POTTER (The Trident Series Book 2)

by Jaime Lewis

  Outside, the night air was crisp. And thank god for that because Potter’s blood was still boiling knowing that Chaz had shown up at Tenley’s earlier in the day. As he walked to his truck, he glanced over at the house next door and saw that all the lights were off to the one-story ranch-style house, and he wondered if she was in there. He was half tempted to say fuck giving her space and just go in there and demand that she talk to him. But then he remembered Alex saying that Tenley told her she would be at the hospital that evening. At least he knew she’d be safe there.

  He started the truck and gave a frustrated sigh. He pulled out his cell phone. He wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if he didn’t know for sure she was safe.

  Potter: Just wanted to say goodnight and be safe driving home.

  He waited a couple of minutes, and just when he thought she wouldn’t respond, his phone chimed. He looked down and smiled.

  Tenley: How do u know I’m not home?

  Potter: A little birdie told me.

  Tenley: This little birdie must b a parrot named Alex. The little nosey birdie needs 2 mind her own business ☺

  Potter chuckled.

  Potter: I know you’re working, so I won’t keep you. Be safe, and remember to call if you need anything.

  Tenley: G-night and TY 4 checking on me.

  He laid the phone down on the seat next to him and smiled. He put the truck in gear and backed out of the driveway. As he made the short four-mile drive back to his condo on the beach, he started to go over all the things he was going to say to Tenley when he got the chance to. The first being how much he loved her.

  Chapter Nine

  “Oh my god, Lei, that feels so good. A little harder. Oh, god…right there. Yes! Ahhh...”

  “Why you not come see me sooner? You full of knots.”

  Tenley laughed at her masseuse. Lei was a vibrant, full of life Chinese man who butchered the English language. Usually, Tenley would never let a man masseuse touch her. She didn’t have anything against men; she just felt it was too intimate to have a man, a stranger of sorts touching her half-naked body. The first time she met Lei was three years ago was when he was the only masseuse who had an opening on a day when she desperately needed a massage.

  Lei was gay, but holy moly did the man have some firm hands. Working in a busy ER as a nurse made for stressful times. With stress came deep knots in her shoulders, neck, and back, and Lei and his feminine man hands were just the medicine she needed to eliminate the tightness. It hurt like a bitch getting those knots worked out, and she would be sore the next day, but damn could she feel the relief instantly.

  She sighed. “Sorry. I’ve been away the last couple of weeks.”

  “Oh…You get back together with that stud muffin? Or, you still avoiding him like the plague?”

  Tenley lifted her head from the face cradle and gave Lei an icy look, which only caused Lei to laugh at her.

  “Oh, honey. Don’t give me those daggers,” He shoved her face back down in the cradle. “I’m guessing from your bitchiness that the answer is yes.” He pressed hard on the knot in her shoulder, and holy crap, it almost sent her flying off the table. Bastard!

  “Ouch! What the hell, Lei?” He laughed at her.

  “You need to get laid. It solve your bitchiness. Obviously, it’s been good while for you. You want to borrow my swifter so you can dust cobwebs from your va jay jay. Trust me, men like tidy cooch.”

  “Lei!” She sat up so quickly she almost lost the towel covering her. When she went to scold him, he just raised one of his shapely eyebrows at her. Her mouth gaped open, and all she could do was laugh. She was laughing so hard she started to cry. She hadn’t had sex in months, and the only man she wanted near her ‘cooch’ as Lei called it was Potter. Quickly, the happy tears turned into ugly tears. She wanted Potter. No, she needed Potter.

  “Oh, sweetie…you a mess.” Lei pulled a robe out of the closet for her and wrapped it around her. Pulling a chair up next to the table, he handed her a box of tissues. “Talk.”

  She looked at Lei and shook her head. “It’s complicated. My life right now is a train wreck, Lei.” She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose.

