“You good, brother?” Dec was the first to speak.
“Nope.”
“What the fuck happened in that room?” Kyle tried to ask again.
I debated how much to tell my team. It wasn’t my place to divulge her secrets, but they also needed to understand Tatiana’s motivation. Bringing a personal vendetta into an op was dangerous. Not that I was one to talk. In the span of an hour this mission became extremely personal to me as well.
“She was captured and tortured.” All four widened their eyes. “Bad. As in, fucked.”
“Al Issa?” Thad’s voice was thick with anger.
“His men.”
The muscle in Max’s cheek jumped and his face turned to stone. Not that I’d expected any other reaction from the men on my team. There’d been no doubt they’d be just as pissed as I was. However, their outrage stemmed from very different reasons than mine.
Everything about Tatiana was baffling. I didn’t trust a word that came out of her mouth, yet I had no issue going into an uncertain gun fight with her. Saying she was prickly and bitchy was an understatement, yet her attitude was not a turn-off. She was one big IED waiting to explode, yet I wanted to navigate the minefield. She had more emotional and physical scars than any woman I’d come across, yet she was still stunningly beautiful. I wanted to wrap her up and tame her demons. I wanted to touch and kiss every line that marred her flesh. Trace them and learn the story they told. I wanted her so badly my hands twitched and stomach tightened.
I was fucked.
I had to stay away from her. But I knew I wouldn’t.
Chapter 11
I’d called Leon Brown and briefed him on the current state of play. He agreed and hadn’t been surprised the Bitoos tried to double-dip on the tablets. My mission was a bust. If we could recover the four tablets this evening that would be great, but he wasn’t holding onto hope. He firmly believed they’d already been sold. I didn’t have to tell him the other six had made their way into the hands of the US government. He already knew. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Much to my irritation he wanted me to stay with Gold Team. He was making a call to Zane Lewis to clear my attachment to the guys.
Leon felt, if they were going after Lucre, it was best I stay with them. I knew why. The last time I’d gotten too close I almost died. I also knew Leon felt responsible for my injuries. Apparently, he’d visited me at the hospital and he’d stayed a long time. I didn’t know that as fact considering I’d been doped up on pain meds and was out of it. Even if my eyes had opened and I saw him sitting there, I didn’t remember.
There was a whole lot about the hospital stay and recovery I didn’t want to remember, but there were certain pieces I couldn’t forget no matter how hard I’d tried. One of those things was the reason why I’d been taken. I’d been cocky. I’d been out to prove myself. I’d spent years getting verbally beat down by my douchebag ex and I wanted to show everyone including myself I was better than what James had thought I was. So, it was my fault, my own insecurities, that led me to be arrogant and I walked right into an ambush. The hit to my pride was almost as bad as the pain. A valuable lesson. One I will never forget.
I glanced up from my laptop when there was a hard knock on the bedroom door.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Brooks’ large frame came into view. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bang the door down, I wanted to make sure you heard me this time.”
Whatever had crawled up his ass seemed to have disengaged, if his smile was any indication. Full lips tipped up, white, straight teeth on display. The only word that came to mind to describe it was dazzling.
“No problem. I was just working. What’s up?”
“Wanted to see if you were hungry. Luckily for you Max has KP duty. He grills a mean steak. The only thing Kyle knows how to make is grilled cheese. Declan only makes spaghetti and we’ve long ago taken Thad off rotation because, well, he can’t fuckin’ cook to save his life.”
“What about you? What’s your specialty?”
The dazzling smile turned into something dangerous. Playful. Flirtatious. Panty dropping. I would be in big trouble if he smiled at me like that more often. It was hard staying away from him. Especially after he saw my back and was angry on my behalf. No one in my life knew what I’d gone through. Not my parents, my siblings, or the few friends I had. They couldn’t, they all thought I traveled the world working various safe jobs trying to save the world. Sure they knew the places I went weren’t all that safe, but they all thought I worked desk jobs. So, no one knew. No one had been there through my recovery. Seeing Brooks so furious made my insides flutter. It was stupid. But it was real. It made it all the more difficult to deny I was attracted to him.
