Hot Colorado Nights

by Paige Yancey

  The carpet was warm and plush against her buttocks.

  Derek moved in and out, increasing the pace until he pounded into her.

  Maddie twisted her body and rolled Derek over so that she was on top of him.

  As her breasts swayed in front of his face, Derek took one into his mouth, and he sucked hard. He grabbed her hips as if to buck her up and down.

  She stiffened. “No, let me.” Maddie rose and then lowered herself, taking him deeply inside. She did it again and again, settling into a smooth rhythm.

  Derek sucked in a sharp breath. “Sweetheart, if you keep this up, I won’t be able to last much longer.”

  She grinned then rose and came down on him again.

  Derek flipped her to her back, and then thrust into her in two short fast movements.

  Maddie grabbed handfuls of the carpet at her sides and levered her hips for the best angle. Suddenly, she felt the quickening in her core. She threw her head back and screamed out his name.

  Derek slammed into her and collapsed onto her prone form. After a few moments, he disengaged and moved beside her.

  As her spasms subsided, she turned onto her side and stared into Derek’s light turquoise-colored eyes, remembering how she’d told him they reminded her of the warm, crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, beautiful and calm.

  Derek grabbed his clothes. “We need to talk. I’ll meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready.” He leaned over, kissed her on the cheek then walked bare-butt naked into the kitchen.

  Maddie admired his tight ass and noticed a large scar on the back of his right hamstring. It scored his leg, starting at his right hip and wrapping around to his knee. Making a note to herself to ask about that later, she got up gingerly, collected her clothes and ran into the bathroom. She cleaned herself up, brushed her hair and teeth and ran into her bedroom to put on some clothes.

  Today was Sunday, and she and Janie did inventory or worked on filling orders to be shipped Monday. She also expected a call from Sadie McClain. The two had met a few years back when the movie star had come to Colorado to film one of her movies. Sadie had swung by the shop to pick out some new outfits and jewelry. They’d become quick friends and Sadie liked to order from their online store. She’d also shared their collection with some local artisans in Montana as well as some of her friends in California, boosting their sales significantly.

  She threw on some leggings and an oversized peach top that hung off one shoulder.

  Her heart raced as she hurried down the hallway toward the kitchen and Derek. The connection they shared had flared up so volcanically, she couldn’t keep her hands off him. Eventually, they would have to talk about this. But first, they had to find her sister. Anything else would have to wait until later.

  She entered the kitchen.

  Derek moved around the kitchen with a white towel over one shoulder. Eggs were frying in a pan on the stove.

  Maddie sniffed the air. “Smells good.”

  Derek grinned her way as he poured orange juice into two glasses on the counter.

  “I see you found everything,” she said.

  “Yeah, I figured you’d be hungry, too.”

  She came around the corner of the counter and reached for the two glasses of orange juice.

  Still grinning, Derek rolled the towel and popped her on the butt.

  “Hey! Watch it.” She set the glasses on the table then turned to look at him leaning against the counter. Maddie crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “OK, so tell me what you’ve heard.”

  “Let me take care of breakfast, and then we can talk.” Derek focused his attention on the pan of eggs, scooping them out onto a platter.

  “Fair enough.” Maddie pulled two plates from the cabinet and grabbed the toast from the toaster. She placed the plates on the kitchen table, and when she backed away, she ran into something hard behind her.

  “Careful. These eggs are hot.” Derek reached around her to set the platter on the table.

  She turned in his arms and stared up into his eyes.

  Derek brushed his lips across her forehead then held out a chair for her.

  Maddie felt a pang as her heart started to melt, but she knew they needed to get down to business. She sat in a chair and waited for him to take the one across from her.

  Without talking, Derek shoveled mountains of eggs onto both of their plates.

  Maddie lifted her fork. “Alright Derek, spill the beans. I know you know something.”

