“Shit, I can’t even think about Bas right now. He’s just going to have to accept it. Peyton is mine. He might not like it, but shit.”
“Yeah, I get you. But remember, it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Bas is all brooding and quiet until that hair trigger snaps, then he goes all bearzilla. I wouldn’t want to be you, man. So, what’s the plan? Are you going to bring her back to base or are you going to stay on her mountain with her little doggies?”
“Dude,” Wyatt laughed, “she doesn’t have little doggies. The one that met me in the driveway was about one hundred fifty pounds of pure muscle.”
“Shit, what kind of dogs does she train, Great Danes?”
“No, dude, that one was a pit, through and through.”
“She trains pit bulls for service dogs? Dude, they have a terrible reputation.”
“You know, I never even asked her about her dogs, so I’m not really sure. But I could have sworn that dog was waiting for me to make the wrong move,” Wyatt laughed. “Shit, his name was Zeus. Can you believe it? Her assistant said two others were roaming the property, but I never saw them. My bear sensed them, but I never caught sight of either of them. My girl has talent.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Cash laughed. “I can’t wait to get her to the base, so I can check out the dogs for myself. I’ve always wanted a dog, but we have been gone so much it wouldn’t be fair to the dog. Dude, are you calmed down enough to wait for the call now? We really can’t do anything, but I promise you, if your girl is in danger, I’ll find a way out of here.”
“I know you will, Cash. And yeah, I’ll wait, but it’s fucking killing me. I just want to know she is okay. I just found her.”
“I get it, man, I really do. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss Jessie and wish I could have done something.”
“Sorry, man, I didn’t understand before, but now, I have no idea how you make it one day to the next. If something happened to Peyton, I don’t know if I would want to go on without her. I just met her, but shit, the bond is so ingrained, I already can imagine what it’s going to be like after spending years together.”
“It’s the most amazing and yet terrifying thing you’ll ever experience, man. Cherish it and her.”
“Always.”
Chapter 17
Pulling into the garage he surprisingly had a remote for, Declan told Peyton to wait until he checked out the place. He came back a few minutes later and told her it was all clear.
“Honey, why don’t you get all your gear up and running. There’s a secure satellite phone in the office. Give Wyatt a call and let him know you’re okay. If I know the man, which I do, he’s already trying to get you.”
Peyton called Wyatt. At first, he was pissed and stressed, but after explaining what happened, he seemed to calm down with her promise to call once she got everything up and running. Once Peyton had her new computer set up, her grumbling stomach made her set out in search of food. She should have known Declan would have it covered.
“Hey, honey, I hope canned soup and tuna fish sandwiches are okay. I didn’t have much to choose from.”
“Thanks, Declan, for everything. I couldn’t have done any of this without your help. Soup and sandwiches happen to be one of my favorite meals.”
“That’s good to know; it’s my specialty. Ryleigh was practically raised on them,” he laughed. “The poor girl didn’t know what to do the first time I took her to a fancy restaurant. She asked me why they didn’t offer tuna or grilled cheese. It took me a good twenty minutes to convince her it was okay to try something else. Don’t ever tell the guys, but I bought my first cookbook on the way home. When this is over and we get back to Alpha base, I’ll kick Cash out of the kitchen and really give you a treat. I happen to make the best tuna casserole around,” he laughed.
“I don’t know,” Peyton teased, “I’m starting to see a pattern—tuna sandwiches and tuna casserole.”
“Hey, you have to stick with what you know, even if you're trying to feed a little girl a nutritious meal,” he laughed. “Okay, back to business. Honey, you need to know none of us blame you for not knowing Judy had you tracked. We all know better and should have checked, the mistake was ours. You’re one of our best chances at figuring out Davis’ place in this mess. I have a confession though. I read your file, and I have to ask, how the hell did you get so good with computers when you’ve never even taken a class? You’ve passed clearance tests without any indication of your abilities with computers, only your dog training skills. Which I have to say are phenomenal, and I expect a puppy of my own now that we’re family. But how did you do it?”
