Just then, Nate’s phone chimed. It was the second text he’d received from Callie.
“What’s up?”
“She has a couple leads. We need to meet her at the base,” Nate stated.
“Oh, so she doesn’t need a ride?”
Nate saw the perfect opportunity to bust his friend and brother-in-law. “I’m sure there were plenty of men willing to give her a ride. You know how Marines are.”
Quinn glared at him. “Callie’s right. You’re a dick.”
That made Nate laugh.
There were days he most certainly was.
It came with the job.
* * * C a r t e r C h r o n i c l e s * * *
Luke watched her as she worked out. Before, Maura was doing pushups. Now she was using a tree limb to pull herself off the ground.
He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t sexy. Here was the woman he was wild about, and she was wearing a tank top, little shorts, and was barefoot in the grass.
It was hard not to stare.
Since finding out about the death of her friend and teammate, she’d pulled back from him. Yes, she spent a few minutes letting him comfort her, but the rest of the time Maura was dealing with the grief on her own.
Luke didn't like it at all.
There was nothing worse than being shut out of her thoughts. It was sheer hell.
What he wanted was for her to lean on him. It made him more valuable in her life. When this was all over, he knew she’d need to view him as a permanent fixture in her life in order to stay.
Or so he hoped that would happen.
As of right now, he was worried.
When she dropped down from the tree limb, he took that opportunity to finally approach. When he was in a bad mood, Nate would make him go to the gym. Lately, he must have been pretty damn cranky, since the gym had become his second home.
“Do you need to kick the shit out of something, honey?” he asked, leaning against the tree. There was a line of perspiration down the front of her tank top, and it glistened on her chest.
After two hours of silence, Maura finally managed to laugh. “Know anyone stupid enough to volunteer for that job?” she asked.
“Go ahead,” he offered.
“What? I wasn’t being serious, and you’re too smart to stand there and let me pound on you. Besides, I don’t want to hurt you.”
He would let her if it meant keeping her happy and safe. What wouldn’t he do for her?
“I mean it. Give it your best shot,” he said.
Maura started walking away. “I’m not going to…” She didn't get to finish, since she found herself falling face first toward the ground with Luke pressed against her.
Immediately, she rolled free, getting to her feet. “Are you insane? Did you just attack me?”
He was grinning wickedly. “I do believe I did. I may be stupid after all.”
Luke had to admit that he was impressed. As an agent, he was fairly fast on his feet, but Maura moved like a cat. Plus, the sweat made her slippery.
His thoughts continued to turn him right on.
“Lucas, knock it off. I don’t want to hurt you.”
OH, THE IRONY.
She was going to break his heart. It was a matter of time. What were a few bumps and bruises along the way?
“Come on,” he urged, swinging out.
She evaded him easily. “I think you’ve lost your mind. You just swung at a Marine.”
It didn't surprise him that she called herself that over a girl. His Maura wouldn’t see herself as a woman first. She was a warrior to the core.
Yeah, now he was wild with lust for her.
“You’re not even trying,” he added, grinning.
Maura watched him as he tried to circle her. If she was right, turning her back to him would mean being face planted once more. There was no doubt that this time he’d do it to prove a point. There would be no more warnings.
“No.”
“Oh, that’s right, you’re just a girl. You probably couldn’t beat me anyway,” he taunted, trying to get Maura to burn off some of the anger. If he could get her to wrestle away the pain, she’d be okay.
She stared at him in horror. “Seriously? Did you hit your head on your way out here? You know what I do for a living.”
He continued, since he had found her weakness. He would just go with the putdowns until she cracked.
It was a matter of time.
“Are you a Marine or a set of ovaries?”
There was no doubt that he pushed her past her breaking point. His words obviously hit a sore point in her life. Suddenly, there was the fast flash of anger at his words, followed by that second of cool calculation.
Maura moved toward him, anticipating his next move. When she swung out, he threw up his hand to block her. It was exactly what she wanted him to do.
Grabbing his wrist, she turned until he was behind her.
The next thing Luke knew, he was tumbling as he was easily flipped over her shoulder.
There was silence as he landed with a thud on the ground.
She stared down at him. “Come on, Fed. You threw down, so now you gotta back it up. Unless you’re a wuss, then that’s expected. You are only a government cop.”
He hopped back up and began circling her. He was pretty sure that she was going to do all the attacking, and that would work to his advantage. Between moves, she’d be thinking about it, and then he’d attack. When she swung her fist, aiming it right for his jaw, he ducked, only to be foot swept back to the ground.
“Wow, not bad for the two smallest glands in the human body, right? It looks like my ovaries are bigger than your balls. You just got served by a girl. How embarrassing for you!”
Luke gave her a second to gloat. When she moved closer, he reached out, grabbed her ankle to yank her off balance. Because Maura was smaller, he had the advantage. When she hit the ground, he rolled onto her, pinning his prey to the ground.
