by Kelly Moore
“You’re as evil as I am.” He chuckles.
“You have no idea. Do we have a deal or not?”
“I believe we do.”
Chapter 5
Becoming an Ekko
Afghanistan is hotter than hell. I don’t know how these military men wear full uniforms. I settled in a week ago, but haven’t left the debriefing area. Commander Lukas is in charge of directing SEAL team six, aka the Gunners. He’s tough and intelligent, but not enough to see through my lies. I’m better at this game than anyone else. He has no idea that I led the other SEAL team into an ambush. They were getting too close to Bari, so they had to be eliminated. Then they reassigned Bari to the Gunners. I transferred here when I got word of it.
Teaming with Bari and the profits I’m making hand over foot are worth a few soldiers' lives.
My mask has grown thicker.
In my spare time, I’ve been working out for the past year. I’ve toned down, and my arms are rather shapely. I’ve not been able to work out for the past week, so my goal today is to find the gym in this godforsaken place.
I slip on a white tank top and a gray pair of shorts, pulling my mocha-colored hair into a pony, and head out of my barracks to find the mock gym. I locate it across from the mess hall. When I open the tent, there are ten pairs of eyes on me. I must be the only woman they’ve seen in a while. I reach for the chin-up bar and start my exercise routine, despite one of the men yelling to a soldier that hasn’t taken his eyes off me.
“Rebel, I bet she could outdo you.” A soldier laughs, bringing on wagers from the other men.
The big guy gets up and walks over to me. He’s sexy as hell with his scruffy face, short dark hair, and bare chest. The look he’s giving me is leaving burn marks on my skin. He’d be someone I could have a little fun with in bed. That body of his is to die for.
“I’m Derrick. You must be new here?”
“Are you in charge of these men?” I gaze around the gym.
“You’ll have to excuse them. You’re the first woman that’s stepped inside this place in a good while.”
“How much is the bet?”
“They were only teasing. There is no bet.” He looks over his shoulder at them.
“A hundred dollars,” one of them yells.
“Shut the fuck up, Drake.” He snarls.
“I’ll take that bet,” I say.
“You understand the bet is that you’ll beat me in pull-ups.” He grins.
I step close enough to breath him in. It’s a sexy scent that I want all over me. “Are you afraid?” I stare into his penetrating eyes.
“It’s your money.” He laughs and positions himself beside me on the bar.
“You ready?” I ask.
“Whenever you are, sweetheart.”
No man has ever called me that. I’m anything but sweet.
“I’ll count to three,” the soldier he called Drake shouts. “One, two, three.”
I lift and lower to the bar. I watch him out of the corner of my eye. His biceps bulge with each lift. I’ve never been so attracted to a man before. I should let him win, but it’s not in me. I like the competition.
Sweat is pouring off me, and my arms are burning. He’s slowing down. I think I can take him. He groans loud, and I see pain sear his face, but he keeps going. The man is a beast. It takes everything I have to raise myself one more time, hoping he’s done. I lower and try to lift again, but can’t do it. I fall to the ground with my muscles screaming.
“Damn it, you almost had him.” Drake runs over to my side.
“I wasn’t going to let a woman beat me.” Derrick lets go of the bar and holds his bicep.
Now, he’s just being a jerk. I swat Drake away from me and get off the ground. “Well, this woman was close to kicking your ass.”
“How about a peace offering?” Derrick asks.
I wipe the sweat off my forehead. “What did you have in mind?” I know what I’d like from him. My gaze travels up and down his hot body.
“A cold beer. We have the best cantina around.” His smile is broad.
“It’s the only cantina in town.” I flash him a rare grin.
“Fair enough.” He chuckles. “Are you game or not?”
Oh, I’m game alright, but not for beer. “Lead the way.”
I follow him to a tin building across from the gym. Compared to everything else in this place, it isn’t half bad. The bar has a nice shiny piece of oak for a countertop, and it’s surrounded by corrugated metal. Strands of lights hang around the edge of the ceiling. Barstools line the edge with a few small tables inside. Half the bar opens up to an outdoor seating area with dartboards and corn hole for entertainment. The only thing not made to look nice is the dusty dirt floor.
“Two cold beers,” Derrick tells the soldier behind the bar.
“Don’t I get a choice?” I say as he pulls out a barstool for me.
“We only have one brand of beer, so unless you want a liquor drink, of which we’re limited too, a cold brew is your only choice.”
I watch his muscular frame lean over the bar and grab two glasses. His body warms mine up. Never have I reacted to a man like I do him. He’s the type man that could make me forget my own damn name and maybe purpose.
“When did you get here?” He pours the bottle of beer into the glass.
“I’ve been here a week.”
“Funny, I haven’t seen you until today.” He slides the glass in front of me.
“I’ve been buried in briefings.”
He looks me up and down. “You don’t look military.”
I pick up my beer and guzzle it half down. “I’m a civilian contractor.”
He grins and takes a gulp of his drink. “You the new handler for the Gunners?”
“Let me guess. You’re their leader?”
“Captain Derrick Rebel.” He puts out his hand for me to shake.
