Heroes in Uniform: Soldiers, SEALs, Spies, Rangers and Cops: Sexy Hot Contemporary Alpha Heroes From NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors

by Sharon Hamilton

  Maybe Sugar would behave, although that wasn’t one of her many talents. She’d never met Jared before and had always wanted to. Of course she’d behave in front of Jared. She wanted more of the man’s business at her gun shop. The woman could build the hell out of a high powered rifle. Titan would be the gold standard of clients, the way they went through guns and rounds.

  Winters stood. “Sugar, girl. Thanks much. We owe you.”

  Her smile was as sweet and fake as her name. “That you do. Where’s my boy? Why didn’t he call me?”

  She pivoted on the heel of a stiletto that might as well have been a pointed dagger. She snagged Cash with a stare, and he stood helpless, not sure what the fuck he should do. Extend a hand? Shake the woman’s hand. It was a plan. He stepped forward with every intention of a proper hi-how-ya-doing, but she snaked a pink painted nail through his belt loop and threw the other arm around his shoulder. Fuck.

  “Cash, baby. No call, no show. What’s the deal, babe? Our boy, Mister One-Woman-Man, has to call. Tsk, tsk, baby. Tsk, tsk.”

  The first lesson in sniper school was controlling the mind and body. Controlling breaths. Slowing the heartbeat. Acting and reacting perfectly in the worst possible situations. Well, this might be the worst possible, but there was no way his heart was listening to his commands. For every “slow the eff down,” it sped up. Right now it was going through a bang, bang, bang crescendo.

  “Sugar.” He coughed a hello and shrugged out of her perfumed embrace. Nicola slammed them a glare so powerful, he was surprised to find his feet still on the floor.

  Sugar took in the room. “I’m not sure that I know everyone.” Who knew Sugar could do anything understated, sarcasm included? “Cash, introduce me please, darh-ling.”

  This sucked.

  “Sugar, I don’t believe you’ve met Nicola. Nic, Sugar owns a gun club I belong to. Gun range, shop, stuff like that.”

  Sugar purred, “Yes, stuff like that. Nicola, was it?”

  “Nicola Garrison.” Nic for the point. That was good. He’d take it.

  “Sister?”

  “Not a chance, Sugar.” Nicola smiled, cold and frosty for the win, at least against Sugar. Nic still looked homicidal.

  A door down the hall banged open. Jared walked in a second later and slammed to a stop. “You’re Sugar?” His mouth hung open. “Cash’s Sugar?”

  Sugar made some sort of hell-yes noise. There was no Cash’s Sugar. The two of them were casual and occasional, nothing that allowed for possession, and all about blowing off some pressure, when it was needed. And it hadn’t been needed in a while.

  Jared slapped his thigh. “Well, fuck—”

  “Shut up, Jared.” Cash didn’t have time for this shit. Sugar needed to get out. Fast.

  Jared looked at Nic. Sugar looked at Nic. Everyone but Cash looked at Nic. He was content to shoot daggers at Jared. Rocco choked on his biscuit. Winters’s eyebrows rose as he caught on to Cash’s nightmare. Goddamn it.

  Sugar sized Jared up, combat boots to jarhead cut. “You’re Jared?”

  “I’m everything. Jared will do though.”

  “Humble, I see.”

  “You look like your name.”

  “I look like a lot of things, Jared. Doesn’t mean you’re right.”

  They squared off. Everyone was tense. Pissed off women were trouble. Pissed off at him was a disaster, as far as Cash was concerned. “Alrighty, Sugar. We have to get started.” If Jared wasn’t going to wrap up this meet and greet, Cash would. Sugar needed to get gone. Now.

  “Soon as someone pays up, I’m outta here, cowboy.”

  “Right. Let’s do this. Come with me.” Jared walked out, probably expecting Sugar to follow. He needed to learn a little more about her before he could make those educated guesses. Sugar did what she wanted, no matter who was looking or ordering.

  “So, Cash, baby. You coming over after this job’s done?”

  “He’s not. But thanks for inviting him.” Nic was on it, spitting sweet sarcasm. All Cash could do was watch.

  “Not sure I was talking to you.”

  “Not sure I care.”

  “Sugar! Get out here,” Jared yelled from the hall. “I do not have time for this shit.”

