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businessmen, and looked around the place. One of them was taking pictures.
“Can I help you?” she asked the other who approached, smirking and eyeing her over. She sure hoped they weren’t looking for trouble.
“This is a great little place.”
She smiled softly.
“All the things here are homemade and baked fresh?” he asked as the other guy came over, taking pictures of her and the baked goods.
“Excuse me, why are you taking pictures?” she asked him, and the guy squinted, looked her over and then smiled.
“My wife is going to love seeing this place. She’ll be asking to come along on the next business trip this way with me.” He took a seat at the counter. That seemed to pull her fear down a notch.
“You’re not from around here?” she asked.
“No, up north but was doing business in Dallas when we heard about this place. There was a change on our flight, and they didn’t have another one until tomorrow.”
Then the other guy spoke. “The people we were doing business with mentioned hearing about this place and the town Repose so we decided to do a day trip and do some sightseeing. Glad we did,” he added, still looking at her, sort of being flirty, but then his eyes went to the desserts as his friend’s eyes looked at the menu.
“I think I’m going to try the mocha Matcha madness.” He then looked at the desserts.
“These all look so good. What do you recommend?” he asked.
“I bake everything fresh, so it’s really your personal reference as to what you like. The pies are the best selling items, along with the brownies.”
“I’ll take the same thing he’s having to drink and a piece of apple pie please,” the other one said, and then the first guy ordered the cherry pie.
She went about making their coffee drinks and then getting the pies as they asked her questions.
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“It’s so quiet around here. Where are all the people?” the guy with the camera asked.
“They’re all over the place, in little nooks and hidden spaces to read and relax in. You should take a stroll outside in the gardens.
There’s a bunch of places out there, and it’s so peaceful to just walk around in.”
“It’s a great concept. Very cool,” the other guy said but still stared at her.
She had this uneasy feeling in her gut as they drank and then asked her questions about working here, what days she had off, and what she did for fun to make sure she stayed in great shape cooking such high-calorie treats. Very strange indeed, but then they finished up, paid, and took some brownies to go.
As they left, she really felt like they were here for another reason, which got her thinking about her self-confidence, about training, and being more self-sufficient and capable.
She pulled out her cell phone and texted the men.
Any chance you all might be available tomorrow to take me to that shooting range to learn how to shoot?
What’s wrong? Panther asked.
Are you okay? Steve asked.
Who is there with you? Is someone bothering you? Mink asked.
I’m five minutes away. Channing should be in the back. I’m texting him now, and I’ll be there quickly. Eddie texted.
NO! I’m Fine. Oh my God I was just asking a question. No one is bothering me. Oh God!!
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She texted back quickly, her hands shaking. They were so damn serious and automatically assumed that someone was bothering her?
Seriously. Like if I was in danger, I would text you first and not call 911? she texted back quickly. She didn’t get a response, and then Mink texted.
I’ll take care of that tone tonight!
She swallowed hard, and her ass cheeks burned. She actually felt aroused and a little wet. From a text message? She was shaking and put the phone away and then slid her hands down her apron when suddenly the door opened, bell chiming, and there was Eddie. His eyes narrowed, he looked around the place, and headed right toward her. She placed her hands on the counter.
“Seriously?” she asked him.
He raised one eyebrow up at her. “Get over here and into these arms now, woman,” he ordered, and holy shit, she creamed herself.
She stared at him, and that expression, that seriousness, warned her to haul ass to him quickly. She was already up for one spanking from Mink, who thoroughly enjoyed that, and she didn’t need one from Eddie, too. She came around the counter, and before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around his mid section and hugged him tight. She inhaled his cologne and then exhaled as his big strong arms wrapped around her and squeezed her tight.
His hand slid down her back and then back up again before descending to where he really wanted it to go. Her ass. Sure enough he squeezed her ass and then gave it a smack. She pulled back.
“You have a way of being sassy over a text. We need to address that later,” he said to her. She ran her palms up his chest, and he smirked slightly.
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“I’m sorry. I was shocked at your responses. Everything is fine,”
she told him, not even wanting to mention the two strange men who came here and took pictures and asked questions.
“You’re our woman. We don’t like to leave you unprotected.”
“I’m fine here.”
He held her around the waist and then looked around the place.
“Then what’s this talk about guns and learning to shoot?”
“It was Steve’s idea initially, and then Panther suggested it, and well, it’s all your faults actually,” she teased.
“Oh really? Why is that?”
“I don’t know. I guess you make me feel more confident and capable.” She fixed the collar on his shirt. She smirked, making him look sexy but still intimidating with that neck tattoo.
“Now that’s a way to ease a man’s mind from worrying.
Something must have brought this on though.”
She looked away, and he cupped her cheek and jaw. “Start talking. I can tell you’re holding back.”