  Derek looked over again and sighed. “I got a call from my friend Hank Patterson. I’ve known him since I was in the military. He has a special civilian unit of ex-military members who help people in special situations, especially when the government doesn’t want to help or can’t. He calls them the Brotherhood Protectors. He’s sending three of his guys to help us tonight, and he also gave me some intel.”

  Maddie stopped her fork halfway to her mouth as she stared at Derek. His hair was disheveled from their lovemaking, and he’d misbuttoned his shirt.

  She then realized the name he’d spoken. “Did you just say Hank Patterson, as in Sadie McClain’s husband?”

  His brow wrinkled. “Yeah. Why do you ask? Do you know her?”

  Maddie grinned. “Actually, I’m expecting a call from her in a little while. She’s one of my best customers.”

  Derek shook his head. “What a small world. Hank and Sadie got married soon after he left active duty. That was also around the time he set up his company. He’s the one who helped get me set up here in Colorado, once I got off active duty.”

  Maddie was impressed. She didn’t know much about Sadie’s husband, except that he was ex-military. She and Sadie mainly talked about clothing and jewelry when they got together or spoke on the phone.

  LouLou took that moment to come up to Maddie and gazed up at her with her beautiful brown eyes then turned toward her plate of eggs. Eggs that had been barely touched. Maddie smiled down at the dog. “Sorry Derek, I've lost my appetite. Are you ok with me giving these to LouLou?

  Derek smiled, "No problem, looks like someone else will enjoy it.” Maddie rose from the table, grabbed her plate and carried it to LouLou’s bowl. She scraped the fluffy yellow eggs into LouLou’s dish then walked over to the sink and cleaned off the rest of her plate.

  Just then, Derek’s cellphone rang. He glanced down at the display. “I need to take this.” He left the kitchen and walked into the living room. When he came back, he said “That was Hank’s guys. I’m gonna meet them at their hotel and go over the game plan for later tonight. Don’t do anything until I contact you, ok?” He looked at Maddie, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t try to save your sister on your own.”

  She looked up at him cheeks reddening. “Sure. Just don’t forget I have to be the one that goes in by myself.”

  Derek frowned. He then turned back to her as if he’d forgotten something. “Keep your eyes peeled. I called in about the car, but I’ve heard nothing back from the station. Keep LouLou close.”

  Maddie stood on tiptoes and gently kissed Derek, rubbing her breasts against his button-up shirt.

  Derek wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor, his mouth taking over, and the kiss deepened.

  When they came up for air, Derek gently put Maddie back on her feet and stepped away. “Be safe, Maddie. I’ll see you later.”

  Maddie had been careful not to promise anything. She knew what she had to do.

  Chapter 6

  Derek could still smell Maddie’s scent on his skin. He couldn’t believe how much he and Maddie seemed to be falling for each other. He needed to talk to her about where they were going. And he needed to let her know about Jacob. All that would have to wait until after the operation went down.

  As Derek drove up to the hotel where Hank’s men were staying, he placed a call to his partner, who answered on the first ring. “Hey, Jonesy, I am following up on that lead I told you about. Are you still ok to cover for me at work?”

  Silence fille
d the car and then Jonesy’s voice sounded loud and clear. “Sure thing, just give me a heads up if you need backup. I know what LT said, but still don’t like the way this is going. Someone could get hurt.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean, but I already have backup, and I know you’re standing by if needed. Thanks, I’ll let you know how everything goes down.”

  “Ten-four, Derek,” Jonesy said. “Don’t have too much fun without me. I’m kinda getting used to having you around.”

  Derek chuckled. “Will do.” The line disconnected, and Derek exited of his vehicle and strode toward the hotel.

  He wondered about the guys Hank sent. He’d worked with other spec ops men from various branches of the service while in the Army Special Forces. He knew they would have his back. If Hank said they were good, then they were the best of the best.