  Sugar walked over to Cash, and his stomach turned. Nothing good was about to happen. She went up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, only because he took a step back and avoided the lip press. “Bye, cowboy. See ya later.”

  Jared grumbled from the hall. “I told you assholes, no chick problems. I’m about to make it part of your contracts.”

  Damn. Faster than Cash could take out a target with Miss Betty, this day had gone from for-the-records-book awesome to knee-in-the-nuts awful.

  Garrison’s Creed: Chapter Fifteen

  That woman, all sex-in-heels, rolled out of the room. All the men save for Cash waved goodbye. At least he had some smarts.

  Nicola sipped her coffee and ignored the male tongues hanging to their combat boots. Mia’d have to get the place wet-vacced for all the drooling they were doing. For the moment, it didn’t seem as if anyone thought about Cash’s girls being ready to knock knuckles. As for acting professional and making a good impression on her first day with a new team? Nicola’s morning had gone down in messy, gossip-worthy flames.

  At least she’d tried to look nice this morning. She could have used an extra few minutes, but she didn’t look bad. Not perfect. Certainly not let’s-run-into-an-ex good.

  Sugar was all va-va-voom and then some. Was that what Cash liked? All plumped up and plastic?

  Maybe her opinion of Sugar was a tad too harsh, and Nicola did like that Girls Like Guns shirt. The way it was poured over Sugar, Nicola bet Cash and every man in the room liked it too. Well, except for Jared. He’d need a two-by-four to the brain to notice anyone but himself.

  Jared droned on about tactical this and strategic that, all very important. Too bad she wasn’t listening.

  “Princess.” Jared’s raspy voice pulled her from her pity party of one.

  “Hmm?”

  “You and me and Cash. Dining room. Now.”

  Great. Where was Cash anyway? Chasing after his Sugar? What the eff? It didn’t matter. They were on two completely different paths. How had she not noticed that? Here she was, choking up over nostalgic thoughts from last night. And there he was, searching out a woman made for fantasies, who threw herself at his boots. Ugh.

  Sugar could have him. Nicola knew better. Her job was her life. One game was enough. No need to play two at a time, and Cash was the player king, just like Rocco had said. Freakin’ awesome. She’d either misread Cash, or maybe hoped she hadn’t heard the truth.

  “Princess, move your caboose,” Jared called from the hallway.

  Yeah, yeah. Coming. She followed his steps to the dining room, strangling both her hands around her coffee cup. No one would notice that they shook if she didn’t let go. Her adrenaline after the quick-flash Sugar-showdown needed to wear off.

  Cash stepped over the threshold. Sapphire eyes caressed her, and she vividly remembered clinging to him last night. The memory made her ache.

  “Nic, I need to talk to you for a sec—”

  “No, you don’t.” Jared put his box marked EXPLOSIVES on the fancy dining room table and pulled a switchblade from his waist. “My time, my agenda. And your mamsy-pansy baloney concerns come later.”

  For the first time, Nicola was glad for Jared’s interruptions. She had no interest in hearing the whos and whys and hows of Sugar and Cash. Even if Cash hadn’t known that Nicola was alive, he could at least have the decency to knock boots with someone a little less vamp-on-display. Though her belt buckle was kinda awesome. Whatever. Sugar and her glammed-up face, super fun shirt, and awesome belt buckle could go somewhere else.

  Jared pulled out the brick of ammo and put it on the delicate lace tablecloth. He took out another box. What the—?

  “Jared. Stop. Right now.” She moved fast, almost dropping her coffee mug and pushin
g the man over.

  “Princess, what the hell?”

  Nicola picked up the box, examined it, then unpacked each small box from the larger one.

  Jared tried to take the one in her hands. “Get off my—”

  “Jared, shut up.” If this hadn’t been a big what-the-hell moment, she might’ve looked up to see how Twinkle Toes reacted to such an order. But nope. She was dizzy with questions.

  She popped open the box top and rolled out the large round. Blue tipped with a fleck of red. Incendiary and armor piercing, just as requested. Matching the mark on the boxes, there were the micro-engraved letters ‘AS’ on the bottom of the round.

  That egocentric jerk.

  “Where did—” Nicola smirked “—Sugar get this?”

