Brooks (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Gold Team Book 1)

by Riley Edwards

  Declan walked outside and entered our standoff. “I totally fucking get it now. I always thought Zane just liked being an asshole. Thought he got off on watching everyone scramble when he growled and barked orders. I was wrong. Really wrong. He’s an asshole because trying to keep all of you pricks straight is a feat unto itself. I need divine intervention.” Dec stopped by Max’s side and continued, “Put your fucking gun away. You’re not gonna shoot anyone. But I’m afraid Tatiana may kick you in the testicles the next time you’re not looking.”

  “What happened here?” I asked.

  “From what I heard you tell Max, it sounds like the same shit that happened to you. Those two over there tried to take a few shots. Other than Dickhead Number One’s bullet nearly taking Max’s head off, they didn’t get close to gaining entry. By the way, you think we can all go inside now? Two of you almost died tonight. I’d prefer not to have to add a detailed explanation as to why someone is dead to my SITREPS.”

  Tatiana ignored Declan’s request and marched right up to Max, who thankfully had holstered his weapon. “Are you okay? How close? Did it graze you? Do you need stitches? Are you bleeding?”

  Max’s lips twitched. “I’m fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. Listen—”

  It was like an action movie was playing out in slow motion. I saw it before it happened, was too stunned to warn Max. Tatiana balled her fist up, brought her hand back, and even pivoted her hips to follow through as she punched Max in the stomach. The loud grunt followed by the labored inhale had cut off what I assumed was going to be his apology.

  “Glad you’re okay. And Declan’s right, watch your balls, friend.” With a pat on his shoulder, she walked into the house, not sparing a backward glance.

  “Goddamn.” Max had finally sucked in enough oxygen to speak. “I was gonna say I was sorry,” he grumbled.

  “Don’t think she forgives you.” Dec chuckled. “Did you get anything from Nazari’s?”

  “Yeah. I have the dead guy’s phone and gun. Oh, and he’s Omni, he had the peacock tattoo. I need to go park the car. I’ll fill you in when I get back.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Max offered.

  “What, you don’t want to go into the house yet?”

  “Hell, no. She can hit fuckin’ hard, bro.”

  I’d planned on beating the hell out of my friend for being stupid enough to point a gun at my woman. However, true to form, Tatiana took care of it all on her own. Getting gut checked by a woman half your size was way worse than me leaving a few bruises on his face.

  We were halfway to where I’d left the car when Max asked, “She really save your life?”

  “Fuck, yeah. I was as good as dead.”

  “Damn.”

  Damn didn’t begin to cover it. I owed her big time.

  Chapter 27

  By the time we’d finished our brief and called Zane to update him on everything that had happened, I was exhausted. Totally and completely drained.

  We had more questions than we had answers and we still had two very important missions to execute. Thankfully, the asswipe who had Brooks at gunpoint had felt chatty and mentioned the prince. He’d also called me a bitch. Not that I cared, but knowing Al Issa knew I was in the area and still gunning for him was a tad unsettling.

  I was almost to the bedroom when Max stopped me. “You gotta minute?”

  “Not tonight.”

  “Can’t wait until tomorrow, Tatiana.”

  Damn. Fatigue had crept into my bones. I didn’t want to have another standoff with Max. I was mentally beat, my guard was down, and I couldn’t find the strength to fortify my walls. I couldn’t deny his earlier words had cut. Both before we left and out front when he pointed his fucking gun at me.

  “You gonna shoot me now?”

  “You gonna kick me in my balls?” he returned.

  With a sigh that sounded a lot like something a toddler would make, I turned to face him.

  “I was outta line. I’m sorry.”

  Well, what did I do with his apology? I wanted to be a bitch and tell him to shove it up his ass but again I was too tired to muster the energy.

  “I get it. You were right. This is exactly what I was worried about. One of you getting hurt because of me. Nazari and Al Issa both want me dead. Apparently, Leon Brown now wants me dead, too. All of this is my fault. If I’d stayed on my own, none of you would be in danger. Brooks wouldn’t have had some asshole’s barrel on his head and you wouldn’t have had a near miss.”

