by Cara Carnes
Protect her new family.
8
Vi shouldn’t have stayed up as late as she had. The simple quilling design had turned into a complete mandala loaded with thoughts she’d spewed onto paper for the first time ever. There were so many it’d taken hours to cut the papers and curl them up. But her mind was sanitized, wiped clean for the missions ahead. She’d gotten a message from Mary saying the teams bound for overseas were wheels up. Her presence hadn’t been required. It wasn’t like she could fuel a plane or anything, and Mary could handle whatever else needed to be done from a logistics standpoint.
She paid homage to the coffee goddess Addy for leaving a full pot ready to consume and filled her mug. Her team was backing Gage’s up in Dover, so she was around somewhere. The security panel beside her chimed as the door opened. Weird. Addy must’ve forgotten something. Daylight barely shown through the small kitchen window.
Jud wandered in wearing a pair of loose jogging shorts and a smile. A t-shirt hung over his otherwise naked chest—a very tan, very toned chest. There was less definition in her code lines, and those were very detailed. Her mouth dried as she memorized each ridge, each ripple of flesh and muscle. Each wound and scar. There were a lot.
“Morning,” he offered. “Ran into your girl while I was finishing my jog. She mentioned coffee.”
Right. Addy. No wonder he was all hot and sweaty. And naked.
Something in her gut twisted, an ugly vise that soured her thoughts. The woman was gorgeous, knew hundreds of different ways to get a man’s attention. She was a good match for Jud in every possible way. Then again, he said he’d run into her. That didn’t mean they’d…
Heat spread through her when Jud stalked across the room and settled in front of her, close enough for her to reach out and trace his abdominals with her fingertips. She swallowed and focused on where the distinctive groove along both hips disappeared into the band of his shorts. Heat raced up her cheeks when he touched her face and forced her gaze upward, to meet his amused expression.
“What?” She forced the word out despite the embarrassment burning her insides. He’d caught her ogling.
That wasn’t ogling. That was outright visual molestation.
“You going to share?” he asked.
Share what? Before she could figure out an appropriate response, his hand settled against hers on the coffee mug. She watched, transfixed, as he brought the mug up to his lips and drank. She tracked the swallow along his throat, then downward to his glorious chest.
It was the single sexiest thing she’d ever experienced with a man. Talk about pathetic.
“Strong.”
“I like it strong,” she said, forcing her focus back to the coffee and not the man who’d just… Who the hell even did that? Jud was a total man whore. What other reason explained him walking in here barely dressed and drinking from her mug? “Get your own damn coffee.”
“We need to talk,” he stated.
“Briefing’s in an hour. Marshall messaged us all.” She motioned toward her cell. “I’ll make sure he adds you. It’ll be quick since service for them will be spotty at best.”
“I’ve lived in the fast lane a long time now. I make decisions quick and don’t look back.”
“Good for you,” Vi shot back. The last thing she was ready for was a conversation with Jud. She’d spent too much time going over every possible meaning for his words the last time they’d talked. He’d said she was beautiful.
“You think I’m playing you.” He leaned forward, entering her personal space without pause. He put one hand on each side of her, palms down on the counter.
Awareness quickened her pulse. She wasn’t the sort to back down from a challenge by looking away, but nowhere was safe to look where Jud was concerned. “You can’t come in here half naked and decide we’re having a conversation.”
“Why?” His voice was husky velvet, coarse but smooth at the same time. She shivered as his hot breath fell against her cheek. “Am I bothering you?”
Yes.
“I mentioned this last night, but I’m thinking it didn’t root, so I’ll repeat myself. I want to see where this is headed.”
“Where what’s headed?” He was drunk. Or delusional.
“This attraction,” he whispered against her earlobe. Her knees nearly buckled. Goosebumps ignited in a slight tremble along her skin.
Jud was lethal to the senses. A pine-scented soap permeated her nostrils when she inhaled. The aroma hadn’t affected her when she’d smelled it on other men, but when combined with the rugged way he handled himself, she couldn’t help but react. It was like a growly bear swiping his paw and knocking down a honey jar. She wasn’t sure whether she was the jar or the honey in this situation.