  Derek had barely raised his hand to knock, when he heard a dog’s whine, and then the door opened to the hotel room. Standing before him was a man with black hair and blue eyes about the same height as himself. Beside him stood a large German Shepard with alert eyes, his ears pricked forward, his stance ready, as if scanning for danger. The dog stepped back and the man ushered Derek in.

  “HI, I’m Joseph, but everyone calls me Kujo. This is Six.” He gestured toward the dog.

  Six walked toward the other men, as if to say follow me.

  Already Derek felt at home with these men.

  Kujo introduced him to the other two men. “This is Taz and Bear.

  Both men had dark hair and dark eyes.

  Derek introduced himself, “I’m Detective Derek Lewis. But while I was in Special Forces, they called me Eagle Eye, or Eagle for short.”

  “Yeah, we heard about you,” Bear said. “Sharpshooter sniper. Hank sent a special toy for you to play with while we’re here.”

  All three men chuckled.

  Bear laid a long case on the bed, similar to the one that had housed the sniper rifle he’d used while serving in Special Forces. Derek opened the case and recognized the weapon as a M39 EMR. He’d used this type of weapon on all his missions and knew it’s capabilities well.

  “Thanks guys, but I don’t plan on hanging back. I’m going in with you guys.”

  Bear frowned. “Hank said that you would be better suited covering our backs, and at a higher vantage point, so we can go in and get the girls without worrying about who might be taking potshots at us from above or behind.”

  “Hank also said you weren’t officially on the case,” Taz added. “If you hang back, you won’t be as involved and will have plausible deniability, if needed.”

  Derek knew they were right, but his eyebrows pulled together as he looked at the other men. “I’m going in.”

  Kujo stepped forward. “Think about it. Hank also said you had a personal stake in this. He’s concerned you won’t be able to keep a level head if you went in with us.”

  They were right. Derek sighed. “Okay. I’ll be your eyes and backup.”

  The men gathered around a blueprint of the warehouse where Maddie was to go that night. Taz and Kujo took the lead and identified all the entrances and which would be the best to breach. Derek identified the most strategic location for him to provide the necessary cover. He would establish position on top of another building, across from the designated warehouse.

  Kujo stood over the table with Six lying on the floor by his feet. He pointed at the drawing. “Six and I should enter from this back entrance.” He moved his finger to the other side of the drawing. “Bear and Taz can come in from the side. Eagle will cover our backs and let us know if anyone new comes or goes while we’re in the building.”

  “You three are going in the back and side while Maddie meets with the kidnapper?” Derek asked.

  Kujo nodded. “That’s right.”

  Derek pressed his lips together. “How does that keep Maddie safe?”

  “You’ll have her and the adversary in your sights,” Bear said. “Meanwhile, we’ll infiltrate the interior and take care of business.”

  Derek didn’t have a concern about how the plan was set up, but they had no idea what they’d find inside the building, or how Maddie’s meeting would unfold.

  “It’s not much of a plan,” Bear said, “given the fact we haven’t had much time to observe the location. The main priorities are saving the sister and any other women that might be in there, as well as keeping Maddie safe.”

  All three men, as well as Derek, dressed in civilian tactical gear, from the multi-pocketed pants to dark shirts and Kevlar bullet-proof vests. They packed tactical bags with a range of weapons from rifles, to pistols and throwing knives. Hank’s men appeared to know their stuff. The women they were tasked to free would be well-protected by these men. Even Six wore a tactical vest.

  Derek wondered what kind of injuries these men had sustained to get them discharged from the military. No matter their deficiencies, they would still work as a team and help each other, and would be better than any civilian SWAT team in the local area. Two of the three men, and the dog, all had a slight limp when they walked, but they hid it well. The men would need to head for the warehouses to get the lay of the land, and then settle in to get ready for the meeting.

  The day was getting late, and they would have to make sure Maddie knew what they were planning. She needed to know her part as well, and how to stay as safe as possible. Derek knew Maddie’s father had trained his girls. But didn’t he know how much they’d learned and how long it had been since they’d trained in hand-to-hand combat. Maddie might need to know a few moves before she met the kidnapper. He looked down at his tactical watch and noticed it was already 6pm. “I’ll call Maddie and make sure she knows what to do.”

