Dusted Star

by Avery Gale

  “The final straw was when a black SUV followed me down the street late one evening. I first noticed it as I walked to a nearby diner to eat, then on my way back to my apartment I saw the same car following me. I knew it was the same vehicle because the tag number was the same. The driver tried to cut me off at the corner outside my building, but I managed to pull myself free when a masked man opened one of the back doors and tried to pull me into the backseat.”

  “Did you notify the authorities?” Trac bet he already knew the answer, and honestly, he couldn’t fault her when she shook her head indicating she hadn’t bothered.

  “It seemed pointless and would have only delayed my escape.” She detailed how she’d packed and called two different cab companies, setting up a relay that would double back before dropping her off at a car rental agency a few blocks from her apartment. When they’d looked surprised, she’d shrugged. “They probably wouldn’t have expected me to go to all that trouble, then return so close to home. I was trying to do the unexpected.”

  Trac was damned impressed, she’d taken great precautions, but then she’d made a huge error. “Why did you rent the car in your real name?”

  “I didn’t want to, but the jerk said I had to use the name on my driver’s license, or he wouldn’t let me have the car I’d already paid for. He wouldn’t return my money either, the pissant. So, I drove as far as I could without stopping, hoping to elude them… and well, you know the rest of the story.” He had a sinking feeling Lakyn had left out a lot, but she was fading fast and needed to rest. They’d have plenty of time to get the additional details tomorrow.

  Juan excused himself to the restroom, and Trac was relieved to see him grab his cell off the nightstand. His friend would give the team the added information and get them started pulling the police reports. The attempted abduction upped their concern, and they needed to find out who’d added the tracking device to her rental when it appeared she’d done a good job of concealing what agency she planned to use. Micah had detected multiple trackers as soon as they’d driven through the front gate, so he’d sent someone out to check the car before it was towed.

  Pulling her against his chest, Trac rubbed circles over her back until he felt her relax and her breathing even out. He wondered how much Lakyn knew about who her older brother actually worked for. His gut told him Cooper Hicks had deliberately kept his kid sister in the dark, hoping what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. From what the West brothers had shared, they’d been trying to recruit Cooper for months, and the last they’d heard, he wanted to finish up his latest mission before coming to Texas to speak with Kent and Kyle personally.

  Neither he nor Juan would tell Lakyn her brother was a CIA operative unless it became necessary, but something about the black SUV made the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. He didn’t know what Hicks was working on, but if someone was trying to manipulate him, picking up his sister in a snatch-and-grab would be damned effective. The flip side—Lakyn wasn’t a large woman and wouldn’t have been able to fight off a professional, making him think the attempted kidnapping hadn’t been ordered by anyone with the resources to do it right. Before drifting off to sleep, Trac briefly wondered what was taking Juan so long, but the contentment of holding Lakyn in his arms quickly pulled him back into sleep.

  *

  Cooper Hicks slipped back several steps, disappearing into the darkened alley thanks to his black clothing and grease-painted face. Cursing under his breath, he pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket and activate the darkened screen. The damned thing had been vibrating since he’d landed at Heathrow two hours ago, but he’d been hard pressed to get into position and hadn’t taken the time to check it.

  Hell, the thing lit up like a fucking Christmas tree before he could even get off the damned plane. The first full-court press of messages had been from his handler, informing him of the change to his mission. The change from apprehension to a simple photograph was a welcome relief. Photographing the man half the countries in the world were looking for was far easier than collaring the elusive arms dealer without back-up.

  Half of those tracking the target wanted to strike a deal, the other half wanted to take him out of business. The change in his objective made him wonder if Uncle Sam hadn’t flipped from one half to the other. Ordinarily, Cooper would be concerned about the strange things happening within the Agency, but he’d already made up his mind and would be leaving as soon as he returned stateside.

