Final Strike

by Jana Leigh

  He picked up the phone and called the FBI’s main office in California.

  Chapter Nine

  Thane looked over to where Mel and Dario were pouring over the documents on a laptop, it had been three days since they came in, and Thane knew they were going to have to talk soon, the tension was getting too thick. They sat closely together, and he felt a tingle of awareness as he watched them. Damn his friends and their relationships. Now all he could think of was what it would be like to have Mel between him and his friend.

  Dario and Thane both danced around their attraction to Mel, it was becoming an elephant in the middle of the room. He met his friend’s eyes and nodded to him. They were going to have to do something soon. Alex, Mason, Jessie, Drake, and Gage had noticed the interaction and pulled Thane aside one night. That had been an uncomfortable conversation, especially when Harper and Joel had come in to throw their two cents in.

  “Hoss,” Harper had said. “Pull your head out real fast or you are gonna fuck this up.”

  “I don’t know if I am ready,” Thane had admitted to his team.

  Alex cleared his throat. “Thane, none of us were. But life goes on around us, if we ignore it, we are the ones who are missing out.”

  “Yeah,” Drake agreed. “We know how you feel, but you are not responsible for us. Just you.”

  “Right now, you are hiding behind us,” Jessie laughed. “The longer you stay there, the more you are losing.”

  Thane had agreed with them but admitted that it was still hard. Harper was the one who worked on him day and night, pushing him to jump to one side or the other.

  Today Thane had made the decision. He was going to approach Dario with what he wanted. He looked around the room, caught Harper’s eye, and winked. She grinned and gave him the thumbs up.

  The rest of the team looked up one by one and nodded to him and then went back to doing what they had been—pouring over documents and trying to get something concrete they could go take to the higher ups and show who was responsible. The Commander informed them of a meeting set to take place next week. It was a political luncheon that Dario’s mother was attending, it would be the perfect place to actually get her into custody. Since the soil the embassy was on was sovereign, they couldn’t go there and arrest her. Contacting her country was a slow process, but it had been started. So far, the embassy had been shut down for lack of a better word. The guys were taking turns doing surveillance. No one was sure where Diego was, the last documentation they could find was he had chartered a plane out of the US, but it never left the airport. He was here somewhere, they just didn’t know where.

  Everyone was on edge, they just wanted this over with, and Thane was doing what he could to keep people calm. The only good part of this was that Harper had asked if he would be interested in helping in her new company. She wanted him to have a lead role in training. Thane jumped at the chance to stay in the arena of protection, if he was still alive when all of this was over. Of course, the training facility was going to be in Healing, Wyoming, which made them all once again want to get back to their lives. Thane looked at Dario, he had already spoken to Harper about him, she had agreed that he would make a good addition to the company as well. He hoped they would get a chance to talk today, Thane wanted things to be planned.

  “I need food,” Thane heard Mel whisper.

  “Let’s break,” Thane called and looked at Mel who was blushing.

  “Sorry, guys,” Mel laughed and stood. “My brain and my stomach are on different schedules.”

  Thane led Mel and Dario to the dining area, the cook had been setting up buffets that were out all day long, none of them ate at the same time, and it was the only way to ensure that none of the guys actually went into her kitchen. The last time Jessie and Joel were hungry, the cook had chased them with a wet towel when she discovered the burning pan in the oven.

  “I need to figure out how to get a cook,” Mel laughed. “This is amazing.”

  “Don’t you cook?” Thane asked innocently. “Wait, there was that trip to the ER.”

  “Oh, shut up, I just never got the hang of cooking,” Mel laughed.

  “It is a good thing McD’s was around the corner from your place,” Thane teased.

  Mel looked sad and she said, “Yeah, that’s why Sam wanted to live there.”

  “Where is your new place?” Thane asked.

  Mel looked at Thane and then Dario who both looked at her intently. Finally, she sighed, “I don’t have one. I packed up everything and put it in storage. One night when I came home and saw two men in Sam’s place, it freaked me out. I have just been staying at different places for the last few months. Besides, when I started to find out some information, I didn’t want to take it home, it didn’t feel safe.”

  Dario shook his head, “Oh, honey, I’m sorry about all this. You don’t deserve to be thrown into this mess.”

  Mel shrugged. “I threw myself in, I mean, it started out just me wanting to know what really happened to Sam. I looked at the reports and saw your name, a position opened up at the embassy and I figured it would be the best way to meet you. But when I saw you, I didn’t know what to say, then the other stuff began to show up, and everything kinda got messed up.”

  Thane looked at Dario, they were going to have to have a serious discussion and soon. Both of the men knew they wanted her. Thane wasn’t sure how this was going to all end up, but if he couldn’t have her, he wanted Dario to take care of her. They needed to be on the same page where that was concerned.

  “What are you going to do when this is all done, have you thought about that?” Dario asked.

  “No,” Mel said looking surprised. “This is not done yet. And I pretty much sealed my fate by stealing confidential documents from an embassy. I am pretty sure I lost my reference with that stunt.”

  Thane chuckled, “Well I am sure when everything is done you will be a hero.”

