Men of Mercy: The Complete Story

by Cross, Lindsay

  “Why don't we start with you showing me what you know?”

  Ethan took a step forward and Kate countered with a backward step, keeping at least a foot space between them.

  “Good, but you're too stiff, bend your knees, raise your hands up.” She followed his instructions, but her movements were wooden and unnatural. She'd fall as soon as anyone got close. Ethan circled her, taking the time to study her form and getting distracted by the curve of her perfectly round ass in those tight pants.

  “What are you doing?” Kate asked between clenched teeth.

  Ethan coughed and cleared his throat. “Be ready.”

  “Come on. Attack.”

  Ethan kept circling, showing Kate with his own body how he wanted her stance. After a few seconds, she relaxed into the crouch the way Ethan wanted. “Good, that's better. Keep your hands like mine, ready to block.”

  Ethan waited until she followed his instructions and darted behind her, snagging an arm around her neck, exerting enough pressure to hold her in place but not enough to actually hurt. Kate reacted, dropping her chin, but too slow, obviously knowing what to do but severely out of practice. “Focus. Break my grip. Strike my weak points.”

  Kate strained against him and tried to nail his shin with her heel. Ethan read her move and side stepped. She snarled and tried again, and again he countered. Finally, he let go and she stumbled, catching herself before she face planted on the mat.

  He came at her again, the same move, snaked an arm around her neck, but this time Kate froze instead of fighting.

  “That's it, now concentrate on breaking my hold.” Ethan felt every inch of her body pressed to his. “You need less than an inch to breath.”

  Kate’s hands flew to his wrist. She yanked in one quick motion, gulped in a breath and threw back an elbow jab, catching him in the side beneath his ribs. Pain shot up his side and he released her instantly.

  Kate circled round at the ready. “How was that?”

  “Better, but next time I want you to follow through with a knee to the balls. You need to temporarily disable your attacker long enough to grab Caroline and escape.” Ethan straightened to his full height, admiring the sight before him. Kate practically glowed at her small victory and seeing the pleasure light up her features made him want to give her more. Even if it meant a few bruised ribs.

  “You’ve got skills, but they need some sharpening.” An attacker wouldn’t give her or Caroline a second chance

  “You’re right. I could feel it when you came at me. My instincts have gotten lax.” Her easy agreement surprised him. He’d expected her sharp attitude to come back out front.

  “Your instincts are good, and you did the right thing the second time, you just need some hands-on training.” With him.

  “Well, let’s get to work then.” Kate gestured him closer.

  He was going to enjoy this after all.

  Chapter 10

  Kate collapsed onto the bed with a loud groan, not bothering to try and keep the pain inside. "Oh my God, I haven't been this sore since basic training at the Farm."

  Celine collapsed into the padded rocking chair near the foot of the bed and emitted her own groan when her butt made contact with the seat. "I've never been this sore in my entire life. Aaron Speirs better be worth all this trouble, if he turns out to be a bust I'm going to be so pissed."

  Kate chuckled and rolled onto her side, eyeing Celine. "So did he ask you to help out? Or did someone else hire you?"

  Celine closed her eyes and rested her head against the chair back. “Aaron asked me. At first I thought he was asking me to be his date for the wedding. It wasn't until later that I found out his intent was really torture."

  Both of them had been working hard most hours of the day, constantly training, with Kate honing her skills and Celine learning completely new ones. "Well, no offense, but you have absolutely no experience in the protection or security. My money is on the fact that he wants you."

  "That's what I thought too, but every time we get close, not training I mean, he backs off completely. I swear I've gotten more mixed signals from the man than I can keep track of. One minute he's hot, one minute he's cold, I just don't know anymore."

  "At least he asked you, Ethan thinks I’m a pushy female trying to be a man, he can’t stand to be near me.” The way Ethan growled and snapped at her every mistake was doing serious damage to her already sagging self-confidence. And to top it off, whenever she got close to him, she panted like a dog in heat.

  Celine sat forward and pinned Kate to the bed with an amused stare. "Honey, the man can't keep his hands off of you."

