by Marie Harte
“You lost me.”
“Grayson might be locked up, but my brother is really strong. Alicia Sharpe strong. He used up a lot of precious energy to telepathically link with Jack and told him that Admiral London would be in danger at our compound. The admiral will be here by noon tomorrow, and Grayson sent Jack instruction to help him get the admiral to safety.”
“Keiser doesn't know Grayson's been kidnapped?”
“No. Like I said, they've spoken telepathically, but not face-to-face. Jack has no clue this is a setup.”
“I didn't know Jack was a telepath.”
“He's not. Grayson is like Jesse. He makes the pathway for mental communication, and he takes it away at will. Unlike Jesse, he's not limited by distance.”
“Holy shit.”
She gave him a smug grin. “I told you he was strong. Now we need to get back, get cleaned up, and work with Jesse and Jules to finesse the admiral. I have a plan.”
She waited for Gunnar to take charge, at the very least, to order her around the way he normally did. But he surprised her.
“A plan, eh? Good. Let's nail Keiser to the wall. We'll get London to confess, and then you and I have a date in my bed.”
She grinned. “Yes, Master.”
“Oh man. Have I mentioned I have a real thing for handcuffs and whips?
You're going to love my porn collection.”
She shook her head, feigning disappointment. “Porn, Gunnar?”
“Please. If I know you, you have your own stash.”
“You're damned right. And none of mine involve girl-on-girl action, so forget it.”
“Aw, come on, Ava. What if I beg? What then?”
“Idiot.” She kissed him smack on the lips, wishing they could spend the rest of their lives alone together. Unfortunately, fate was never that kind.
They rose together, hand in hand, and left the cabin.
Chapter Nine
At eleven thirty the next day as he sat in the conference room, Tersch still couldn't wipe the grin from his face, no matter how hard Jules and Fallon laughed at him. The future he'd been afraid of having with Ava no longer seemed unattainable. He'd made love to his mate, and she'd screamed out her satisfaction.
Nothing but orgasms, some playful pain, and a lot of loving. He could do it; he could commit to her without fear of killing her. Just so long as they kept a ready supply of that suppressant on hand to keep his berserker at bay.
When he'd questioned her about it late last night, she'd shushed him and forced him into the shower. His little mate had control issues, but he liked letting her think she was in charge. He knew she expected him to kowtow to her. And he did, but only because he wanted to make her happy, not because she was really in charge.
“How the mighty have fallen,” Fallon said with mock sadness. He leaned closer, glanced around for Ava, and seeing her not present, whispered, “Pussy.”
“Fuck off.”
Jules laughed. “What happened to not needing a mate, a girlfriend, or a woman? I would love to say I told you so, but Sheridan said I have to be nice while she's gone.”
Fallon gave Jules a wounded look. “Then why have you been such a dick to me?”
“She didn't say anything about being nice to you.” Tersch leaned back in his chair and linked his hands behind his head. “Yep.
Once they've had a taste of me, everyone else pales by comparison.”
He nearly fell out of his chair when Ava shoved him forward.
She scowled. “For God's sake. Don't start comparing penis sizes.” Fallon laughed until she glared him into silence. Good to know Tersch wasn't the only one she bullied.
“Er, ah, hi, Ava.” Fallon smiled, putting his all into that polished charm that worked on anything female.
Apparently it worked on her as well, because she gave him a grudging smile.
“Hi yourself. Jules, you know what to do?”
Jules nodded. “I like it, Ava. You hold London here until Jack comes in. Then we'll circle around and lock him down tight. You sure you'll be okay by yourself with the admiral?”
“She'll be fine. The woman's lethal. Don't let the dimple fool you.” Tersch warned with pride. She had knocked him on his ass, no easy feat. For that alone he might have been enamored. But this plan of hers was so tricky and devious, he wanted to make love to her all over again.
The gleam in her eyes showed her pleasure.
“Ahem.” Jules waited until Tersch returned his attention. “If we could think with our big heads, guys?”
“Amen,” Ava muttered.