  Lei gave her a soft smile. “Everyone life is complicated. Does this have to do with that ‘slippery’ SEAL?” She snorted a laugh and nodded her head. Ever since she showed a picture of Potter to Lei, the man had been obsessed with Potter.

  “I’ve really messed up over the last few months, and I need to fix it.” She explained a little of what occurred over the last three months. She excluded several topics such as the pregnancy, losing the baby, and being stalked and threatened by her ex-boyfriend. She did tell him that her ex was making advances to get her back, and she told him a little about Ecuador and how she was attacked, and then how Potter and the whole team came to rescue her.

  By the time she was finished talking, Lei was speechless. “Damn, girl. The first thing you need to do is call up that sexy man of yours and tell him you ready to talk. Don’t meet in a public place. You need a quiet and private place. You need to be completely honest with him and tell him everything. Don’t leave anything out. He may not like what you have to say, but if he truly loves you, he’ll look past it.”

  Tenley squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Lei. I’m glad I decided to come in today. You’ve made me open my eyes and see that there is hope.”

  “You welcome, hot momma. Now, get dressed so you can get home and make plans with your man.”

  ◆◆◆

  Tenley sat on her bed with her legs crossed, biting her fingernails. After she had gotten home, she took Lei’s advice and soaked in a nice relaxing hot bath. It also did wonders for her sore muscles.

  She stared at her cell phone as if it would dial itself. She drew in a deep breath. She could do this. Just pick up the phone and press the little green phone icon next to Potter’s name. It was a simple task, and she was ready for this. She had given herself a little pep talk while in the bath. She wanted her life to go back to the way it was before Chaz came barreling back into it. She wanted to hang out with her friends without putting them in the line of fire.

  Drawing in another deep breath, she tapped her phone screen. Her heart rate sped up as the phone rang. After the third ring, she wanted to hang up, but then she heard that low deep voice that sent tingles straight to her girly bits. His voice alone made her hot.

  “Tenley? Tenley, are you there?” She could hear Potter asking. Shit! She was so caught up in her erotic thoughts that she forgot she could speak.

  “Potter?”

  “Yeah, babe. Is everything okay?” He asked, sounding concerned, and she smiled.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I-I was wondering if you weren’t busy after work this evening, if we could meet somewhere to talk,” Jesus, she sounded nervous to her own ears. “Maybe my place or your place. Though now that I think about it, I don’t know where you live.” She laughed.

  Potter sighed, and her heart sunk. “Fuck, baby. We got called up. We’re getting ready to head out. We just boarded the plane. But I’m glad you called.” She could hear some of the other guys in the background. It sounded like they were in a well.

  “Oh. Do you know when you’ll be home?” She asked, hoping this was one of those rare clear-cut missions.

  “Sorry, honey, but I don’t. It could be days or even weeks. Fuck, this is killing me, but I gotta go. I’ll call you if I’m able to, okay?”

  “Yeah, o-okay, be safe. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” She said, sounding defeated. She was about to hang-up, but she heard his voice again.

  “Ten?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re never a bother. Don’t ever think that. As soon as I get back, we’ll talk, alright?”

  “I’m going to hold you to that sailor,” She heard him laugh. His laugh made her smile.

  “I promise, baby. Okay, now I really have to go. I’m getting evil looks.” She heard the sounds of a plane’s engines firing up.

  “Okay, be s
afe, and I’ll see you when you get back.”

  “Always. Later, Ten.”

  She heard the click of him disconnecting the call. She set the phone down on her nightstand and picked up the photo of her and Potter. Laying back on the bed, she stared at the picture. They looked so happy. She hoped that once they spoke and she told him everything, they would be able to move forward and be that happy together once again. Her heart held mixed feelings. At least she was able to hear his voice, but now she’d have to wait for him to return. She understood his job was important and that it came first. Plus, she’d waited three and a half months to build up the courage to talk to him. What was another few days or weeks going to hurt?