“Daydreaming, again?” He chuckled.
I’d been daydreaming a lot around him. Something I never did. I didn’t have the luxury of feeling attraction. Hell, I hadn’t felt attractive in a very long time. I was ruined.
And on that thought, I answered, “Yeah, I could eat.”
He was eyeing me again, trying to work out what was going on in my head. Good luck with that. Maybe if he could figure it out, he could tell me. I needed to sort myself out and get Brooks out of my head and focus on work.
I closed my laptop and made my way to the door. Brooks hadn’t moved. He stayed leaning against the doorjamb. Strong arms folded across his chest, highlighting his muscled pecs and biceps. One cargo pant-covered leg crossed at the ankle. From top to toe he was badboy hot. Chiseled features, strong cheekbones and chin, straight nose, great smile, sexy, unusual eyes. Yeah, he was hot as fuck, and dangerous. Heartbreaker.
“So could I,” he murmured.
Full body shiver. That’s what his husky voice did to me.
“You should come with a warning label,” I told him.
“Yeah? And what should it say?”
Brooks was no longer still, he unfolded his arms, one hand coming to my face, he cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his hold. His thumb stroked my cheek and I’d forgotten what I was going to tell him.
“Danger. Proceed with caution.” I finally got the words out.
“I may be dangerous. But I promise, you’re in no danger around me.” His words came out hushed and thick.
“I don’t think that’s true, Brooks. I think the reality of you is way better than the fantasy. Making you an imminent threat.”
His gaze heated and his lips did this weird twitch. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to beat back a smile or a laugh. Either way it made me melt. Apparently, honesty wasn’t always the best policy.
“The take away from this conversation was proceed with caution.”
“Was?”
“Yeah, babe. Was. Until you told me you’d fantasized about me, about us. Now it’s simply, proceed.”
“Um. I don’t think that’s exactly what I meant.”
“Yeah, it was. And you’re correct. The reality will be far better than anything your mind can conjure up.”
“Your arrogance is showing, Brooks.”
“No. My confidence is,” he returned. “And, Doll, I promise you my kind of certainty means really great things for you.”
Brooks’ hand was on the move again. His eyes were no longer heated, they were on fire and intense. His hand twisted into my hair, and he slanted my head, right before his lips came down on mine in a mind-blowing kiss. He didn’t ask for permission, he plundered. He took what he wanted, how he wanted it. Which was a very good thing, considering he was a good kisser. No, a fucking great kisser. My belly whooshed, my heart pounded in my chest, and my panties dampened. It had been, like never, since I’d been so turned on by a kiss. I wasn’t sure if this meant the good things Brooks had promised or if it meant bad things for me. If he could make me come unglued that fast, with one kiss, what would happen if he actually touched me?
I’d spontaneously combust, that’s what would happen.
He pulled his mouth from mine but left our bodies touching. His hard-on was hard
to miss.
“Jesus,” he muttered. “You can fuckin’ kiss, Doll.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a good Jesus, or a bad Jesus. What I did know was, I lacked the brain power to try and figure it out. My mind was preoccupied and I was no longer hungry for food. There was a mattress only a few feet away and I was getting ready to throw caution to the wind and suggest we use it when he spoke again. “You taste so fucking good. I’m a heartbeat away from tossing your fine ass on that bed, but the guys are waiting for us to eat.”
Thank god.
Thank god, my mind was muddled and I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I tried to pull back but Brooks’ hand on my hip tightened. “I want you to know we’re leaving this room under extreme protest.” My eyes locked on his and they were no less intense than they were before he kissed me. “We will be finishing this.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. Because, what else could I do? I wanted to finish it. “No way I get a taste of you and not go back in for seconds. And by seconds, Doll, I mean, with my mouth between your legs, tasting you.”
Did he just say that? He did. He said he was going to put his mouth between my legs. Was it possible for someone to orgasm by verbal stimulation? Because my sex was clenching and I needed a change of panties.