In a lot of ways she wanted to be the honey. Have his tongue…
Woah. Where the heck was her brain going?
It’d been a while since she’d had any semblance of relationship outside work. The last couple of feeble attempts hadn’t ended in more than boring romps in the sack with more sweating and grunting than toe-curling orgasms. Vi didn’t think there’d be anything boring about going horizontal with Jud.
Not that she would ever get the chance, not in a million years.
“I’m not your type and you don’t even know me. This is nuts,” she argued. “I’m not an idiot.”
“No, you sure as hell aren’t. But you’re wrong. I know you.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I know you spent eleven hours on the line with Jacob’s dad when he and his group were stuck in a hotel being bombed by insurgents. I know you forced his convoy mates to patch him up even though they wanted to leave him behind, helped get everyone calmed and bunkered in the safest place possible—a place you scouted out while on the phone with him. I know you are a hell of a woman who puts everyone first and can’t understand why anyone would even notice she exists.”
Vi’s brain ran through the words. She shook her head.
“It was Christmas and he was supposed to be at home, playing Santa for his little boy. He told you about the toys he’d gotten, and you convinced him to add a chemistry set, maybe a rocket or two. Feed the genius, let him soar. Those were your words,” he whispered.
God, God, God.
I’ve got a boy, a brilliant, beautiful boy who scares the crap out of me, Quillery. He’s smart, way too good to have an old man like me. He’s only four, but so smart. It scares me. I know he can light up the world just like he’s lit up my life. I’m so scared of screwing him. What the hell do I do with a little genius?
Don’t feed him the fear. Fuel the genius, let him soar. Be there if he falls, but don’t hold him down. Teach him it’s okay to stumble as long as you get back up and keep trying. Show him courage doesn’t come from winning the battle, it comes from looking impossible in the eyes and kneeing his nuts.”
“Don’t feed him the fear. Fuel the genius, let him soar,” she whispered.
“You remember,” he said.
“I remember the words. It was a long time ago.”
“Fifteen years.” Jud’s thumb grazed her cheek. “Chemistry sets, computers. It was the stories about the two brilliant women who saved his life that enthralled Jacob. Hearing the things the Quillery Edge did to keep his old man alive shaped what he wanted to be, who he could be.”
“That’s how Jacob knows us.”
“He doesn’t know you. He idolizes you, like I said last night.” Jud smiled. “MIT was his only focus. No other school was good enough because they weren’t where the Quillery Edge went. The kid has your papers memorized.”
Her papers? She almost asked which ones—her doctoral dissertation? The articles she’d published before going into Hive?
“I’ve had more than one conversation with him already, warning him to give you and Mary some space, but the kid’s enthralled. If he gets to be too much, let me know. I’ll have another word.”
“It’s fine. He’s been through so much. I can’t imagine.”
“Yeah, he has. He’s a great kid.” Jud’s lips feathered along her skin, so close to contact, yet too far away. “I know what type of woman you are. This is your notice I’ve set my sights on getting to know you, what makes you tick.”
“I don’t tick.” She hadn’t. Ever. Ticked. Ticking meant she was interesting, she had a life beyond the operations she led. Beyond her friendships with Mary and the girls. “I don’t even have a cat.”
“A cat, huh? We covered this ground before and I thought we agreed to a dog over a cat.”
“People who tick would have cats because that’d make them interesting. Dog people are an entirely different level of ticking, a ninja level I’ll never achieve.” Important. Worthy.
His eyes drifted half-shut. Hers did the same thing of their own accord. “This goes anywhere, babe, I’m throwing down for a dog.”
“You have a problem with cats?”
“No, but I’m thinking we’re more dog people.”
“If I’ve never had a cat, I can’t jump straight to a dog. There’s a hierarchy of responsibility and interest here, Jud. Dogs are way higher level than a cat. They’re higher maintenance.”
