HOT Justice: A Hostile Operations Team - Book 14

by Lynn Raye Harris

  She didn’t realize how exhausted she was until they landed. She hardly remembered the trip from the helicopter to the clinic where they were checked out and then shuttled to a building where they were given rooms. She’d thought they would head back to the States immediately, but a storm had moved in after they arrived and rain lashed the windows. Haylee had a room to herself. It was inevitable, she supposed, given as there were seven women and four men in the party. She was the odd person out since the rooms had two beds in each one. She went into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and left her clothes in a pile on the floor as she stepped inside to let the water sluice over her and wash away the past few days.

  After scrubbing herself clean, she dried off, slipped into an oversized T-shirt that’d been left for her, and then went and fell into the bed. She was asleep in moments. When she woke later, she wasn’t quite sure where she was. She lay in bed and blinked at the ceiling. It was dark and gloomy and she couldn’t quite remember what had happened.

  And then she did. It all came rushing back—the jungle, the man who’d tried to rape her, Wolf as he’d rescued her, the night escaping from the cartel—the river, the gunshots, the swim for shore, the hike up a mountain, and the blessed arrival in time for the helicopters.

  Haylee lay on the soft mattress, warm and safe—but hungry—and felt the despair wash over her. Despair because she’d liked Wolf and she knew she wouldn’t see him again. He’d done his job, saved her from certain death, and now she was alone. Why had she told him so much about why she’d gone to Mexico? About Nicole? She wished she hadn’t done so. Wished she hadn’t listened to his story about his sister. Because he was gone and she wouldn’t see him again.

  The end.

  She swiped at the tears gathering in her eyes and sat up. She was dizzy with hunger. But she didn’t have any clothes—she seriously didn’t want to put the ones she’d been wearing back on again—and she didn’t know what to do. Was there room service? She somehow doubted that.

  She sniffed and pushed the covers back. The room she’d been given was more of a small suite. There was a bedroom that connected to a living room with a television, a bathroom, and a very small kitchenette with a coffee maker and a microwave. She slipped out of bed and padded into the living room—where she found a pile of clothing on the coffee table. It wasn’t anything stylish. Only T-shirts and military camouflage with a pair of basic tennis shoes. She remembered the nurse asking her questions about clothing and shoe sizes. It all made sense now.

  She picked up the stack and donned the underwear, pants and button-down shirt that hung to her thighs. There were socks and shoes and she put them on too. Maybe there was food if she left this room.

  Haylee pocketed the key card they’d given her and opened the door, peeking first one direction and then the other. The smell of food wafted to her nose and she closed the door behind her, went in the direction of the smells until she found a common room with pizzas and people. She stood in the entry and blinked. But no, there were men and women and food.

  And not just the dental group, but some of the commandos as well. Her heart kicked higher as she searched for Wolf. She didn’t see him at all. Had he left? Or decided not to join them? But then a man who’d been standing at the far end of the room with two others turned, his gaze meeting hers. For a moment she didn’t know who he was—his face was chiseled, handsome, his hair short, blonde. He was incredibly gorgeous—and his eyes. Oh God, those eyes.

  Haylee’s belly flipped. Those were Wolf’s eyes. Her Wolf. Her Wolf? He gave her a sort of half grin. She was frozen in place. But then he started to move, sauntering toward her with the easy grace of a sleek predator, and her heart hammered harder than before.

  “Haylee,” he said as he reached her side. “Did you sleep well?”

  “I… Wolf?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, it’s me. You okay?”

  Was she okay? Oh hell no. She was not okay. This man was freaking gorgeous! Nothing like the guy who’d swaggered into the jungle and rescued her a few hours ago. Not that he hadn’t been appealing, but she hadn’t known. Hadn’t suspected that he’d look like this.

  “I… yes, I’m fine.”

  He ran his fingers over her cheek. A shiver rolled down her spine. Into her center. Her skin prickled with heat and longing. Longing?

  “You hungry?”

  Hungry? It seemed such a base need compared to the feelings swirling inside her now. But she had to eat, right? As if her stomach was afraid she’d say no, it chose that moment to growl. Loudly. Wolf arched an eyebrow.