  His handler and several others up the chain of command were doing everything in their respective powers to keep him on-board, but he was done. He’d hit a wall a few months ago, and in this business—burnout was a death sentence. It would take him at least a month to finish up paperwork and debrief, but once he was formally released from service, he’d be free and wouldn’t answer to the United States government for the first time since he’d become an adult.

  Cooper had cleared all the encoded messages, but it had evidently taken his phone longer to download the messages from regular phone carriers and the internet. Scrolling quickly through the list he felt his heart clench at the number of messages from Lakyn, her manager, and Kyle West. Most of the messages were long enough, he knew he’d have to wait until he returned to his hotel to sort through them, but Kyle’s last message was the one that caught his eye.

  We have L. Will keep her safe. Call ASAP.

  How the hell had his little sister ended up in fucking Texas with the men who’d been trying to recruit him for months? Lakyn’s ability to walk through a shit storm and come out smelling like a rose never ceased to amaze him. Shaking his head, Cooper slipped the phone back into his pocket and stepped silently out of the alley just in time to see a black Towne car approach. With a little luck, he’d get the pictures he needed and be back in his hotel within the hour.

  Now all I need is a bit of little sister’s luck.

  Chapter Eight

  Juan leaned back in his chair, listening as Micah Drake updated him on the information the team had received on Cooper Hicks. They’d known the man was a spook, but the full scope of his immersion in the murky world of the Central Intelligence Agency was slowly being pieced together. Christ, the man isn’t just ass deep in alligators, he’s up to his neck and sinking fast.

  “Will they let him go?” Juan directed his question to Cameron Barnes, a former operative for the Agency, who was anything but former. Cam and his family had recently moved back to Texas and were currently putting the final touches on the major renovation of a large home nearby. It wasn’t uncommon to find the man at Prairie Winds during the darkest hours before dawn—personally, Juan often wondered if the man was a vampire because it was much less common to see him during the daylight hours.

  “Probably, but they’ll do whatever they can to discourage it. He’s too valuable.” Running his hand through his hair in a clear sign of frustration, Cam shook his head and sighed. “Hell, he’s barely taken a break from service since he signed on at eighteen. He has a photographic memory with an IQ that’s one of the highest in the entire damned Agency. He’ll be a walking target for years to come.”

  “That sounds like the voice of experience talking. Is this why they reel you in every now and again?” Juan saw the light of amusement in Cam’s eyes at the implication.

  “I started Dark Desires a few years before I officially retired, so I had another life established, and that made me somewhat more immune to the offers that came my way.”

  “Somewhat?” This time it was Kent who’d asked the question the rest of them were thinking.

  “I’m not going to lie, the monetary propositions from not only Uncle Sam but many of the wealthiest nations in the world were staggering. I could have literally named my price, but there comes a time when money isn’t enough. I had the club I’d established in Houston, and I threw myself headfirst into making it one of the best in the country. I also had a submissive I wasn’t willing to leave for months at a time.” The sly smile on the man’s face
said it all; it was common knowledge his love for Dr. Cecelia Barnes was his guiding force.

  “The world was a different place when you walked away—a lot less volatile than it is now.” Kyle’s comment hadn’t really been a question, but he was certainly trying to steer the conversation. Juan had known Kyle West for years, he didn’t speak randomly, and he didn’t speak unless he had a reason. Kyle’s words always had a purpose.

  “I know it appears that way on the surface, and I suppose it’s true in the U. S., but this has been the norm in much of the world for many years. There is more at stake in our nation than the others because so much of the world’s wealth is centered here.”

  “Other nations have decided it’s long past time for them to share in our good fortune.” Juan understood all the political backdoors as well as anyone, but he also knew most of it was created chaos, designed to benefit a few and cost the masses.

  “They have been convinced it’s their due, and the fires of that anger have been fanned with religious rhetoric that isn’t about faith at all. Don’t think for a minute Cooper hasn’t already been offered astronomical amounts of money for his help furthering the globalist agenda. These are not people who take no for an answer and let you walk away without using every resource available to them to change your mind.” Cam was watching his words carefully, and that was almost as terrifying as where Juan’s imagination was taking him. Deciding it was time to cut to the chase, Juan leveled a look at Cam.