  "That's a no-brainer, he's training me."

  "Yeah, he's training you alright, and every time he touches you sparks fly. I'm just waiting on the moment he throws you down on the mat and devours you."

  "You're insane, if sparks fly it's because he's so pissed off at being forced to train me.”

  Celine crossed to the bed and perched on the edge, tucking a loose strand of her short platinum hair behind her ear. “I thought you were supposed to be smart or something."

  “Excuse me?”

  Celine rolled her eyes, "A blind man can see he wants you. I guarantee you by the end of next week, you two will be hooking up."

  The image of her and Ethan, stretched out together on the bed locked in a hungry kiss filled her mind and Kate’s body flooded with heat.

  "And you want him too!" Celine exclaimed.

  "Do not." Kate defended, suddenly feeling like a teenager with a crush. She could convince herself she didn’t want him in the least. He was too wild; she could see it in his eyes. He drove a motorcycle for crying out loud.

  He didn’t have anything more than a leather saddle bag and his toiletries kit was in serious need of a new razor. He smelled too, like the earth, all raw and masculine. Not at all her type.

  Ethan Slade was a loose cannon just waiting on the right match to set him off, and Kate didn’t want to be around when he exploded.

  Celine grabbed her hand and pulled Kate off the bed. “Come on, let’s go to my room, I want to give you something.”

  Kate allowed herself to be propelled out of her bedroom, across the hall. Celine let go to yank open her bedroom door and go inside, leaving Kate to stand, frozen, in the doorway. “What happened?”

  Celine glanced around. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s…it’s… did a bomb go off in here?” Kate said, each word rising, horror-struck at the insanity before her.

  “It’s not that bad.”

  The bedspread lay haphazard across the bed, the whole top half touching the floor. Shirts lumped in heaps everywhere. Different color bra’s hanging off the chair. Make-up was strewn across the dresser, powder spilled in piles. A tremor worked through Kate, her entire being itching to either wipe the disaster zone clean or run screaming. “How can you live like this?”

  When she’d first seen Celine, Kate had assumed she was as neat as herself. Celine’s hair was always perfectly styled in a bob and her clothing matched. She looked clean. But the real Celine was chaos.

  “OCD, huh? My big sister had that problem. Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m looking for. Just have a seat on the bed.” Celine went to the open suitcase, laid out at an angle against the far wall.

  “Um, I think I’ll stay right here.” Kate gripped the door frame and stared at the wall, trying to block out the insanity.

  “Suit yourself.” Celine dropped to a knee and started throwing clothes over her shoulder.

  Each piece fell in scattered disarray. The bed. The floor. The dresser. When the next shirt flew in Kate’s direction her hand shot out of its own volition and she caught it midair. Before she could stop herself, she lunged forward, snatching Celine’s clothing up into her arms. She turned to the bed to dump them. Nope. Kate dropped the clothes and yanked the quilt up, not stopping until the bed was made perfectly.

  Then she stooped for the clothes and started folding. One sleeve over
the other, crease down the middle, smooth out the wrinkles. Shirts went first. Then pants. When she finished, Celine’s clothes lay in a perfect row, sorted by type and color on the bed. Kate propped her hands on her hips, feeling a small measure of relief, until she saw Celine staring at her, wide eyed.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that. You’re a machine.”

  Kate tried to ignore the mess on the dresser in her periphery and focus on Celine, but her need for order over-threw her control. Celine dove in front of her just before she reached the first open tube of lipstick. “Nope. Don’t touch the make-up. I have a system.”

  “System’s involve order; you do not have anything remotely related to a system.” Kate made to reach for the lipstick. She already had the pattern worked out. Three bottles of base. Two-tubes of mascara. Eyeshadow. The mess practically screamed for help.

  “Stop eyeing my stuff. I like it like this. Here, take this.” Celine shoved a bundle of clothes at Kate, forcing her to take them or allow them to hit the floor.

  “What is this?” Kate held up the shirt first, a satiny emerald green tank top and matching spandex tights.

