by Cara Carnes
“FUBAR op?”
“Yeah, we schedule a mission last minute, gather the team, and go wheels up to the shittiest rat hole we can organize and throw them into the viper’s nest. It’s how Sanderson earned a team leader position. I was thinking we’d run Graves through a gauntlet. Putting Wells on the crew would accomplish two purposes.” Dylan grinned at the thought. The bastard Fallon Graves was good, almost too damn good to believe.
Though the jealous monster inside him that’d been born because of Hailey’s bullshit didn’t care for Fallon Graves and his close friendship with Mary, he grudgingly understood why she’d called him a ninja. The son of a bitch was perfect Arsenal material.
Addy chuckled. “Okay, I seriously hope you’re going to put me on the team, because I want a front row seat to watch how Graves handles Wells when he blows.”
“Done,” Marshall declared. “What about Joseph Dillinger?”
Heat crept up in Mary’s cheeks as her shoulders shrank inward and her entire body melted. The strong confident Edge vacated the room, and she morphed into Mary. But not the calm, collected one he’d enjoyed the past few weeks. This one was...scared.
“Talk to us,” Nolan ordered.
Dylan glanced around, noted his brothers guarded stances.
“He...” She wet her lips and caught Dylan’s gaze, as if summoning his strength would help drag the words out. Jesus. He should’ve sat closer. He’d wanted to give her space, not hover.
“He creeps me out,” she whispered. “I spotted him when we had the burger day a few days after I got out of the hospital ward. One of your men had a little girl with him.”
Dylan clenched his fist, not liking where this was heading. “Bobby. He’s in Warrior’s Path, which is where Joseph is. Bobby’s wife brought their six-year-old, Hannah, to visit for the weekend.”
“Right. Well, the way he was with her...it creeped me out.”
“In what way?” Marshall asked.
Mary tapped a few keys on the keyboard. “I know it was wrong, but we had Betty out and stretching her legs, so I wheeled her in and recorded. I meant to get Vi and Addy’s read on it, because I figured I was being too oversensitive. It happens sometimes. Then everything happened, and it sort of fell by the wayside.”
“Show us,” Jesse clipped. “I’m not having a perv on the compound.”
“His record came up clean,” Mary offered. “It’s probably just me overreacting.”
“Show us, sweetheart,” Dylan said.
Tension coiled in his muscles as the footage started on the overhead. At first it seemed innocent enough. Joseph squatted down and whispered with the little girl, who hid shyly behind her mom’s legs. As the scene progressed, the body language was off. The camera panned around, showing the wild-eyed gaze and lecherous grin on his face when he thought no one was looking.
But Mary saw.
Recorded.
Recognized it so early on she’d had the time to record the interaction. He feared she spotted Joseph’s odd behavior because of a more personal experience. Damn.
“I grew up with someone who hurt girls,” she admitted. “My half-brother, Ralph. I was too old for his tastes, but I recognized the look, the approach.”
Jesus.
“Anyway, so there’s no criminal record,” she said. “That’s why I flagged him. I can’t consider men like him good enough to be on an Arsenal team. I know he’s here with Warrior’s Path, but I saw he’d made the cut into consideration for Arsenal.”
“Not anymore,” Nolan growled. “He’s out.”
“Yeah, he’s out,” Dylan emphasized.
“I’ll escort him out tonight,” Marshall said. “Thank you for trusting us with that, Mary. It means a lot that you’d put yourself out there to keep our teams secure. I hope you know you can always share anything with us, no matter what. We won’t ever judge you. We will always hear you out.”
Mary nodded.
“She’s exhausted. We’re heading out for San Antonio in the morning, doing recon on the burner phone. Are we meeting about that, or can we strike out when we’re ready?” Dylan asked.
“It’s your op, you two decide,” Marshall rose. “Maintain regular contact. Take Graves and Sanderson.”
His brother didn’t add a final suggestion, but everyone recognized the silence for what it was. An opening, a shot to mend the fence he’d left damaged for a while. Four-man teams were required, minimum, for high risk recon.