  Derek reached for his phone and noticed that he’d received a text while he was talking with Hank’s men. The men were already getting their gear together and taking their bags down to the SUV they’d rented for their mission in Colorado.

  The text was from Maddie.

  Derek’s stomach knotted. “Holy shit.”

  Going to the warehouse early. Talk to you later.

  He grabbed his sniper rifle case and hurried down to the SUV. “We have a big problem. Maddie’s already on her way to the warehouse,” Derek stated gruffly.

  Kujo spun to face Derek. “What the hell?”

  Derek shook his head, his pulse racing. “She was afraid the kidnapper would kill her sister if she arrived with backup.”

  Bear opened the driver’s door to the SUV. “Not much we can do about that. Guys, we need to get there as fast as we can and improvise with Maddie. The plan is still good. We just need to get there. We won’t have time to scope out the area. We’ll have to hit the ground running.” With that he turned and got into the driver’s seat.

  The other two men got into the back seats with Six on the floorboard.

  Derek claimed shotgun and settled in the passenger seat so he could help direct them to the warehouse.

  Timed seemed to crawl as they sped toward their destination. Derek’s heart lodged in his throat. Maddie was walking into a trap. If the kidnapper got to her before his team arrived, he could take her and the women and be gone. Derek and Brotherhood Protectors wouldn’t know where to begin to look.

  As they approached the warehouse district lined with old brick buildings with large pained glass windows that had been blacked out by dirt and grime, the lines on Derek’s brow furrowed and he leaned forward.

  Bear pulled behind a building a couple blocks from the designated meeting location and hid the SUV. The men and Six jumped out of the vehicle, grabbed their gear, and inserted their communications devices.

  Bear started. “Comm check.”

  One by one, they spoke into their mics until all four men could be heard over the headsets.

  “Ready?” Bear said.

  All four men gave a thumbs-up.

  “Let’s do this.” Bear led the way.

  Derek felt a chill go through his body, and the fine hairs on his ar
ms stand at attention. He prayed they weren’t too late for Maddie.

  Chapter 7

  Maddie pulled to a stop a block from the warehouse, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her breathing grew more rapid and shallow. This was it. She couldn’t turn back now. And she didn’t have anyone backing her up.

  She squared her shoulders. Her sister was inside that building. Maddie was getting her out, one way or another.

  She got out of her vehicle and moved toward her rendezvous site, hugging the shadows on the sides of the buildings. She patted the .40 caliber H&K handgun beneath her jacket and felt for her knife in the scabbard on her belt. The weapons were there, if she needed them, to save her sister. Maddie wore dark jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, a black leather jacket and a black hat.

  She turned into an alley and hid in the shadow of an industrial-sized trash bin. From where she stood, she could see the warehouse ahead.

  A dark figure moved at the end of the alley.

  Maddie swallowed a gasp and ducked back behind the corner of the bin. She took a deep breath and eased her head around.

  The guy closest to her waved a gun at another who had just exited the door of the warehouse. He wore dark clothing and a clear mask that disguised his facial features.

  Her jaw clenched, Maddie left the shelter of the trash bin, slipped through the alley and approached the man from behind. She swung her leg to catch the man behind the knees, bringing him down. Using the butt of her gun, she hit him over the head with a move her Dad had taught her to incapacitate her foe. She dragged the man by his jacket behind the trash bin and pulled zip-ties from her pocket to bind his hands and feet together. From her other pocket, she removed a small roll of duct tape and slapped a piece across the dude’s mouth. Her father had always taught the girls to come prepared.

  Her heart pounding, Maddie glanced back at the warehouse.

  The man at the entrance leaned against the wall beside the door and lit a cigarette.

  Maddie let go of the breath she’d been holding, thankful he apparently hadn’t heard her taking out his cohort.