Jules frowned. “I'm not at all comfortable with having Jack Keiser running around the mansion. I still don't know what he's capable of. And he's a threat until I get the answers I want.”
“I can handle him,” Tersch promised. He wouldn't be taken unaware by Jack Keiser again. If he had to gut the asshole, he would.
“Now see, that's a problem.” Fallon sighed. “Tersch, you can't kill Keiser because he lied. We need to know what he knows about Melissa and this bigwig in DC. Please don't kill him until we have that at least.”
Ava groaned. “Don't kill him, period. Come on, Gunnar. You know what Grayson said. We need him to pull this off.”
“Your brother has a screw loose. How can we trust anything he said? He's being held prisoner and is probably drugged to the gills.” Ava's eyes narrowed. “You have a screw loose if you mess with my plan.” He rose and stood over her, looming like the predator he knew himself to be.
To his enjoyment, the argument felt a lot like foreplay.
Fallon coughed. “And on that note, let's go.” He tugged Tersch with him, preceding Jules out the door. “Come on, man. You can get busy with Ava later.”
“Quit reading my mind.”
“Sorry, is that erection in your pants for me?” Fallon asked politely.
“Dick.”
“You're broadcasting all over the place. I'm glad you finally came to your senses and claimed the woman, but you need to focus here. We can't mess this up. A lot depends on us grabbing London and Keiser.”
Tersch hated when they talked down to him. His berserker had rage issues.
The man had a temper, but he could reason just fine. “I know that.”
“Good.” Jules shoved him forward. “Now quit gabbing like little girls and get into position.”
Fallon shook his head. “I'm telling Sheridan you said that.”
“You and your feminist bullshit. Oh, shut up.” Jules scowled. “And if you tell my mate I said that, I'll let Tersch tear into you the way he's been wanting to. I still remember what you said about Ava the first time we saw her.” Fallon glanced from Jules to Tersch and hurried forward. “Fine, fine. I heard nothing.”
Tersch narrowed his eyes. “No, what did he say?” Fallon darted around the corner without another word.
“I'll tell you later,” Jules said in a quiet voice. “Now change and get ready.”
The three of them waited in an alcove up the stairs, out of sight. Tersch smelled Admiral London the minute Ava welcomed him into the foyer. The scent of sandalwood and the sea. Clean, pure. He didn't smell dirty.
“He isn’t thinking about anything other than how much he’s missed Mrs.
Sharpe,” Fallon broadcasted to them both. “Ava’s thinking that Tersch had better keep to the plan or no sex for him later. Man, she’s cruel.”
“She’s mine.” Tersch sent him.
“Couldn’t have said that better myself. What else, Fallon?” Jules asked.
Fallon continued. “London’s nervous. Something doesn’t feel right. He wants to get Ava alone, to ask her if she’s all right and to see what’s up. He doesn’t protest when she takes him into the conference room and locks them inside. But they aren’t alone. Jack’s in with them.”
That wasn't the plan. Tersch tensed, angry, worried, and trying hard to control his temper.
Fallon added, “Dammit. Ava’s loudly telling me she knew where he’d be all along and
to leave her well enough alone until she tells us to come in.” Fear crept over Tersch's body like walking fingers of dread. “I’m going to spank her silly.”
“She wanted us out of the way so she could get them where she wanted them.
Now she wants us to listen in, but not to enter the conference room. Not yet.” Fallon sent them a burst of humor. “You have to respect a female who can manage three Circs without breaking a sweat.”
“Oh, she’s gonna break a sweat later. Trust me.” Ava knew this would be a problem, but she needed to talk to Jack and Lonnie freely. She kept her mind open, sharing her vision and her thoughts with Jesse, so he could share them with the others. She'd let them know when to join the party.
Lonnie looked tired but healthy. Jack appeared like a dark, hulking shadow of his former self. His unkempt, shaggy hair brushed over his eyes, hiding his expression. His lips seemed firmer, his body leaner. Yet as she stared, he seemed to shimmer. He wore a pair of jeans and a dark T-shirt, showcasing arms a heck of a lot bigger than they'd been two weeks ago. Hell, everything about Jack now looked meaner and larger than he had in all the time he'd lived and worked there.
