by Norris, Kris
And Six had been all right with that. Had accepted his fate and made it work for him. Being a soldier, it had seemed almost fitting. Like a pre-determined destiny finding completion. But Kam…
She was different. Not once during their time together over the past several months had he ever gotten a read like that from her. True, until last night, he’d never kissed her. Never crossed that line. But even when he had, the only sense he’d gotten was that he’d finally come home. Found his forever.
Since then, his time leaks had been noticeably absent with regards to her. To them. As if, for the first time in his life, his future was unclear. A clean slate for him to fill. Uncharted waters.
And he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He’d known all along that Kam wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of distraction. And not just because they were friends, teammates. Had to be able to work together. Trust that they had each other’s back. Would risk everything to keep each other alive. But because he cared. Really cared.
Because he loved her.
All it had taken was that mind-blowing kiss in the bathroom to acknowledge the truth. The truth he’d been resisting for months. That he’d gotten a glimpse of last night when they’d kissed after their vows—which seemed two dimensional compared to their kiss today. But it had given him the one and only time leak he’d ever had in her arms. Of their life. Together. The one that was happy. Perfect.
That hadn’t happened today. He’d been in the moment. Completely focused on her. On the taste of her mouth, the press of her body against his. The soft moaning sounds she’d made when he’d sucked at her skin. The depth of emotion shining in her eyes. It hadn’t been lust. Or not only lust. There was something deeper. Truer when she stared up at him, looking as if she was seeing him for the first time.
That’s how he felt about her. As if he’d finally removed the blinders he’d been wearing all his life, and could see her without the past thirty-five years coloring his vision. Without an endless stream of snapshots mapping out his life.
Was this how everyone else lived? How they saw every aspect of every day? With nothing to guide them? Just blindly stumbling their way through, hoping to make the right choices?
“Six!”
Six blinked, twisting to look at Cannon. The man was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, gaze narrowed in on him. Six couldn’t tell if he was glaring or trying not to smile. Whatever it was, Six had the urge to smack it off his buddy’s face.
“What?”
“I’ve been talking to you for five minutes, and you haven’t answered a single question.”
He had? Shit. “I was thinking.”
“About Kam. Yeah, I know.”
“About what a freaking train wreck last night was. Letting both of us get drugged…” He shook his head.
Cannon snorted. “Hard to focus when you can’t see anything past the pretty blonde sitting next to you.” He shifted over—gave Six and swat on the back. “Bet you saw red when that biker bought her a drink.”
“What I saw was the damn butt of his gun hitting my head before I blacked out.”
“No comment on the first bit?” Cannon laughed. “Damn, you’ve got it bad for her.”
“Cannon.”
His buddy held up his hands. “Fine. I’ll let it go. After all, you should be crazy about the woman you marry.”
Six tilted his head back and gazed up at the ceiling while counting to ten. Mentally listing off all the reasons slugging Cannon would be a colossal mistake.
Cannon’s hand gripped his shoulder. “She’s good for you, buddy. And you’re good for her. Why do you think I’ve been pairing you two together all this time?”
Six lowered his head—made eye contact. “Because you’re a sadistic prick who thinks this is funny?”
“Or maybe, I was willing to acknowledge what you weren’t.”
“Do not get philosophical with me. You were pushing me. Nothing more.”
“Maybe. But someone had to kickstart that heart of yours. Make you see the bigger picture. Which is oddly ironic since you seem to have no trouble seeing everyone else’s.” He arched a brow. “Between us. Did you seriously know who was going to win that contest last night?”
Six snorted. Damn he hated that Cannon made it impossible to stay angry at him. “Had to knock the poor son of a bitch out in order to exchange our tickets. Felt a bit guilty about that.”
“Glad some things never change. All right. Let’s grab your stuff and head back to the hotel. We’ll notify local law that those assholes took yours and Kam’s weapons. Get them replaced once we’re home.”
“Bastards will pay for that.” His favorite Sig—gone. Not that he didn’t have other weapons at home. Hell, he had a spare twenty-two in a lockbox in his truck. But, he’d inherited the Sig from a buddy who hadn’t made it back. Damn thing had sentimental value. Not to mention, it had never let him down in the field.
“I’m sure Lance will keep us updated. Have his friend at LVPD put the word out. If it’s around, we’ll find it.”
Six nodded. Not much else to be said. He’d gotten Kam out in one piece. In the end, that’s all that mattered.
He followed Cannon to the parking lot, jumped into his truck then headed back to the hotel. They’d taken a taxi over, and it felt weird riding with his buddy instead of Kam. Which was odd. He’d spent a decade sitting next to Cannon. Maneuvers. Missions. Furloughs. But in a few short months, he’d gotten accustomed to having Kam ride shotgun. The light scent of her perfume. The easy banter. The way she lit up the cab with nothing more than her smile. Those beautiful green eyes. And god help him, he missed her.
Which was even crazier. They’d been gone maybe forty minutes. He’d just kissed her. Tasted her mouth, her skin. Had been well on his way to lifting her up then plunging inside. Surely, he could go an hour without thinking about her.
