by Jaime Lewis
God, when she didn’t think he could be any more compassionate and understanding, he goes and says something like that.
She reached out and placed her hand against his cheek, loving the feel of his light scruff. “Your words mean so much to me. It’s hard for me to relax when I’m feeling so much right now. I honestly don’t know what to say or do right now.”
“What is your mind telling you to do?”
“It’s not my mind that’s driving me. It’s my heart. It is telling me to trust you and let you lead me.”
◆◆◆
Irish smiled, then picked her up and placed her on his lap. The water bubbled around them. He kept one arm around her as she straddled his waist. He put his other hand on the nape of her neck and pulled her face toward his.
Irish felt quite proud of himself for pulling off tonight. He’d admit he did seek out a little bit of advice from Alex. He owed her a pedicure. He knew Bailey was nervous, and he didn’t want to screw this up. He could feel her body tremble, even as she sat in hot water. He wanted this evening to be meaningful and memorable. He was trying to be patient and let her get comfortable, but damn, seeing her sexy, voluptuous body, she rocked in that little black bikini was seriously testing his patience. His dick was so hard that she had to feel what she was doing to him. The way she looked at him right now had his hardened and empty heart feeling light and filled with love.
“I want you to trust me. I want to make you feel special and cared for. I want you, and only you.”
“I do trust you, Ky. I had long forgotten what it felt like to be cared for until I met you. You have no idea how just being around you and your friends have made me feel. Like I told you the other night, I feel like I’m finally part of a family of some sort.”
“I understand, honey.”
When he licked his lower lip, her arctic blue eyes darkened. She leaned forward and took a deep breath as her soft, delicate hands stroked his chest. Tonight was at her pace, and he waited for her next move. What she said next shocked him to his core.
“I want you to love me, Ky.”
His heart began to beat faster, and he gripped her hips, maybe a little too hard, and she gasped. But he felt like a caged animal. He was ready to rip her bathing suit off and devour her. “What are you saying, Ba?” He spoke the words slowly.
The little minx gave him a sexy, shy smile, then kissed his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, then right before she kissed his lips, she said in a sweet sexy, angelic voice, “I want you. I want to feel you inside me.”
Irish took everything Bailey was willing to give him. He stroked his tongue into her mouth while his hands explored her body. From her ass to her breasts, he touched every inch of skin he could. When his hand slid up her back, he felt the ties to her bathing suit top. He pulled on the material then pulled the string by her neck, holding the rest of it. One tug and the top fell into the water. Her breasts were pressed against his chest. He started to reach down and remove the bottoms when he heard the giggles followed by Sienna’s voice. What the fuck?
“See, Aunt Tenley. This was what I was trying to tell you and Uncle Potter. Mr. Whiskers does the same thing to Uncle Ky’s jammies.”
Bailey froze at the sound of Sienna’s voice, and Irish thought he heard her whisper, “Oh shit.” He pressed Bailey closer to him and looked over her shoulder, only to see Tenley, Potter, Alejandra, and Sienna standing just outside the sliding glass door. Tenley was biting the inside of her cheek, and Potter stood there with his hand over his mouth. What the fuck were they doing here?
“Uncle Ky, are you and Ms. Bailey playing again?” Sienna asked, and Irish had to shake his head to make sure this was really happening. He had Bailey, who was practically naked on his lap in his hot tub and his friends and niece standing in front of him. Bailey hadn’t moved a muscle, but he could hear how hard she was breathing.
He looked at Potter, who looked to be holding on by a thread not to burst out laughing. Tenley was trying to usher the girls back into the house when suddenly Ace and Alex walked out the door. Oh, for the love of God!
“What in the hell are you all doing here?” Irish asked as he tried to reach for one of the towels for Bailey to cover up with.
Potter spoke up. But Irish could hear the humor in his voice. “Well, Sienna forgot her teddy bear and insisted she couldn’t sleep without it. I tried calling and then tried calling Bailey’s phone but didn’t get any answer. You always answer no matter what you’re doing, so I got concerned and called Ace, and he agreed he meet us here to make sure things were okay.” Irish wanted to kick himself in the ass for not bringing his phone outside with him. Motherfucker!
“Did you ever think that maybe I was a little busy?” He gave Potter and Ace a look, and Ace just grinned.
“Irish, give me the towel so I can go and get changed,” Bailey whispered to him, and thank God Alex came over and helped, so Bailey wouldn’t be exposed. But just because Alex was helping didn’t mean she hadn’t found the situation amusing.
Irish climbed out and grabbed his towel when he heard Dino’s loud, boisterous voice from inside the house.
“Are they okay?”
Irish turned and faced the door as Dino walked out onto the patio. He looked at Potter and Ace with his hands on his hips. “Did you call the entire team?”
Ace chuckled. “No, just Dino. But we can get the rest of them here if you’d like.”
“Fuck you!”
Potter laughed. Dino looked at Ace and asked what he had missed.
“Just Irish playing games with Bailey in the hot tub,” Potter said, wiping tears from his eyes. “Holy shit, wait until the rest of the guys hear about this.”