  “Um, yes. I could definitely eat.”

  “There’s pizza. Some fruit. Might be a salad somewhere if you want that.”

  Her belly threatened to turn inside out. “No, not a salad.”

  He snorted. “Good girl.” He led her to the table laden with boxes. “Pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and supreme. It’s from the pizza joint on the base, in case you were wondering.”

  He made her feel giddy inside. “I’m not even questioning it. Would you think ill of me if I said all the above?”

  His eyes danced with laughter. “Nope, not at all.”

  She picked up a paper plate and some napkins. Then she attacked the pepperoni and the sausage. “Okay, I know I said all, but maybe I’ll start with this.”

  “Find a seat. You want a beer? Or something else? Water, soda—you tell me.”

  She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or flattered that he was still talking to her. That he planned to get her a drink. But that didn’t mean he was interested. She needed to stop thinking those things about a guy she didn’t really know and would probably never see again after tonight.

  Except he was just so damned gorgeous that she couldn’t help herself.

  “Uh, I think a beer sounds good.” She wasn’t much of a drinker, but after the ordeal she’d been through, alcohol sounded good. Just one to take the edge off.

  “Be right back.”

  Haylee found a seat at a table against the wall. Most of the dental group was there and they were talking intently about things. The commandos looked so different without their greasepaint. In fact, she had to acknowledge to herself that it was entirely possible not all these guys were the military team who’d rescued her and the others. She wouldn’t recognize any of them, other than Wolf—and she’d barely recognized him.

  Wolf was back in a few moments with two bottles of cold beer. He handed her one and she took it, her fingers brushing his for a brief moment. Just that single touch and her skin sizzled along all her neural pathways. She dropped her gaze as heat flared in her cheeks.

  What was wrong with her?

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “You bet.” Wolf flopped into the seat opposite and took a slug of his beer.

  Haylee sipped hers, welcoming the icy coolness and the tangy aftertaste. She didn’t know how she was going to eat with him sitting there.

  “You sleep okay?” he asked.

  “If by sleep you mean did I fall into the bed and not hear a single sound for the past ten hours, then yes, I slept well. You?”

  He shrugged. “I got a few hours.”

  Her stomach rumbled again and she picked up the pizza to take a bite, because if she didn’t she was going to pass out from hunger. The cheese and sausage were like an explosion of nirvana on her tongue. Haylee closed her eyes. She may have moaned.

  Wolf chuckled and she snapped her eyes open again. He was watching her. Grinning. Her stomach flipped. Dear God he was pretty.

  “I moaned, didn’t I?” Might as well brazen her way through this.

  “Yeah. Not that I blame you, understand.”

  She took another bite, swallowed. The raging hunger in her belly was still there but getting better by the bite. “I love Mexican food, but I may never eat another tortilla again. That was all they fed us. Tortillas and beans. Once a day.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “If it’d been as good as the tortillas and beans at my fa
vorite Mexican restaurant, I suppose it would have been okay. Who knew you could screw either of those things up and make them taste bad?”

  She ripped into the pizza and polished off a slice. Then she took a healthy swig of beer. The liquor warmed her, crawled into her veins and took away her nervousness. Which apparently she needed with this guy. Every time her gaze met his, her stomach did a somersault. Those eyes.

  It turned out they were either steely gray or blue depending on the light. But captivating. The rest of him was too. His hair was blond, a combination of dark and light, and short. His face looked as if it were carved from the finest marble. He wore a black T-shirt that clung to his muscles like a second skin. His dog tags hung on the outside of the T-shirt. The shirt was tucked into gray camo pants. He wore black boots with laces and moved like a panther. Graceful. Sleek. Oh so assured of his power.

  “Haylee?” He snapped his fingers. “Earth to Haylee.”

  She shook herself. “Uh, yes?”

  His brows were drawn together but he was still smiling. “You okay? You seemed a million miles away.”

