A hundred different ways to destroy the man were running through Asher’s head.
The commander’s focus turned to Lexie. Asher immediately wanted to tear the man’s head off just for looking at her.
Strain was now visible on her face, her breathing ragged. He was running out of time.
Giving another silent tug on his restraints, he could feel the headway he was making. He was sure he could break the chains.
“But unlike your brothers, you, my son, have earned your way back into my good graces. Look what you’ve given me. The next generation!”
The commander spoke as if the baby was his. There wasn’t a chance the asshole would be getting his hands on their child.
Hylar turned his attention to the lady in the lab coat. “Boy or girl?”
“Boy.”
Asher held his breath at the word. They were having a boy. He let that sink in for a moment, gaze meeting Lexie’s. Tears gathered in her eyes.
Hylar clapped his hands together. “Excellent.”
Asher’s attention moved back to him. The excitement in the man’s eyes made Asher sick.
“We can test how strong and durable this child is. Train him.” Commander Hylar’s gaze returned to Asher. “You will father the first member of the next generation of my army.”
Not a chance.
Asher gave his restraints another silent tug.
He noticed the sweat building on Lexie’s forehead. The commander would also notice what was going on soon.
“Because the first generation is so damn strong?” Asher snarled, wanting to distract from Lexie. “I’ve seen them at work. A bit sloppy. I mean, you sent men to trail me who couldn’t hide the tail. Men broke into Lexie’s apartment by breaking the damn door handle. They couldn’t even remember to lock the door of the van they took her in.”
Dominic growled from Asher’s right.
“You’re right,” Hylar conceded. “Dominic here is well-trained, but the men I called in when we found out Lexie was pregnant were less so. I assumed Lexie would be an easy target. I assumed wrong, as I underestimated your care for her. That mistake won’t be repeated.”
There was no question in Asher’s mind—Hylar needed to die. Every word the man said just confirmed that he wouldn’t stop hunting them and their loved ones. Not until they were dead or working with him.
Just then, Lexie groaned and scrunched her eyes shut, clearly unable to hide the pain any longer.
Fuck. He needed to break the restraints right the hell now.
“And we’re in labor! Great, did you get the blood sample?” the commander asked the lady.
“Affirmative.”
The commander nodded his head. “Let’s move. Shauna, give Asher the sedative. Dominic carry him out of here.”
“You fucking, asshole!” Asher seethed, no longer hiding his attempts to break the chains.
“I hope this teaches you the importance of loyalty, Striker. You could have been my number one.”
“I can just knock him out for you, Commander,” Dominic sneered.
“No. But kill the old man.”
Bill’s gasp sounded as Shauna neared Asher with the syringe. He gave another tug.
Sticking the needle into his arm, she’d injected half the liquid before he finally managed to snap the chain.
Asher yanked his arm away from the syringe.
“What the hell?” Dominic or the commander gasped. Asher didn’t have time to wonder who.
Swiping the syringe from the woman’s fingers, he plunged it into her skin. She gave a small hiss of surprise before falling to the ground. Clearly, her body was less tolerant to the drug than his.
Asher caught sight of the gun as Dominic pulled it out. Before the man could even aim, Asher swiped it from his fingers. He held the weapon for only a second before Dominic kicked Asher’s arm, then lunged at him, knocking them both to the ground.
Feeling weaker than normal, Asher knew the half dose of sedative was clouding his mind and stealing his strength. He pushed through the fog, unwilling to leave Lexie unprotected.
He rolled away as Dominic swung a fist, then jumped onto the man’s back. Ignoring the blood still dripping down his face from the earlier beating, Asher threw an arm around Dominic’s neck and swiftly tightened his grip.
Dominic choked and grabbed at the arm taking away his breath.
Just as Asher thought he had him subdued, Dominic flipped their bodies, then stood over Asher.
The man made a lethal error when he pulled his arm back a fraction, giving Asher an extra half second to react.
That was all the time he needed.
As Dominic’s fist came down, Asher grabbed his arm with lightning reflexes, twisting until a pop echoed through the room.
In the background, Asher heard a scuffle but couldn’t afford the distraction.
Dominic drew back and howled in pain, his arm now hanging from his shoulder.
Asher caught sight of the knife strapped to the man’s thigh. Before Dominic could recover, he swiped the knife and lunged, digging it into Dominic’s neck.
Blood splattered on Asher’s face as the man choked, spewing red liquid.
Not sparing the dead man a second thought, Asher pulled the knife free and shoved it into his belt, looking around wildly.
The room was empty except for Bill shaking in the corner.
Asher didn’t stop to think. He needed to get to Lexie. If the commander got her inside a vehicle, it would make Asher’s job ten times harder to get her back.
Taking the steps two at a time, he stopped at the top and listened.
Then he heard it—Lexie’s heavy breathing.
Moving through the shop, Asher pushed through the back door into the alley.
He spotted the commander immediately. The asshole was dragging Lexie across the grounds.
Another mistake on your part, Commander.
Asher stepped outside just as the commander spun around, placing a gun to Lexie’s head.
Outwardly, he showed no reaction. Internally, he was thinking up a million different ways to end the man for holding a gun on his woman.