  “Our new plan. This whole time I’ve been trying to blend in with the locals, dress for work you know? I should have been gearing up with the right kind of armor.”

  “Armor? This looks like…like…” Something a stay at home mom wore to the grocery store.

  “Yep, this whole week I’ve been completely losing hope. Aaron’s been doing nothing but looking and I’m ready for some touching. I’ve made it too easy on him.” Celine spun, and reaching into what must be a bottomless suitcase, pulled out a matching teal tank top and biker shorts. “No man can withstand the booty shorts.”

  “I’m not wearing booty shorts.”

  “I know, silly. That’s why I gave you the leggings.”

  “This isn’t what you wear for training.” She had three separate pairs of black cotton tanks with black pants, standard issue to train and loose enough to allow for movement. “How are you supposed to drop kick someone in this?”

  “Honey, if you wear that, you won’t need to drop kick anything. He’ll be on his knees already,” Celine said.

  Kate was already shaking her head. “This isn’t right. I don’t want Ethan to see me as anything other than a teammate.”

  “Really? Then why did you blush when you said his name?” Celine arched a blonde brow and cocked her lips into a small smile.

  Was she that transparent? She was supposed to be the trained operative, able to control her emotions and reactions. Her whole career she’d been a cold machine, living for work and the next job. She’d given men about as much thought as she’d given fashion. Zero.

  “What’s so wrong with wanting Ethan? He’s built like a model, he’s drop dead gorgeous and he wants you.”

  “You really think he wants me?” Kate asked.

  “Wear that tomorrow and find out for yourself.”

  Chapter 11

  The next morning Kate woke to sore muscles and an ear-splitting siren for her alarm clock. The workout yesterday had taxed her mind and muscles, she'd constantly had to fight her attraction to Ethan and block his attacks. By the end of the day, she'd had to swallow her pride and be the one to call it quits. Not Ethan.

  Kate planned to change that today. She'd studied his moves, listened to his instructions and became aware of his patterns. Plus, she was wearing her ‘armor’ as Celine had called it. She spent a full extra ten minutes fixing her hair into a ponytail and applying mascara and then all but limped down stairs, her muscles not as eager as her renewed confidence.

  “I got your plate ready. Have a seat.” Noni gestured to the kitchen table and a huge stack of pancakes layered with syrup.

  Kate's stomach rolled at the mouthwatering sight. “Noni, I can't eat that right before training. I'll throw up.”

  Noni had on a steel gray button up dress today and the color seemed to match her determination. “You can't fight on an empty stomach.”

  “I can't fight on a full one either,” Kate grumbled as she settled in the chair.

  “You're just as grouchy as my Johnny used to be.” Noni swiped the plate of pancakes and replaced it with eggs and toast. “How's this?”

  “Perfect, thank you.”

  Noni settled directly across from her, her stare making Kate shift in her seat. Aaron's grandmother seemed to see right into her soul, and she didn't like it one bit.

  “I watched you two yesterday. He can't keep his eyes off you.”

  Kate choked on her eggs and quickly took a gulp of orange juice. “Excuse me?”

  “Ethan. Every time you're not looking, he's looking at you. And the way he looks at you…” Noni nodded her head with confidence leaving Kate to stare at her open mouthed.

  “I really don't think this is an appropriate conversation.”

  “Pfft, just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't appreciate love when I see it blooming. You willing to take a little advice from someone with a lot more experience?”

  Kate slowly sat her juice back on the table and tried to keep her pulse below a thousand beats per minute. “Ma'am, I'm not sure what you thought you saw, but I just met Ethan. He's my trainer, nothing else.”

  And I melt when he touches me. She flushed at the unbidden thought.

  “Mmm-hmm. Is that why your cheeks have turned red as a tomato? I think you know as well as I do that the sparks flying between you two on those mats have nothing to do with training.”

  Kate's stomach twisted into one big knot and she pushed back from the table, unwilling to even consider having feelings beyond attraction for Ethan Slade. The man was a wild card, a loner and completely and utterly unpredictable. Three things Kate couldn't stand.