She was appalled that he got her trapped. Anything past that point would mean causing him bodily harm. She couldn’t hurt him beyond a sweaty match of hand to hand. “The game is over. It looks like we’re tied.”
Luke wasn’t having it. Staring down, her mouth called to him. To make sure she was trapped, he grabbed both of her wrists and lifted her arms above her head.
“Luke,” she warned, not sure what he was planning.
God, he wanted her in the worst way. Leaning down, his mouth sought out hers. There was a fiery battle of tongues as he plundered her mouth. Little licks of electricity shot through his body. Every time he touched her, it was like this.
Before her, Luke had never tasted anything so sweet. She was better than any delicious treat or dessert. Maura fulfilled all his wants and desires with just a single offering of her mouth.
He could get lost in her.
She squirmed beneath him, not to escape but to get her hands free. Maura longed to run them all over his body.
When he pulled his mouth away, she had his bottom lip between her teeth. It was so erotic that both of them moaned.
“I want you,” he murmured. “I need you every second of the day, honey.”
When his one hand held her wrist above her head, and the other traversed her body, Maura was having a difficult time thinking straight. At the gentle tugging of her shorts and panties from her body, Maura’s brain went haywire.
“I got you pinned, so I win the prize. You’re what I want right now. You’re what I need. Are there any objections?”
It touched her on some level that even wild with lust, he was still putting her desires first.
“No,” she whispered, focusing on his eyes and the need she saw there. Luke looked wild and hungry, and that called to her. She lifted her hips so that he could strip off her shorts.
When he tossed them aside, she glanced over, only to have his mouth leave bites across her shoulder and neck.
Oh shit!
She was going to burn up any second.
&nb
sp; Whenever this man’s hands touched her, she melted. It was like her brain was betraying her, offering him total control of her body.
When his mouth found hers again, he whispered so low, that she almost didn't hear him. “I’m going to take you,” he ordered.
It heated even more of her body, making the warmth pool in her belly when she heard the hiss of his zipper.
God! Yes!
She wanted to stop thinking and only feel. There was nothing more she wanted than Luke.
Before she could speak, he was buried in her body. With one powerful thrust, Luke took control of the situation, and the woman beneath him.
They both moaned.
Then the mating began.
Luke wanted to erase the hurt she was feeling and by making her feel, he hoped it would work.
“More?” he asked, repeatedly driving himself into her body.
“Don’t stop,” she begged.
He couldn’t if he tried.
As each punishing thrust of his body was met with her hips, they moved in perfect rhythm.
It was like they were made for each other.
To Luke, this was even more of a sign that all the aimless searching had come to the moment he was supposed to start living. The woman beneath him was his. All the years of searching and being alone were now over. He’d finally found his other half.
As Maura tightened around his body, gripping him as she tried to lure him to the edge, he could see the demons leaving her eyes.
The pain ebbed away.
The hurt dissipated.
All was gone but him.
She was focused on that moment and not the previous devastation that had been eating away at her heart and soul.
Mission accomplished.
Driving into her, he focused on her lips and the way they opened slightly, allowing a breathy little gasp to escape. He knew he couldn’t love anyone but her.
“Oh, Lucas!” she called, feeling her body shatter apart into so many pieces.
He wasn’t far behind as he tumbled into the bright colors behind her. In that moment, he would have given her sonnets, declared his love, or died for Maura.
Everything around them went silent.
Slowly, their breathing registered. Then the sounds around them ebbed back too.
“You’re dangerous,” she declared out of the blue. Her initial impressions had been right. This man had the power to undo her.
It made him laugh.
In all of this, she was the one who could make or break him. Luke already knew who ruled this relationship. His heart had strings and like the puppet master, Maura was the one who would lead the way.
Reluctantly, he moved off her body. Luke held out his hand and when Maura accepted it, he pulled her to her feet.
“Feel better?”
“That was an interesting technique to distract me,” she stated, watching him pull up his fly. The wicked grin on his face nearly staggered her.
What could he say?
She brought it out in him.
Apparently, he was transparent when it came to her. Here Luke believed that he was being tricky. “Yeah, sex helps relieve stress.”
“I’ll have to remember that when I’m at work,” she teased, pulling on her shorts. When he didn't say anything, Maura glanced up.
The look on his face said it all.
She was in trouble.
“Uh, I was kidding,” she declared, trying not to laugh at the look of horror he was sharing.
He moved, surprising her. Before she knew it, Maura was hanging upside down over his shoulder, her legs floundering as she fought to escape his grip.
“Lucas Mars! Put me down!”
With a smile, he chose to ignore her, even when she began dropping profanities all over the place. Oh, if she wanted to even hint that she’d have sex with some other man, Maura was in for a big surprise.
He wouldn’t tolerate it.
At the edge of the lake, she changed her tune.
“Don’t you dare do it!” Maura warned. “Don’t put me down! I’ve changed my mind!”
Navigating out to a semi deep part, he turned around and flipped her over his shoulder. When he felt the splash, he waited for her to come up for air.