“Your schedule free, Dallas? I could use your help,” Dylan commented as casually as he could manage when a whole field of cotton appeared in his throat.
Shock registered on his little brother’s face. “Sure, man. I’ll pack the gear tonight. You and Edge go ahead and get some rest.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime, brother. Anytime.” Dallas slapped him on the back.
Dylan’s heart thumped a bit harder when he noted the approval in Marshall’s and Nolan’s faces. Fuck yeah, that felt good. Mary’s soft smile surged blood southward.
“Vi can help with HERA’s field supplies. Fallon will want to know early enough to pack his own gear. No offense. He’s a bit...” Mary chewed her lower lip. “Protective of his toys.”
“Any good operative is,” Dallas commented. “I’ll give him a head’s up. Show him how we came up with our name.”
He flashed a mischievous grin and headed out of the room. Dylan shook his head and chuckled. Yeah, he could see tomorrow ending in a few explosions. Dallas had found an ordnance buddy. The Arsenal wouldn’t ever be the same.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mary made the rash decision to wait for Dylan outside his room. She wanted alone time with him, and if she was completely honest, she didn’t want to be in her room, alone with her thoughts. Then again, if she surfaced anywhere around her room, she’d get hauled up to the main house for whatever craziness was going on for “girl’s night.”
She was too tired. Sleep was all she craved.
No, she craved Dylan Mason.
As if summoned from her thoughts, he turned the corner. One of the Mason panty-melting grins flashed across his face. He closed the distance quickly, pinning her against the door to his room with one arm at each side of her.
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
“Maybe. I heard there’s a banging girl’s night up at the main house,” she retorted.
“I figured you’d be there.”
“I...” Ugh, just spit it out. Stupid, stupid, stupid. “I figured I’d crash here, if that’s okay.”
The floor had two hundred and twelve intersecting lines in the tiles outside Dylan’s door. She’d counted. Twice. A third time wouldn’t hurt. She averted her gaze and got to work. Dragons soared in her belly, spewing their fiery angst in a warm cascade of heat that fanned outward.
Dylan ran a thumb down her cheek and tilted her face up. “Why are you nervous, sweetheart?”
“I just stalked you. I waited outside your door so I could connive my way into your bed and sleep with you. A girl’s entitled to be nervous after doing that.”
He cupped her face and feathered a light kiss across her lips. Warmth drifted in her blood, flowed beneath her skin wherever he touched. A moan escaped her when he deepened the contact. She ran her fingers through his hair and followed his lead, drawing what she wanted from the kiss.
The door beeped open as he drew her flush against him with a firm hand at her lower back. He severed the kiss and glanced at the door, tension cording his body. He reached for his sidearm, but she grabbed his arm.
“I’m thinking we’re the intense entertainment of the girl’s night right about now.” She pointed at the small camera barely visible in the far corner. “HERA has access to everyone’s doors since their entry is secured via bioscanning and numerical interface.”
“You’re sexy when you whisper geek,” he replied. The husky voice slid through her like a shot of warm whiskey. “You want to head inside, or should I give them something good before we do?�
�
“Something good?” she asked, wetting her lips as a list of possibilities appeared in her kiss-hazy mind.
She yelped as he lifted her up and pinned her to the wall. Dylan’s mouth claimed hers, the kiss so deep and carnal it left nothing to the imagination. Both hands on her waist, he settled her down on the prominent bulge in his jeans. If she rubbed just right, it pushed against her achy center. They remained lip-locked, her legs around his waist and back against the wall a long while. The kiss turned gentle, teasing. She laughed when he groaned and settled his face near the crook of her neck.
“Jesus, you taste good.”
“You’re pretty tasty yourself,” she returned.
“For the record, this is a safe harbor for you, Mary. I don’t ever want to see you nervous and twitchy about being here, anywhere you know is mine. You’ll always be welcome, no matter what.” His turbulent gaze darkened. “I’ve got a lot I want to say, but I’m thinking they can hear every word.”