He hadn’t gone five seconds without thinking about her—the way she’d fit against him. That life-altering kiss. But he’d choose to overlook that part. Let it fade, like he needed to do with the images in his head. Of her—flushed. Pupils lust blown. Body primed for whatever kind of loving he’d had in mind. Hard. Fast.
Never-ending is what he wanted.
“You’re not going to crash the damn truck, are you? Because you just cut off that limo when you turned onto the Strip.”
Six blinked, cursed, then sighed, glancing over at Cannon. “I swear if you say anything…”
Cannon grinned. “Do I look like the kind of man who’d tease his brother about the woman he’s madly in love with? Just because you and Colt took pleasure in hounding me about Jericho…”
“You’re exactly that type of man.”
“Couldn’t help but notice you didn’t deny the madly in love part.”
Six turned into the hotel, parking in the lot. Praying he didn’t grind his teeth into dust. “I’m merely trying to piece it all together. Analyze the threat because if this is Roger McCormick’s doing…”
“Should have let Colt put a damn bullet between the bastard’s eyes when he had the chance.”
“Kinda hard when the U.S. Marshal service was standing right there.”
“Still, we left a very lethal threat alive, and we’re paying for that, now.”
“Bastard won’t lay another finger on Kam. Not while I’m breathing.”
“You’re not alone in this, Six. We’ve got your back. Oh, and I put in a call to Brady. Thought maybe his buddy Gibson could help us out. Give us a new perspective on things. Sometimes seeing a situation you haven’t been involved in comes in handy.”
“Gibson agree?”
“He’s just waiting on orders. Thought we’d check in with Colt and Ellis before we decide our next move.”
“I don’t want her going back in.”
“We’ll keep her safe, too. Don’t worry. Colt’s got the same mentality when it comes to Ellis as you do with Kam. No one’s laying a finger on her, ever, again. Other than him.” He nudged Six’s arm. “We s
hould go. Don’t want to leave your new wife alone for too long.”
And just like that, Six was back to mapping out how he was going to kill Cannon. Was still working through his options when they got back to the suite. Not much had changed since they’d left, other than Kam was now dressed in jeans and a shirt, her smooth skin void of any glitter. She was standing at the table, going through the photos with Jericho—putting them in some sort of order.
Six didn’t miss the way Cannon stopped and stared for a moment. Drinking in Jericho before smiling when she glanced over at them. And damn, the man looked giddy. Completely transformed from the lethal warrior who’d ridden over to the motel and back. Until he glanced back at Six. That dreamy expression long gone.
Christ, did Six do that, too? When he looked at Kam? He didn’t think so, but based on all those photos, he wasn’t much better. And that was before he’d admitted he was stupid in love with her. How bad would it get once he said it out loud?
If—if he said it out loud.
Then, Kam’s gaze met his, and he knew he was fooling himself. That it was only a matter of time. That he’d already lost the battle—hell, the entire war. Not that he minded. The way she was looking back at him suggested she was just as doomed. Just as hopeless at fighting this as he was.
Jericho laughed when Cannon dipped down to kiss her, brushing his thumb along her mouth before stepping behind her. He glanced back at Six, nodding toward Kam. Six crossed his arms, staring at Cannon until the man sighed.
“Aren’t you going to kiss the bride, Six? You guys have been apart for nearly an hour. You know what they say… Happy wife. Happy life.”
Kam blushed, looking as if she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.
Six walked over, gently bumping her with his hip and shoulder. “Trust me. Cannon will eventually get tired of teasing us.”
Cannon smiled. “Sure will. Probably won’t take more than a few months. A year, tops.”
“Or maybe I won’t pull you out of the way the next time I know a bullet’s heading for your heart.”
Cannon grinned. “Now, you’re just being mean.”
Six snorted, staring down at Kam. The woman’s cheeks were still flushed, but it didn’t look like anger. Even embarrassment. In fact, she looked like she had in the bathroom just before he’d had to stop. Make his damn legs work in order to walk out the door.
He inhaled. Had Kam wanted him to kiss her just now? Hold her the way Cannon was holding Jericho? Was she disappointed he hadn’t?
Now would have been the perfect time for a flash of the future. A variation of how it could play out. If kissing her would have been the right move to make.
He got nothing. Just a big blank space.
Cannon shuffled in beside Kam, motioning to the table. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
Kam glanced at Six, tilted her head as if she might be seeing the future—reading his mind—then nodded. “Jericho’s been helping me try to put these into chronological order. Not easy without time stamps. Though, it probably isn’t a huge deal if I mess up the recent ones. It’s more about the starts and stops.”
“And…any luck?”
“There seems to be three distinct segments.” Kam touched the images of her in the field. “They started about two months before that IED incident. Then ended after that attack.”
“Call me crazy, but that corresponds with the time Reynolds—aka Ian Slader—was part of that unit.”
Six moved in closer, allowing his side to brush against Kam’s. It wasn’t much, but damn it, he needed just a hint of contact. Tangible proof that he hadn’t let her down, yet. That there was still time to figure this out. Keep her safe. “Looks like Ellis was right. The bastard was a plant.”