“How?” she asked, challenging him.
He squeezed her ass and then her hip.
“You don’t lie well or hold back what you’re feeling. It’s in your eyes.”
“Hmmm, I guess I need to work on that, too. Bet you can teach me things like that. You know, secret military abilities.”
He stared into her eyes and then nuzzled against her neck, still holding her chin and jaw in a very possessive manner that aroused her nipples and made her feel sexy and submissive. She had no problem feeling that way with her men. None at all. He suckled harder.
“I can teach you a bunch of things, but it will cost you.”
“Cost me?” she whispered, sounding breathless and sexy to her own ears.
“Yup, we’ll discuss it tonight.” He eased back. He slid his hands to her shoulders and looked down into her eyes.
“You smell edible.” He winked.
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“It’s the baking.”
“Oh no, it’s you and that sweet cream of yours that I can practically taste on my tongue just being this close.” Her face felt so flushed and heated. She was embarrassed and quickly looked around them to make sure no one was in earshot.
“Look at me.”
She did.
“You are my woman and my desire. My need for you grows stronger and stronger every day. I’ve never felt this close to anyone, to anything, like I do to you. You remember that. We’re all one now.
One unit, one family, one team.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Really?”
“Hell yes, and when one of us needs training, the others are there to help. You, sexy thing, will get that training you asked for at the gun range but will also get more training in bed tonight. I go
t plans for you.”
“Oh God, Eddie, this isn’t fair. Your experience, the way you talk, it makes me feel so needy.”
He stroked her jaw. “Good, now you know how it feels to me when you talk, when you run that tongue of yours over your lower lip to moisten it, and even the way you look right now with a dash of flour on your cheek, all flushed, nipples hard as pebbles, and I can’t bend you over the counter and fill you up with my cock.”
“Eddie,” she scolded and then hugged him tight. He ran his hands all over her and whispered into her ear.
“You’re mine, baby. Just a few more hours of work and then we’ll all be together.”
“Yes. I can’t wait.”
The door chimed, and more customers walked in. He pulled back and winked.
“All better now?” he asked, and she nodded like some stunned, horny mute.
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“Good. See you later at our place.” He kissed her then left the café, as she had to snap back out of fantasy world and slide right into reality. God, she loved him. She loved all of them, and it didn’t scare her. It made her feel invincible.
* * * *
Panther got a phone call right after Lauren arrived at their house.
He excused himself to leave the room.
“Sorry about that. Go ahead, Commander Fairchild.”
“Agent Focus is dead.”
“What?” Panther asked, feeling the pain hit his stomach.
“It was bad. He was tortured and then killed. It gets worse, and his people asked for your team to assist with this situation.”
“What situation and why us?” Panther asked.
“We have reason to believe that Sergeant Yovan and a team of four other soldiers are being held hostage by men working for Pachessa, perhaps Lambert himself.”
“Where?”
“Bolivia.”
“Bolivia? Holy shit. Do they think that Pachessa got to Chile? It isn’t that far,” Panther replied.
“No, it isn’t, which means he’s pretty fucking confident that he can’t be found and no one will be able to save Sergeant Yovan and his men,” Commander Fairchild said.
“How did they wind up there?”
“They had a lead from my understanding. The agents were in on the mission and sent them in. It was a setup to take Yovan out.”
“So that’s really why the government wants me and my team going in because it will entice Pachessa and Lambert to make a move and show their faces. They think they can kill us, too, going in there.”
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“You won’t be going in alone. You can take whomever you want.
Sergeant Yovan is a friend of yours and the team. You know him and his men and will make every effort to rescue them.”
Panther thought about it a moment.
“Who exactly gave the order, made the contact with Lambert and is running front line with this?” Panther asked.
“My boss in the government. Listen, if you don’t want to go, I understand. It’s a risky situation, and those soldiers got caught. They failed, and you don’t need to feel guilty if you say no.”
“You know that isn’t how we operate, Commander. I’ll need to talk to Spartan.”
“Of course, and he’ll fill you in on the details we have. I just felt compelled to tell you, especially hearing about what these men did to Sergeant Yovan’s woman.”
“His woman?” Panther asked, feeling instantly on guard and worried.
“They got to her first, raped her, beat her, sent Yovan pictures, and then killed her as they headed to Chile to rescue her and to kill Lambert.”
“Fuck.” He looked toward the doorway to where Lauren was with his team. They were putting her at risk. Could they already have put her at risk? He didn’t think so, but he wasn’t taking any chances. She would have protection when they left for this mission. They needed to eliminate these men and end all of this.
“I’ll talk to Spartan and my team. When can we arrange to leave?”
“As early as the morning, if that works, but I want you briefed on what we know before you take off on a rampage. You need to be smart about this, Panther.”
