“One of the reasons. I just feel compelled to help. I guess it was seeing that kind of violence firsthand. Knowing there are men out there that think they can treat women like objects, or like a product to sell, exploit, and make money off of.”
“One of the missions we went on ended pretty badly. We were going in to intercept illegal transfer of guns and explosives in Turkey when we showed up at the location and found more than two dozen women. All enslaved, abducted, raped, and used as entertainment for the assholes who were smuggling in these explosives and weapons,” Brian explained. She swallowed hard.
“What happened? Were the guns and explosives there?” she asked him.
“Amongst the dead bodies, I saw this rug on the wall like a decorative thing. I don’t know what made me look. I mean, I had to fucking stare into the eyes of young girls and women piled up there, dead. I moved the cots, bodies fell.” He shook his head, and she reached over and squeezed his hand and brought his knuckles to her lips and kissed them. She held his gaze. “People don’t understand what it’s like to see that, never mind being a victim of that.”
Tears filled her eyes and she quickly looked away. He reached up and cupped her cheek and held her jaw.
“You should be proud for what you did, and what you do now, helping. Even with Azra, you were amazing. Your insight was incredible, Lilly.”
“It sure was. It’s like you really understand the way the men who took her were thinking, too,” Simo said.
“I know it affected you. I could see it in your eyes, Brian. Getting Azra back to her family, back to a safe place for her to recover and get counseling will be key for her to have a full life.”
“We’re working on it. We’ll find her father,” Simo said.
She nodded. “Well, we’ll be testing this new relationship big time then since we’ll be working together,” she said, lightening up the atmosphere.
“One wrong move, baby, and you’ll be over our knees,” Jordo said and slid his palm up her shirt to her pussy. She went to move, and Simo grabbed her glass of wine and Jordo pulled her up into his arms to straddle his waist. He fell back to the rug and moved her shirt so her ass was completely exposed to the others.
“Jordo,” she reprimanded, and he rolled her to her back and began to kiss her then tickle her as his beard collided with her bare breasts then her pussy.
“We have to feed her, man,” Brian said and chuckled.
“Appetizers. Lilly is the appetizer.”
Chapter 6
“I like it. I think it’s a great idea. Are you sure about security, though?” Lillian asked as she stood by the main house at Warrior’s Way. It was quite the set up, and the people there were very nice.
“Security is top notch. We have several teams of soldiers who work and live on the grounds. We’re thinking that having Azra right here in the main house where we personally can take care of her and watch over her would be great,” Toby, Faith’s brother, told her.
She was looking around and the guys were talking. She noticed that Faith was involved with four pretty big soldiers, men she actually knew of from the military. When a group of other men approached with Leeann, a therapist at the retreat, she was shocked to see Lex, Mick, Pierce, and Rad.
“Lilly?” Lex said first, and then the others smiled wide and immediately hugged her one by one. They squeezed her tight, and she felt emotional.
Rad held her by her shoulders. “We thought you were dead,” he said and cupped her cheek. She chuckled and felt the camaraderie between her and them.
“Alive and well, and I see that the team is still together.”
“Of course,” he said and stared at her, eyed her over. “Jesus, you look fantastic.”
She smiled. “So do you guys. It’s crazy that we’re all here.”
Simo cleared his throat. She glanced over her shoulder at him, Jordo, Brian, and Colt, who looked jealous and a bit angry, then at Leeann, as Mick pulled Leeann into his arms.
“This is Leeann. Our woman,” Mick introduced her.
Lilly smiled. “An awesome group of men,” she said, and then Simo slid his arm around her waist. She wasn’t expecting the public show of attention. She tightened up.
“And how exactly did your paths cross?” Simo asked. She placed her hand over his hand, and Mick, Pierce, Rad, and Lex looked at where Simo’s hand was.
“She’s your woman, Simo? You and the team?” Mick asked, still hugging Leeann around her waist.
“We’re working on it,” Simo said, and Lilly tilted her head up toward Simo.
“It’s new,” she said and then looked back at the guys. “I’m in shock here. What have you guys been up to? When did you get out?” She went to move and give some space, but Simo held tight. He was a big man. They all were, Mick and his team included.
As they started to tell her about leaving the military, she explained about getting out.
“Lilly, how the hell did you make it out of there? Last we heard there were a dozen soldiers killed in some covert operation. We just returned to the states after being in Jordan,” Rad said with his hand on his hip, eyeing her over.
