by Cynthia Eden
Dex could have been a gentleman and kept his gaze up. Sure, she’d ogled him moments before, but it would not have killed the man to maintain eye contact with her and…
Nope.
He was looking down. And whistling.
She let go of him, bent, and yanked her sheet back up. “You don’t care that you’re walking into a trap.”
He shrugged. “I picked the location. I know what I’m doing.”
“What?” Her voice had gone way too high-pitched. She was surprised the nearby window hadn’t cracked. “How could you have picked the location? You just told me that he said—”
“When I let it be known that I was going skiing on the Double Black Diamond trail, I picked the location. The only place to meet up there is this cabin. My men will have been watching it since dawn. Those were their orders, and they’ll keep eyes on the place the whole time we approach. If there’s trouble, they will be there to back you up.”
“Us up. They will be there to back us up.” Her hold tightened on her sheet as she held it in place. “You like to think you are two steps ahead of everyone else, don’t you?”
His head inclined toward her. “I try to be three steps ahead.”
Sure he did. “Does that always work out for you?”
She didn’t think he would answer. Then, softly, “No. Not always.”
“What happens when you aren’t ahead?”
He glanced away. “People die.”
Not the answer I wanted. But it had been the one she feared. “Okay.” She released her breath. “Let’s get dressed and get to that cabin. And you’d better be three steps ahead of whatever plan Roman has.” She spun away, intent on getting a quick shower before she—
He curled his arm around her and hauled her back against him. She looked up in surprise right before his mouth took hers. The kiss was long, hot, and thorough.
Dex’s tongue was wickedly talented. As she’d learned last night.
His head slowly lifted. “To circle back to your earlier comment, I’m glad that you want to fuck me again. But how about we change that from a probably to a definitely?”
Easy enough. “I definitely want to fuck you again.” She caught his jaw and pulled him back down toward her. This time, she was the one who pressed her mouth to his. She liked to think her tongue was pretty dang skilled, too. She took her time kissing him, then nipped his lower lip when she was done. “So let’s wrap up this case.”
His hold tightened on her. “I want you.”
She wanted him, too. But she forced herself to step back. To break contact with him. And to keep walking away until she could shut the bathroom door.
***
“Is the team in place?” Dex glanced at the closed bathroom door. As soon as Lacey had turned on the shower, he’d made the call to the team leader.
“Yep. Been here since dawn. No one has entered the cabin yet.”
“We’re coming. He’ll either arrive before us or right after. Keep the agents hidden.” Three agents. All trained snipers.
“So…I hear congratulations are in order, boss.”
Dex expelled a hard breath. “I will kick your ass, Larry.”
“Dammit, you know I hate it when you call me that.”
“Take it up with your mama. She’s the one who gave you the name.”
“Yeah, but plenty of people call me Lawrence. You’re the dick who insists on calling me Larry. And when you say it, you know other people do, too.”
“I call you Larry because I’m the dick who knows every secret you possess.” True story. He knew all the guy’s secrets, so he knew that he could trust Larry one hundred percent on this case. “The goal is to protect Lacey Amari. You get that? I want her under surveillance at all times. When I’m in the cabin, she goes nowhere without me.”
“What are you expecting? That someone is going to rush out of the snow and grab your fiancée? Whisk her away and you’ll never see her again?”
The bathroom door opened. Damn. That had been fast. Lacey’s hair was wrapped in a towel, and a white, fluffy robe covered her body. The warm water and steam had made her cheeks pinken and as she stood there, all freshly scrubbed and absolutely beautiful, he had the quick thought of…
No one can take her away. I need her. “You heard the order,” he said flatly. “Screw it up and it will be the last mistake you ever make, Larry.” He hung up.
She frowned. “Are you making friends again?”
“Excuse me?”
Her hands went to her hips. “I’ve noticed you don’t seem to exercise a lot of tact when you talk with folks.”
“I can be extremely tactful.” When the situation called for it.
“You’re still naked, you know.”
“I’m glad you noticed.” He waved a hand in front of his body. “Look your fill. I’m not shy.”
Her lips curved the faintest bit. “I noticed.”
His eager dick noticed her noticing. What I wouldn’t give to take her again…No, dammit. The case. Do the job. Dex tossed his phone onto the bed. “I have to get dressed, we have to go for a big showdown, and you know…get shit done.” He headed for the bathroom. “But you can admire my ass as I walk away. I won’t hide behind a sheet like you did. So very rude.”
“Dex!”
He looked back at her.
“You do have a great ass.”
“Thanks for noticing.”
“Be serious with me. Everything is going to be all right this morning, isn’t it? You talked to your agent—though without any charm—and all is good to go? Because I’m still operating in the dark for the most part. I’m trusting you.”
He rubbed the center of his chest. It had started to ache. “You can absolutely trust me to keep you safe.”
She nodded.
He closed the bathroom door. Didn’t bother glancing toward the mirror. There was no damn way he could look at himself right then.
You are such a fucking bastard.
When she found out the truth, just how much would Lacey hate him?
