Black Dawn

by Cristin Harber

  “This problem,” Jared pushed, eyeing the dynamic between Parker and Winters. “Fixed soon? Fixed when?”

  Parker rubbed his temples. “Think I need some time off.”

  Jared’s raised eyebrow dropped, and he glowered. “You need time off for a problem connected to a terrorist cell with a chick I just learned is involved?”

  “Yeah. Basically.” Though when it was laid out like that, it had a problematic vibe that Boss Man wouldn’t deal well with.

  “Wait, she is?” Winters asked, dumbstruck.

  “No.” Jared’s boots turned, and he pounded out of the room, growling as he went. “No time off. Work it from here.”

  The headache punching at Parker’s temples worsened. “Alright, wait.”

  Jared glared. “You have twenty seconds to try again.”

  Winters leaned against the wall. “Might as well explain everything, ’cause I’m confused as all hell.”

  “Shut it, Winters,” Jared snapped. “This isn’t gossip central. But, Parker, man, you’re screwing shit up.”

  Parker pulled in a breath through his teeth. “A hacker I’ve known most my life—” Explaining the intricacies of something Jared didn’t care wouldn’t help his case. “Turns out is the same person as the woman I’m… seeing.”

  Winters laughed. “Now there’s an upgrade.”

  “Would you shut the hell up?” Jared growled.

  “What am I missing?” Winters asked.

  Jared paced. “The hacker and the girl are the same person, and there’s a terrorist cell that the ARO implanted in the States, and they’ve set their eyes on a niche attack on US soil.”

  The ARO? Parker’s stomach dropped. Shit. Worse than he’d expected. Jared’s contact had worked fast. Bad news all around. The Arab Revolutionary Organization was smart and wanted headlines.

  Winters ran a hand over his face. “What’s Lexi have to do with them?”

  The line between Boss Man’s brows deepened as he stared at Parker. “You didn’t see this coming?”

  “Why would I have seen this coming?” He turned to Winters. “You’ve known the girl as long as me. You know she was into this?”

  Winters shook his head. “Nope. Lexi, one. Boy genius, zilch.”

  “Jackass.” Frustration wasn’t making Parker’s explanation any easier.

  “Thought you were smart.” Jared shook his head. “Fuck me, I was wrong.”

  “What?” Parker asked.

  “Man, you do not think you need some time off. Something looking like Lexi running free with some attack dog after her? You say, ‘Call up the fuckin’ troops, we’ve got work to do.’”

  Parker blinked. “This is off the books.”

  “Everything’s off the books.”

  “This doesn’t pay.”

  “The best jobs don’t,” Jared replied.

  Parker dropped to his chair and leaned back, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “I’m not sure what I’m getting into. Titan doesn’t need that.”

  Jared shook his head. “If there’s one person who knows what shit Titan gets into, it’s you.” He rubbed his forehead. “Get Rocco, debrief with him. Winters, sit in. Keep your boy on point. You have whatever resources you need.”

  Parker stood back up, anxious energy making him bob and weave like a freakin’ Whac-a-Mole. “Seriously, Boss Man—”

  “What?” Jared growled.

  “This is personal.”

  “Somehow, for the last decade of your life or however the hell long you’ve worked here, you’ve missed out on something basic. You got personal, we deal with personal. And, brother, you have never got personal. When shit pops up, as it’s done now, we go in and fix it. Winters needed his girl. We got his girl. I needed a hand with Sugar. Even though she was kicking and screaming, we dragged her sweet ass home. Rocco, Caterina. Cash and Nic. Don’t even make me mention Roman.”

  Parker shook his head. “This isn’t like any of that.” Except was it?

  “Whatever it’s like, it’s the only outside-of-Titan personal connection you have. Whatever that woman is to you, you make her fuckin’ day. That means you save her life, you kill some rogue attacker, you smoke out some terrorist fuck. You do a hacker thing. You get the job done. Read me?”

  “Loud and clear.”

  Jared stormed out, and Winters grumbled in agreement. Parker, again, dropped to his chair, uncomfortable with everything that was about to happen and never more grateful for who he worked with and how good they were at it.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Lexi crept down yet another alleyway and scooted into the mom-and-pop shop. Old Town Alexandria was filled with tourists, likely because it was warmer than it had been in weeks. The thick band of people gave her an added layer of protection, allowing her to blend in with random groups and grab onto their cell phones’ hot spots whenever she needed quick access.

  Hiding in plain sight, she wasn’t in a faraway hole, as she’d just finished doing for the past couple of weeks. Staying close by wasn’t her smartest move, but it was fueled by not wanting to be that far from Parker. From Black. One and the same. Even though she wouldn’t let him help her. Dragging him into her nightmare terrified her. Just like Shadow. She still hadn’t heard from him.

