by J. L. Drake
I smirked. “It’s allowed in my division.”
She raised a sexy eyebrow as though impressed with what she saw.
“So, I don’t scare you?” This was new to me.
Her face fell slightly but she caught it. “Why would you scare me?”
I stood six foot six, two hundred and sixty pounds of solid muscle and tattooed from head to toe—although not my face, per my mother’s request. I gently reached out and took her hand in mine, so we were palm to palm, and I denied the fact that something charged through me. My hand was nearly twice her size.
“Because I’m big.”
She left her hand against mine and studied my tats. “You’re colorful too.”
“I am.”
“Those are impressive.” She pointed to the ink on my arms.
“Thanks.” I held them out and admired my beloved artwork that had been added to over the years. My right shoulder had an eagle clenching a ripped American flag as it was in mid-flight. The fringes of the flag waved in the wind, but if you looked closer, you would see the details traveling up the loose threads were actually names of our fellow brothers we’d lost. I brushed my thumb over Paul’s name and felt that jolt of pain that came when I thought of him. We all knew our job was risky, but you were never ready to lose a brother.
My right arm looked like a bionic piece of machinery, with steel plates and bolts holding it together at the joints. It ran right down to my fingers where red and black lines weaved around like wires. To anyone, it was an intense piece of metalwork, but what they didn’t know was the wires were drawn a certain way, so if my eyes couldn’t see the bomb I was trying to defuse, I could use the path on my fingers to guide me. It was a tool, and one I used often. On the inside of my left arm, nuzzled into the steel, was a tribute to a fight I had many years ago. Deep in the belly of Iraq, my team fought off a wall of enemies while I worked to defuse a bomb that was set to kill us all. I could still remember I had one eye on the bomb and one on their leader, who stood across the cannon and watched the entire show play out. That was the day I knew I was born for this.
“Catalina?” a guy called out from the parking lot. “Come on back inside.”
She waited a beat before she dropped her hand and gave the guy a wave.
“I guess I should get back.” She turned to leave, but I stopped her in one stride.
“Catalina?” I tested out her name. “Stay out of the shadows.”
She walked backward with a sly grin. “Stay out of my spot, then.”
Once she turned back around, Mark popped in out of nowhere with a shit-eating grin, “Gotcha self a little Latina flare, there, do ya?”
“Shut it.” I tried to hide my smile.
“Hey, man, I get it.” He bumped my arm. “We are a rare breed.”
“Says the man who was born and raised in Montana?”
“Yes, but Latino blood runs thick in these veins.”
“Mmm.” I rubbed my mouth as we walked toward the bar.
Once back inside, I spotted Keith with some drunk chick wrapped around him. He peeled her off and joined me.
“I hate drunk chicks,” he muttered. “You good?” I nodded and scanned the crowd. I spotted Catalina with some friends on the dancefloor. I wasn’t one to dance in public, but I had been known to bust a move at a wedding or two. I believed there was a video that circulated after Cole tied the knot, and Run-DMC It’s Tricky had made an appearance.
Catalina was tall. My guess would be five-seven, but her heels made her six feet. I loved a woman in stilettos; they were such a turn-on. Her sexy curves had my gaze rolling over her lines as she moved about.
I headed for Cole, who sat at the table on his phone. When I joined him, he leaned over. “Location checks out. Frank is looking into it, but it looks like we could be scoping the house sometime next week.”
“Elena?” I mentioned the missing sister.
“Very good chance he’s holding her there.”
I leaned back and was relieved Trigger’s tip had led to something valuable for us.
“You guys ready?” John slumped into the seat next to us like he had a few too many.
“Doesn’t matter to me.” I spoke without thinking, and he and Cole turned to me in confusion.
“What’s going on?” John looked over my head then turned to scan the crowd. It was hard to miss Catalina. “Oh, you see something you like?”
I reached back and cracked Mark in the thigh, and he yelped in pain and tried to breathe through the charley horse while Cole chuckled in amusement.
“Son of a nut hair, that hurt!” Mark continued to bitch.
“I’ve always wanted to know what your type would be.” John checked out Catalina again. “Damn, she’s fine. She has spicy written all over her.”
Truthfully, I had no idea what my type was. I dated randomly, but no one really caught my interest but Lizzy, and that was only one-sided for too long.
“You get her number?” He pushed on.
I shook my head.
“Why?”
“Didn’t have the chance.”
“Was that before or after you told her to stay out of the dark?” Mark jumped out of the way when I took a second swing.
“Go ask her,” Cole suggested. I was surprised. He normally would let us guys ride each other and sit back and be entertained. He rarely commented.
Somehow, I found myself on my feet, moving through the crowd. I glanced around the room, but she was gone.
Shit.
I looked back at the guys, and Cole shrugged then motioned it was time to go.
Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. With one more glance around the room, I joined the guys in the SUV and headed home.
***
My pillow never felt so good.
Traffic was light, and we made good time. I was pleased to see there was still parking left in the driveway.
“See, smart pants.” Mark pulled at the waistband of his pants to show how they expanded. “Now I can eat all I want and not feel tight.”
