by Anna Blakely
“Look, I get your job is to be the protector and all that, but I’m willing to do whatever I can to help—”
Zade grabbed the back of her neck and slammed his mouth against hers. Electricity jolted where their lips met, and when his tongue pressed its way inside, Gabby forgot everything she’d been about to say.
Though the kiss was sudden and more than a little unexpected, she wasn’t about to waste time questioning it or, God forbid, stopping it.
Instead Gabby tilted her head, opening her mouth wider in order to take as much of him in as she could. Her hands fisted the material covering his taut chest as she rose onto her tiptoes and pulled him closer.
By the time Zade broke away, they were both fighting to catch their breaths.
“W-what was that for?” She blinked up at him.
“I’ve wanted to do that since we saw you in the club.” He brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. “Actually, I’ve thought about little else since the last time we kissed.”
“Oh.” Gabby blinked some more, still working to slow her breath. “I thought you were mad at me.”
“I can’t stand the thought of you being in the same room as a man like Hector Andino. You being close enough to talk to him?” Zade shook his head. “That shit terrifies me.”
The independent woman in her wanted to tell him where he could shove his controlling ways. Another part, however—the part that knew he’d gone all caveman because he cared about her—that part couldn’t help but think it was a little sweet.
Even so, “Sam is still out there, Zade,” she reminded him. “I can’t stop looking for her. Not when I’ve come this far.”
He cupped her cheek. “We can figure something else out. Something that doesn’t involve you going into the lion’s den.”
Gabby’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “Thank you. For helping me. For…caring. After the way I left you—”
He pressed a finger to her lips, cutting her off. “You don’t ever have to thank me for helping you. As for Grand Isle, that’s all in the past.”
She could tell by the way he was looking at her that he meant it. “Okay.”
“I do want you to promise me one thing.”
Aaand here comes the catch. There’s always a catch.
“What’s that?”
“You won’t put yourself in harm’s way, again. Not for any reason.”
Gabby rested her palm against his chest, directly over his racing heart. “I’m sorry, but I can’t promise you that.”
Worry crossed over his face. “Gabby, please.”
“If there’s something I can do to help Sam and those other girls, I can’t ignore that, Zade. Not for you or anyone else. I’m sorry.”
Zade closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. “What am I going to do with you?”
Whatever you want.
That’s what Gabby wanted to say. What she actually said was, “Who’s Ghost?”
Zade lifted his head. “He’s the leader of a special forces team we’re working with to bring down Andino’s organization.”
“They’re here…in La Paz?”
He nodded. “They’re close by.”
“Then have Ghost set everything up. I’ll pose as a buyer, and you can pretend to be my protector.”
“No pretending here, baby.” Zade’s eyes seemed to stare straight into her soul. “I’ll always protect you. But I don’t want to do it like this. There has to be another way. We just have to find it.” His eyes widened as if a lightbulb had suddenly lit up. “We’ll bring in another operative. A female who can—”
“There isn’t time for that, Zade,” Gabby interrupted him. “Sam doesn’t have time for that. Trust me, I don’t want to do this, either. If there was another way, I’d be the first one to jump on board with it, but I’m already here, and as much as I hate to think about it, I’m his type. We can use that. If we go back to the club tomorrow and he’s there, I’ll make sure Andino notices me.”
The skin between his dark brows became furrowed. “That’s what scares me.”
Gabby raised her hand to his cheek, the stubble there tickling her fingertips. “I can do this, Zade. We can do this. Together.”
Concern swept over his features. “You’re a civilian, Gabby. You’re not—”
“Please,” she practically begged, interrupting his attempt to talk her out of this. “I swear to you I can pull this off. I just need you to trust me.”
It was a pretty tall order, given recent events, but Gabby knew she was right about this.
With a low curse, Zade took her mouth into his, halting the discussion in the most delicious of ways. He took the kiss slow and deep, his tongue dancing with hers as if they had all the time in the world.
When he pulled back, his eyes were dark and hungry, his impressive erection pressing against her lower belly.
“How is it possible?” she whispered.
“What?”
“This. Us. We hardly know each other. I’ve lied to you about almost everything, and yet…”
“I know.” He nibbled her bottom lip again. “Our connection doesn’t make sense to me either, but that doesn’t make it any less real.”
Oh, it’s real, all right. Gabby could feel it to the very depths of her soul.
“Stay here,” Zade kissed her forehead and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to Gabe. This whole thing may not even be possible. It’s all going to depend on whether or not we find Andino again, whether he buys your cover…there’s a fuck load of unknowns with something like this, but…” He turned back around to face her. His eyes locked with hers as his hand curled around the doorknob. “We’ll never know unless we try.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
He shook his head. “Don’t thank me yet, sweetheart. Not sure you understand what you just signed up for.”
All of a sudden, Gabby found herself wondering if he was talking about the undercover mission or something else.
It didn’t matter, either way.
There was no doubt she was ready and willing to risk herself for Sam. But was she ready to risk her heart for a man like Zade?
