Chosen Prey
Page 25
Before I was an assassin. I’d been an overly confident but first-class sniper for the Army Special Forces. Then everything was blown to hell when I’d been court-martialed for a mistake I’d made. A mistake caused by following my captain’s orders, but it all came down on me. I was the one who’d pulled the trigger.
It’s not easy to break a Special Forces Officer, but “FAS” did a damned good job of it. I didn’t even know the real name of the organization that had abducted me moments after my court-martial, so that’s what I called them—Fucking Asshole Sonsofbitches. I do have even more choice, appropriate words for the bastards, but I’ll leave it at that.
One of the men had distracted me while another managed to inject an animal tranquilizer with just one stab in my thigh. Next thing I knew I was sitting in front of the FAS. They talked about “saving me” if I did their dirty work.
Assassinate people.
I was half dead from all of the countless beatings and the whippings. Then they’d nearly drowned me before electrocuting me. It was when they started breaking fingers in my left hand that I knew I’d lost.
They’d broken me. Then programmed me.
It wasn’t until one powerful woman took me out of hell that I had a life again. RED became everything to me. Only my family was more important than the organization that had saved me.
There’s a lot of blood on my hands. But then I was given the opportunity to turn my life around. Only RED and my family kept me sane.
The sound of something vibrating against wood came from my nightstand. Box springs creaked as I rolled onto my side and I picked up one of two cell phones which I’d set to vibrate. When I flipped open the cell for RED, the caller identification screen said “Unknown.” No big surprise there.
“Yeah?” The word came out in a croak, my voice still rough from sleep. What time was it?
“Steele.” Karen Oxford’s voice had me sitting straight up in bed and all trace of my sleepiness vanished. If the Assistant Special Agent in Charge was calling, then it had to be serious. My gut clenched as she said, “Get to HQ, immediately.”
I glanced at the clock. Seven-fifteen. I normally got in around eight-thirty. And why would Oxford call me herself?
“What happened?” I asked as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and planted my feet on the worn carpeting before I stood.
“It’s Randolph.” Oxford’s tone turned weary and the feeling in my gut notched up tenfold.
I’d made Team Supervisor six months ago and Stacy Randolph was one of my agents working on Operation Cinderella, a probe into a local-turned-international sex slave ring.
I went rigid as Oxford continued, “She was raped and murdered. Her body was found just after midnight in Boston Harbor.”
Numbness crept over me as I tried to assimilate Oxford’s statement and I closed my eyes.
Randolph had penetrated one of the inner circles of the organization that would ultimately bring us to whoever was responsible for auctioning off young women to the highest bidder.
And now she was dead. One of my team members had been murdered.
“You will notify the other TSs, then your individual teams once I brief you,” Oxford said.
A burning sensation gripped my throat and I opened my eyes. This was supposed to be Special Agent Stacy Randolph’s last op.
It had been her last op.
At twenty-five, tough, smart, and filled with enthusiasm for her job, Randolph had been one of our best. She’d also been just days from leaving RED to become a civilian to marry and start a family. She’d been so excited and almost always wore a smile when she was at HQ.
And now she was gone. The first agent I’d ever lost.
More blood on my hands. I knew I wasn’t being fair to myself, but I felt like Stacy Randolph was yet another life that could be laid on the altar of my sins.
“Yes, ma’am.” I tried to draw an even breath. “I’ll take care of informing all TSs and agents.”
“Our contact in the BPD is notifying next of kin.” Oxford said. “I’ll brief you in my office. The other TSs will be assembled in conference room one by the time we’re done.”
I gave a stiff nod even though she couldn’t see me. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Randolph’s partner notified us,” Oxford said. “Their backup never saw it happen.”
“Deseronto is too deep to come in and the targets didn’t know they were together.” I gripped one hand into a fist. “I’ll arrange for a new partner. And more backup.”
“Fifteen minutes, my office.” Oxford clicked off and I dropped to the edge of the bed, my chest aching from the blow of Randolph’s death.
It was RED’s standard protocol to provide the BPD with a fictitious story because no one could know what any of us really did.
Some stranger would be going to the Randolphs’ home and lie to them about how their daughter had died.
Her family would never know their daughter was a hero and not just a victim.
I got back to my feet and headed for the shower.
2
Nick
March 27
Wednesday morning
* * *
Nick studied the yellow triple-decker, or “trip” as the residents of Southie called this cookie-cutter style, three-story apartment house.
Alexi Steele lived in the third-floor apartment. Nick focused on the window at the top floor with its white curtains drawn together. He hadn’t been watching her place long, but long enough that he’d seen lights come on behind those curtains ten minutes ago. They’d just clicked off.
A petite brunette, maybe five-three, five-four at most, shot through the front door of the trip, slammed the door behind her, then jogged down the steps.