“Yeah,” she whispered, her toes curling in her sandals. “You should probably put me down. I’m heavy.”
“You talk like that about yourself again, and I’m going to haul that sexy ass across my lap and spank you,” he threatened.
Anticipation quickened her pulse as a shiver rippled through her. She wet her lips and studied him a moment. Was he serious?
“Fuck,” he mumbled. “When this mess is over, we’ll have a chat about that. I’m thinking you like to play.”
“I haven’t ever...” She placed a hand on his shoulder and squirmed against him. “I’d be okay with a little play. With you.”
“Then we’ll talk about it when we’ve gotten far enough into whatever this is between you and me where I think we’re ready. Okay?”
“Whatever this is between you and me?” she repeated.
“Yeah. I know neither of us were thinking we wanted something right now, but I’ve gotta admit you’ve crawled under my skin. You aren’t shaking me loose easily.”
“They just heard you,” Mary stage whispered. Shock resonated in her, like a flash bang in a really small room.
What the hell was Dylan Mason saying? And why?
“Why?” she demanded.
“I’m okay with your girls hearing my intentions ’cause they’ve got your back. But the why’s going to wait until you’re rested up enough for us to explore the why in detail. Repeatedly.” The gleam in his gaze darkened. He stroked her cheek. “You’re exhausted. All I want tonight is you in my arms, sleeping. We’ve got a mission in the pipe tomorrow. I want you well rested and ready.”
“Can I sleep in your shirt again?” she whispered softly in his ear. “I liked pretending I was one of those girls, the ones who got to wear her man’s clothes.”
“I like that,” he admitted. “We aren’t ready yet, but I like where your mind goes.”
“I can’t believe that just came out.” Heat rose in her face as she laughed. “God, I can’t think around you, Dylan Mason. You turn my brain into gray goo.”
“I’m thinking that’s the lack of sleep.” He kissed her lips and gently slid her down the wall. “Come on, let’s get you toothbrushed and changed into my shirt. Tomorrow night, you’re mine, sweetheart. If we get back from SA soon enough, I’m taking you out, then we’re picking up this show and tell, without the show. You okay with that?”
Yeah, yeah she totally was.
He led her into the room and sealed them in, away from the no doubt entertained, drunken mass of BFFs in the main house. She got first run in the bathroom and made quick work of changing into the shirt and shorts from last night. She admired her well-kissed lips a while in the mirror, then realized in horror she kind of resembled the troll again. She really should find a beauty parlor, somewhere to tame the mass of hair that just sort of sprung out of her head like wild roots nesting in pig shit.
Toothbrushed and with finger-tamed hair, she settled into her side of the bed and waited in the silence as Dylan took his turn. The domestic, routine actions made her pulse quicken as she recalled his words from the hallway. He didn’t think they were ready for the whole he was her man thing. Yeah, they hadn’t known each other long and they hadn’t even done it yet.
Ugh. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
She’d shot her mouth off way too early.
The bed shifted with his weight as he settled in behind her. Awareness beaded along her skin as he drew her into his warm, firm embrace. “You comfortable?”
“Yeah,” she admitted. More than she’d ever been.
“You’ve had a rough day,” he whispered in her ear. “What you did in there, for Jesse.”
She swallowed the emotion lodged in her throat. “He needed to hear it’d help.”
“Yeah, he needed to hear it’d help,” he repeated. “He’s been drowning a while. He’s talked with us some, but not enough. He disarmed you with the question. He shot center mass in a room with everyone listening. I’m sorry. That’s Jesse.”
“It’s okay.”
“No. It isn’t. He didn’t think about how invasive the answer would get or he wouldn’t have gone there, not with your girls right there. With six siblings, we checked our privacy at the door at birth. Family’s close. We forget not everyone’s like that.”
“It’s okay, Dylan. I’m glad he asked. I hope my answer helped. I couldn’t lie. It wasn’t easy.”
“He knew you’d shoot straight.” Dylan’s voice softened against her neck. “Whenever you need to talk, I’m here. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.” She squeezed his arm. “Thank you.”