Gabby watched him walk out of the room.
He was going to tell his team leader he was on board with Nate’s plan. A plan that would put them both in danger.
Not only was he going to help her get Sam back, Zade was also playing a very active role in taking down one of the most abominable human beings on the planet.
So was she willing to risk her heart for a man like that?
Staring at the closed door, she whispered, “You bet your ass, I am.”
When he came back twenty minutes later, Gabby thought she’d get the chance to tell him that. To finally have the kind of reunion she’d been fantasizing about since the moment he stepped into that shower and she’d snuck away.
While he was busy talking to Gabe, she’d conjured up a new fantasy. One that involved Zade returning to the room and shoving her up against a wall.
That’s what she’d hoped would happen.
Instead, he’d returned to the room only to rush her out and down into the team’s SUV. The only explanation he’d given was that they were meeting with this Ghost character and his team to go over the new plan.
The one she’d insisted they go with.
Me and my big mouth.
So they’d have to wait. After all, anticipation wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, right?
Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up to the abandoned house Zade and his team had first taken her to. Was that only a few hours ago?
With a quick glance over her shoulder, she noticed Gabe and the rest of Bravo were following closely behind.
A million thoughts ran through her head at once.
Had he changed his mind about her?
Was she wrong about Zade?
Had this all been a trick to try to get her to talk about…whatever it is they thought she was hiding?
Not that she was hiding. Not anymore.
Gabby had told them everything. Split herself wide open for Zade and his teammates by sharing the truth about her past in all its ugly truth.
Could that be it? They’d gotten everything they wanted from her, and now they were turning her over to someone else?
“W-why are we back here?”
Gabby hated that her voice sounded so unsteady, but could he blame her? She and Zade got out of the SUV and started toward the house.
Oh, God.
What if this Ghost person wasn’t really someone wanting to help? What if he and his team had been given orders to take her back to the States like Zade had said while she’d still been tied to that chair? What if—
“Relax, baby.” Zade threaded his fingers with hers and gave her a little squeeze. “We’re meeting Ghost and his team here because this area has already been cleared and secured.”
Gabby’s eyes flew to his. “How did you…”
“That connection we talked about?” His gaze darkened. “Soul deep.”
Warmth spread throughout her chest.
Before she could think of a response, Zade pulled her to a stop and leaned in so only she could hear his next words.
“We’ve got three magical days and a shit ton of baggage between us, but whatever this is…whatever’s happening here, it’s stronger and more real than anything I’ve ever felt before.”
No one. No one had ever said anything like that to her before.
Gabby licked her lips. “It’s crazy and probably the worst timing ever, but I feel the same way about you.”
“Good to know.” Zade’s mouth curled into a boyish grin. “Now come on. Faster we get this plan set up, the faster I can get you back to the hotel room.”
With a wink, he stepped back and pushed the structure’s rickety door open. He went in first rather than hold the door open for her.
Always protecting me.
Forcing the unspoken promise of what would happen once they were back at the hotel away—which, after that little speech of his had better be a whole lot of sex—Gabby followed Zade into the small house she’d hoped to never see again.
Lit up by a handful of work lamps strategically placed around the room, her eyes landed on a group of very large, very intense-looking men waiting to greet them.
Dressed in jeans and t-shirts, they all had the same sort of casual-yet-stoic thing going on.
Definitely military.
“King.” One of the men stepped forward to greet Zade. “Thanks for coming all the way back out here.”
“No problem,” Zade released her hand to offer it to the other man. He looked at her from over his shoulder. “This is Gabriella Stevens. Gabby, this is Ghost.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Stevens.” The man’s large hand swallowed hers.
“Please, call me Gabby.”
“All right, Gabby.” He smiled, the move making him appear less scary. “This is my team. That’s Truck, Coach, Fletch, and Hollywood.”
Ghost pointed to each of the men respectively. All four tipped their heads and greeted her with a kind smile.
It was obvious they all used nicknames. She assumed it was to protect their real identity on jobs like this one.
The origins of Ghost, Truck, and Hollywood were pretty easy to figure out. However, Gabby had no clue where the names Coach and Fletch had come from.
The one called Ghost had short, brown hair and the same stoic, badass look Zade had. Her guess was the guy was probably really good at the whole secret spy stealthy stuff, hence the nickname.
Truck clearly came by his name honestly. The guy was an enormously large dude. Like six and a half feet tall large.
With a scar on his cheek and a nose that had been broken at least once, everything about the man screamed stay the hell away. Everything except an innate kindness she could see shining behind his pretty, blue eyes.
The man Zade had introduced as Hollywood was…well, to be honest the dark-haired, brown-eyed god of a man was flat-out, panty-dropping gorgeous.
Not that Gabby would drop her panties for him or any other man who wasn’t Zade. Her panties practically incinerated into a pile of ashes whenever he was around.
Stop thinking about your panties!