  “Do you think the attempt to pull Lakyn off the street was about gaining her brother’s compliance?” If it was true, the game had been notched up a fucking hundred percent. Dealing with trained government operatives with unlimited funding was far different from some prick off the street with an overactive libido and lock picking set.

  Cam leaned forward and shrugged. “I wish I knew for sure. That’s part of the reason I’m here. I was hoping Cooper had made contact, I want to talk to him as soon as possible—maybe offer a word or two of advice.” A word or two of advice my ass. Cam Barnes wasn’t a fucking career counselor, if he was offering help, it was because he knew the man’s life was on the line.

  “I know he opened my last message but skipped all the previous ones.” Kyle’s words had barely been spoken when his phone chimed on the table in front of him. Picking it up, Kyle’s expression turned grim. “Cooper needs an exit. He’s been compromised.” Turning his attention to Micah, he asked, “Who do we know that might be close enough to help?”

  Cam, who was already tapping furiously on his phone, held up a finger. “Wait, I’ve got someone in London, and they’re moving in to intercept now.” What the hell? Juan had been in this meeting since Cam walked in and no one had ever given Cooper’s exact location. Turning to Micah, Juan raised a brow in question. The other man shook his head and muttered several colorful curses before smiling ruefully.

  “I’ve learned to not even ask. I’m not sure any of us want to know how he manages to track everybody on the damned planet. Fucking hell, I feel sorry for his children, and I want to call my parents and thank them for a stalking free childhood.” Cam shot him a steely glare from across the room without his fingers ever slowing.

  Juan shook his head as the room exploded into action around him. Wondering how this would play out for Lakyn, he couldn’t help worrying about the woman sleeping peacefully back in their cabin, wrapped in Trac’s arms—the lucky bastard. Within minutes, Cam’s contact had not only intercepted Cooper Hicks but was already transporting the injured agent to a private medical facility on the outskirts of London. As Juan watched everything play out around him, he became more concerned than ever Lakyn was being used as bait—whether it was to draw Cooper out or force his compliance remained to be seen.

  *

  Lakyn wasn’t sure what was going on, but Juan looked like he hadn’t slept at all after their talk last night. She joined both men when they’d used what looked like a souped-up golf cart to go to the main house for breakfast. Walking into the dining room, she immediately sensed a strange tension filling the air. Kyle West was so deeply engrossed in his phone conversation, he didn’t appear to notice his wife had moved from her seat beside him to sit down next to Lakyn.

  “I hope you’ll accept my apology for my behavior when you arrived. Good grief, I was so shocked, I was almost speechless. Dancing donuts, I wish I had been speechless. I’d never in a million years intentionally hurt someone I considered a friend.” The sincerity in Tobi’s eyes made Lakyn’s eyes fill with unshed tears.

  “Oh damn, please don’t cry, it’s contagious. You cry and I’ll start, then the men will be all crazy trying to figure out what’s happened, and I can tell you from unfortunate experience that never ends well for subs.”

  Lakyn couldn’t hold back her giggle, this was the woman she’d been talking to. This version of Tobi West was familiar.

  Tobi scanned the room, noting all the men huddled together talking or staring at various electronic devices.

  “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m all for taking advantage of it. The kids are going to spend the day with their grandfathers which means I’m free for the day. It’s not supposed to get hot until later this afternoon, and I was thinking we could go tubing behind the house and gossip.” The glint of mischief in Tobi’s eyes made Lakyn wonder exactly what tubing entailed.

  “Tubing?”

  “We’ll stay close because the guys will have a stroke if we venture beyond the property bordering Prairie Winds. We may own the adjoining down river property, but it isn’t monitored as closely as the section behind the club. Of course, not monitored as closely is relative since even the wildlife has to request admittance… in triplicate… to anything Prairie Winds related.” Tobi’s eyes flashed with recognition when she looked over Lakyn’s head and suddenly her hushed tone became much clearer.