I stare at it, willing it to be all over my body, touching every inch of me. “Nina Pax.” I finally meet his hand with mine.
“Ekko,” he says, chuckling.
“Excuse me?” My brows dip together.
“You’ll be in our ear, so you’ll be an Ekko to us.”
“I’d prefer Ms. Pax.” I take another drink.
“Miss,” he repeats.
“Yes, and I plan on keeping it that way.”
He sits on the stool. “You just haven’t met the right man to sweep you off your feet yet.”
“There is no such man. How about you, any Mrs. back home?”
“Never met the right woman.” He scans my body. “Where are you from?”
“Where I’m from isn’t important, it’s where I’m going that fuels me.” I can’t believe I told him that. I never talk about myself.
“And, where is it you’re headed?”
“To be the best handler,” I lie. I’ll go down as the worst in history.
“Beyond that?” He angles his body toward me.
“Make a shit load of money.” I’ve never been that honest.
“Really? In this business, that will be hard to do unless you have an in with the men in this country.” He sounds serious.
This man is smart. He sees right through me.
He bursts out laughing. “I’m only kidding with you.”
I blow out the breath I was holding. “I negotiate my own terms. My knowledge is very valuable to the military. They’ll pay me whatever price I ask.”
“Confident. I like that in a woman.”
Totally out of character for me, I place my hand on his thigh. “I like a man that’s a leader.”
He inhales deeply. “What would you say to going back to my place to get to know one another better?” He raises a brow.
“I’d say…lead the way, Captain.”
Chapter 6
Harder than I Ever Thought
Months later…
* * *
I wrap my leg around Derrick’s hip and press the core of my body into his, making him hard
as a rock again despite the fact that he fucked me half the night.
“Baby, you keep that up”—he looks between his legs—“no pun intended, I’ll never make the mission.”
“God forbid you miss out on one mission.” I need to find a way to keep him on base. I unwind my body from his and throw the sheet off as I get out of bed. I give him the perfect view of my ass, and he smiles.
“Come on, Ekko, and bring that fine ass back to bed.”
I grimace. “You know I hate that you call me that when we’re not at work.”
He falls back on the bed with a huff and rubs his hand down his scruffy face. “Nina Pax, would you please crawl back into bed with me?”
I secretly like that he calls me Ekko, but I hate when his men do it. “I can’t. I’m going to be late for my meeting with the commander,” I say with a mouth full of toothpaste as I wave my pink brush at him.
He groans and lifts his leg up to hike himself off the bed, joining me in the bathroom. “You want me to skip out on a mission, but you’re not willing to miss a meeting.” He wraps his hands around my naked body and presses his teeth lightly into my shoulder.
I’m tempted to bail on all my contracts and stay right here with this man. I’d give anything for my life to be different, but no matter what I feel for him, I won’t let a man become my world. “My life isn’t on the line every time I go to work.” I lean over the sink and spit out the toothpaste and press my ass into his cock. I can never get enough of him. His hands glide to either side of my hips, then smacks my ass.
“Hey!” I laugh, wanting more. I turn in his arms. “You know how much I like your hands on me, but I really don’t have time.” I’ve got a phone call to make. I place a quick kiss to his lips.
He reaches for the shaving cream and lathers it on his face. “When are you ever going to agree to marry me?” He watches my reflection in the mirror as I get dressed in a black suit.
I’d give anything to be normal, take off all my masks, and marry him. “We’ve talked about this. Neither one of our careers are good on marriages.” I have to stay focused on my life’s plan.
He looks lost in thought for a moment as he smooths the razor down his handsome face. Shaving cream drips into the sink. “Why don’t we both retire then?” he asks nonchalantly.
Would he really give this all up for me? He loves being a SEAL. I sit on the small, rickety bench seat by the closet and slip on a pair of black, shiny heels. “Neither one of us are ready for that. You love your job.” No man could love a woman that much.
“I would give it up for you.”
I believe he would, but I won’t give up millions for him. I don’t want to see him physically hurt, but I won’t be stopped by his pretty words. I get up and stand beside him, looking at him in the mirror. “Derrick, I’m not ready to give any of this up. I have some things starting to work for me.” Things he can never know about, like my dealings with Bari and the fact that I had the other SEAL team taken out.” Things he’d never forgive me for. I wind my hair into a bun.
“I have no idea what that means. Everything you do turns to gold. You’ve gotten us out of more shit than any other military leader I’ve had in the past.”
That’s because I know where Bari’s men are. The team hasn’t gotten close enough to Bari’s location to not protect them until now. It all looks good for me. “My lips are sealed.” I smack my lips together to spread my nude-colored lipstick.
“I know, highly classified, need to know only.” He rinses off his face and towel dries it before he grabs me. “The only thing I need to know is that you love me.” He kisses the tip of my nose.
“You know I do.” I do love him. He’s become much more than a plaything to me. “Now please take your sexy ass back to bed and skip the mission. Let Captain Stark step in for you today. He’s been jonesing to go out on standby for you.” Please, Derrick, I’m begging you. If you don’t, you won’t make it back alive.