  Lord, she could barely tolerate when her bathroom towels hung unevenly. How could she contemplate having any kind of feelings for the unpredictable force that was Ethan?

  “Thank you for breakfast, but I think I better get to work.”

  “Hold on,” Noni's bony hand shot out and shackled Kate's wrist. “Listen, a man like that, you got to keep him on his toes. Do the unexpected. Be out of the ordinary. He won't know how to handle it and you'll have him eating out of your hand.”

  But I am ordinary. Kate gently extracted her hand from Noni and took a step toward the door.

  Kate went out the kitchen door into the backyard only to come to a stop at the edge of the back porch. Aaron was on the mat, instructing Celine, while Ethan stood off to the side in gray sweats and a black muscle shirt, watching with a heart breaking handsome smile.

  Grey was further back, under a tan tent, bent over a picnic table talking to another man. The extra bodies seemed to crowd the yard and Kate's skin grew tight.

  Ethan glanced her way, and then back to the mat. A heartbeat later he spun completely to face her, eyes wide. A surge of satisfaction coursed through her veins and she approached him, suddenly eager once more to start.

  Ethan’s gaze locked on to her chest and Kate fought the urge to tug her top up. She wasn’t used to wearing anything this revealing, but the desire exploding across his gaze was proof he wasn’t the cold machine she’d thought.

  “How are you feeling this morning?”

  Like my muscles are twisting over my bones. “Fine.”

  “Really? I thought I put you through some pretty tough paces yesterday. You ready for more?” He reached out and touched her arm, which ignited a spark. She jumped back, rubbing the spot he'd touched.

  “Why so jumpy?”

  Kate scowled up at his amused expression. “Just ready to get started. How’s Celine doing?”

  She gestured to the pair on the blue pad. Currently Aaron had his arms crossed and his gaze locked on the tiny blonde standing with her hands on her hips.

  Ethan chuckled, “She's had him like that all morning.”

  “Looks like he's scared of her.”

  “Not scared, he just doesn't know how to handle her. She's unpredictable.”
/>   Kate started at Ethan's words, the exact replica of Noni's. She told herself it was just curiosity about Aaron and Celine, but she knew deep down she was curious for her own sake. “And he likes that?”

  “It's driving him crazy, but yeah, she keeps him guessing.”

  Ethan scratched his beard and Kate instantly itched for a pair of scissors to trim him nice and neat. “Why do you both have a beard?”

  It's not like the military encouraged that, as a matter of fact, most men she knew had to keep their faces completely shaved.

  “We're not normal military. Aaron and I are in the Teams, and they like for us to be able to blend in. Why, you like it?” Ethan leaned down closer, offering his cheek.

  Kate caught herself mid-movement and pulled back. “I want to cut it, not touch it.”

  Hurt flashed in his eyes, and was gone just as fast, sending a small dose of guilt right to her chest.

  “You don't like my beard?”

  “It's not that I don't like it. I mean, it looks good on you, I just prefer clean shaved men.”

  “So you think I'm handsome?” Ethan probed further and any good will Kate had evaporated.

  “I didn't say that. Are we going to train or stand here and chat all day?”

  “You're not a morning person, huh?”

  “How’d you guess?” Kate threw her hands up in the air and stormed to the mat, ready to ask Aaron for a lesson rather than stand there and let Ethan insult her.

  Aaron and Celine faced off in the center. “You know I have no idea what I'm doing here. Why do you keep snapping at me?” Celine planted a fist on her hip and glared at Aaron, who looked even more chagrined than earlier.

  “I'm not snapping; I just don't understand what's so hard about blocking. We've been going over it for an hour.”

  “Why don't you let me explain the chemical ratios of mixing dye and color and then keeping the correct ph balance so that you don't burn your client’s hair? Or the twenty different shades of blue and their coordinating colors. See, your eyes are crossing. I honestly don't see why I have to try and learn any of this stuff. Caroline will be perfectly safe surrounded by all her bodyguards.” Celine sauntered forward and trailed a finger down Aaron's chest. “And I'll be perfectly guarded by you.”