His lips upturned into a sexy smirk. “You’ve thought about this a lot. Is there a chart I could study?”
“Don’t sass me, Judson Jason Jenson. I’m not a dog person. I’ll never be a dog person because I’ll never be that interesting.” She huffed her frustration at his nerve. He didn’t understand she didn’t have time to be interesting. Her work was important, required her entire focus, because when she didn’t focus she failed.
And people got hurt.
Mary got hurt.
“That’s where I’m going to prove you wrong. You could teach a dog, he could be your assistant geek.”
“Dogs get taken for walks and play Frisbee and lick their balls. They aren’t geeks.”
“You can make anyone and anything around you whatever you want them to be, Viviana. That’s your superpower. I’ve got stealth and death in my arsenal.” He smiled again. “And a dog.”
Vi couldn’t help but want to be the phantom superhero Jud portrayed her as. He was so wrong, but she played along anyway. “What kind of dog? I’m not going for a yappy breed.”
“You think I’d get a sissy dog?”
“Maybe. She’d balance you out.” She swallowed as he shifted, nudging her back a step.
“I’d be okay with a sissy dog if she had as much sass as you,” he whispered. One hand settled on her hip, holding her in place between him and the kitchen counter. “I’m thinking I could use a shot of sass with my morning coffee.”
Vi licked her lips, imagining running her tongue along his. A low rumble rolled from him. The hand cupping her face tightened, settling in her hair. “You always such a demanding morning person?”
“Only when I see something I want,” he replied as he leaned closer. His lips trailed on her cheek, then the edge of her mouth.
She groaned and turned, locking their lips together. She put a hand on his waist, savoring the rush of heat spreading on her palm like a brush fire. Damn, the man could kiss. She leaned into him and followed his lead, relishing the way he taunted and coaxed her surrender. Slow. Confident.
She forgot she was wearing a thin pair of pajama shorts with a spaghetti-strapped top. She remembered when she felt a pressure against her crotch. His thigh. Wow. She stifled a moan as he deepened the contact. His hands remained in place. He didn’t grope or advance anything beyond the carnal kiss and the press of his leg between hers.
“I didn’t realize that was on the breakfast menu today.”
Vi startled. Addy’s voice fractured the blissful numbness of her mind. Vi couldn’t remember the last time her mind completely shut down. The entire world had slipped away when he kissed her.
Jud didn’t move away. He remained settled against her, leg pressed between hers. He licked her lips one more time and groaned. “Best damn shot of sass I’ve ever tasted.”
Holy wow.
“I’ll see you later. Thanks for the coffee.” He snaked her mug and turned away. “And the sass.”
She watched him leave, admired the way the shorts he wore molded against his firm ass. And those thighs…they could snap a…
“That was a hell of a kiss,” Addy commented.
Yes, yes it was. It’d be smart to head him off at the pass, make sure he knew she wasn’t interested. Or interesting. The nerve. She was so not dog owner material. He’d see. She’d make him see. Yep, that’s what she should do. All she had to do was figure out how the hell to get uninterested in him.
“You didn’t go.”
Jud froze. Anger filled each word as Jacob fisted and unfisted his hands. He’d searched for his nephew earlier before his run, but the kid hadn’t been in his room. “No, bud. I didn’t go.”
“He needs you. The bastards you work for are behind all this. Blame might be on Jian right now, but we both know they pull his strings. You need to be there to help get Dad out.”
Jud sat on the bench and motioned for Jacob to have a seat.
Jacob paced.
Jud looked out at the compound. All six of the brothers went wheels up with their teams. Fallon took a seventh team. A total of thirty-five of the best-trained operatives around were on their way to pull Danny out of whatever hellhole he was in. A part of Jud agreed with Jacob. He should be there. But with the majority of The Arsenal over an ocean and hauling ass toward the sandbox and another chunk preparing to go wheels up for the stateside portion of the mission, the compound itself and those left behind were exposed.
Vulnerable.
“I’m not part of their teams, which means I’d be a liability to them.”