  Mel shook her head, “No, I am done with this whole world. I think maybe I will look at something new. Something less dangerous.”

  Dario nodded and said, “I was thinking the same thing myself.”

  Thane sat quietly, not wanting to hope or push them in any direction. “You know, Harper was saying she needed a few more people in her company.”

  Dario laughed and said, “Yeah, I found a post-it note telling me to find her.”

  “Oh, me too, I figured it was because she wanted to finally get that beer we talked about,” Mel laughed.

  “Just keep an open mind,” Thane said and Mel looked at him seriously.

  “About?” Mel whispered.

  “Everything,” Thane said and leaned back.

  Dario and Mel looked at him seriously and then nodded. The sexual tension was growing between them, shit, he may not have a chance to talk to Dario about this in private. The way Mel was looking at them, she had the idea herself.

  They finished eating and Thane led them back to the room where everyone was working. Before entering, he stopped, “Uh would you like to have dinner tonight…with me…I mean us.”

  Mel looked confused. “We have been eating together, like every meal.”

  Thane paused and Dario stepped in and looked at his friend in the eye. “No, I think he means like in private.”

  “Thank you,” Thane laughed. “Yeah, uh, I would like to talk about a few things, you know, about the future.”

  “Oh,” Mel said and looked between the two men. She had known this was coming. She was going to have to choose between them. Damn it, she wished things were different.

  “If you don’t want to that is fine,” Thane said quickly, trying to give her an out.

  Mel shook her head and smiled sadly. “No, I will come.”

  They went back to work, but this time, Mel felt every time they stared at her. When Thane and Dario excused themselves and went out to the hallway, claiming to be going and getting a drink for her, she let out a sigh. How was she supposed to concentrate?

  “Shit, sorry, we
need to talk,” Thane said. He could feel the tension in the room. It took everything he had not to cross the room, grab Mel, and make a run for his bedroom.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Dario said, running a hand through his hair.

  “We both want her,” Thane stated and his friend looked at him and nodded. “Then we need to work together to get her.”

  Dario smiled and then nodded. “I was hoping you would say that. I have seen your friends, and I was wondering if you would entertain the idea. Can I ask though, why me?”

  Thane continued to walk down the hallway until they reached the kitchen. “There is no other man I would trust. Part of being in a menage is knowing that your friend and partner in the relationship has as much invested in it as you do. So if something happens to me, I know Melanie will always have you. And you will always be there for her.”

  Dario was silent and he mulled over what Thane had said. He nodded and looked at Thane in the eyes, “I already love her.”

  “Me too,” Thane sighed and then looked at Dario and smiled. “We have a lot to talk about.”

  “Yeah, I guess we do,” Dario laughed and they walked back to the room where Mel sat looking at the computer intently by herself. Both men stared at her for a minute, and then Dario laughed, “We are so fucked.”

  “That we are, my friend. That we are.” Thane sighed and walked into the room.

  They spent the rest of the day going through files and putting things in order. The pieces were falling together, but there was still a huge hole in the information they had. No one knew why Team TEN was the focus, it was like four years ago a target was painted on their back, and they had no idea why.

  All of the missions in question had something to do with either drugs or guns. But none of them pointed back to one person or group. It was as if a ghost was in charge of all of this.

  Chapter Ten

  Thane looked around the room he had been in since they came to San Diego two weeks ago. He was actually worried about what it looked like. He felt like a teenager for a minute, young and unsure of himself as he looked in the mirror. Damn, he should have gotten a haircut.

  Dario walked into the room holding the flowers they ordered and grinned. “This is the best I could do on a few hours notice. They only had two dozen.”

  Thane shook his head. They wanted vases of roses on every available space, but the florist had a wedding so they only were able to get two vases. It would have to do. Thane had already set out the candles and made sure the sheets were clean. Of course, that was a dream, but they thought big.

  “Dinner?” Dario said.

  “Her favorite,” Thane laughed.

  “Which is?” Dario asked.

  “Crab tacos with mango salsa,” Thane said and shook his head. “The only place that makes them correctly, she claims, is on the waterfront. The cook called and begged the recipe. Cost us a season ticket for the owner’s favorite team, the Denver Broncos, but it was worth it.”

  Dario laughed and said, “She is gonna be worth it.”

  Thane looked at his friend, they had spent hours that afternoon when they couldn’t work, talking about how they felt and what they would do if she said yes. Both men agreed that jealousy would not be a problem. So they planned and Thane even spoke to Alex about building his own house.

  He was the only one who hadn’t claimed a part of the land as his own, but Alex had laughed and showed him what the team had already set aside for him. It was a prime spot that sat on a hill. His house would look over the others’ homes in all directions. They all thought it was appropriate that he live there. Plus, it was on the same road they were building Harper’s new facility. It would be perfect since the three of them were being offered jobs there.

  They had also spoken about how to make it happen. Dario would need to apply for citizenship. Thane had also spoken about what they would do if something happened in the next few days. Dario had been pissed but Thane insisted on speaking about it. It was as if they hadn’t been separated for the last year. Their friendship picked up right where it had been.