I shook my head as I locked my truck, and he followed, still in conversation, all the way up to the bright red door.
Before I could turn the handle, my sister swung open the door and leapt into my arms.
“You came!” Charlotte laughed like she was a kid again. My baby sister was my world, and I was shamelessly wrapped around her little finger. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was six years older or what, but we’d always been that way.
“Like I’d miss your twenty-fifth. You’re almost thirty!” I set her on her feet and kissed her hair.
“Where’s Keith?” she joked when Mark went in for a hug.
“He’s coming. He had to run an errand for Frank.” Mark snickered before he followed me into the kitchen.
None of the guys’ families knew the truth about what we did. All they knew was we were in the military. They also knew that, due to security reasons, we weren’t able to talk about our missions. The only one who knew the whole truth was my pops. He and I were as close as any father and son could be, so when I joined Blackstone, it didn’t take him long to figure out the type of work I did. We just didn’t talk about it much. My family didn’t pry, and I didn’t talk about work. It was an understanding. It was nice to have one confidant I felt safe talking to now and then, and Pops was always there for me.
“Banner.” My mother flew from the living room into my arms for a hug. “I’m glad you were able to make it.”
“You act like I’m never here.” I swiped a piece of apple from my aunt, who was making a pie. She blew me an air kiss and went back to her work.
“I just wish you were here more.”
I rolled my eyes at my father as he caught wind of the conversation.
“Shall I move in…” Someone pinched my ass. “Hey!”
“You flaunt it, I taunt it.” Keith’s dirty little Nan grabbed the sides of my face and planted a kiss directly on my lips.
And there it is…Nan at her finest.
“Where’s my Brandon?” She looked around like he would emerge out of thin air.
“He’s coming.” Mark wrapped his arms around her from behind. “We just knew you wanted us to yourself first.”
“Oh, you and your lashes.” She batted his arm, and he blinked like a chick.
Christ, I wished Cole was here.
Mike: ETA?
Keith: Let me guess…my Nan and Mark are at it?
Mike: ETA?
Keith: Ha! Almost there.
Mike: Drive faster.
“Come on.” Charlotte pulled my arm to follow her out back. “I want you to say hi to everyone.”
I loved our back yard. It was a huge piece of property that was nestled in the woods outside Asheville, North Carolina. It was only twenty minutes from Dusk, which made things a lot easier when I wanted to visit.
My parents had strung lights throughout the trees to give it a whimsical feel. They ran right down to the edge of the lake. There was a pond full of koi fish and a large gazebo on the other side, which was great for their parties. For as long as I could remember, my parents loved koi. It was the reason I had one tattooed on my head; I wanted to carry them with me everywhere.
Both my parents were musical and loved to rock out to good music with friends. I loved bringing Mark along. He had told me the story of his family, and it had always bothered me. The guys all knew our families were part of who we were, and Mark had found himself with a big family like no other.
My dad handed me a beer as I walked out and tossed me the cap. I slipped it into my pocket and went to join my sister. As I stepped out, I came to a dead stop.
CHAPTER TWO
Catalina
Char insisted I join her family and friends for her birthday. I wasn’t good at the whole big family thing, but for her, I would give it a try. Her determination to befriend me, in spite of the fact that I made an effort to keep everyone at arm’s length, made it impossible not to like her. I was born and raised in Mexico, and we were known for our big, loving families, but sadly, that wasn’t the case with mine. Not at all.
It took me three hours to decide on a dress, but I settled on a short tropical floral sundress that crisscrossed in the back, exposing most of it. My tattoo showed, which worried me a bit, but I was willing to take the risk. The dress was so pretty and hugged me in the right places. I had twisted my hair into a thick, messy mermaid braid, and a small gold necklace adorned my neck.
Charlotte and I worked at Brew while we paid off our school debt. We were fortunate enough to have landed a job straight out of college, but the money wasn’t great. We needed to work our way up, so the brewery helped the bills, and it was a great place to make quick cash. Drunk guys tipped well.
I fiddled with the gold bracelet that hung from my wrist while people arrived. I felt a little out of place since everyone seemed to know one another well.
“Here,” Lizzy handed me a glass of white wine, “you look like you could use this.”
“Thanks.” I raised the glass to take a sip when I heard her giggle as though something had caught her attention. When I turned around, I almost lost my balance.
“That,” Lizzy whispered, “is Mike. Char’s yummy older brother.”
Lock your knees, lock your knees.
Mike’s gaze met mine from under his ripped ball hat, and his lips parted in a smile. Holy shit, his size was almost breathtaking. I found myself unsure what to do, so I shamelessly stared. Charlotte looked between us, her face curious to know what our connection was.
“Ah, Catalina, this is my brother Mike. Mike,” she pointed at me, “Catalina. She works at the Brew and the ad agency with me. Mike is an intelligence sergeant with the Army.”
His huge, colorful arm came out for a shake, and when I slipped my hand in his, he gave me a wink.
“Nice to meet you, Catalina.”
“You too, Mike.” I fought a grin when he didn’t let go right away.
“And this is Chris and Kyle. They work at the Brew too, and of course, Lizzy.”