  Jared made a move for the ammo again. “I don’t ask questions. I didn’t even call her.”

  Cash spoke up. “Winters called her.”

  She pointed to the base of the round, ignored Cash, and handed the bullet to Jared. “AS. Antilla Smooth. This is his product. He likes to use his initials for his watermark. Your girl buys from a nasty, illegal arms dealer.”

  “She’s legit.” Cash stepped forward to defend that woman.

  Freakin’ awesome. “Yeah, she totally looks it.”

  Jared nudged Cash back. “I’m not going to separate you two, and you’re still working together. So deal. Now.”

  They both murmured about nothing to get over. The tension in the room could choke a horse.

  Jared gathered the small boxes and dumped them into the bigger one. “I have to roll out. What’s here is here. I suggest the two of you find some way to work together with your clothes on, and move forward on the butler. Do your jobs.”

  He grabbed his EXPLOSIVES box and stormed out. Jared didn’t really walk into or out of a room. He didn’t amble or dawdle. The man stormed and marched, always with gray clouds in his eyes.

  Cash stared at her. “Nic—”

  “I don’t want to hear it. I’m here to do a job.” She picked up her coffee mug, needing something for her hands.

  “That’s it. A job? You see one thing from my past and you’re don—”

  She blew out a breath. “Excuse me. I have to make a call.”

  “To who?”

  “Not your problem.”

  “Cut the attitude. We’re partnering on this, so it is.”

  “I’m calling my handler. She needs to know Smooth hardware is popping up in Virginia.”

  “Mind focusing on one job a time?”

  She held up a finger. “One phone call. One minute.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Nicola walked to a window, and Cash stepped out of the dining room. Breathing got easier the farther he was away from her. Dialing a secure number, Nicola waited until Beth answered.

  “How goes the sleepover?” Beth’s curiosity made Nic’s stomach turn.

  “It went, and it was a mistake. And, nope, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You did bring something lacy!”

  “Seriously, Beth. He’s got a girl. Kinda. I think. And I met her.” She shook away the image of Sugar wrapping her body around Cash. “And that’s why I’m calling.”

  “No, babe. We’re not putting out a hit on the girl. Girlfriend or not. Sorry.”

  Wouldn’t that be nice? “I just saw ammo from our favorite deceased gun dealer. Did you have any idea he had networks in this area? Sellers?”

  “Nope.”

  She sipped her lukewarm coffee, thinking out the next move. “We need to meet.”

  “You’re working with Titan. I’m hands off until further notice.”

  “What if I promise to kiss and tell?”

  “Would you?” There was a pause, and she could feel Beth weighing the pros and cons of the dirty details. “Then yes. I’m there.”

  “Meet me for lunch in Tyson’s Corner in an hour.”

  “Done.”

  She clicked off the phone and went to find Cash. How did she end up at the Titan retreat without a ride? One mistake after another.

  Clearing her throat, she grabbed his attention. “Cash, I need to borrow your truck.”

  He laughed. “Try again.”

  She turned toward Roman. His brow furrowed. “Don’t even think about asking. I’m not getting into it with either of you.”

  Shit. It’s not like a taxi was going to pick her up in where-ever-the-hell-Virginia. “Damn it, Cash.”

  He smiled, knowing he was her only option, and she hated it. “I’ll drive ya. Where we going, Nic?”

  If he would hand over the damn keys, everything would go easier. Maybe she could find them in his room. “We aren’t going anywhere.”

  “Yeah, guess that’s true. I stay. You stay. We all get to stay.” He flopped on the couch next to Rocco, who was watching the latest installment of their drama. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here.” He turned to Roman. “Hey, man. Throw me another biscuit.”

  Roman chucked the biscuit across the room, and out of nowhere, Winters’s dog nabbed it mid-flight. Roman tried again, successfully.

  How did anyone put up with these men? Her foot tapped, and her mind ran the gamut of getaway vehicles, but she turned up nothing. Damn Cash.

  “All right. Let’s go.”

  “While I drive, I’ll explain Sugar, and you’ll listen.” He didn’t look at her. His voice was even and bored. Rocco, on the other hand, wasn’t bored, and Cash didn’t look at the man’s head slinging back and forth between them. “Those are my terms. Take it or leave it. But I don’t think you’ll find someone willing to risk their life and give you a ride.”