“I see you like that idea. And as much as I want to explore that now, I need to feed you and we need to prep for tonight’s mission.”
Shit. Right. Work. We had work to do.
“Damn, you’re pretty.”
I don’t think anyone had called me pretty since I was a child. It was nice. Brooks’ sweet side was far more dangerous than the sexy badboy with a dazzling smile.
I was fucked.
Chapter 12
I couldn’t take my eyes off Tatiana.
Hands down the most beautiful woman I’d laid eyes on. But when she came out of my room after dinner with a pair of black cargos on, black boots, and a tight-fitting tee, I nearly swallowed my tongue. When she strapped on a SERPA thigh rig and holstered her Sig, my dick jerked in my pants. And when she strapped on a bullet-proof tac vest, precome leaked from my dick and I was sure there was a wet spot. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, leaving her sexy neck exposed for my viewing pleasure. And it was a pleasure. I couldn’t wait to suck and nibble on the soft skin around her throat and neck. Dec gave her an ear piece, and after a comm check, we’d be ready to roll.
Now we were less than a quarter mile to the warehouse where the Bitoos were holed up and Declan, Thad, Kyle, and Max had broken away to get into their positions, leaving Tatiana and me to walk the last bit by ourselves.
The area wasn’t particularly shit nor was it a nicer part of Bahrain. The building was waterfront, though there were no boat docks. As we approached the industrial park, I was happy to see it was deserted.
“Set and ready,” Kyle informed the team.
“Sixty feet and closing in,” Declan returned. “Team two, you in position?”
“Affirmative. Waiting for the green light,” I answered.
“You good?” I asked Tatiana.
“Yep.”
She had her weapon up and was scanning the area. There should’ve been nothing sexy about her appearance. Her curves were hidden behind tactical gear, a balaclava covered her beautiful face, and a bulletproof brain bucket hid her shiny long hair. Nothing outwardly appealing, yet she was turning me on like no other woman ever had.
“Breach.” Declan came through my comms once again.
I waited for the heavy breathing of a firefight and the telltale sounds of rapid gunfire. Nothing. Silence as they made their way clearing the building. The only communication was them calling in “clear” as they went. Something wasn’t right.
“Sniper, you got anything?” I asked Kyle.
“Negative.”
“We got blood,” Max announced.
“Team two, you’re clear to move in.”
Tatiana nodded from beside me, allowing me to take the lead, and we covered the last of the distance to the building. I could feel her at my back matching me step for step as we moved at a fast clip. We entered the door the team used, bringing us into a small but empty room. Off to the right there were three doors, all open. Max and Declan were standing in the doorway of one of the rooms and Thad was at the back door. Blood was everywhere.
We were too late.
“Fuck,” Tatiana mumbled. “Totally fucked.”
“Looks like one was taken out there.” Declan pointed to a pool of blood on the cement floor, the splatter on the wall suggesting he was correct. “One in the first room.”
“The others?”
That only accounted for the possibility that two out of the five brothers had been shot. With no bodies there was no way to confirm.
“Fuck, man, you got me. This room is a mess.” He gestured to the room he was standing in front of.
I broke away from Tatiana and peeked inside. He wasn’t lying. It looked like a massacre had taken place. The stench of coppery blood was thick in the air.
“There’s only four drag smears,” Tatiana noted.
We turned to look and she was correct. Four very distinct blood trails led to the back door.
“Sniper, how’s the back look?” Declan asked.
“You’re clear.”
Thad opened the back door, trying but failing not to step in the blood as he stepped out. Max, Declan, and Tatiana followed and I pulled up the rear. The blood trail continued the short distance to the water’s edge. The drop down wasn’t very far, maybe three feet into the shallow water.
“Got one,” Dec called in.
Timothee Bitoo was floating below, face up.
It took less than ten minutes to find the other four Bitoos all suffering their brother’s fate. It would’ve been considered a good night, someone else coming in and doing the dirty work of disposing of the brothers, but Tatiana didn’t get the interrogation she needed and the tablets were not in the building. Neither was anything else helpful. So all in all it was a bust. We got nothing.