  Chapter Ten

  The team gathered inside an old abandoned brick warehouse a few miles outside the town of Tumaco, Colombia. Dressed in black and geared for battle, they waited to hear their orders. Up until they were on the plane, they were in the dark of where their mission was taking them.

  Their Commander strode into the room with another man whom Potter didn’t recognize, and by the look on Ace’s face, he wasn’t familiar with the guy either.

  “Okay, gentlemen, listen up. This is agent John Harper from the FBI. The mission we will be conducting will be a joint mission with the agency. Agent Harper will bring you all up to speed on the details.”

  Potter groaned. He hated joint missions because most of the time, it turned into a pissing contest of who was a better team.

  “Good morning, gentlemen. I can say that I’m honored to be working with such an elite team. Let me give you a little background information before we go into the details of how the mission will be carried out.

  “I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Onyx organization. Their leader goes by the name of Miguel Dias. Onyx is one of the largest black market drug and illegal arms dealers in the world.”

  While they’ve never had to go into battle with Onyx specifically, they had heard about them. They were bad news.

  “A little over a year ago, Miguel, through a high-profile criminal attorney in the United States, approached the FBI. When the family business was handed over to him 25 years ago, it had been a complete surprise. He admitted that he never wanted it, but accepted the position to appease his ailing father. Once his father passed away, Miguel started quietly selling off certain parts of the organization. However, some longtime loyal supporters of his father got wind of his actions and didn’t approve. Miguel believes those individuals are now in cohorts with a rival organization to try and oust him from Onyx so the rival can move in and overtake the entire operation.

  He has quite the weapons cache from when his dad ran the organization. Since he took over the reins, the weapons have been stored in a secured facility that only he, his second in command, and I know where it is located.”

  “How are you exactly involved in all of this?” Ace asked.

  “For the last eight months, a couple of other agents and myself have been working inside the Onyx organization here in Colombia. Miguel has an agreement with our government and is working with the FBI, along with other agencies, to bring down other criminal organizations. Specifically, those who have connections to the United States.” As the guys started to ask questions, he raised his hand, silencing them. “I know what this sounds like. Let me finish, and then I’ll take your questions.”

  “About a year and a half ago, Miguel discovered there were side deals taking place without his knowledge. Those loyal supporters of his father that I had talked about have been securing private deals under the radar and pocketing the money for themselves. Then mishaps began to occur, some deals went bad and resulted in people getting hurt, or the product going missing and so forth. Miguel and some of his inner circle of employees who he trusts started to investigate things quietly. That’s when they realized these so-called supporters of his father had allowed some of the rival organization’s employees to infiltrate Onyx to sabotage it. This is why you’re here now. Onyx was behind the attempted assassination of Ambassador Nadelman and his family.”

  “Holy shit,” Irish stated out loud.

  “Exactly,” Agent Harper agreed. “Onyx has always been on the government’s radar due to the arms dealing that was taking place years ago, not to mention the drug smuggling we know for a fact was happening. But when the attempted assassination of the Ambassador and his family occurred, our government decided it was time for us to step in and intervene. We suspect that whoever within Onyx put the hit out on the Ambassador is one of the employees working for the rival. They are trying to frame Miguel and encourage others within the organization that Miguel is a bad leader, hoping they will turn on him. Miguel is afraid this rival is targeting the two major businesses that he has left.”

  “What is our role here?” Potter asked and watched as the agent glanced over at the Commander.

  “We’ve been given the green light to bring in some of the men who we suspect are working for the rival organization. Miguel says he has a good idea who has been behind all of the sabotaging and set-ups. If we can get a couple of his lower-ranking employees to talk, there is a good possibility they can lead us to him.”

  “Who is this person, and besides the weapons, what drugs is he after?”

  “Esteban Sanchez, and he wants the heroin.”

  Potter let out a slow, low whistle. “I’ve heard of that guy. Mean son of a bitch. He is ruthless. He killed his own brother and mother because they disobeyed an order from him.”