  Risk their life? Come on, Cash!

  She dropped her head back and huffed. Mark today down as the most unprofessional day of her life. “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  Rocco laughed. “You two are great. When are you coming back?”

  “Shut it, Roc.” Roman didn’t like the theatrics at all. Nic didn’t either. Maybe it was a family thing.

  * * *

  Trapped again in his truck with Nicola proved to be much different from the night before. There wasn’t that would-they-wouldn’t-they vibe.

  Nope.

  Now it was nothing but hold-your-breath-and-hang-on kind of tension, and it still made him want to beat his head against the steering wheel.

  “Where to, Nic?”

  “Tyson’s Corner.”

  “Got it.” He rolled out of Winters’s driveway. “Sugar. Let’s just get that over with.”

  “I don’t care.” She shrugged and tugged at her hair.

  “Pretty sure you do.” A pissed-off Nicola was cute. The madder, the cuter. Bet she’d get furious if he told her as much. “There’s nothing to be jealous—”

  “Are you kidding me? Jealous? Hardly.” She scooted farther away and leaned against her door. “That’s ridiculous. You’re ridiculous. Sugar, for that matter, is ten shades past ridiculous.”

  Silence except for the click-cl-click, click-cl-click of the blinker when he changed lanes. Everyone was ridiculous? She might as well have a banner proclaiming the same thing about herself.

  “The lady doth protest too much.”

  Nicola smirked. “She’s quite the girl, that Sugar. Your type is so… slutty.”

  You know what? Enough with this. He pulled over. Hard. Dirt and gravel spun cycles in the wheel wells. The truck rocked over a bump on the shoulder.

  “Why are you so mad? I didn’t know you were alive! Fuck.” He unsnapped his seatbelt and turned, hand gestures flying. “It wasn’t serious, so what’s your problem?”

  Nicola didn’t answer. Her fingers drummed on her thigh.

  “Nicola, what do you want from me?”

  She didn’t turn to look him in the eye. “She’s re-selling from an illegal arms dealer.”

  He shrugged. “We don’t know what’s going on there. And that’s not your problem, is it?”

  Now she pinned him with a glare. “She’s a slut.”r />
  “She’s a cool chick and not a girlfriend. Not relationship material. Not that I wanted a relationship with anyone. She’s a flirt. And I am—was—whatever—by myself. She didn’t want anything other than to shoot guns and… it worked out.”

  “Sure seemed into a relationship with you this morning.”

  “I didn’t say Sugar wasn’t competitive.”

  Nicola snorted. “Ha. Competitive.”

  He grabbed the gearshift but didn’t take it out of park. They should hit the road. Sitting here wasn’t doing either of them a lick of good. “I’m sure you’ve been the poster child for abstinence over the last decade.”

  She rolled her eyes, but stayed quiet.

  “I didn’t take you for a quitter, sweet girl.”

  Her face screwed up tightly. “I’m not a quitter.”

  “But you can walk away from us again?”

  “There is no you and me, Cash. It was an old habit.”

  “Bull-fuckin’-shit.”

  “You’re—”

  His lips covered hers. How he crossed the space, he had no recollection. The only thing he knew was she smelled sweet, tasted sweeter, and kissing her was the only thing he’d wanted to do since Sugar walked into the room.

  Her smartass remark morphed into a kiss. It melted against him, then roared to life. The air sizzled and popped. Her hands wrapped into his shirt. Yeah, there was no easy walking away. There was a spark. Hell, more than a spark. It was a smoldering ember that had blazed unattended and ignored. With a gust of wind, a sweet kiss, a hot night in bed—whoosh—they had wildfire. And he wanted to chase it down to see how hot it could be.

  Her tongue teased his. Firecrackers spun and sparkled, rocketing his body to life. His fingers threaded into her hair, and he lost focus. He wanted to growl the goddamn truth to Nic. Until they weren’t, they were together. He wanted to—a car flew by too flipping close to his truck, honking a horn.

  Whoa. He had to calm this down. They were on the side of the road, for chrissake.

  Her lips slowed to brush his. “Maybe I was a little jealous.”

  Cash chuckled. “I want to take out any man who’s ever thought of you naked, much less seen you, if that helps.”