“Come any closer and I’ll shoot her. We don’t need her, just the baby.”
Lexie’s hands were at her stomach, her face pale.
“You’re not taking her or our baby.”
The commander inched closer to the car. “I am, Striker. One way or another, I am taking this baby.”
Asher’s hand slowly reached for the knife in his belt. But he needed to be careful. One wrong move could prove deadly for Lexie.
“You trained me yourself, Commander. Taught me how to fight. Kill. Then you made me stronger. Faster.” Asher paused and cocked his head to the side. “You made a mistake, though. You misjudged my integrity. My ethics. Now we’re on opposite teams. You should have known better than to create a killer, then turn that killer into an enemy.”
The commander’s eyes widened, a hint of fear showing. An emotion Asher had never seen on the other man before.
In the background, Asher could hear Bill’s footsteps inching closer to the back door.
“This all could have been different if you’d have come and joined us, Striker.”
Different? There wasn’t a single scenario in which things could have been different. Not for Asher, at least.
“No thanks, I’d rather destroy you and your minions than join you.” Asher’s hand wrapped around the knife. His fingers itched to throw it, but he had to wait for the right moment.
Just then, Lexie groaned, holding her stomach tighter. Her legs gave out, but she didn’t hit the ground. The commander’s tight hold kept her upright.
“It’s okay, Lex. You’ll be okay,” Asher called out, attempting to soothe her even as the commander took another step toward the car. “Before you go, tell me. What is the end plan in all this? What do you hope to achieve?”
Usually so composed, the commander paused, excitement creeping into his eyes. The asshole wanted A
sher to know. “My plan? I’m going to build an army like the world has never seen. Unstoppable warriors. Lethal in every sense of the word. Can you imagine how powerful I’ll be?”
Not a chance that was happening. Not if Asher and his team had anything to say about it.
Just then, a car pulled up beside the one the commander was trying to get to.
Asher cursed under his breath as Carter and the other six members of his team stepped out.
The former SEALs were part of Project Arma at the same time as Asher and his team. And they were just as lethal.
But that was where the similarities stopped. Where Asher and his team were on the right side, fighting for good, Carter’s team wanted the same things as the commander.
They positioned themselves in a straight line on either side of the commander. Hylar’s mouth stretched into a smile. “This doesn’t have to end with you dying, my son. You can join us.” There was genuine hope in the man’s voice as he spoke.
“I’d rather die ten times over.”
“That can be arranged,” Carter muttered with a smirk from his position directly beside the commander.
“My boy, you’re outnumbered, and we’re taking your woman and child. Surely coming with us is a better choice than losing them.”
Asher’s eyes cut across the eight men in front of him. One on one, he would likely win. Eight on one, not a chance.
Taking a breath, Asher couldn’t believe he was considering it. But there was no way he was letting Lexie out of his sight.
“We have company,” Carter snarled.
Asher heard them, too. A small smile tugged at his lips. He knew exactly who it was.
In the next few minutes, things happened quickly.
Asher’s team converged on the group. Some jumped from nearby windows, others emerged at the end of the alley. They didn’t stop to assess. They attacked. Each man on Asher’s team taking a man on Carter’s.
None of them took the commander—he was for Asher.
Asher already knew that if Lexie hadn’t been smack-bang in the middle of the commotion, gunfire or tear gas would have been used. To protect the baby, hand-to-hand combat was necessary.
The commander’s eyes flew wide before his gaze zeroed in on the car beside him.
Not a fucking chance, old man.
Before Hylar could make a move, Asher’s fingers tightened around the knife.
Flinging the weapon through the air, he hit the commander dead in the hand that was carrying the gun.
Both the gun and Lexie dropped from his hold as his face contorted in pain.
Without a second thought, Asher took off toward the commander. Before he could reach him, gunfire rang out behind him. Asher froze in his tracks.
His gaze flung to Lexie, scanning every inch of her. No blood. No bullet wound. Next his attention moved to Hylar. Blood gushed from the man’s right thigh.
Who the hell shot him?
Asher whipped his head around, his gaze flying to the pizzeria door. Bill stood there, gun firmly in hand, pointed at the commander.
The sound of a car engine pulled Asher’s attention back to the alley just in time to see Hylar racing away.
No!
Asher took a step toward the retreating vehicle only to stop at Lexie’s pained cry. He was by her side in an instant.
Pushing away the anger he felt about the commander’s escape, he focused all his attention on Lexie. She had tucked her body into a ball on the ground.
He attempted to shield her body with his own as he crouched beside her.
“The baby’s coming, Asher.” Her voice was a mix of pain and fear.
“I’m going to get you to Sage,” he whispered, lifting her into his arms.
Asher kept her body close to his. His brothers would watch his back. His priority was Lexie and getting her away from the war that was raging around him.
But Asher knew too well that the real war would not be over for a long time. Not until the commander and every man who worked for him was buried deep in the ground.
29
Lexie studied every inch of Fletcher’s adorable baby face. Her baby. It had been a week since giving birth, and she still had to pinch herself that she was a mother.
“He is the spitting image of his father,” Evie cooed from her spot on the sofa beside Lexie.