She shrugged her shoulders. “So, I honestly feel a bit better knowing that you guys are here, too, and can provide the security we need for this young woman.” She changed the subject, and it was obvious, but she didn’t care. It had been enough of a shock that she saw Mick and the team. She was also glad that she hadn’t fooled around with the men at any point during their interaction in the military. Boy had she been tempted, but right now it would have made for a pretty awkward moment.
She slid from Simo’s arms as Brian began to explain the situation on Azra.
“Anything you need we can assist, if needed, Brian. We have some good contacts in Cyprus,” Lex said to him.
“That would be great. Right now, we can’t find anyone who has a clue as to where her father disappeared to,” Brian replied.
“What’s the likelihood that these men will try to find Azra and come after her again?” Lex asked.
“We aren’t certain,” Brain replied.
“We aren’t going to take any chances. I think this will actually be a great set up. I have to limit how often I come by here as precaution. Leeann, if you have time and are able to get Azra to trust you, she could use a bit of counseling after everything she has gone through and continues to go through,” Lilly said to her.
“Of course. Anything you need to let me know about beforehand, perhaps we can discuss,” Leeann said and Lilly smiled.
“She won’t trust easily. This has been traumatic for her, plus she is still recovering from a head injury, as well.”
“We have medical experience,” Warren, one of Faith’s men, said to her.
She smiled. “I’m so glad this place is here, and you all are willing to help. I can’t believe I’ve been living in Warriorville for a year and we never crossed paths,” Lilly said to them all.
“Well, now you know that we’re here. We’ve been trying to get Colt, Jordo, and the team to come by and hang out. Maybe you can convince them, Lilly?” Toby said to her, and she felt her cheeks warm.
“Not sure I can,” she said and felt a bit out of sorts knowing they all just assumed she was with Simo and them. Simo’s public display was apparently going a long way. As she felt hands land on her shoulder and then instantly knew it was Colt standing behind her. She felt her entire body heat up.
“We may consider it if Lilly comes with us,” he said.
“Great. So, when can we expect Azra?” Faith asked.
“We’ll bring her by tomorrow and let her see the place. I’ll have enough time to break away from work and help her get comfortable here,” Lilly told them and then they continued to talk about Warrior’s Way and the things they offered.
As she listened to all of them talking and then Leeann and Faith headed back inside of the house, Rad approached her. She smiled up at him and noticed that Jordo kept watch even as he and his team spoke to all the other m
en.
“You said you’ve been living in town for a year?” Rad asked. She nodded. “That incident was like what, two years ago?”
“It’s not really something I like to talk about.”
“Yeah, I understand that, it’s just that we heard you died.”
“There was a lot of confusion when it happened. There were additional teams that were on sight, one of them was working some other angle of a different mission and they caught wind over radio chatter about shots being fired and explosions going off. Cassidy Smith died there. You remember her?”
“Oh shit, yeah, Cassidy. You two were close, she had brown hair, too.”
“And green eyes. Maybe that’s who people confused me with. It’s never easy to confirm identities when things are blowing up all over the place.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to upset you bringing it up. I’m actually glad that you’re alive and well. You made quite the impression on a lot of big shots,” Rad said to her and he held her gaze.
“I do recall making an impression on you and the team,” she said and raised one of her eyebrows at him.
He chuckled and shook his head. “You came out of nowhere, you Gordo, and Van, like an army of your own, the smoke behind you as the building burned. We didn’t know where the hell you came from. Plain clothes, brown hair blowing behind you.”
“You guys pointed your guns at us, yelling for us to put down our weapons, and we were like, screw you,” she said, and they both laughed.
“Then Commander Flemming walks around the corner smoking a cigar and giving orders of ‘stand down, telling us you all are one of us.’ I think it was Burkshore that lowered down on one knee and proposed to you that night, right?” he asked, and she laughed some more.
“He was such an ass.”
“Lilly, it was a damn sight you coming out of that building the way you did.”
She chuckled. She definitely didn’t need to be alone in bed if she chose not to be, but that wasn’t her thing. She only had two relationships while serving and neither worked out because they each had their own careers, and neither was budging to bend to accommodate the other. So, she parted ways. It was better off that way. Both were higher ups.
“So, you guys finally settled down, and with a gorgeous woman, too. How long have you been together?” she asked.