  “None of it is your fault. I overreacted. It was…” he trailed off.

  “It was, what?”

  “Close. Inches. I could feel the wind moving as it went by my face.”

  “Shit. Max. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Yeah. So I’m not excusing my behavior, I was a complete dick. Brooks is gonna rightfully kick my ass. What happened had nothing to do with you and everything about me being a scared pussy.”

  “Why would Brooks want to kick your ass?” I asked, ignoring the rest. A man like Max wouldn’t listen to me if I tried to explain that having a momentary lapse of judgement after having narrowly escaping death didn’t make him a pussy, it made him human.

  “Babe, I pointed a gun at his woman, who is also a member of this team. You don’t do shit like that, and I know better. Good news about Brooks is, when he doles out a beating he expects to be hit back.”

  Was he nuts? Why was he smiling? Yeah, that’s what I was focusing on instead of questioning Max calling me Brooks’ woman. It was easier to concentrate on the news the two men would go to blows.

  “Are you crazy?” I finally asked. “No one needs to get into a fight. Especially over me. I can handle myself.”

  “Yeah, babe, you can. I think I have a miniature fist-sized bruise on my stomach. It’s a good thing you took me by surprise.”

  “Why’s that? And if you’re not careful, you’ll have a miniature footprint to match.”

  “Why is it a good thing you took me by surprise?”

  I nodded.

  “I didn’t have a chance to tighten my abs. If I had, we’d be wrapping up your broken knuckles.”

  “Pu-lease.” I couldn’t stop my eye roll. “You wish, tough guy.”

  “You still gonna kick me in the balls if I promise never to point a gun at you again?”

  “Yep.”

  “Damn.”

  My grin turned into a smile. I must have been even more worn-out than I’d originally thought.

  “What’s going on?” Brooks asked, joining us in the hall.

  “Nothing,” I said.

  “We were discussing the future of my testicles.”

  “Come again?” Brooks frowned and Max smiled.

  “My balls. I was asking her what she had planned for them.”

  “The fuck.”

  “Stop, Max.” I laughed. “He was saying he was sorry and asking if I’d still planned on kicking him.”

  “We good?” Max asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Are we?” Max turned to Brooks.

  “We will be.”

  “Right. You two sleep well.”

  I watched Max disappear down the hall. As soon as he was out of sight, Brooks led us away from the bedroom and toward the bathroom.

  “Brooks. I want to get into bed.”

  “In a minute.”

  “Brooks.”

  He turned to face me and before I knew it my back was against the wall and his face was a scant few inches from mine.

  “Please, Tatiana. Just give me this.”

  The look on his face left no room for argument. It was far from anger, not exactly fear, and close to desperation.

  “Okay, Brooks.”

  He closed the door behind us, locked it, turned on the shower, undressed me, then himself, and pulled us under the spray.

  He didn’t talk, he didn’t try to seduce me, though he totally was. He washed my body and my hair. When he was done with me, he
quickly soaped up and I found it interesting he washed his hair with bar soap. I’d have to ask him later why he hadn’t used shampoo. Much later, when the foul mood of today and this evening had disappeared.

  He dried me off and I tried my best to stand still as his strong hands rubbed me down with the terry cotton fabric. He wrapped a towel around his waist and another around me before he grabbed our clothes and walked us back down the hall.

  I had to admit, it had been the weirdest shower I’d ever experienced. It had been nonsexual and platonic but I’d never felt more cared for. And his hands running up and down my body sent sparks to all the right places. I couldn’t help it. He was hot, and even though he wasn’t trying to turn me on, he still did.

  We entered the bedroom, and much like the bathroom – minus the locking of the door – he divested me of my towel, walked me to the bed, pulled back the comforter, and waited for me to get settled. All wordlessly. I wasn’t sure how I felt sleeping completely nude, but when Brooks leaned down and gently kissed my lips, my brain went fuzzy. When his lips went to my forehead and they lingered there, all thoughts about anything other than Brooks flew out the window.