Kam wet her lips, staring at Six until Cannon cleared his throat. She jumped, glanced at the couple, then exhaled. “Appears so. The photos started up, again, just after I retired. It seems they followed me around for a couple of months then either got bored or got told to stop. There’s nothing else until that day at the pier.”
“Wait.” Six tapped the large pile of photos in the far pile. “All of those are from the past seven months?”
Jericho sighed. “Afraid so. Though, like I’d suggested, it looks as if they hacked into the traffic cams to spy on Kam. That, and what I’m guessing is a predator drone. It appears they followed you both here then moved in once you stopped at that bar. It’s almost as if they knew why you were here and who you were hunting.”
Kam’s shoulders drooped as she turned—leaned her ass against the table. “While it suggests that this isn’t directly related to Ellis, it doesn’t answer the big question—why me? What do they think I have?”
“Whatever it is, it started back in Afghanistan.” Six touched the pictures of her in uniform. “Though, it looks like McCormick’s arrest was a catalyst to them actively seeking you out, now. I seriously doubt that’s a coincidence.”
“Except, I don’t have anything McCormick would want. I didn’t bring any classified files home with me. Wasn’t selling secrets on the side.”
“But you were there. You saw classified documents. Gathered intel. Maybe you discovered something you shouldn’t have. Men like McCormick don’t take chances, and they don’t leave loose ends.”
“Not to boast, but I was pretty damn good at what I did. I can’t believe I unearthed some covert plot and didn’t recognized it for what it was. Didn’t question it.”
“Maybe…”
The back of Six’s neck prickled, a flash of the door filling his head. He moved, grabbing Kam and shoving her behind him as he spun, putting himself between her and the door. Doing his best to block Jericho, too, as he drew the Beretta he’d grabbed from his truck.
Colt stopped with the door cracked open on a forty-five, one foot in—Ellis and Lance behind him. He stared at Six then over to Cannon, his mouth lifting into a smile. “Guess I should have teased you when I had the chance. Might have been my last.”
“Shit, Colt. Don’t freaking sneak in like that.”
“I simply opened the door, buddy.” He motioned to the room. “Can we come in? We brought food.”
Six holstered the gun, shaking his head as he shuffled over—gave Kam room to move out. Accept the sandwich Ellis offered her.
Colt walked over, handing Six a coffee. “Probably should have ordered you decaf.”
“And I probably should have taken that shot.” Six looked at Ellis. “Any luck finding us a source we can trust?”
Ellis sighed. “Nothing in the regular database. But I did a bit of digging—nothing too hardcore—and did find evidence there’s a JSOG unit that has a former Delta soldier in their ranks.”
Six inhaled. Had they actually caught a break? “Who?”
“That’s the bad news. Joint Special Operations Groups run under the NCS. If I want detailed intel on what the National Clandestine Service is up to, I’ll have to bypass their firewalls. I can do it,” she added, “but not here. I’d need a much more secure setup. Be able to mask the ISP, bounce the signal through several satellites while using enhanced encryption.”
“So, we have a possible in, but no way to reach him.”
“Not exactly. Colt said you guys had a code word for nine-one-one missions. A way of alerting your buddies you needed help.”
“Yeah. Jabberwocky.”
She chuckled. “Nice touch. Apropos of things going sideways. Anyway, I can have the system generate that code with coordinates. I just can’t tell you who will show up, and if he’ll save our asses or crucify them. Our mystery guy’s bound to know it didn’t come from inside the CIA. If he’s a stickler for rules…”
“We’re busted.”
“Your call, Six. I can break through that firewall. Or go to Langley. Knock on doors.”
“And have Colt die from an aneurysm? Send the code. I’ll take my chances with a former brother over you putting your life in the hands of the CIA, any day.”
“Will do. Just one qu
estion—where do you want to meet?”
Six glanced at Cannon, silently asking the man what he’d prefer, when images flooded his mind. All pointing to the same location.
Kam grabbed his arm, looking up at him with those beautiful green eyes. “Six, you okay? You grunted as if you were in pain.”
He smiled, wishing he could dip down—take that pouty mouth in his. “Fine. And I know where we should meet.” He met each of their eyes in turn. “Home.”
Chapter Ten
“We should talk.”
Kam froze, mouth slightly gaped open as Six’s voice echoed through the Jeep. Cannon had insisted she and Six fly back—use Jericho’s Wrangler to meet up with their unknown CIA guy at the office. The rest of them had stayed in Vegas, using some contacts Lance had to investigate the group from there. Gibson was going to rendezvous with Kam and Six—be their official backup until Rigs and Midnight finished their current assignments.
Kam had been waiting for the right time to talk to Six, but it hadn’t presented itself. There had zero privacy on the flight, and Six had seemed too preoccupied scanning for possible threats since they’d left the airport. That, and Kam was stalling.
Not because she didn’t want to talk. More because she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what Six had to say. Sure, he’d kissed her in the bathroom. Had claimed it was just the start. That there would be a “next time”. But, a part of her wasn’t convinced he’d still feel that way once they were back in Seattle. When the glitter of Sin City had worn off—been washed down the drain. That he’d hold true to that old motto of what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas.