“Fat chance of that, and let him take all the glory? These are my men, and the only way I’m not leading them is if I’m six feet under.”
An ache like I’ve never felt before hits me. Six feet under is where he’ll likely be if I can’t convince him to stay behind. Maybe I can convince Bari’s men not to kill him. Either that or I need to back out of my contract to keep him alive. I squeeze my eyes tightly together and press the palm of my hand against my temple. “Ahh…I really gotta go.” I turn to leave but glance over my shoulder. “I’ll see you in the war room, Rebel.” I want to beg him, but I know it won’t do any good. I can’t manage anything but a frown.
“You okay?” he asks, almost as if he’s read my sadness.
“Yeah. Good luck on your mission today.” I have to act normal, or he’ll see right through me. Why does he have to be so damn smart? I crack open the door and slink out of the barracks. I don’t like the men in his platoon knowing about us.
I dial my phone on the way to my meeting. “Alba.” I don’t like his son, who I’ve been dealing with since his death. He’s more ruthless than his father was and harder to deal with on a business level. He tried to cancel my contracts with him, so I had to blackmail him into honoring them when his father was killed last year, shortly after I met with him.
“I don’t want you to kill them, only scare them off,” I whisper.
“If they make it within a thousand feet of my home, I’ll kill them all. Make no mistake about it.”
“Then kill all of them but their leader. Leave him for me,” I bark and hang up and head for my meeting with the commander to go over my false intel that is going to lead his men into slaughter.
When he and I are done, I walk into the war room that is filling up with the team. I huddle in the corner with the commander. “What if my intel is wrong?” I need him to back out of this plan.
“So far, your information has been spot on. Why would this be any different? You’re the best at what you do, and I trust you.”
No one should ever trust me. I don’t see a way around this. Rebel walks into the room, and I want to scream that it’s a set up. I keep my mouth shut and watch him talk to each of his team members before Commander Lukas draws them together. He calls out the name of each of the team members like he does at every war room meeting. When he’s done, I hand him a folder, and he waves it in the air.
“We finally have good intel on the notorious MM20 group. As you know, this group owns well-guarded poppy fields all over Afghanistan that are supporting their terrorist group with weapons and the ability to go in and out of countries undetected.”
Little do any of them know, they are using my port in Seattle.
“They’re single-handedly responsible for the last four terrorist attacks in the US, killing over 8,000 men, women, and children. We have a location on where the terrorist cell has been operating out of, thanks to Ms. Pax.” He turns toward me.
I think one of Bari’s men leaked the location. Someone with an ax to grind. Now, I’m left to clean up their mess.
“Nice job, Ekko,” Theo yells out.
I cut my gaze in his directions, and he loses all trace of the smile he was wearing and clears his throat. “Sorry, Ms. Pax.”
I pick up a rolled map and lay it out on the table. I’m leading the lambs to the slaughter. “My source tells me that they’re hidden in this mountain.” I point to an area opposite the poppy fields known location. “He has several smaller cells that guard the fields.” I think Bari is trying to cut me out, so maybe I can make this work to my advantage. “Rumor is, he doesn’t go anywhere near them. He has a house built into the side of the mountain. Guards protect it twenty-four seven, and the desert area around him is covered in mines.” If I let this play out, I can own the poppy fields one hundred percent. I can make this work and keep Derrick safe.
“Who’s your source?” Derrick asks.
He knows damn good and well I can’t give up a source, or I’ll never get more intel. “You know I can’t reveal a source.”
“How do you know you can trust him? Maybe he’s a plant to get us up there?” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. “We’ve already lost one entire team this year based on bad intel. They were led into a trap and ambushed. I don’t want the same for my men.”
He suspects something. “And you think I do?” I tap my heel on the ground like I’m pissed.
“I’m not saying that. I only want to make sure that this isn’t the same source that had the other SEAL team killed.”
I move over and whisper to the commander, “Your team doesn’t have as much faith in me as you do.”
“This meeting is over for now,” he orders. “You men need to go get your gear gathered up and whatever supplies you need to take with you. You’ll be leaving in two hours.” He gives them instructions on where and when to meet the Blackhawk that will be taking them.
Metal chairs scrape the ground as they get up. Commander Lukas orders Derrick to stay behind. I gather my folders and head out without making eye contact with him. I’ve got to find another way to keep Derrick from going on this mission. I don’t want him killed, and I don’t want him finding out that I’m the person behind Bari.
Chapter 7
I can’t stop him
I march out and head to the cantina to down a beer before I call Bari again. I walk in the alley between two large tents. “They’ve canceled the mission. You can turn your men back around. No need for them to sit and wait in the mountains for nothing.”
“You’re lying.”
“Why would I lie?” I give him my sincere tone.
“I don’t trust you. Never have. I don’t know why my father agreed to do business with you.”
“Because I made him even richer, and if you were a smart boy, you’d keep your damn mouth shut.” My civility with this kid is gone.
“I’ll call my men off, but if you’re lying, I won’t only kill your captain, I’ll kill you too. You need to get here. There’s a problem with one of our shipments.”