  He however had no second thoughts about being naked. He dropped the towel, picked up two handguns off the small dresser, and walked back to me, setting one on the nightstand next to my side of the bed. A full body shiver had started when he’d first dropped the towel and his tight ass had come into view. The shiver increased to a five-point-five magnitude tremor when he turned and, gloriously nude, he stood in front of me like a warrior beast palming a gun in each hand. I mentioned naked, right? Completely and totally devoid of clothing. All for my viewing pleasure. The five-point-five tremor turned into a nine-point-two when he placed my gun within my reach. He trusted me. Not just a little bit, but with his life.

  In that moment, there was not a single thing that he could’ve done that I would’ve thought was sexier than him believing in me. Even when I still doubted myself, Brooks believed me to be his equal.

  A chuckle slipped out and I quickly covered my mouth to stifle the sound.

  “What’s funny, Doll?”

  “You know, in all the years I was married to James, I’d never allowed him to sleep with a firearm next to the bed. Even before I quit the CIA. When I came home from work, I locked my service weapon in the safe.”

  “Why?”

  “I guess I didn’t feel safe with a gun on the nightstand while I slept.”

  “You know if he wanted to hurt you, he could’ve.”

  “I know.” I shook my head at the absurdity of my next statement. “It doesn’t make sense, but I didn’t want to be asleep and vulnerable while he had access to a firearm.”

  Brooks had unfortunately gotten into the bed next to me, preventing me from continuing to drool over his perfect body. But his sliding next to me, tugging me closer, and settling me against his chest well made up for the loss of sight.

  “Did he ever—”

  “No. It was about me, not him, really. Forget I said anything.”

  Brooks was quiet for a long time, which regrettably allowed my mind to wander to James and my shitty marriage. Had it been my fault he’d turned into such an asshole? I thought back over our relationship, tried to find a point in time I’d actually trusted him. Even I could admit the whole gun thing was stupid. He was a SEAL, he knew how to handle a weapon and had argued he could do it better than me. It wasn’t that I hadn’t trusted him physically, I never thought he’d hurt me. But emotionally, I’d always known he’d demolish me. I knew he’d been hiding something. Yet another time I hadn’t trusted my inner thoughts.

  “I understand what you’re saying,” Brooks’ whisper cut through the silence. “And I want you to know, I have no problem being asleep and vulnerable with a gun within your reach. As a matter of fact, I trust you’d watch over us.”

  My hand resting on his chest flexed involuntarily, and if it were possible, I snuggled in closer. He reached down and hitched my leg higher over his thigh and rested his hand near my hip. Our position was intimate. Much different from when the sexual tension was sparking between us and passion was arcing.

  “Thank you for saving my life tonight.”

  “Thank you for saving mine,” I returned.

  He squeezed me tightly, then relaxed.

  As my mind stilled and my eyes drifted closed, it hit me, not once had I thought about my scars.

  Chapter 28

  We’d plotted and planned the entire day. Somehow, Garrett had managed to set up a fake meeting between Nazari and a potential buyer. It was bullshit, of course, but we needed the older shitbag away from the younger shitbag sons and the CIA agent. The woman was still a wild card and it was unclear what her objective was. She was either really good at her job and was seriously committed, or she’d turned. I’d sacrificed a lot for my country, however, I didn’t think I could go as far as sleeping with a terrorist to complete my mission. I knew it happened. There were some deep cover agents who did what they had to do to accomplish their objectives. I hoped Ashaki Maloof knew what she was doing and was still on the right side of the fight.

  “We’re outta here in ten minutes.” Declan poked his head into the bedroom.

  I’d finished packing up and was zipping up my bag when I answered, “I’m set. Need any help?”

  “Nope.” Declan’s assessing stare settled on me and I braced. “Listen, I wanted to ask you, everything straight with you and Max?”

  “We’re good.” I bit back the rest of what I wanted to say. We’d stay good as long as he never pulled that bullshit with Tatiana again.