“Oh man.” She understood. “You're a chameleon. Wow, I should have guessed.” Jack nodded tersely.
Lonnie blinked. “How do you know that term?”
“Come on, Lonnie. I've been around the scene.” The psychic scene. “I've known others like Jack. Pyros like Foreman and kinetics like Price aren't as unique as you might think. You should know, considering that the PWP is yours. Like Jack, your secret spy.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jesse's anger intruded, and she warned him to stay silent so she could think.
She said to Lonnie, “Want to tell me why you never told us about Jack?” Lonnie sank into a chair and motioned for Jack to do the same, but Jack continued to glance around him, no doubt wondering about the others.
“Don't worry, Jack. I have them preoccupied so we can talk about Lonnie's betrayal, and yours, without interruption.”
“Betrayal? For stashing my eyes and ears in the mansion?” Lonnie swore.
“Hell, Ava, your grandmother could out-stubborn a mule. The woman wouldn't listen when I told her she wasn't safe, but she wouldn't let me install any security here. So I used Jack instead.”
“And then Melissa used me,” Jack said in a gravelly voice. “You want my neck in a rope? Go ahead. But not until I repay that bitch for everything she and her precious Lonnie did to me for over a year.”
Ava felt Jesse and the others tense through his psychic link.
“What?” Lonnie turned to Jack. “What are you talking about? I never ordered Melissa to shoot Morgan or spy for our enemy.”
“Not you, Sir. Lonnie. Robert Leonard Anderson. That Lonnie.” Ava swore. “Shit.”
A changed Gunnar burst through the door, followed by Jules and Jesse. So much for asking them to wait. But at least Jack had spilled some vital information before Gunnar choked him to death.
“Ava, you okay?” Her mate looked her over from top to bottom, then glared at Jack and Admiral London.
Jack glanced from Ava to Gunnar and smiled. “About time you two hooked up.
We had bets on it.”
“Fuck off, Keiser. You don't speak here unless asked to open your mouth.” Gunnar frowned. “And how the hell did you get so buff in a few weeks?” Lonnie sighed. “Would all of you sit down? You can kill us after we talk, all right?”
Jules rolled his eyes. “Tersch, man the door. The rest of us can handle this.” The Circs remained in their beastlike forms, intimidating to say the least. Ava was proud of the team. They made one hell of an intimidating presence.
Jack looked suitably wary.
“Fine. They try to leave, they're mine.” Gunnar stood by the door, his claws exposed, his entire body one vibrating mass of fury. Until Ava caught his eye and winked at him.
He subtly relaxed and winked back, then glared at Jack and flashed a fang at him.
“This was never about hurting any of you,” Jack explained in a tired voice.
“When I signed on to a special government project two years ago, it was to help serve my country with the gifts I'd been born with, gifts soon enhanced courtesy of what you now know as the Psychic Warfare Program, the PWP.”
“Like the Dawn Endeavor project,” Lonnie said to Ava and the Circs. “You know what that's like.”
“Yeah, and?” Jules prodded Jack.
“Admiral London wasn't happy with Mrs. Sharpe's idea of protection, which was using herself to defend against all threats.”
“That doesn't make much sense,” Jules agreed. “I always wondered why we didn't have more around-the-clock protection, especially considering half of us were always gone at one time or another.”
“Welcome to my world,” Lonnie muttered. “I asked Jack to work for me, undercover, to protect Alicia and the rest of you. When I got wind of threats headed your way, I used my PWP teams and Jack to cut them off. When you Circs spent a lot of your time away, Alicia was vulnerable, though she still refuses to admit it. I wanted Jack as a nearby backup.”
“So how did Melissa shooting Morgan and nearly kidnapping Sheridan play into this?” Gunnar drawled.
Jack shot him a look of pure venom. “Fuck off, Tersch. I didn't see you ripping through her disguise, did I?”
“No, but I didn't marry her.”