Chapter Nine
Her teeth were chattering. The higher up the mountain they’d gone, the colder it had become. Lacey was bundled in a thick, puffy black coat, with a ski cap on her head and a dark scarf wrapped around her neck, but she was still freezing her ass off.
When you lived in the South, you considered a cold day to be fifty degrees. She was not made for these Colorado temps.
The snow crunched beneath their boots as she and Dex made their way to the small cabin. They’d ridden up the ski lift in silence, and the view had been incredible. If it weren’t for the fact that her cheeks had turned numb and they were heading out on a dangerous mission, she might have even enjoyed the ride. Thought it was romantic.
But…
Yeah. It was a mission.
“There aren’t any tracks here,” Lacey said as she surveyed the white ground leading toward the old cabin. “I don’t think Roman has arrived yet.” She knew that fresh snow had fallen in the hours before dawn.
Dex paused and stared at the ground, then he studied the cabin.
He’d insisted that she bring a gun with her, not just her knife. The gun was holstered beneath her jacket. He was packing, too, and his expression had become increasingly hard as they neared their destination.
“I’ll be waiting inside for him,” Dex said. “You find a spot out of sight so you can watch the scene. Don’t talk to him when he arrives. Don’t have any contact with him at all, understand?”
“Not like we’re best friends,” she muttered. “And I don’t think there is any place out here where he can whisper some dark warning to me.”
Dex’s head turned toward her. “Take no risks. If anything happens, if you feel threatened, shoot.”
“I can take care of myself.” She pulled her gaze off him and eyed the cabin. “Just why are the two of you having this big, important meeting?”
“Because I have something that is valuable to him,” Dex replied slowly. “He
wants it back, but I’ve decided not to give it to him.”
Her attention shot to Dex. “Does he think you’re going to give this item to him today?”
“He thinks we’ll make a deal. That in exchange for intel I need, I’ll turn what I have over to him.” His jaw hardened. “That’s not going to happen. I’m keeping what I have.”
“Because it’s valuable.” She nodded. “And you think you can use it against him in the future?”
“No, that’s not—” Dex began, voice almost angry. Then he caught himself. “What I have—it turned out to be more than I expected. The value can’t be equaled.”
Okay. “Sometimes, Dex, you have got to just learn to say what you mean.” She huffed out a breath and a little cloud appeared before her mouth. “You’d better get inside, and I need to get hidden.”
“My men are out here. They’re watching our backs right now.”
She hadn’t spotted them—and she’d been looking—so his team had to be very, very good.
He motioned toward his ear. “I’ll turn my comm link off when I go inside. What I need to talk about with Roman is classified.”
Of course, it was. This was Dex, after all.
“But if there is trouble, I’ll turn it back on, and I’ll call you and the rest of the team through the link.” He stepped toward her. Her head tipped back. His gaze had dropped to her mouth, and she could have sworn that he was about to kiss her.
While they were on the mission, about to meet up with the bad guy? Someone was being a rule breaker. She swayed toward him and—
“Get your gun out, Lacey. If someone attacks you, shoot the bastard in the heart.”
Well, all right then. Not a kiss. Just a fierce warning.
Dex turned on his heel. His boots crunched over the snow as he marched for the cabin.
She blew out another breath, ignored the chatter of her teeth, and prepared to get down to business. She would protect Dex’s back. They’d end this mission.
Then she’d finally discover the truth about her family.
***
“I see you,” the shooter whispered. Staring through the scope, there was no way to miss the target. It would be such an easy shot. Like so many others had been over the years.
The wind was just right. The direction perfect. The bullet would fly through the air without so much as a whistle of sound, and in the next breath, the target would be down.
It was supposed to be a heart shot. Head shots were preferred, but this time, the client had been very, very specific.
Heart. To send a message.
When the bullet hit, it would tear through skin, muscle. Bone. It would sink into the heart and blood would explode. The victim would fall back, and the white snow would turn red.
It would be a beautiful sight.
Just wait…
It was almost time.
Another glance through the scope. This time, a slow sweep around the full area.
Ah…Dex was entering the cabin.
Wait…Just wait.
He’d be coming out again soon enough.
***
When he opened the cabin’s door, Dex already had his gun in his hand. He had a key to the cabin—one he’d taken from the lodge—and the door creaked as it slid open.
Darkness waited inside. Gaping and cold.
Lacey had been right when she’d noted that there had been no signs of footprints outside. And Larry had assured him that no one had gotten into the cabin since dawn.
That left before dawn.
In order for Roman to have been there that long, sitting in the cold…well, that was unlikely, given what he knew about the fellow. Roman was dangerous, deadly, but he didn’t exactly rough it on any cases. The arrogant asshole tended to think he was too good for shit like that.
Still…
“I’m here,” Dex called out. “So if you’re hiding in the dark, come out now before I get all jumpy and shoot your ass.”
Nothing.
He hit the light switch. The place was supposed to be supplied with power via a generator but—
The lights didn’t come on.
Bad sign number one.
Dex’s shoulders tensed a bit more. The windows were covered with heavy drapes, so no light slipped inside. He used his left hand to lift up his phone. He tapped the screen to access the flashlight option, then swept it carefully over the floor.