Nick was surprised when he felt an unexpected attraction. His attention sharpened on her, all senses becoming painfully alert as they focused on this one woman. Damn, she was hot. Alexi Steele was a small package, her features delicate, making him think of a fairy that should be tucked safely away somewhere. But her body ruined all pretense of delicate innocence. She had curves in all the right places, curves that drove him to imagine touching her, stroking her, feeling her. That short, chin-length hair looked so soft, ready to be caressed, to run his fingers through. He suddenly felt primal, like a wolf who had suddenly caught scent of his mate.
So this was his new partner. Damn, he’d never be able to keep his hands off of her.
Lucky for him, he wouldn’t have to. He’d have his hands all over her within a couple of days.
He watched as she climbed into a black Jeep Cherokee parked at the curb and she started the vehicle. She barely glanced at the empty street before pulling out and gunning the engine. Her tires squealed as she spun the Jeep around and headed in the direction that would take her to the RED HQ.
Special Agent Lexi Steele, the head of Operation Cinderella. A supposedly tough, “kick-ass” agent, Lexi would have looked like a fragile doll—if it wasn’t for the tight, angry expression that had been on her features when she’d come out of the apartment building and climbed into the Jeep.
Nick’s work phone vibrated against his hip. He drew it out, checked the caller identification screen. “Slave Nandra,” he said when he answered and at the same time glanced at the digital clock on his dashboard. “You’re late. Looks like you’ve got yourself a punishment first thing tonight.”
“I’m sorry, Master Dunning.” Nandra’s voice shook a little. “I couldn’t help—”
“No excuses.” Nick put a growl in his voice. “Ten o’clock tonight. Dungeon Room.”
“Yes, Master Dunning.” Then she hurried to add, “I won’t be late.”
“Make sure you’re not,” Nick said before he snapped his phone shut and stuffed it back into its belt clip.
“The goddamned hunt begins,” he murmured as he started his Ford Explorer and headed on out.
Read more of Ruthless here!
Also by Cheyenne McCray
(in reading order)
* * *
~Romantic Suspense~
* * *
“Recovery Enforcement Division” Series
Ruthless
Fractured
Vendetta
* * *
Single Title
Chosen Prey
* * *
“Deadly Intent” Series
Hidden Prey
No Mercy
Taking Fire
Point Blank
* * *
~Contemporary Cowboys~
* * *
“King Creek Cowboy” Series
The McLeods
Country Heat
Country Thunder
Country Storm
* * *
“Riding Tall 2” Series
The McBrides Too
Amazed by You
Loved by You
Midnight With You
Wild for You
Sold on You
* * *
“Riding Tall” Series
The McBrides
Branded For You
Roping Your Heart
Fencing You In
Tying You Down
Playing With You
Crazy For You
Hot For You
Made For You
Held By You
Belong To You
* * *
“Rough and Ready” Series
The Camerons
Silk and Spurs
Lace and Lassos
Champagne and Chaps
Satin and Saddles
Roses and Rodeo (with Creed McBride)
Lingerie and Lariats
Lipstick and Leather
* * *
“Armed and Dangerous” Series
Zack
Luke
Clay
Kade
Alex (novella)
* * *
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Branded for You
Roping Your Heart
Fencing You In
* * *
Riding Tall the Second Boxed Set
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Tying You Down
Playing with You
Crazy for You
* * *
Riding Tall the Third Boxed Set
Includes
Hot for You
Made for You
Held by You
Belong to You
* * *
Rough and Ready Boxed Set One
Includes
Silk and Spurs
Lace and Lassos
Champagne and Chaps
* * *
Rough and Ready Boxed Set Two
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Satin and Saddles
Roses and Rodeo
Lingerie and Lariats
* * *
Armed and Dangerous the Collection
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Zack
Luke
Clay
Kade
* * *
~Paranormal Romance~
* * *
“Dark Sorcery” Series
The Forbidden
The Seduced
The Wicked
One Breath (novella)
The Shadows
The Dark
About Cheyenne
Cheyenne McCray fell in love with reading and writing early, deciding in kindergarten that one day she would become an author. Today, she is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction author who’s sold millions of books worldwide. Having published more than 100 novels and novellas in contemporary and paranormal romance, urban fantasy and romantic suspense, she is now also writing cozy mysteries as Deb Ries.
Chey grew up on a ranch in southeastern Arizona and delights in creating stories of suspense, love, and redemption with characters and worlds her readers can get lost in. Chey and her equally geeky husband live with their two dogs, several ducks (the neighborhood celebrities), and a small flock of chickens in a small Arizona town where she enjoys gardening, crazy quilting and, of course, writing.
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Find out more about Chey, how to contact her, and her books at https://cheyennemccray.com.
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