It was a damn hard thing to do, especially when Zade was near. Especially after the comment he’d made about the hotel room.
Yep, one look at Zade King and Gabby found herself wanting to toss those puppies aside, hop on board, and ride that man like the wind.
Seriously, Gabriella.
Stop. With. The. Panties.
“No Beatle or Fish?” Zade’s voice snapped her back to the situation at hand. “And where are…shit. What are the other guys’ names?”
Ghost chuckled, his very deep voice rumbling low. “Beatle, Fish, Chase, Blade, and Colt are on loan to another De—” the guy cut himself off, his eyes sliding to hers then back to Zade’s—“uh…they’re working a separate project.”
“Copy that.”
Zade gave the other man a look that said he understood perfectly. Gabby did not. From the expressions on the men’s faces, she never would, and she was one hundred percent A-Okay with that.
The less I know, the better.
“So, Gabby.” Ghost looked down at her. “I hear you have a sister who needs saving.”
Gabby nodded. “Yes. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
The corner of Ghost’s lips twitched. “So I hear.” To the entire group, he said, “Dawson filled me in on the gist of their plan when he called earlier. I think Bravo’s on the right track, but we’ve got a lot of fine-tuning to do so let’s get to it.”
Chapter 9
This sucks huge fucking donkey balls.
From the corner of his eye, Zade watched Gabby as he and Kole nursed their drinks. The two operatives talked and laughed, pretending as though they were simply two buddies out for a night of fun.
In reality, Zade was wound tighter than a roll of ones at a Vegas strip club. He hated everything about this plan. Why?
Because Gabby was a part of it.
If it were any other job…any other woman, it would be different. No, he wouldn’t like the idea of putting a woman—operative or otherwise—within arm’s reach of a guy like Andino.
But Gabby wasn’t just any woman. She was his.
“Dude.”
Zade turned to Kole and frowned. “What?”
“We’re supposed to be having fun, remember?”
“And?”
“And…you hold that glass any tighter, the damn thing’s gonna shatter.”
Glancing down at his hand, Zade saw how white his knuckles were. Shit. With a stretch of his hand, he forced himself to relax.
“We shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t fucking be here.”
“We’ve gone over the plan a million times, man. She’s got this.”
“She’s a civilian, Kole. With absolutely no formal training whatsoever.”
“You heard what Gabe said when we were going over all the shit earlier. Guys like Andino would probably spot someone with that kind of training from a mile away. Probably why he’s been spooked all those times before.”
“We’re trained,” Zade pointed out.
“For us, it’s different. We’re supposed to be trained because, in this little scenario, she’s hired us to protect her. Trust me, Gabby will come off more believable this way.”
The guy had a point, but Zade hated that fucking point with every tensed-up fiber of his being.
His eyes slid to where she stood. She looked mouthwatering in her black leather skirt and sheer, white blouse. The matching lace tank beneath it covered up her perfect breasts—barely, and her red heels…
God, they made Zade think of all the things he wanted to do to her while she wore nothing but those fuck-me heels. Things he was planning to do to her tonight, after they got her the hell out of this place and back to the hotel.
They just had to make sure she didn’t wind up dead before that could happen.
No! He couldn’t think like that.
“We’re ten feet away, man.” Kole’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Nothing’s gonna happen to her.”
Zade forced his gaze back onto his friend. “Kat was two feet away and look what happened to her.”
“Jesus, man. You gotta let that shit go.”
“Easy for you to say. You weren’t the one in charge of protecting her. You weren’t the one who let her slip through your goddamn fingers and into the hands of that asshole, Walker.”
Adrian Walker was a former military man who’d served alongside Matt for a while. Then the guy went AWOL and started working for the other side.
He was a lethal thorn in Bravo’s side and had taken part in both Gracie’s and Kat’s abductions. Walker was a gun for hire—the most expensive around—and damn good at his fucked-up job.
“You didn’t let anything happen to Kat, or to the cop Walker shot. So shut the fuck up with that shit.”
Kole never was one to pull any punches.
“You know what I mean,” Zade muttered as he pretended to take another sip.
“Yeah.” Kole nodded. “I do. I also know you blaming yourself for what happened to Kat would be like me blaming myself for my diagnosis. There wasn’t anything we could’ve done differently to prevent either one of those things. I know that. Hell, the whole team knows that. You’ve got to get it through that thick fucking skull of yours.”
Kole, one of the most talented snipers Zade had ever seen, was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS. The news came as one hell of a shock to them all, but especially Kole and his now-wife, Sarah.
Thankfully, RRMS isn’t a death sentence like most people think.
The two were engaged to be married, and after a fluke injury on the job, Kole’s doctors discovered the disease. The news put Kole into a major funk for a stretch, worrying the hell out of all of them.
During that same time, Sarah became victim of a stalker. As bad as that situation was for both her and Kole, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise of sorts.
Knowing Sarah needed him had snapped Kole out of his depression. He saved her from the asshole watching her, and they’d been happy ever since.