  “Um, yes, fine. Sorry, just thinking. Trying to remember everything that I’d written in my notes. I need to recreate it.” It was a tiny lie but she wasn’t going to tell him she’d been thinking about him. Drooling over him in her head.

  His smile faded. “You still planning to write about this?”

  “Yes. I have to do it. For Nicole.”

  He nodded. “You’ll get a debrief soon, but they’re going to tell you not to write about any of this. Us,” he added as if clarifying.

  “The commandos. Got it.”

  He grinned again. “Special Operators, but whatever. Just don’t write about the rescue or any aspect of it.”

  “It’s not really what the story is about. The drugs are the story. Not me or you or any of this.”

  “That’s good. Though be careful there too. Cartels can have a long reach. Longer than you think sometimes.”

  “I will be.” Though she didn’t really know enough to anger anybody. She’d been following a very tenuous lead in the hopes it would equate to something. Something she’d heard on the Hill from one of Senator Watson’s staffers. Watson was very anti-drug and he was leading the charge to make it more difficult for people to cross the border in his home state of Arizona. His stance was a bit of a political bandaid since most of the drugs came by ship into various ports, or through tunnels beneath the border. There were too many cartels to keep up with, but the one that kept cropping up in regards to the fake pills was the Juarez Cartel.

  “You want more pizza?”

  Haylee looked down at her plate, surprised that she’d eaten two slices already. “I do. I shouldn’t, but I do. Am I wrong?”

  Wolf snatched up her plate. “Nope. What do you want?”

  “Supreme this time. Thanks.”

  “Got it, babe.”

  Haylee watched him walk away, her heart thumping in her breast, her skin prickling with heat. His ass was made of perfect. His back was wide and the T-shirt stretched across those muscles like it was painted on before tapering down to a narrow waist.

  If she was a different kind of girl, she’d want to jump him. Okay, she did want to jump him—but she wasn’t spontaneous like that. Nicole had always told her to just go for it, bang the hot guy and worry about regrets tomorrow, but she’d never been that way. She’d always wanted to know a guy first. It felt… safer.

  “Haylee, for fuck’s sake,” Nicole would say if she were here, “you need to get laid. And that guy is gorgeous. If you don’t want him, I’ll take him.”

  Haylee hated the stab of pain in her heart, but she was also used to it by now. Her bestie was gone. But her spirit lived on. Hell, her spirit was giving advice, apparently.

  Haylee snorted a laugh to herself. Wolf sauntered back toward her—and she just went with it. Let her gaze roam over his hard body, his perfect face. Those soul-searching eyes that could destroy a woman if she weren’t careful.

  Sexy man. Gorgeous man.

  Dangerous man.

  Her breath stopped in her throat. Oh yes, he was definitely that. She had to be careful here.

  “Stop it, Haylee. Just let yourself go. If he wants to take you to bed, let him. Then get up in the morning and go back to work.” And there was Nicole again. Haylee frowned. She’d heard Nicole’s voice in her head a few times since her friend had died, but never in regards to a man.

  Like there’d been any men. Haylee had thrown herself into work for months now. There’d been no men. Well, except Tony Davis, who she’d talked to on a few occasions. But even if she’d been attracted to Tony, she wouldn’t have gone there. He’d been interested in Nicole. And she in him apparently, though she hadn’t said much about him to Haylee at the time.

  Wolf set Haylee’s plate down with two new slices. “You need another beer or you good?”

  Haylee picked up the bottle. She’d drank three-quarters of it. She shouldn’t drink another. “Maybe one more.”

  “Got it. Eat, babe.”

  The skin on Haylee’s neck prickled as she picked up her pizza and took a bite. Of course she studied Wolf’s ass again. She’d asked for the beer just so she could watch him walk away from her. He was back a few moments later, setting a cold beer down next to the one she was still drinking. He had a fresh one for himself as well.

  “I kind of thought you’d be gone already,” she said to him in between bites.

  “Rough weather in the Gulf. It’ll clear out tonight and we’ll be gone tomorrow.”

  “You never told me where you were stationed.”

  His gray-blue eyes sparked. “Didn’t I? We’re a special detachment out of DC.”