  “What’s so big about the heroin? Colombia is a haven for heroin.” Dino asked.

  “HCL/B, some of the finest and purest heroin found on the market. There are only two known organizations that deal it, and one of those is Onyx.”

  “So, how does this agreement between Miguel and the government work?”

  “Miguel sets up the sales for black market businesses. He meets with the buyer or buyers, makes the sale, then turns over all of the details such as contacts, phone numbers, etc., to us. The merchandise also has a trackable barcode on the packages. The buyers think they’ve gotten away with a great buy undetected, but weeks later, when the merchandise makes its way across our border, we swoop in and nab them.”

  “And what does Miguel get out of this deal?” Ace asked.

  “A clear conscience and his life. Remember, he didn’t want any of this to begin with.”

  “The reason you guys are here is that these men inside Onyx, who are deemed traitors, stepped over the line when they tried to assassinate one of our own. Miguel has called a meeting tonight. They are all scheduled to meet at an office near the shipyard that Miguel owns. They are under the impression that the meeting is to discuss a big deal Miguel has in the works. Once we have confirmed all the players in the game are in attendance, that’s when you guys will go in. We are hoping to take as many alive as we can. I know for a fact they will all be armed.” Agent Harper met the eyes of each SEAL team member. “Your lives come first. You do what is necessary to protect yourself and your teammates. Even if that means eliminating all targets.”

  “My team will step in once you have the prisoners secured. An unmarked van driven by a member of my team will meet you at the back door. From there, you will transfer the prisoners to the FBI’s custody, and your mission will be complete. Any questions?”

  Everyone shook their heads no. Considering what they’d faced in other battles, this one didn’t seem as bad, though they all knew that any mission could go FUBAR at any given time.

  Derek stepped forward and looked at Ace.

  “Ace, grab your team and meet me outside in five.” His tone was short and clipped. Ace glanced over at Potter.

  “Is it me, or does the Commander seem a little more on edge than normal?”

  “Not just you. I’m also curious as to why he made this trip. You know as well as I do that it takes a special mission for the Commander to ship out with us. This seems like a simple open and shut case.”

  Ace nodded his head and rounded up the team as order
ed and headed outside.

  ◆◆◆

  Once Ace had the guys outside, Derek broke away from Agent Harper and walked over. He motioned to the team to follow him, moving them further away from the building. He gripped the back of his neck with his hand as if to relieve some tension. “We have another situation on our hands.” He looked directly at Potter, and Potter got an uneasy feeling in his gut.

  “Shit, I’m still in shock over the news. This guy Miguel Dias is connected to someone close to us all.” A series of whats echoed in the early evening air until Derek quieted everyone. Potter saw the struggle Derek was having, and that made his gut tighten even more.

  “Miguel Dias’ real name is Dante Cortez.”

  Potter’s head snapped up, and he locked his eyes on the Commander, who was staring directly back at him. “Are you saying…”

  Derek nodded his head, “Yeah, Potter. Dante Cortez is Tenley’s biological father.”

  “Oh fuck,” Stitch mumbled.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Derek said, sounding frustrated.

  “Nobody knew until now that this guy was her father?” Frost asked.

  “No, Frost. He dropped the Cortez name after he left Juliette and disappeared. The last time Dante Cortez was seen or heard of was 29 years ago. Since then, he has had a little plastic surgery to alter his appearance, and he has been using his grandmother’s name. Nobody connected the dots until about a month ago. I didn’t know until we were ready to fly out.” Which now explained why Derek chose to accompany the team.

  “How is this going to affect Tenley?” Potter asked, now concerned even more for her safety, knowing that the leader of one of the largest illegal black market dealers in drugs, weapons, and god knows what else, was her biological father.

  “Well, son. That is the million-dollar question. Remember when I told you there was something off about Tenley’s story down in Ecuador?” Potter nodded his head, not liking how he was starting to read into this clusterfuck.