Maura surfaced, sputtering. Her wet hair was plastered to her face, and she was no longer sweaty.
“You might want to remember that at work too.”
Before she could say anything, he dove in, pulling her under.
Maura was fairly certain she’d never think about anyone else but Lucas Mars. Already, she was falling in love.
And royally screwed all at the same time.
Chapter Eleven
Wednesday Evening
A fter arriving back on base, they found that the woman they wanted to interview had gone home for the night. Captain Bethany Harris didn't live on base, unlike her men, and their talk would have to wait until morning.
For now, they were out of luck.
Strolling toward the colonel’s office, they were intercepted by his personal assistant. Joe Hartford was still carrying the unpleasant look on his face, and obviously a grudge toward non-Marines.
“We already discussed this,” he stated, pointing at the guns on their hips. “You’re not allowed to be armed on our base. You're not military personnel.”
Quinn went with the obvious, pointing at the MP not far from where they stood. He was carrying a weapon. In fact, he was dressed like he was going into a warzone.
Overkill perhaps?
“Private Lewis is one of us and in military. You’re nothing more than civilians.”
“Sir, do you need my assistance?” asked the MP. As he approached, the look on his face said it all. He meant business and was ready to back his comrade in arms.
“No, Private. I’m sure they’ll comply, considering the alternatives.”
Like hell was it going to be that easy.
Nate was obviously getting tired because his calm nature was slipping, and fast. “Actually, he’s a civilian and we’re Feds. I do believe that in the hierarchy, you’re the knight in the game of chess and we’re the bishops. While we’re only slightly more powerful, we’re still higher up in the game.”
The man wasn’t amused. “Take off the weapons.”
“Sir, you need to listen,” Private Henry Lewis stated. “We have rules for a reason, and you need to follow them. It makes our guys edgy when people are walking around with sidearms.”
Yeah, and they weren’t nervous as hell? They’d seen the news reports about random outbreaks of killings on military bases. If anything, one of the Marines was more likely to snap.
This appeared to be a matter of escalation.
Neither side was going to back down.
“What’s going on out here?” asked Colonel Swift, exiting his office to see what the commotion was all about.
“Sir, they refuse to hand over their firearms. We’re trying to stick with base procedure, but they aren’t cooperating,” Sergeant Hartford stated.
Colonel Swift started laughing. “That’s all? I wouldn’t give up mine either if I were them. In this case, Joe, I’ll give them permission to carry. I think we can trust that they’ll behave and not take anyone hostage.”
The man didn't look happy.
At all.
“Now, what else do you need?” the colonel asked. “You wouldn’t be back here unless you had found something or needed my help on some matter.”
Callie finally spoke up, “I need personnel files for everyone associated with Maura Gaines’s situation,” she said, trying to keep it as vague as possible.
The man waved them into his office. Once there, he pointed toward the door for his assistant. “Get them everything they need and make it snappy.”
The man tersely nodded.
“Now, what do you have?”
They broke down the crime scene, and then thanked him for the MP on site. Since they were working with a small team, all help would be appreciated.
<
br /> “It’s my pleasure. I like that the military and Federal government are working together on this. It’s about time the two groups came together to prove that neither is as bad as its reputation.”
Callie smiled at the man, playing mediator. “Sir, we’re going to need to meet with Captain Harris as soon as possible. Is there any way that you can arrange for that to happen for us?”
He leaned back in his chair. “Tomorrow, she’s scheduled to be out on the firing range with her team. You can head there and do your thing. I’ll make sure she’s aware that you’ll be looking for her.”
“Thank you, sir,” she offered.
“It’s my pleasure, Doctor. Now, why do you need the personnel files?” he asked. “They aren’t going to have much in them, since the people on Bravo Ghost weren’t what they seemed on paper.”
“What will be in there?” she asked. What he’d just told them was one of her fears. At this point, they needed a trail.
Desperately.
“You’ll see any issues that came up while in training, their medical files, and personnel records-- like beneficiaries and family contacts. You won’t find psych evaluations or anything that alludes to their real jobs.”
Nate knew what his sister needed to work with. “That’ll be fine, sir. Our profiler just needs a few more pieces of the puzzle. Once she gets them, we’re good.”
He understood. “I do have a question,” Colonel Swift began. “Did my man suffer? Please tell me that before he was cooked in that fire, he was dead.”
Until they got the autopsy report from the FBI medical examiner, they couldn’t even begin to answer that. “We’ll let you know as soon as we do,” Callie answered. “But if the killer’s pattern holds true, he was likely gone by then. The rest was just a cover to make it look like an accident.”
He nodded. “Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your need to offer me a little reassurance. There’s not much of that available when it comes to this job.”
Callie had something she needed to know. “Sir, I’m curious. Who collects the evidence and ME reports on base?”
He wasn’t quite sure. “I don’t think we have a specific person who does it. It’s more whoever is on duty at that time in this office. Why?”
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