Mike’s eyes moved over to Lizzy’s, and something strange passed over his face. I dropped my hand from his, and his gaze immediately fell to his empty hand.
“There’s my Brandon!” The old lady, who made Betty White look like Mother Teresa, rolled her wheelchair over to another big dude.
“That’s Keith.” Charlotte filled me in once Mike stepped back. “He’s another Army guy, and that’s his Nan. She’s a riot, sheer entertainment. Mark,” she pointed to a cute guy filling a plate for three as he shoved a bun in his mouth to free up a hand, “is part of their group too.”
“They’re all in the same unit?” I tried to follow.
“I think, but they call them teams.” She shrugged like it didn’t bother her. “Whatever it is, they don’t talk about it much.”
Huh.
After we had eaten and had the cake, I found myself wandering to the shady parts of the property. The humidity was high in summer, and I needed a break from the sun. I was wishing I had worn a hat.
My heels clicked on the wooden planks that led down to the water, and my fingers skimmed along the tops of the long grass as I walked. I breathed in the cool summer breeze as I stopped at the side of the dock. I hung my arms over the edge and closed my eyes, taking a moment to turn my head off.
I tuned in to the sounds of the water lapping the shore, the birds playing in the air, and someone talking. I looked around and saw Mike and Mark talking down by the sand. I could tell by the way their arms were crossed it was a serious conversation and something private.
Oops.
As I turned to move away, Mike’s head shot up to me, and one hell of a sexy smile raced across his lips. My shy smile reflected back before I turned on my heel and headed back up through the grass.
I didn’t want him to think I was eavesdropping.
Chris and Kyle were in the gazebo with Charlotte’s parents, who had started to play the guitar and keyboard. To my surprise, they started to play The Weight by The Band. His father took the lead on the vocals while he strummed on the guitar. For some reason, I expected a Jimmy Buffett song, or a Neil Dimond.
“Damn,” Chris laughed, “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Me either.”
Lizzy rushed over to Charlotte and squeezed in between her and her aunt. I felt a little ping of discomfort when she appeared. Lizzy and I were friends, but it was only because of Charlotte. She always made sure I knew I was second to Charlotte, which I found a little strange. I could have accepted that type of schoolyard behavior if we were kids, but we were grown adults, and it was tiresome. I wasn’t looking for anything from anyone. I just wanted to keep my head down and grow my career.
Speaking of keeping my head down…I pulled my phone free and checked for any missed calls, texts, perhaps an email—or, shit, even a PM—from WhatsApp. Of course, there was nothing.
Where are you, Javier?
“Mikey, come over here!” Lizzy squealed from where she sat. Her voice had risen about ten octaves, and I noticed Char cringed.
Mike had come up from the lake and now lazily leaned against a pillar. His long, lean legs were crossed at the ankles, and his thumbs hung loosely from his pockets. He totally ignored Lizzy. One thing I noticed about him was he was completely comfortable in his own skin, and I found that to be very sexy. I moved a little closer to get a better view.
I allowed my eyes to wander over his massive muscles. On his left arm was a titanium shield like you’d see on a battlefield. The detail was incredible, right down to the hinges holding the steel plates in place. His right was more colorful with a bald eagle on the side of his shoulder with its feathers spread open, and tiny lines created its texture. A ripped American flag hung in the claws of the eagle and wildly wrapped around the rest of his arm. They were impressive tats, although when he moved, I noticed a little troll laced in between the fringes of the fabric.
It was spectacular.
Once my gaze shameless
ly climbed his body, I met his eyes that were locked on mine. One side of his mouth curved, then he tilted his head toward the lake in a gesture for me to join him.
I waited for him to leave before I followed him down to the dock. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I made sure Lizzy hadn’t spotted me.
“Hi.” He stepped into view at the edge of the dock.
“Hey.” I fought the urge to grin like a child. Mike made me giddy for some reason. “So, it seems we both know your sister.”
“What a great surprise,” he retorted with a laugh. “To think when I went back into the bar to give you my number and you weren’t there, it wouldn’t be the last time I saw you.”
“You came looking for me?” I rubbed my hand down my arm, feeling the temperature change now that the sun was going down.
“I did.”
“Well, I’ll have to give you mine before I leave.”
“How about now?” He pulled out his phone and handed it to me. “Just in case.”
“Are you leaving?” I blurted, realizing I didn’t want him to go.
“We’re on call all the time. I could be leaving in five minutes or next week.”
I nodded and plugged my information into his phone then handed it back to him.
“Catalina Mendez,” he repeated like he was memorizing it.
“Mike?” I waited for his last name even though I knew what it was.
“Mike Irons.”
“Well, Mike Irons, your parents have a lovely home. This must have been pretty great. Growing up here, I mean.”
“It was.” He looked around with a happy smile like he really agreed with me. “What about you?”
A heavy weight pushed down on my shoulders, so I smiled and kept it light. “Let’s start with you for right now.”
He pushed off the railing and stepped closer to me. He reached for my hand and entwined our fingers. Mike was forward with me, but in a respectful way. I wanted more of it.
“For now. I see I’m not the only one with ink.” He brushed his fingers down my back, and a small shiver followed their path.