“Well, it all started as a game. I spent a lot of time in libraries and loved to read about code and programming, practically anything I could get my hands on. Then I would use the libraries’ computers to test out what I’d learned. It was fun for me. Then, when I got older, a couple of the kids at the group home introduced me to more nefarious uses, and I took it a step further.
“I can’t really explain it, but there’s a switch in my brain. When something catches my attention, I have to learn more. But I’m also not stupid. I knew Judy would eventually catch up with me, and I didn’t ever want her to exploit the skill. That’s why I kept it to myself. A learned reaction, I guess. This must all sound weird to you.”
“Nope, I know a couple of other girls who have the same traits,” Declan confessed. “Okay, that explains the hacking, but what about the dogs? Your degrees are in animal science and zoology. Why not veterinary? I know there are some pretty good dog training schools out there.”
“I did actually study those subjects,” Peyton replied. “But again, I wanted to make sure anything I did couldn’t cause harm in some way. Becoming a veterinarian or even a tech would have given me access to drugs. Dog training schools would have given away what I wanted to do before I was ready, or more precisely before I had the contacts to keep Judy at bay. But to answer your real question, I’ve always had an affinity towards animals, specifically dogs.
“They’ve kept me safe more times than I can count. Judy liked to throw parties when her current mark or husband was out-of-town or working. She didn’t want a little kid around ruining her fun. Luckily, most places we stayed either had dogs or there were dogs in the neighborhood. It was easier for me, the dogs accepted me. I wasn’t the new kid or the weird kid to them. I was just me.
“I told Wyatt about one instance where the dogs I befriended saved me from a terrible situation, and I was determined to do the same for them. So, I breed or adopt pit bulls and mastiffs to train as service dogs.” Peyton laughed, “But I hate to tell you, Declan, you’ll have to go through one of my training classes to get a puppy, like everybody else, family or not.”
“Okay, I’ll do that if you let me slide on the two-year waiting period.”
“Sorry, I can’t, but I can go with you to choose a dog and help you train it yourself. I have to ask why would you need or want one of my dogs? You’re a dragon, your instincts and other skills negate the need for protection. I would also assume you have an excellent sense of smell.”
“Yeah, you’re right, but you have to remember, I have two mostly human daughters and a granddaughter who may turn into a bear. I would like to think that if I’m not there, they would be protected.”
“What about their mates?” Peyton questioned. “I mean, Declan, they’re bears, big bears. I’ve seen them, and they’re nothing to sneeze at. Not to mention, you’re all military trained. And shoot, I could go on and on.”
“You’re right,” Declan chuckled, “but dogs provide companionship and love, what other things can’t. I want McKenna and the rest of you to have the best possible protection, and I see no harm in adding another layer. An added bonus is, if you’re a little girl, you can confide and cuddle with that protection.”
“Ah, I see where you’re going, and I’ll be happy to help. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing after this mission is complete. Wyatt and I haven
’t honestly talked about it. I know I want to be with him. He mentioned something about going back to base with him. But wherever I land, you can count on me helping you find McKenna a dog.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t think you have to worry about where you’ll land. After this mission, I can virtually guarantee you’re going to end up at the Alpha Base. Will you be okay leaving your mountains?”
“Actually, I really wouldn’t mind the change. Even before I met Wyatt, I knew I was coming to a crossroads, so to speak. When I contacted Cathy to take over for me at the kennel, it felt right. She and I have been corresponding for a couple of years. She’s even been to three of my training courses and spent some of her leave with me when she was still in the military. I know she’ll continue the training program and be superb at it.”
“Your assistant was in the military? What branch?” Declan questioned.
“Navy. Her name is Cathy Torrent.”
“Shit, really? Cathy served under me for a while. She’s an excellent dog trainer and soldier. You really lucked out with her.”