  “Last night was fucked. I don’t agree with what he did. This is not an excuse, but he was hyped up. That first shot that came through the window? It should’ve taken him out. If he would’ve exhaled the wrong way, he wouldn’t be here. It was unfortunate the two of you walked up when you did. He hadn’t even processed he was still breathing. The more I get to know Max, the more I understand his loyalty to this team. I could be wrong, but I think he was pissed because he was worried about you.”

  He wasn’t wrong. Max trusted only us and he’d be the first one to jump in front of a bullet if it meant his team was safe. I also knew why Max didn’t trust anyone, but it wasn’t my place to tell his story.

  “I know you’re right. But he knows better than to point a loaded weapon at a friendly. Fuck, accidents happen.”

  “You’re right.” Declan turned to leave but stopped and smiled. “For the record, it wasn’t loaded, his magazine was empty. He pumped fifteen rounds into the fucker who nearly took his head off. He shook off the shock, jumped off the couch, and before anyone could stop him, he went Rambo. Completely justifiable, the asshole had engaged first. But it wasn’t smart the way he reacted.”

  That was something Declan as team leader was also going to learn. Max was impulsive, but not in a bad way. He went with his gut and reacted. I’d never known him to be wrong. Until last night. Before I could explain this to Dec, he was already walking away.

  I tossed my pack over my shoulder and stared down at the crumpled sheets. I couldn’t remember a time I’d slept so soundly on an op. Nor could I remember a woman who felt so good, so right in my arms. I’d been on a wild emotional rollercoaster, complete with twists and turns, peaks and valleys, and upside-down loops since the second I’d laid eyes on Tatiana. It didn’t take days for my feelings to change, it took minutes. Sometimes seconds. The fuck of it was, I liked it.

  The bottom line was, I simply liked her, more than I should. I’d moved past complicated straight into the daunting task of how I was going to convince her we were right for each other. I wanted her to stay with the team. I didn’t know how Zane would react, but neither did I care. He’d have to get over it because she wasn’t going back to work for Leon Brown and The Company. I’d handcuff her ass to me before I let her continue to work for a man who’d put her in danger. I also didn’t give a shit how mad she got or that it made me a bit of a controlling
prick. Her breathing was more important.

  I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d gotten to this place, but I knew she was the one. I felt it deep in my bones. I didn’t know jack about her life before I’d met her, except the few tidbits she’d shared. I didn’t know her favorite foods, movies, if she liked to read, her political views. However, it didn’t matter. There was a fuck ton I’d need to learn, and I was looking forward to it. For the first time in my life, I wanted to know. And I wanted her to know me, all of me, every dark secret I had.

  Everything was moving fast. I was good with that, too. The amount of days I knew her didn’t matter. It was what I’d seen in those days that cemented my resolve. I wasn’t letting her go. I was going to fight my damnedest to nail her down. There was no other option. I was going to show her I was the man who was meant to walk this life with her.

  I took one last look at the bed I’d shared with her, remembering how good she’d felt cradled in my arms. Yeah, I wanted more mornings with Tatiana. Sleepy and soft. Breathy good nights and whispered good mornings.

  “Hey. There you are. Zane called in, everything’s in place,” Tatiana told me as I made my way down the hall. “You okay?”

  “Perfect. Why?”

  “You’re looking at me funny.”

  “Funny how?”

  Damn, she was so hot I wanted to drag her back into the bedroom and start what we hadn’t had a chance to do this morning before Thad came banging on the door. Her appeal went way beyond her good looks. There was something in the way she looked at me that made me want to fall at her feet. I was in way too deep for a man who had no idea if she felt anything for him other than physical attraction.

  “I don’t know. You’re just looking at me strange.”

  “Huh. I don’t know, Doll.” I stopped in front of her and wrapped my arm around her waist, bringing her flush to my front. “How about you and I go out on a date?”

  “A date?”

  I had no idea why I’d asked her that. I’d never tried to woo a woman before. Mainly because I’d never been interested in anything permanent.