“It’s been about six months now. Had a bit of chaos in the beginning, long story we’ll share some time.”
“Sounds very romantic,” she teased.
“Yeah, me and romantic. Think danger and you’ll be on track.”
She squinted. “Oh no, Leeann was in danger?”
“It was a mess. Like I said, another time. Right now, I think your men are feeling a bit jealous of me talking alone with you.”
She glanced at them, and they did look pissed. “Not my men.”
He raised one of his eyebrows at her. She smirked.
“I think it’s a good thing. Colt and Jordo especially haven’t been too talkative about their experiences in the military and transitioning. Leeann has tried talking to them.”
Lilly squinted. “I guess it’s one of the reasons we’re getting along so well, but it is new, and I don’t know what might come of it. This case brought us together.”
“That’s how it works sometimes,” he said as Simo walked over along with Colt.
“We’re going to head out. I’ll call you once I confirm some things with Tatum in town,” Simo said to him.
“Whatever we can do. Hopefully this will be over soon enough, then we can get together on more pleasant terms,” Rad said and then they shook hands goodbye. Rad, Mick, Pierce, and Lex all kissed her goodbye, and she headed to the men’s truck. Her car parked there as well as Brian’s patrol car.
“I think this is going to work out well. Rad and his team are resourceful and will provide protection for Azra I never would have expected. I feel good about this. I just hope Azra will feel comfortable,” Lilly said to them. She crossed her legs.
Colt reached over and caressed her hip and pulled her close. “Crazy how you knew Rad and them,” he said, and she knew he was jealous.
“I know, unbelievable. I haven’t seen them in years, then to know we all live in Warriorville was a shock,” she replied. She reached back to cover his hand that he smoothed over her ass and gave it a squeeze. He moved his hand and gripped her wrist.
Colt held her gaze. “So, I’m just going to come right out and ask what we all want to know,” he said, and she knew what he was thinking.
“No,” she said to him. He squinted. Brian took her other hand and brought her knuckles to his lips.
“Remember what we said about who’s in charge,” Simo told her, and he stared at her as well as Jordo.
“Just wondering if one of them were one of those older men you ‘hooked up’ with,” Simo asked.
“Nice, Simo.”
“Well, you’re the one that said it,” Colt stated and squeezed her ass.
She took a deep breath and exhaled. “No, I did not hook up with any of them.”
Colt exhaled as if relieved.
“Guys, you need to settle down here and not be jealous. I wouldn’t be freaking out if some woman you had sex with showed up around here.”
“Why not?” Jordo asked.
“Because this is new between us for one, and two, what we shared was amazing.”
“You sound like it isn’t going to continue to be amazing, or like you’re holding back,” Simo said to her.
She was the one taking a deep breath now. “I need to take my time with this. I told you that.”
“We’re not holding back, but it definitely seems like you are. Like you have this wall up even after making love so many times together. What are you not telling us, or what is it that has you still holding back from us?” Simo asked.
“Simo, please. It took so much for me to risk getting involved with you. You’re over here trying to make every guy know that I slept with you.”
“We didn’t do that. We just held you, kept you close,” Brian said to her.
“Let’s not argue about this, okay? I’m just used to do things alone, handling things solo. I’m also not minimizing what we shared and what I feel for all of you. I’m processing it, letting it sink in, so to speak.”
Colt pulled her into an embrace as Brian released her hand. She hugged Colt tight, and looked at Brian, Simo, and Jordo. “I don’t know if going slow is feasible, Lilly, but we’ll try,” Colt said and kissed her head. She closed her eyes and hugged him right back, loving how it felt to be held by him and surrounded by them. But could she fully accept them into her heart, or would it fall apart for some of the same reasons her other two relationships failed? It all stemmed from one thing. Keeber.
“Thanks to your work and connections, Simo, we got a lead,” Caden told him over the phone.
“That’s great. What is it?” Simo asked.
“Well, one of the grounds keepers at Metra Arso’s estate said they saw someone packing up the SUV during the evening. Then the following morning, around six a.m., Arso and another man got into the SUV and left the house together. That timeline coincides with the agents we have working Arso’s whereabouts from the days before he disappeared until that day he left in the SUV. Now I know you were talking with Lex and he has some contacts in Cyprus and a bit of a technique to help us get some info on the down low. He’s working that angle now. I can tell you one thing, this is not some international human trafficking operation.”
Their Soldier Girl Page 10