Irish pointed at the three men whom he trusted with life. “Don’t you fucking dare, Bailey’s probably embarrassed enough as it is. I don’t need you assholes making it worse.”
“Maybe next time you’ll answer your phone,” Ace said, shrugging his shoulders but still laughing.
A little while later, Irish sat in the kitchen at the table with Ace, Potter, and Dino. The women were with the kids in the living room, watching something on TV. What started out as an unbelievable romantic night with his girlfriend had now turned into a get together with his buddies.
“So, this turned out a bit awkward for ya, don’t ya think?” Dino asked but didn’t wait for Irish to respond. “I got to admit Bailey is a fox. She’s got curves in all of the right places.”
“Oh, don’t you even go there, asshole. I know exactly what you’re doing,” Irish warned him.
“Really? And what are you suggesting that I’m doing?”
“You’re trying to get me riled up. But you know what? I’m not taking the bait.” Irish relaxed back in the chair and lifted his beer to his lips, still shaking his head.
“Well, I’m not the one who almost got caught with my pants down while I got my jollies off with my girlfriend in the hot tub. Oh, wait a minute; that was Bailey, who was caught with her pants down.” Potter and Ace burst out laughing.
Potter looked at Irish and shook his head. “Playing or exercising?”
Irish lifted his hands into the air. “What the fuck was I supposed to say? The damn cat was fucking my pajama pants. I told her the first thing that popped into my head. How would you explain that to a five-year-old?”
“I would have told her the truth.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind? Like I’m going to have a conversation like, well honey, you see normal humans and animals find a mate to hump, but your bastard of a cat instead likes to roll up my pj’s and have his way with them.”
“I hope you washed those pants,” Potter said laughingly.
He shot a glare at Potter. “You’re an asshole.”
Potter went to respond when Ace’s phone rang. “Shit…It’s the commander,” he said as he answered and walked out of the room.
Irish knew what that call meant. In a matter of five seconds, the friendly banter between friends ceased, and things got
serious. There was a situation brewing in Algeria that they had been briefed on a few weeks ago, and they were put on notice that if the situation escalated any further, they could be shipped out to assist the Algerian security forces in eliminating the problem.
What a way to end the night. He needed to find something over the top to do for Bailey after the circus that occurred tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Irish wiped the sweat from his brow. Somebody needed to call Satan and tell him he could have his weather back. Where they were was hotter than the hinges in hell. He sat atop an abandon building, looking through the scope of his sniper rifle. He scanned the area all around him. Incoming Intel led the team to the outskirts of the town of Tizi Ouzou. They were on the hunt for a man by the name of Asad Madani. According to the Algerian security forces, Madani had emerged as the leader of a new militant group that pledged its allegiance to ISIS. With ISIS out to take over land and destroy anything or anyone who got in their way, the US government, along with the Algerian government, wanted to shut down the group as quickly as possible before it gained a bigger following.
Madani’s regime was cruel and ruthless. Their sole focus was power and control. Madani wanted to grow his empire, and to do that, he would send soldiers into small towns and villages to recruit. All male heads of households were forced to join the regime. If they refused, their families were executed. In instances where there were no males in the household, the women and children were brought to the compound and forced into labor camps or in some cases sold.
Madani was hard to track down. The regime was good in keeping his whereabouts a secret. He was rumored to only travel the region at night and under disguise. The joint team had received word through intel that Madani had been smuggled into the compound when a truckload of hostages had been brought in.
The large compound sat in the middle of an abandon small town and consisted of five buildings that had been built around a courtyard. Based on the intelligence gathered, three buildings were residences and offices. The two remaining buildings were solid construction with no windows and only one entry point. The one-story structure was a weapons armory. The building next to the armory was an L-shaped structure and was believed to be holding an unknown number of women and children from nearby towns and villages. The hostages went through a thorough inspection process as soon as they arrived at the compound. Depending on their gender, age, and physical abilities, they were then assigned to roles within the regime. Boys were always separated from their family and taught the history of the regime. Women and young girls were used as cooks, cleaners, and sexual entertainment. In some cases, both genders were used as human sacrifices—forced to walk through mine fields and suicide bombers. If someone disobeyed or couldn’t carry out their role, they were executed on the spot. They were a ruthless group.
The images Irish had, made him sick. His thoughts went to Bailey and Sienna. He never wanted Bailey or Sienna to be exposed to the shit he’d seen. It was hard at times for himself to stomach some of the sights and situations he’d had to take part in, but he did it because that’s what he’d signed up for. When he enlisted in the Navy at eighteen, he knew he wanted to be a SEAL. However, wanting to be one and actually becoming one were two entirely different things. With grit, determination, and even a few tears, he succeeded in earning his Trident pin and becoming a Naval Surface Warfare Operator.
“Heads up…we got movement on the eastside. Irish, our target should be in your sights in three, two, one.”
Irish focused. “Got him.” Skittles was crouched beside him, keeping an eye on the other side of the compound. Ace and Stitch were on the top of another nearby building.
Ace swore. “This mission has been FUBAR since we were boots on the ground.” Irish agreed silently. When they had first arrived, they were told that the local intel could have been incorrect, and their presence had not been needed. But shortly thereafter additional intel had come in that the mission was a go.