  “We have a little time,” Dario laughed when Thane walked to the door and opened it slightly.

  “I know, but I don’t want to miss her,” Thane said.

  “How can you, she is right next door,” Dario laughed.

  Mel considered trying to make a run for it. She didn’t want to choose between them, but seriously, she couldn’t see Dario and Thane sharing like the others. They were both leaders, both alpha men, and they didn’t share. At least she didn’t think so, what if they did?

  She moaned when she felt herself getting wet. Just the thought of having the two of those men together naked was enough to set her hormones on high. Shit, she thought and then looked down at what she was wearing. Sweats, it was all she had, and they weren’t even pretty like Harper’s black and pink ones, damn it, hers was just black with a navy emblem on them. Oh wait, she thought and went to the closet, Harper said she left a little something for her to wear.

  Fuck a duck, she thought as she stared into the closet, did she dare? Mel grinned and laughed, Oh hell yeah, she did. Maybe she could salvage this after all. If she wore this, maybe they wouldn’t make her choose. Forget it, with this outfit, she was going to let them know she was refusing to choose.

  Dario heard the click of the door and looked up. Shit! He let his eyes wander her body. Where had she gotten that? he wondered and felt his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth.

  Thane walked in from the alcove and dropped the bucket he had been carrying full of ice. “Shit,” Thane whispered and Mel laughed.

  She was wearing a long red silky nightgown. She looked like a goddess, both men thought. As she walked, the thin material moved over her frame and both men lost the use of their voice. Dario’s eyes went to her breasts and he licked his lips. The material moved across her nipples making them peek and almost inviting him to touch them.

  Thane stared at the slit running up both sides of the nightie. With every step, he could see the lean and sexy leg as it moved. He wanted nothing more than to run his tongue up the length of her leg to see what treasures he could find.

  “Hey, guys,” Mel said huskily. “How are we doing?”

  “Do you know what you are doing, sweetheart?” Thane said, his voice thick with desire.

  “Please say yes,” Dario muttered, his eyes moving up to hers.

  “What am I doing?” she asked, tilting her head so her hair fell around her shoulder seductively.

  “Honey, you are sending a definite signal,” Thane said hopefully.

  “I will not choose is the only signal you need to hear,” Mel said softly.

  “Wait…what?” Dario said, snapping his eyes to Thane.

  “Sweetheart, no one was going to make you choose,” Thane said.

  Mel shifted her gaze between the two men and smiled. “Oh…”

  “Why don’t we sit down and talk a bit,” Thane said and shifted uncomfortably. His cock was so hard right now, if they didn’t sit, he was going to throw her on the bed and talking be damned.

  Dario finally snapped out of it and led Mel to the table they had set. Once she was settled, Dario looked at Thane, they took their chairs on either side of her.

  Thane lifted the cover on her plate and smiled when she moaned, “My favorite.”

  “The cook got the recipe,” Thane said softly.

  Mel looked at him in surprise, then she looked around the room. It was the first time she had actually stopped and paid attention. Flowers, candles, her favorite food, shit, they were seducing her. “Uh…”

  “Eat first,” Dario said firmly. “Talk later.”

  She nodded slowly and then tried to focus on the meal. If anyone asked her what they talked about, Mel couldn’t have told them. They did talk though, because Mel could hear herself respond to whatever they were saying, she just didn’t know what they were talking about. When she finished her meal, Mel put her napkin on her plate and looked at both of t
he men who were staring silently at her.

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “Now what?”

  “Melanie, it is up to you. Dario and I have talked, we know what we want,” Thane said.

  “Which is?” Mel asked.

  “You,” Dario said.

  “Both of you?” Mel asked silently, praying the answer was yes.

  They nodded and Mel smiled at them. “I gotta tell you, Thane. I was a little worried there. I didn’t want to have to choose between you.”

  Thane stood and held out a hand. “Since we have been together it has felt right. I can’t argue with fate. And to be honest, I am sick of trying.”

  Mel laughed and put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up into his arms. “So where is this headed? Because I am not a one night stand kinda girl.”

  Thane smiled. “Sweetheart, you should know better than that.”

  “I guess this would be a good time to tell you that well…I’m a virgin,” Mel said and both men groaned.

  “Thank you,” Dario said and put a hand to her cheek.

  “For what?” she asked as both men took a side of her. Thane leaned down and kissed her shoulder and Dario took her hand and kissed her palm.

  “For being you,” Dario said and she sighed.

  “You are giving us a gift and, darlin’, I gotta say it is humbling. Trust in we will take care of you,” Thane said huskily.

  Dario turned her head and took her mouth with his and she melted. Thane continued to kiss her neck, running his hands up and down her arm, and then he moved to her stomach, and she sucked in a breath. His touch was soft and gentle. Smoothing the silky material down and then running his hand up and cupped her breast.

  She opened her mouth to Dario, and the passion between them erupted and it almost brought her to her knees. It was so right, being between them, so perfect.

  Dario pulled back and they each took one of the flimsy straps off her and pushed them over her shoulders. The gown pooled at her feet and both men groaned with appreciation. She had never felt so alive and sexy.