“Except for those amber eyes,” Shylah added. “They’re all you, Lex.”
Lexie smiled at her friends’ comments. They sat in her and Asher’s home. Today, everyone got to come around to meet Fletcher for the first time. The girls sat in the living room while the boys were having celebratory drinks in the kitchen.
Asher and Lexie had spent the first week after Fletcher arrived sequestered, just the three of them. Spending some much-needed time together in their newborn bubble.
It had been amazing.
Who was she kidding? It was better than amazing. It had been the best freaking week of her life. She had a beautiful, healthy baby boy and a wonderful partner in Asher. It didn’t get much better than that.
“I was worried before he was born that I wouldn’t know what to do.” Lexie’s eyes were glued to her perfect bundle as she spoke. “But it’s true what they say. You just follow your instincts and let your love for the little human take over.”
Her fear had been so real and so tangible her entire pregnancy. Even when she thought she was okay. Even when she told herself repeatedly that she would be a kickass mother, there was still fear. Fear that her past would dictate the type of mother that she would be.
But it doesn’t. And it took holding Fletcher in her arms to fully realize that. To realize that her past wouldn’t touch her. The only person who would decide the type of parent she would be and the future she would provide to her child was her.
Lexie lifted her hand and gently stroked Fletcher’s face. He was perfection. Not touching him seemed physically impossible. She was drawn to this little soul in every way possible.
When her eyes finally lifted, Lexie glanced over at Shylah with uncertainty. She knew her friend continued to struggle with the fact that she couldn’t have her own babies.
Shylah’s stare was stuck on Fletcher, a smile on her face. “Fletcher is absolutely beautiful. Perfect even. I’m really happy for you both.”
At the sincerity in her friend’s voice, Lexie smiled again. “Thank you. I’m just glad I made it to the hospital in time. There was a real possibility I was going to give birth right there in the alley, in the middle of the chaos.”
Lexie joked about it now, but of course, the reality was both she and Fletcher had been at serious risk that day. If the team hadn’t arrived when they had, everything could have panned out very differently.
A shiver coursed down Lexie’s spine at the thought. She lifted her gaze to Asher as he stood with the guys. His eyes were already on her. Heated. Predatory.
Of course they were. The man was probably listening to every word she said.
Asher had been beyond amazing throughout the last week. He hadn’t just been a great dad. He’d been an amazing partner, too, and had far exceeded her expectations.
He’d been a bit over the top with security but Lexie had a feeling that wouldn’t change for a while—if ever. Which was fine with her. The safety of her family came first.
“The guys tend to always make it just in time,” Evie said, pulling Lexie’s attention back to her friends.
Lexie laughed. “A little earlier would have saved me some stress.”
“Do you know what’s happened with Bill?” Shylah asked, her expression turning somber.
At the mention of the pizzeria owner, Lexie got a sick feeling in her stomach. She felt angry at the man. Angry and betrayed. She knew he had an addiction and she understood addiction to a certain extent.
Addiction, whether that be to alcohol, gambling, or anything, was a disease. And it didn’t discriminate. It made people desperate.
Lexie got that. She understood it. But it didn’t chan
ge what he’d done.
The only reason Bill had shot Hylar in the end was because the man had wanted him dead. Not to save Lexie. Not to save her baby.
“Asher’s been sketchy on the details,” Lexie said quietly. She knew he was only trying to protect her, though it frustrated her that she wasn’t getting all the information.
“No one’s stepped foot inside the pizzeria,” Shylah said in a hushed tone.
Evie leaned forward and spoke in an equally quiet voice. “I overheard Luca on the phone to one of the guys yesterday. Bill disappeared after he shot the commander. They’re going to search for him. It sounded like it would be a race on who would find him first. The guys, or the people behind Project Arma.”
Lexie’s gaze drifted back down to her sleeping boy. She didn’t feel bad for the older man. He was an adult and had made his own decisions.
“Girls’ nights won’t be the same,” Shylah said, changing the subject.
Lexie shook her head. “When people told me babies sleep a lot, they weren’t joking. I foresee many girls’ nights in the future. Just be prepared to have a sleeping Fletcher around the place. And Sage definitely needs an invite.”
Sage had been a powerhouse throughout the pregnancy. Then at the birth, the doctor been a damn legend. Her calm voice and gentle nature had basically stopped Lexie from losing her mind. As far as Lexie was concerned, the woman was a friend for life and would be receiving yearly Christmas cards.
Evie nodded. “Yes, I agree. She’s lovely.”
“We just need to convince the supersoldiers over there,” Shylah remarked, indicating to the guys with her head.
Lexie shook her head. “Those guys consider everyone outside of this room a threat.”
Evie nudged Lexie’s shoulder. “So, get ready to never be left unprotected.”
“I have a feeling you guys will be more heavily protected than the darn president,” Shylah agreed.
Lexie’s arms tightened around Fletcher. “That’s okay. If I’m protected, Fletcher’s protected. They won’t be getting their hands on him.”
Not while either of us are around.
Lexie glanced up as Asher moved to the door. He pulled it open moments before the bell rang.
Asher: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 3) Page 23