Irish studied the Madani, and by the way he kept looking around suspiciously had Irish’s gut telling him something wasn’t kosher. Suddenly, a young boy was led out of one of the buildings by a man and handed off to Madani. Irish focused in on the boy who Madani held by the back of his neck. He only looked to be maybe thirteen, and judging from the pained expression on his face, he wasn’t there willingly. He was probably one of the hostages that had just been brought in. Too young to be put in a situation like this.
“Shit…” Skittles swore at seeing the kid as well, and Irish couldn’t agree more.
“Ace…what’s Frost and Dino’s location?” Irish asked, his eyes still focused on Madani and the boy.
Frost chimed in. “We’re on the north side. Finally found the entry point on building five; however, the whole structure is wired to explode if breached.” It was where the women and children were held.
“Fuck! Frost, you, and Dino pull back and meet Potter and Diego a block over. I have a feeling our informant double-crossed us. Madani appears a little overconfident. Stand-by.”
Irish knew the situation wasn’t going to end well. It was becoming clear that Madani had been tipped off, and he knew troops were in the area. Irish’s overwatch was five buildings down from the compound. He had a perfect spot, high enough to get a good view of the entire area. Soon, the sun would fully set, bringing the area into total darkness.
Seconds later, Ace’s voice came through his earpiece. “Frost…sit-rep?”
“Thirty seconds.”
“Irish, orders are to eliminate the target. Take the shot when you got it. Frost, you and Dino move your asses!”
“Copy that.” Irish peered through the scope and lined up the shot. He blocked everything from his mind but the man sitting in the crosshairs of his rifle scope. The only sound he could hear was the thumping of his heart. He drew in a deep breath with his finger steady on the trigger. Suddenly, the boy made an abrupt move and attacked Madani.
“Shit!” Irish exclaimed, as he watched Madani double over with his hands over his stomach. When he righted himself, his hands were stained with blood. The kid must have stabbed him. Madini shouted and a group of men nearby went after the boy, who ran toward the building rigged to explode. One of Madani’s men aimed his gun at the boy, and Irish didn’t hesitate; he took the guy out with one bullet. Seconds later, the entire compound erupted in a firefight as more men rushed out of the other buildings, armed and ready to fight. Ace and Stitch fired from the opposite side. The only plus side of the situation was it gave Frost and Potter additional time to get to their meet up point.
Irish searched for the boy and saw Madani had him in his grasp. Irish lined up his shot, took another deep breath and pulled the trigger. Madani’s body jerked before it crumpled to the ground.
Irish was sweating, and his stomach was twisted in knots, but he wouldn’t let those actions faze him. His focus was to eliminate the target, protect his team, and protect the innocents. He fired off a few more rounds before his mind went back to the boy. Irish sought him out in the middle of the fiasco. He was crouched down behind one of the vehicles parked near the building. Movement nearby caught Irish’s attention. It was one of Madani’s men. He bent down next to Madani’s body on the ground and pulled a black box from Madani’s pocket. When Irish realized it was a detonator, he shouted.
“Fuck!”
Irish wanted to yell to the kid to run, but there was no way he would hear him. Just as the kid emerged from behind the vehicle, the guy holding the detonator saw the kid and grinned evilly as he pressed the orange button. The next two or three seconds felt as if time had stood still. No sound, no movements, no nothing. Then as if the depths of hell erupted from below, a huge fireball shot upward into the air. The massive blast rocked the surrounding area, including where Irish was. He dove for cover as the raging inferno tore through the compound and other nearby buildings. Irish felt the heat the shockwave carried. When he lifted his head and the smoke cleared, the entire compound had been le
veled. But what will haunt Irish for a long time was the look on the boy’s face just before he was murdered.
◆◆◆
Right after it was confirmed from the Algerian government that Madani was indeed dead, the team hauled ass out of town. The plane ride home was done in mostly silence. Even though the government would consider the mission a victory, Irish knew the victory came with a cost.
They would never know, nor did they want to know how many women and children’s lives were taken in the blast. The team had no idea that Madani had a detonator on his person. Irish could care less about the terrorist because he got what he had coming to him. What Irish was having trouble coming to grips with was the young boy. He’d been going over and over the entire scenario numerous times in his head, thinking if there could have been a better alternative, but each one kept coming back to the same conclusion. There was nothing he could have done differently. It was apparent that Madani wasn’t going to let anyone live, including himself. Thankfully, none of the guys tried to talk to him about it. He knew they were giving him some time to process the situation, but it was only a matter of time before they would finally make their move.
◆◆◆
Thirty-two hours later and back stateside, Irish cracked his knuckles as he walked into the ballroom at the hotel where Alex’s grand opening gala was being held. He and the team had arrived back at base a little over four hours ago. They weren’t sure if they were even going to make it back in time, which not only would have pissed Alex off, but it also would’ve have pissed the guys off as well. This was a huge night for Alex and her accomplishments. It had been a year in the making, and Alex had busted her ass night and day to get to this day. She deserved to have her family and friends in attendance showing their support. However, the world could be an evil place at times, and unfortunately, its timing sucked.