The drive back to the compound was silent. Tatiana sat next to me and I could feel her annoyance rolling off of her in waves.
We were pulling into the compound when she finally spoke. “Have you talked to Zane about me going to Saudi Arabia with you?”
“He mentioned it. But the details haven’t been worked out yet,” Dec answered.
He had spoken to the team about the possibility of Tatiana staying with us for a while. The team had a meeting and discussed her continued presence. Zane wouldn’t entertain the idea unless the team agreed and felt like she’d add value to the mission. Everyone gave their okay and volleyed the decision back to our boss.
“What details?”
Tatiana was going to be pissed. It might’ve made me a pussy but I was pleased I wasn’t the one having to explain what the details were.
“We’ll discuss them when we get inside.”
Nothing further was said as we exited the car and each of us removed our boots before we entered the house. We may’ve been a team of mercenaries, but no one, not even us, wanted brain matter and blood tracked into the house. Tatiana made a beeline to the bedroom. She was already in a bad mood and irritated. No doubt she was going be a whole lot more of both of those things, but I followed. All my shit was still in the room and I needed a shower and a change of clothes.
She had her tac vest off and tossed on the bed when I entered the room. Her eyebrow lifted in question as she unbuckled her thigh holster.
“Sorry, Doll, only shower downstairs.”
I made my way through the bedroom, into the bathroom and started to undress. The area was so small I had to unload my gear and dump it in the sink. Christ, I missed man-sized American bathrooms. I was down to my boxer briefs when Tatiana filled the doorway.
“Do you know what the details are?” she asked.
So maybe she wouldn’t be pissed I was invading what I told her was going to be her room.
“Zane di
dn’t discuss the particulars but I can guess.”
“And what’s your guess?”
“Can we do this after I shower?”
“What, you can’t multitask?”
Oh, I could multitask. I took her in and noted the challenging glint in her eye. Game on. I dropped my underwear, gave her my back, and turned the taps on, before I turned back to talk to her.
“My guess would be Zane wants more background intel on you.”
“Why?”
I had to hand it to her. Her eyes hadn’t dropped below my chest. She was fighting it though. I had no issue standing in front of her nude. She could take in her fill and I’d be perfectly comfortable with her doing so.
“Why?” I returned, stepping in the shower, not bothering to close the clear plastic curtain.
“Yes. Why? I’ve told you everything you need to know.”
“You didn’t scratch the surface, Doll. The team vote was to bring you along. Zane will take that into consideration but only after he gets a full work-up on you and The Company. No chance in hell is he sending you in with us without knowing who you work for.”
I lathered the soap in my hands and went to work washing the sweat and stench away when she appeared within touching distance. And she looked just as mad as I knew she’d be.
“Leon Brown will never give him the information he’s after,” she informed me. “I should cut out now so I can figure out my next move.”
My soapy hand grabbed her bicep before she could leave. Her eyes dropped to where I was holding her and I waited for her to demand I let go. Her gaze snapped to mine but instead of seeing irritation, I saw heavy lids and heat shining back.
“You’d be surprised what Zane Lewis can find out.”
The way she was looking at me, I didn’t think she comprehended what I’d said. She was back to daydreaming. Fantasizing. And on that thought, my dick swelled. I gave her arm a tug and to my surprise she stepped forward, fully clothed into the shower.
Her body collided with mine and I wasted no time. My mouth was on hers and she immediately opened. This kiss was no less forceful than the first, but it had a hint of familiarity to it. Her tongue brushed mine and it was like it was welcoming me home. This time I didn’t stop myself from touching her. My hands were everywhere. I ripped her shirt off, forcing her hands up as the fabric cleared her head. I tossed the cotton aside and moments later her bra followed. My head bent and I latched onto a pink nipple. One hand on her ass, the other curled around her ponytail pulling her head back, making her arch her chest.
Brooks (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Gold Team Book 1) Page 7