“Wow, small world, but now that I think about it, she did mention a ‘Senior’ a couple of times. I can tell you, she had a high opinion of you as well.” Peyton yawned. Man, it had been a really long day. She still had a ton of work to do, but needed a nap.
“Honey, why don’t you get some shut eye. I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours, so you can start going through all the data we got today.”
“I would like to argue with you, Declan, but I’m afraid I couldn’t even focus on a screen right now.”
Going to a bedroom, Peyton’s intention was to get ready for bed. However, for the first time since leaving Wyatt, she let the emotions she had been holding back all day hit her hard, and she cried. Losing contact with the team, especially Wyatt, fearing she had put them all in danger, got to her. Getting chased down the snow-covered highway and then the suits almost catching up with her didn’t help, either. Most of all, seeing Judy on the corner, looking for her. It was all too much. Peyton wasn’t even going to think about all the other stuff right now.
She barely heard her phone ringing over her sobs. She debated for about a second on whether or not to answer it, but since the screen revealed it was Wyatt, she changed her mind. She needed the comfort and safety only he could provide her. Peyton didn’t even get a chance to say anything before Wyatt said, “What’s wrong, baby?” She tried to play it off with “nothing”, then “I’m just tired”, but Wyatt wasn’t having any of it.
“Baby, listen, I know this is all new to you, but I can feel you’re upset. Tell me what’s going on.”
That was all it took for Peyton to break all over again. She told Wyatt everything, from her fear of being wrong about the mission to her fears of the future. That she was missing her dogs, and most of all, him.
“Baby, listen, I can be there in six hours. Just say the word. I don’t like hearing you like this. I should’ve never agreed to this separation. We just mated, we need to be together. We can figure out another way to hack into Davis. They aren’t as important as you are.”
“No, Wyatt, we need to finish this. I just lost it for a bit. I’m so sorry.”
“You don’t have any reason to apologize, Peyton. Shit, baby, you’ve had had to deal with so much in such a short time, but I can put one of your worries to rest. When this mission is over, we’re going back to the Alpha base. I want you to live there with me, baby. You’re already my mate, but if you need a piece of paper to cement that, we can get married.”
Peyton started to cry all over again. She didn’t want to tell him no or let him down in any way, but marriage wasn’t something she could do. The lump in her throat grew.
“I don’t want to get married, Wyatt,” she managed to whisper. Before he could respond she quickly said the rest. “I don’t think I ever will. Judy used that institution for her own gain too many times to count. I watched as she married man after man, then walked away without another thought. Then there were her marks. She destroyed marriages and families with a simple bat of her eyelashes. I’m so sorry, Wyatt, I just can’t. It holds no meaning for me.”
Peyton was expecting him to be mad or maybe a little disappointed. Her denial was tearing a hole in her heart. She wanted to give him everything, but marriage couldn’t be one of those things.
“Oh, thank God.”
“What?”
“Baby, I don’t want to get married any more than you do. We are mated and fate blessed. That means more to me than any piece of paper or gold ring ever could. This is our life Peyton, and we make the choices. No one will ever determine our road that’s ours to decide. You get me?”
“Yeah, Wyatt, I think I totally get you. Thank you.”
“No need to thank me, baby. I hate to say it, but I’m disappointed in one way.”
“Yeah, why is that?”
“I like the idea of calling you Peyton Green.”
“I like the idea, too. Yeah, honey, I think that could happen. Thanks, Wyatt, I hope I can make you as happy as you’ve made me.”
“Okay, enough of the serious stuff. We need to do something fun to get your mind off of all this crap. So, what are you wearing right now, baby?”
“Huh, a t-shirt and underwear, why?”
“Honey,” Wyatt laughed, “that was supposed to be my sexy voice. Let’s try again. Baby, what are you wearing right now?”