“I will be, and this will end in Chile. All of it.” He ended the call.
The sensations, the worry, the protectiveness for Lauren were building and building as he called Spartan. They discussed the situation and the potential that they were going into a setup but needed to go. Leave no man behind, leave no soldiers in the hands of
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enemies. After all, they’d done that before for Steve when command ordered them to stand down. If they’d listened, Steve wouldn’t be here right now, and neither would Lauren.
“Lauren is here now. We’ll call later on when she leaves. I want her taken care of, Spartan, in case things go wrong.”
“Don’t think that way. Besides, you need to officially claim her your woman. I haven’t got anything official from any of you.”
“We want guardianship of her. You have our acceptance of that, and she will give you hers tomorrow. This is not going to be easy.
The risks are high, but if anything goes wrong, I need peace of mind to know that she will be taken care of.”
“I promise, but you will be coming back. All of you. You are all superior at what you do. You’re members of Sons of Justice for good reason. Remember that, and call me as soon as you can. They’ll expect you at the airport by five a.m.”
Panther ended the call and closed his eyes a moment. His mind was already planning, thinking, coordinating, and in between those thoughts was Lauren, her asking about shooting a gun and getting training. He was high string, worried, and angry that friends, soldiers were being tortured and held prisoner and that Yovan’s girlfriend was assaulted, raped, and then killed.
He headed out of the room and saw Lauren standing there looking at the gun on the counter. It was empty, he knew, and she stared at it as his brothers tried to calm her and see that she needed to just start with holding it. She needed to learn how to use it, shoot it, and be more confident in case anyone tried to hurt her when they were gone and she was unprotected by them.
The flared skirt hit her mid thighs, and the black sweater hugged her body and landed right at her trim waist. When she lifted her arm and hand to run fingers through her hair, he saw her skin. She was feminine, delicate, and she wouldn’t survive against men like Pachessa and Lambert assaulting her.
He didn’t think. He reacted out of fear.
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He stormed into the room. “Grab the gun. Just pick it up and hold it.”
His brothers squinted, and he focused on Lauren.
“Panther?” she questioned, and he shook his head. “No. You listen, and you do it now. Pick it up.”
“Panther, what’s going on? What’s wrong?” Mink asked him.
Panther moved in behind her and kept one arm wrapped snug around her narrow waist. He instantly felt protective of her, of her femininity and size. She wouldn’t have a chance against any soldiers, any men like Pachessa and his shitty killers. He grabbed her hand and placed it on the gun.
“Panther,” she said, voice cracking.
“You do it. You hold it in your hand and you feel the power it has.
One bullet, one pull on the trigger, if it is ever necessary, and you pull it. You understand me?” he questioned, his mouth against her hair and ear, his breathing deep, hard against her, as well as the arm he kept snug around her waist. She was shaking, but she listened, and she picked it up, held it how his brothers must have demonstrated. “Point it toward the window, and you remember. Do. Not. Hesitate. If you lift and point that gun, you follow through or it could mean dying.”
He didn’t dare look at his brothers. At this point he knew they knew something was up.
She pointed, hand shaking.
“Steady,” he ordered th
rough clenched teeth. “Now pull the trigger.”
She did.
“Good. Now press the button on the left. That’s the safety. Then put it down,” He ordered, and she did it.
He caressed her hands and whispered into her ear. “On the count of three, you pick it up, hit the release on the lock, point, and shoot.”
“Panther?”
“One, two, three,” he said, ignoring her trying to stop him, and she did it. She did as he said.
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“Again. Do it again,” he demanded. And she did. She did it four more times.
“We go out to the range after we eat and you try live ammo. Now come here.” He took her hand and dragged her into the living room.
“Stand here,” he said, and she did. He looked at her. “What do you do if someone comes straight at ya?” he asked, his brothers gathered around them.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you—”
He charged her, grabbed her, and had her down on the ground, his hand over her throat. Tears filled her eyes, and it bothered him, but he was so scared. So worried about her he had to train her with whatever he could. He needed to get control here. He lifted up, yanked her back up, and placed her into positon.
“When I come at you this time, you counter my move. Either with a strike to my neck or a knee to my crotch. You do something other than stand there and be defeated and weak,” he said, raising his voice.
“Panther?” Steve said.
“No!” he yelled and pointed for Steve to remain where he was.
“She will obey the orders, learn something, some way of defending herself.” He then turned to look at her and saw fear.
He went at her again, and she moved her arm, but he once again had her on the ground, and he slammed his hand down hard. “Focus, goddamn it. Focus!” he yelled at her.
“Panther, you’re scaring her. What the hell is going on?” Eddie now asked. He glared at them, and they immediately knew he was in commander mode.
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