“Did he hurt you? Your stepbrother?”
“No. He tried a couple times, but I wasn’t his type.”
“He still in your life? Your parents, are they?”
“No. I testified against him a few days before I left for MIT. My parents never forgave me. I haven’t spoken to them since, but I was okay with a clean break. It helped me focus on what mattered. My education. My job.”
“I’m sorry they made you feel like you didn’t matter, because you do. I’m not going to rest easy until I’ve made sure you know.” Dylan kissed her throat. “Get some rest. We’ll start getting some answers in the morning. We’re closing in.”
THE CELL PHONE BUZZED, rattling its way across the dashboard of the truck as it growled its way into San Antonio. Dylan glanced at the console and stifled the curse in his throat. She’d woken up earlier than he expected. He glared over at Dallas, who chuckled.
Sanderson and Graves even chuckled from the backseat. Traffic on Interstate 35 was too thick as they headed toward the uglier part of downtown San Antonio, the area tourists rarely saw. He glared at his brother and flicked the button on the steering wheel. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Don’t hey sweetheart me. Where the hell are you?”
“We’re almost there, ETA five minutes. We’ll phone in when we’re situated so you can run point.”
“I’m thinking you forgot something when you headed out this morning,” she whispered, calm overriding the anger punctuating her words.
“I’m thinking I didn’t. Give me this play, Mary. I need you safe.” He looked out at the thickening traffic. “Leave the field to me. I’d rather you be there where you can do the most good.”
“That’s a bullshit excuse, Dylan.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting now, Edge.” He used the nickname to remind her they weren’t alone and what was in play mattered more than the anger in her voice. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
“Oh, we’re going to talk all right.”
Graves laughed.
“This isn’t funny, Fallon,” she spat angrily through the line. “Keep him breathing, or I’ll take it out on you.”
“I’ve got his six, Edge. We all do. Leave your man be. It was the right call, and you damn well know it. You’ve said so yourself a hundred times. You’re shit in the field. He’s not blunt enough to say it, likely cause you taste as sweet as I suspect, but you’re a liabil
ity outside operations.”
Dylan growled and glared at the man through the rearview mirror. He didn’t need to be thinking about how sweet Mary tasted. But he’d called him her man, so that settled the need to kick the bastard’s ass. For now.
“You’ll be back for dinner tonight, right?” Her voice was soft, sweet. Shy.
“Yeah, sweetheart, we’re still on for tonight. I’ll talk to you soon. Traffic’s thick, so it’ll take us longer to arrive at the site than I expected.”
“I know, I see you. A semi’s overturned two miles up. If you take the next exit, you can bypass and go down Commerce. Do you want me to send an alternate route?” she asked.
He glanced at the alternate route he’d already programmed in and grinned. “Yeah, that’d be good. Talk to you soon.”
“Okay, Dylan.”
He clicked off and waited for whichever fucker in the truck was brave enough to give him shit. The fear in her voice damn near gutted him. He’d crawled in deep enough with her to bring out the woman she buried beneath her persona, Edge. Graves was right. She would’ve been a liability, but only because he’d do anything to keep her safe, including leave the other team members to their own devices if she needed him at her side. If she were more trained, more confident in the field, he’d have no issues working alongside her.
He’d talk with Addy, find out what training Mary went through at Hive. Maybe she could work with her. He’d do the same. He’d hated crawling out of their bed and leaving her behind, especially since he knew it was important to her to be there today.
He’d steered clear of relationships in the past because the lifestyle didn’t lend itself to quiet evenings alone and romantic shit. But Mary was in the lifestyle, maybe more so than him. If he wanted whatever the hell they felt for one another, he’d have to define boundaries for them both.
He’d made a judgment call about her coming along, one she clearly didn’t agree with. As he turned the vehicle into a parking garage a few blocks south of their target, he accepted the fallout he’d suffer when he got back. For now, he remained focused on the mission. If Martin Driggs was here and remotely extractable, he was going to make it happen today.