Was that a drop of blood? Over near the closed door—the door that led to an old storage room. Because, yes, he’d gotten schematics of the cabin. He’d wanted to know what waited for him.
Always three steps ahead.
He advanced toward the door. That wasn’t just one drop of blood. It looked like two. Maybe three.
Bad sign number two.
There wasn’t a good reason for blood to be on the floor. And it was fresh. Not faded by time. Someone had been bleeding fairly recently in that cabin. Could have been an employee who’d gotten cut while doing maintenance but…
He didn’t think so.
His heart wasn’t racing. His hands weren’t shaking. As per usual on a mission, he was stone cold. Dex’s mind and emotions became detached as he focused on the goal. He’d learned long ago that there was no room for error on a case like this. Emotions led to mistakes.
He stared at the closed door. Made sure his body wasn’t in front of it. The last thing he wanted was for bullets to fly through the wood and sink into him. Even though he was wearing a bulletproof vest beneath his coat, there was no sense in taking any chances.
Always three steps ahead.
“Roman, if you’re in there, you need to say something right now. Or else I might just start shooting. A stray bullet could hit you in the head, then we’d never get to have our little talk.”
There was…a mumble.
Dex frowned.
Another sound…a groan? Something that sounded like growling.
Shit. He grabbed for the doorknob and shoved the door open.
Even as the door flew open, Roman lurched forward in his chair. His arms were secured behind him, and his legs were taped to the legs of the chair. Gray tape covered his mouth, and blood poured from his hair line. His eyes were wide and frantic as he tried to talk from behind the tape.
“What the hell?” Dex demanded.
Roman heaved toward him. The chair toppled and sent him slamming sideways into the floor. Pain flashed on Roman’s face even as he kept trying to talk behind his mask.
Dex didn’t step toward him. He activated the comm link in his ear. “Larry, something is wrong.” Understatement.
Roman growled behind the tape.
“You got eyes on the area?” Dex pressed his team leader.
But Larry didn’t respond.
For just a moment, fear trickled through Dex, but he shut it down. He shut everything down. Emotion led to mistakes.
“Dex?” The soft voice on the comm link belonged to Lacey. “You need me? You want me in there?”
His gaze darted to a frantic Roman. Dex leaned down and ripped the tape off Roman’s mouth.
“It’s a fucking trap!” Roman snarled as his breath heaved. “Someone knows! Someone is going after—”
A gunshot blasted from outside.
Lacey.
Dex whirled and ran for the door.
“Don’t leave me like this! Cut me free!” Roman roared.
Dex didn’t stop. “Lacey, talk to me,” he snapped.
Only she didn’t respond via their comm link. Fuck. Fuck. “Lacey!” This couldn’t be happening. He’d planned. Three steps ahead. He…
He saw her boots. Lacey was on the ground. Sprawled as if she’d been heading toward the cabin but had been stopped. Stopped because…
She’d been shot?
He rushed to her. Her dark hair spilled over the white snow. Her skin was too pale. She looked fragile and broken, and if some sonofabitch had taken his Lacey from him, Dex would absolutely lose his freaking mind because she mattered to him more than
anything else. He crouched over her. Reached out to touch her.
Lacey’s eyes flew open. “Dex?” There was confusion in her gaze. A flash of fear. Then… “What in the hell are you doing?” She grabbed him and jerked him toward her, rolling him so that she was now on top of his body.
So that she was protecting him?
Fuck, no. “Not happening.” He twisted his body. Rolled them again.
“Bullet…missed me,” she panted out. “Mostly because…shit, I slipped on the damn snow.”
She’d slipped on the damn snow? That was why she hadn’t been shot? Fucking miracle.
But he couldn’t count on another miracle occurring. They were in the middle of a white field of snow. Perfect targets. His team—the snipers who should have been covering their asses—were radio silent. He and Lacey had to get to cover, and they had to get to cover right the hell then.
He grabbed Lacey and leapt to his feet. He kept her curled in front him, his left arm a vise around her as he rushed forward. His right hand gripped his gun, and he swept it around the area as he looked for a target. For some bastard to take out because he was not about to lose this fight.
“Two men down,” Larry’s rough voice broke in Dex’s ear just as he reached the cabin. “Shooter is retreating. So…freaking sorry. Going after him now, but…bastard tagged me in the leg…”
Dex stood inside the safety of the cabin. Lacey was in his arms, yanking and kicking back at him because he knew she wanted to be free so she could protect him. If he’d been an average opponent, she would have knocked him on his ass. He wasn’t average.
Roman staggered out of the storage room. Torn bits of tape clung to his ankles and wrists. “She’s okay.” A wide smile split his face. “She’s safe!”
Safe…
Dex looked around the cabin. A shooter had been outside. The only safe place for cover had been the cabin. The only place that he could take Lacey had been…the cabin.
He shook his head.
Fucking hell. He was there. Lacey was there. Roman was there. All in the cabin.
Before Dex had arrived, Larry had assured him that the cabin was secure. That no one had been inside since dawn. That’s because the SOB got in during the dark hours before dawn. He left Roman out of commission. Let the falling snow cover the tracks. And I’m betting he left us a surprise behind.