“Oh, um, Wyatt, I think I know where you’re going with this, but really? Phone sex? Declan is in the other room. What if he heard? And sorry, babe, but I can pretty much guarantee, I won’t be any good at it.”
“Okay, how about we play a game then?”
“What, like I spy or something?”
“Not exactly. In this game, you have to do everything I tell you or ask you to do.”
“Oh, more like Simon Says. Wyatt, how would you know if I was really doing what you told me to?”
“I’d know, baby, because I trust you not to lie to me, and you would do it because you want to make me happy.”
Peyton was excited by the possibilities this game held. She really didn’t think she could get into phone sex, it was too cold, or so she thought.
“Okay, Wyatt, I’ll try. I don’t want to disappoint you, but it feels weird.”
“Honey, you could never disappoint me, and you don’t even know what I’m going to ask you to do yet. I think you’re letting your mind get away from you.”
“Maybe. Okay, Master Wyatt, I’m ready to obey your every wish,” Peyton giggled.
“Now, that’s more like it. Okay, first things first, I want you to go to the bathroom and change into your pajamas, wash your face, brush your teeth, and take care of any other business you might need to.”
Peyton was a bit disappointed. Her nightly routine wasn’t anything close to sexy, so she stomped her way to the attached bathroom, leaving her phone and Wyatt out in the bedroom. Some things no one else needed to hear. She decided to give the whole phone sex thing a try. She had already built it up in her mind, but she had agreed to do whatever Wyatt said. Maybe she could give him a little push though.
“Okay, Master, your willing slave has attended to her nightly preparations and is now able to serve and obey.”
“Nice, all right, I want you to walk over to the bed and climb in under the covers.”
Damn, she thought she would be bad at the whole phone sex thing, but Wyatt was even worse. Her excitement deflated. She did as Wyatt said and got into bed, fully dressed.
“Operation complete, Sir.”
“Okay, are you comfortable? Warm and cozy?”
“Not really, it’s better when you’re in bed with me. You know, it’s weird. I spent years without you in my bed, and now I can’t imagine going to bed without you by my side.”
“I know what you mean, baby, and we’ll be together again, really soon. Now, I want you to tell me all the delicious little things you do to that luscious body of yours when you think no one is watching. Just k
idding, baby, we can try the phone sex thing another time. How about I stay right here on the line until you fall fast asleep?”
“It’s not the same, but thanks, honey. I really needed you tonight.”
“No problem, baby, get some sleep. And, Peyton, I love you.”
“Love you too, Wyatt,” she said, and was out, so exhausted from everything which had happened that day. She fell asleep listening to Wyatt’s breaths in her ear. She really loved that man.
Chapter 18
Peyton was jolted out of one of the best erotic dreams she’d ever had in her life by something. It took her a couple of minutes laying in the dark to figure out what it was, but the sound of flesh hitting flesh was enough to get her moving. Grabbing her clothes and dressing quickly, Peyton tried to figure out what she should do next. She didn’t know if she should hide or go out to see what was going on. She didn’t have a weapon, and she’d learned her lesson with Wyatt back at her bunker. Going out to who knows what scared the crap out of her. Luckily, she didn’t have to make a choice because Declan came into the room a second later.
“Come on, honey, we’ve been compromised. We need to make tracks and quick.”
Stepping over the body in the hall, Peyton felt the bile gurgling up her throat. It was one of the suits who’d been with Judy. His head was laying at an odd angle, his eyes staring blankly. Yuck. Well, at least there wasn’t any blood. Yeah, she spoke too soon; the living room was a mess. She finally took stock and noticed Declan was bleeding.
“Shit, Declan, you’re hurt.”
“It’s okay, Peyton, only a scratch, nothing that won’t heal pretty quickly. I should’ve done this before, but honey, we need to run a scan. I thought we were good after the coffee shop, but they’ve been tracking our movements somehow.” Declan pulled out a wand-like device and scanned Peyton from head to toe, nothing.
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 79