“Neither did I.” Jack swore. “Fuck. Melissa's precious Lonnie, Robert Leonard Anderson, is a powerful psychic big into mind control. All he needs is physical contact. He and I met weekly, supposedly on behalf of the admiral, when he'd actually reinforce his influence. The cocksucker had me believing I'd married Melissa and that we were working to help protect you guys. When she turned information over to her 'source,' I never batted an eye. I thought it was for Admiral London.
“When those rogues shot me, it broke his hold over me. Melissa escaped, Morgan was shot, and I started to understand I'd been played for a fool.”
“Why not explain the situation to us?” Jules asked.
“Mrs. Sharpe wasn't happy, and when she's not happy, she's scary. The woman planned on isolating me until she pulled the whole truth of my presence here. But I couldn't wait.” Jack turned to Ava. “Grayson contacted me a while back. He helped me avoid Mrs. Sharpe long enough to learn a few things. Together, we've been working to uncover Anderson's involvement in it all.”
“Grayson's been captured.” Gunnar tossed the information out.
“Shit. You sure?” Jack rubbed his hand over his eyes. “More mess we don't need.”
Ava felt bad for him. “He'll be okay. Grayson told me they're holding him in a place Melissa knows about. A place she thinks of as her personal fortress away from home that she calls her playhouse. If you can find her, we'll get him out. I called Anderson a few days ago looking for Grayson, so he knows we know my brother is missing.
“According to the information Grayson sent me, Anderson is using the psychic shielders of the PWP on a special project, so our attempts at astral projection and remote viewing to find Grayson haven't turned up squat. The PWP guys think they're holding the bad guy at bay, but they're actually working for the bad guy.” Jack lit up with a fierce energy that put Ava and the Circs on guard. Weird shadows flickered over his skin, like stripes almost. Then they vanished as if they'd never been. “I know where she is.”
Admiral London nodded. “If anyone can do it, Jack can. He was gifted before he joined the PWP. I'm sorry my people are being used against us right now, but they're actually quite a boon to our government. Folks like Jack have been around for a while, working for me.”
“Like Keegan Price?” Gunnar wanted to know, his gaze hard on Ava.
She forced herself to pretend a calm she didn't feel. Oh boy. She hadn't wanted to explain her past in detail just yet.
Lonnie glanced from Gunnar to her and back. “Keegan Price is one of my best men. He worked with Ava a while back, but that information is classified. Sorry, Gunn
ar.”
“Me too. Because I'm not buying any of this shit.”
“It's true.” Jesse sighed. “All of it. He and Jack might be trying to bullshit us, but they can't hide their thoughts for long. As it is, the admiral is starting to worry that he hasn't found Mrs. Sharpe yet. Jack can't stop thinking about wrapping his hands around Melissa's neck and squeezing.”
Everyone studied Jack.
“I was married to her for a year, except I wasn't. Can you blame me for wanting payback?”
Jules grunted. “Not really. She fucked with the wrong woman when she messed with Sheridan.”
“Try being forced to acknowledge a tie to a woman you know you don't love.
You don't understand why you can't leave. You don't want her, but you can't help yourself. And she's sick. Really, really twisted in ways you can't imagine.” Jack's harsh whisper disturbed her. What had Melissa done to him?
Jesse frowned. “But why stay? Was her hold on you that strong?”
“You're not listening to what he said.” Lonnie shook his head. “It wasn't Melissa. She's a shielder as well as a telekinetic with advanced ability. But it's her Lonnie—Robert Anderson—who's the master at work. As I understand it, when he met with Jack weekly, he took bits of old memory while shoving new memories down his throat. After a while, he burned out Jack's ability to protect himself.”
“Wow, Jack. I'm sorry.” Ava commiserated. “I can see why you want to get even.”
“Not get even, get justice. Anderson and Melissa hurt a lot of people.” His eyes darkened. “She especially deserves what's coming to her.”
Gunnar nodded. “Yeah. Because of her, Montaña hurt Ava and nearly killed Jules.”
“No. She had little to do with Montaña. That was Anderson's doing,” Jack explained. “He used Montaña to manufacture that drug to take out the PWP