“Bullshit. You’re the best.”
“Yeah, I am.” He let the statement settle. He wouldn’t lie to his nephew. Ever. “I’m the best when alone. Teams aren’t my thing. There’s a different mindset, an instinctual one born from years together. Hundreds, if not thousands, of ops. Those operatives going after your dad are the best in the business bar none. I’d pick them over anyone in The Collective, and they’ve got the Quillery Edge behind them. They’ve got you behind them. Someone has to keep Quillery and Edge safe, bud. Two more teams go wheels up in a few minutes, which leaves this place and them ripe for attack.”
“You think someone’s watching and will know they’re vulnerable right now? Why didn’t you say anything to Marshall and them before they left?”
“Marshall’s not an idiot. Everyone in this compound knows what all of them leaving means. They’re choosing to put your dad and anyone else being held above their own family. Even if someone isn’t watching, an operation this big and all-encompassing is going to hit the radar of people The Collective have access to. They’ll know something is in the works.”
“They’ll warn Jian,” Jacob said. “You’ve gotta make sure they don’t warn Jian.”
“We’ve done what we can do. I need you focused on helping Vi and Mary. Get this place locked up tight, whatever it takes. They’ll have their minds on Dover and Afghanistan. I know you’re worried about your dad, but our focus has to stay on this compound and keeping it and everyone in it secure. You with me?” Jud waited, noting the war of emotions flashing across his nephew’s face.
“Yeah. I’ll run through the security, see if I see any holes.” He looked down, then back up at him. “But you’re wrong, Uncle Jud. Our sole focus isn’t on keeping the compound secure. We’ve got to prepare for whatever The Collective’s play is because we both know it’s coming.”
Jacob wandered off. The kid was right. Jud needed to move forward on a new end game—one that severed The Collective’s jugular if they stepped over the line he’d drawn. Jud hadn’t been lying when he’d said Jian was a puppet to many, but he was primarily The Collective’s puppet. Like any good puppet, he was a methodical tool. Though The Collective didn’t tolerate people keeping records, notes or anything else that could lead back to them or any operatio
n, Jud knew Jian didn’t take chances. He had data. Names. Locations. He’d seen it once, years ago.
Viviana could do a lot with data like that.
Maybe even take The Collective out entirely.
Jud wished he was going with Gage and Addy for the take down, but he wouldn’t risk leaving the compound. He tracked the redheaded operative down. She was in the weapons room with her team. The four men all glared at him with a silent warning he’d eat more than one bullet if he stepped out of line.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Need a conversation, a private one.”
“Anything you say to me, you say to my team.”
“Fair enough.” He crossed his arms before him and powered on. “Jian’s office upstairs has a hidden safe behind the picture frame. That’s the bogus one. It’ll contain cash, passports and other important documents. There’s a floor safe underneath the sofa near the window. Take whatever you need to blow the safe and secure whatever is inside. It’ll likely be a laptop or hard drive, something to store data.”
“And why should I believe you?” She tossed a rifle to one of the men and took a couple steps forward. She was tall for a woman but still a few inches shorter than him. “They’re tolerating your presence here. If I had my say, you’d be downstairs where you belong.”
“You’ll believe me and get the documents because when push comes to shove—and we both know it will—they might keep Quillery and Edge breathing. Whatever he has in there shouldn’t exist. It’ll get the wrong people really nervous. There’s too many outside people involved in this take down for us to share this side mission with anyone outside this room. Get whatever is there and don’t let anyone know you’re doing it.”
“I don’t ever keep things from Quillery or Edge,” she snapped.
“I’ll make sure they know.”
9
Vi stood beside Mary in Command Central. All teams were wheels up. The briefing had been shorter than she would have preferred, but they’d regroup once everyone was in position. HERA snapped satellite imagery of the three encampments in Afghanistan and Jian’s suspected location in Dover. Four simultaneous strikes with eight teams. Possible problems crawled through her mind like an army of unwanted spiders spinning hideous webs of calamity, chaos, and catastrophe.