  “My husbands and the rest of the team take security very seriously, so we’ll have to ask them about tubing, but I don’t see why it would be a problem if we tether our tubes to the dock.”

  “You are incorrigible, sweetness. Tubing sounds like fun and since we’re going to be tied up with work for several hours, you and Lakyn are welcome to play, under the following conditions.” Lakyn suddenly became aware everyone in the room was watching the exchange. “You’ll wear lifejackets.” When Tobi opened her mouth, Kent shook his head. “No, darling wife, I don’t give a flying fuck about tan lines. I do, however, lay awake at night, worrying about all the ways you might find to get into trouble, and given your love of all things water related, drowning is high on the list.”

  “Okay. Lifejackets. Drat.”

  Lakyn was betting this was an ongoing argument, and she wasn’t inclined to get involved. At one time, she’d been an excellent swimmer, but she hadn’t done anything more than lay on the beach and have her picture taken for years, so the added precaution was in her best interest.

  “You’ll also take a member of the team with you. Find somebody who isn’t working today and ask them to accompany you.” Tobi’s eyes were shining and Lakyn wondered what she was up to. They’d only talked online, so she wasn’t sure how to read Tobi’s expressions. “We’ll get a tracking bracelet for Lakyn before you go.” His eyes softened when he looked pointedly at the diamond sparkler on his wife’s wrist. Turning to Lakyn, Kent glanced over her shoulder to where Juan and Trac now stood.

  “You’ll check with your Doms before going to the river. Stay close, there hasn’t been a lot of boat traffic yet this year, but that’s bound to change. Remember, boats and tubes do not mix.”

  Lakyn felt like she’d fallen down a rabbit hole. Boats? Hadn’t she heard Tobi mention boats? She didn’t have any desire to battle a boat from a tube… good grief that would be crazy. Lakyn might be a lot of things, but suicidal wasn’t one of them.

  “We’ll take Lakyn to Micah’s office for the tracker, and one of us will accompany her to the dock.” Trac helped her to her feet as he spoke, and when she reached for her plate, he gave
her a knowing grin. She’d always seen Lakyn Storm as a completely different person apart from Lakyn Hicks. Her alter-ego might be a star, but even she knew better than to expect someone else to wait on her hand and foot. Picking up her dishes, she returned them to the kitchen and thanked the Wests’ staff for a delicious breakfast.

  Thirty minutes later, Lakyn wore a beautiful sapphire and diamond bracelet Micah Drake insisted was a necessary precaution. Personally, she thought they were nuts for allowing her to wear something so valuable in filthy river water, but it was obvious the point wasn’t open for discussion. For a lovely piece of jewelry, it appeared to be remarkably functional. Not only would it send a continuous signal back to the Prairie Winds control center, giving her location, there was also a panic alarm. The small recessed button wouldn’t be activated during normal use, but the wearer could press it, alerting the entire team if she needed help.

  “As soon as this small button is locked down, the microphone begins transmitting a continuous audio stream which feeds to the entire team and is recorded at Prairie Winds. We’ll hear everything happening around you.” Micah flashed her a knowing smile. “While our contact back east was still perfecting it, a couple of the subs accidentally depressed the alarm while changing clothes in his club’s locker room. Their conversation was recorded, and their Doms were not pleased with what they heard.” His soft chuckle didn’t do anything to soothe her sudden sense of unease.

  “I don’t think I want to wear this. It’s too Big Brother for me. Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.” She wasn’t about to have someone listening in on every conversation she had. Not having any personal privacy was one of the things she hated the most about her life in New York, but she’d at least had privacy in her own apartment… hadn’t she? The next thing she heard was the sound of her own blood pounding in her ears and another man shouting about catching someone before she hit the ground.