  Wolf watched her as she took in the information. Her eyes widened slightly, though he thought maybe she didn’t want him to know that judging by the way she darted her gaze away. Was she interested?

  He hoped she was. Because he was interested in her. He didn’t know quite why he was digging her so much, but from the moment she’d kicked her attacker in the nuts—even though it had been a risky move considering she’d had nowhere to run—he’d admired the hell out of her. Haylee Jamison didn’t take shit lying down. The way she’d gone to Cindy’s side when all of Cindy’s coworkers—or whatever they were—had stood silently by and glared because the woman had the potential to slow them down had notched his admiration a few pegs higher.

  Haylee Jamison was made of stern stuff. It didn’t hurt that she was pretty. Her long black hair hung in a silken wave down her back. She had dark, sparkling eyes, a high forehead, and a nose that wasn’t quite perfect. Her lips were pink, her mouth wide. He imagined kissing her and his groin tightened.

  Proper. That was the word that he would use to describe her if asked. Haylee was proper. He’d bet his last paycheck she wasn’t a one-night stand kind of woman. Too bad, because he really wanted to bed her. Not that he couldn’t call her again. Of course he could. Maybe he would. He thought of his teammates with girlfriends. They didn’t seem so unhappy, did they? Saint was stupid over Brooke Sullivan. Hacker was planning to remarry his ex-wife. Hell, even the CO—Colonel Mendez—had a wife. Alpha Squad were all married or getting married. The SEALs were heading to the altar in frightening numbers too.

  Wolf took another pull of his beer. Seriously, he needed to clear his head. Just because some of his teammates were in long-term relationships didn’t mean he needed one. Or wanted one. He just thought this woman was cute and he wanted to get her naked. Nothing wrong with that.

  Haylee took a sip of her beer. He didn’t miss the way her fingers trembled as she reached for the bottle. Score. He’d bet money she was attracted to him. Good.

  “No, I don’t think you mentioned that at all.”

  “Yep, live in Maryland.”

  “I live in Bethesda.”

  “You don’t say? Huh, guess we’re practically neighbors.”

  “Guess so.” She finished a slice of pizza and wiped her mouth del
icately on a napkin. He figured she’d call it a done deal, but she picked up the next one and bit into it. Then she smiled. “It’s a small world, right?”

  “It is. In the military, we never say goodbye. We just say see you later.”

  “That’s nice.”

  He shrugged. “Can be.”

  Mal came strolling over, beer in hand, eyes roving over Haylee. Wolf’s gut tightened. He didn’t know why. Mal flopped down on a chair nearby, stretched out his legs, and grinned at them.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Haylee frowned adorably, shooting Wolf a puzzled look before turning and meeting Mal’s gaze. “Hey,” she replied.

  “Mal,” he said.

  “I’m sorry… what?”

  Wolf rolled his eyes. “His name’s Mal. Malcolm McCoy, better known as Mal. Occasionally known as Captain Tight Pants.”

  Haylee’s brows lifted as she grinned. “Firefly.”

  Wolf smiled. “Yep. You a fan?”

  “Are you kidding me? Nathan Fillion in those pants—uh, yeah. Definitely easy on the eyes.”

  He liked that she was a fan of Firefly. It was an old program now, but it was iconic. If she liked Doctor Who as well, then hell, she might be marriage material. Which was a joke but also kinda not.

  “Hey, I’m over here,” Mal said to the two of them, waving his beer.

  “We see you, Tighty.”

  Mal snorted. “Keep trying, Wolf. You aren’t changing my call sign. I got it fair and square.”

  “Yeah, whatever. Tighty would be so much better.”

  Mal stretched indolently. “I am a man of many talents. You can’t define me with a word.”

  “Riiiiight,” Wolf drawled. “What do you want, Mal of Many Talents?”

  “Nothing. Just came over to see what you guys were chatting about so seriously.”

  “Interrupting,” Wolf replied.

  “You aren’t,” Haylee interjected. “Don’t listen to him. We were just chatting about living in Maryland.”

  Mal perked up. “Hey, you live in Maryland?”