jared said.

  Hoyt took aim at the right headlight. He sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, and then pulled the trigger in the natural pause between his next inhale. The .50 caliber rifle exploded with a deafening roar.

  The car’s engine made a loud whine and then started decelerating, and a few seconds later, the SUV rolled to a stop off to the right of the road. The doors exploded open, and three men jumped from the vehicle and ran for the cover of the woods. The driver got out last, and he turned and lifted an RPG. Hoyt’s heart rate slowed. His vision focused. Exhale. Squeeze the trigger. The driver hit the ground. He took in a breath, got the passenger in his sights, blew out his breath and fired. Another combatant down.

  “Command, we have two combatants. One heading east, the other west, straight out from the car.”

  Rowdy’s voice came through the comm. “Got ‘em.”

  “Another bogey, this one approaching fast.” Ethan’s voice sounded urgent.

  Hoyt sighted in the turn off again and waited. “Ready.”

  “Come on, fuckers, give us all you got,” Jared said.

  Another car came tearing down the road at high speed.

  “Sedan. Sitting low, adjust a click down.”

  Hoyt sited the incoming vehicle and fired. His entire body rocked backwards with the force of the recoil.