  Lexi pushed through the door and waited in line, exhaustion making her mind cloud. Maybe she should’ve found a hotel room instead of an ice cream parlor…

  “What’ll it be?” the kid behind the counter asked.

  She ordered quickly and quietly, as though if she talked loudly, someone would know where she was. Lexi paid in cash for an orange sherbet with hot fudge, dropped the change into a jar, and took the already melting mess to the back of the shop where she could hide and map out her next move. She had no idea what that’d be. Maybe she should call Parker back and tell him she was done being belligerent.

  God, she wanted to call him, but how much more of a mess would she create by doing so? Instead, she stabbed her spoon into the bowl of ice cream, hoping it could temporarily fix everything. A couple of spoonfuls in, she wasn’t ready to admit it wasn’t working, but she wasn’t ready to stop.

  A shadow curved over her table. Her stomach shrank as much as her body tingled. “You found me.”

  It wasn’t her broker or whoever had grabbed her at Union Station. Nope. Like her blood could sense how tall, dark, and handsome Parker was, it rushed and burned in her veins. She turned to see it was most certainly tall, dark, and maybe deadly, judging by the fire in his smoldering gaze. His muscles seemed relaxed, but given their lack of restraint in Union Station, she was sure that didn’t matter. Parker and Black were definitely an impressive combination. But he shouldn’t be there. He might be all muscles and brains, but he didn’t deserve to have a threat in his life just for knowing her.

  “You should go away.” She took another bite of ice cream and hoped-slash-prayed that he would wake her from a nightmare then take her to bed.

  “You should have gotten enough to share.” His smile was as intoxicating as it was teasing. “Orange sherbet and chocolate, just like sausage and banana peppers. You have unique taste.”

  Spoon between her lips, she shivered from the tone of his words, not the chill of the ice cream. Her ordering choices weren’t normal. Matt had never noticed, or if he did, he was an ass about it. Parker acted as if it was merely Lexi-laced trivia he was storing away for later.

  “I was just teasing.” Parker’s growly voice ran over her goose bumps that didn’t come from the ice cream. “I hate that you question yourself with me.”

  “I don’t.”

  “It’s simple, Lex. That’s what you like. Not a big deal. If anyone had a problem with that before, then you need to know it’s no longer a problem for you. Get me?”

  She nodded.

  He sat down. “The other thing you need to know is me. Who I am. Saying I was a Marine, telling you I was Titan, I get it. I was vague. It didn’t occur to me you needed to know.”

  “I don’t.”
<
br />   “You do.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re trying to protect me?” He tilted his head. “Admirable if not suicidal, sweetheart.”

  She blushed. “I’m just… I don’t know.”

  He scooted closer, took the spoon from her, and rested it on the edge of the bowl. From there, he repositioned her face to face his, then his hands rested on the table. “My name is Parker Black. I sometimes work as BlackDawn. My employer is Titan, and my training is from both the Marines and MIT.”

  “I know.”

  “But you don’t know what that means. I will kill to protect you. I will hunt what follows you,” he said through clenched teeth. “I will seek out anything that has its sights on you, and I will destroy it. I’m not a muscle hound with a hard-on for electronics. I’m a mercenary for the good guys, an analyst of life-and-death situations, and I will, I swear to Christ, maim, harm, and kill anything that wants what I care about.”

  Her jaw hung open.

  “You are my top priority.” He closed his eyes for a second. “Understand what I’ve told you isn’t to scare you. It’s to make you feel safe. Get it?”

  She nodded.

  He picked up the spoon as if the speech he’d just given was nothing, then he took a huge spoonful of ice cream and fudge. He made a face but grinned. “Not for me. But you like what you like. Nothing’s wrong with that.”

  He handed the spoon back, and God, she had to bite her teeth together to keep from uttering stupid words that were far, far too soon but felt like what was in her head that second. Things like I love you.

  “Any thoughts?” The deep gravel of those words made her drunk, reminding her of what he could do to her body.

  Her pulse flew, and her lips parted as if she would murmur how she felt. But instead, she whispered, “I really like you. You’re an amazing guy.”

  Never in a million years did she think Parker had it in him to blush, but his chuckle was accompanied by a hint of color on his cheeks. “I won’t complain about that.”

  Buttery warmness lit in her chest. She stole her eyes back, scooped up more ice cream, and decided the safest course of action was to keep at her original plan—focus on the ice cream—because she’d just said almost what she’d texted him at Union Station.

  Parker must’ve read her uncertainty as she became self-conscious. His boots tangled under the table, locking around the legs of her chair, then he pulled her toward him. She was completely aware that their proximity was nearing the point of touching. Every time they did that, things got out of control.

  His well-defined arms crossed over his chest. No less hot than he was at his house, Meredith’s apartment, and Union Station. “Eyes to me.”

  She obeyed and focused on his black-as-night hair that was tousled just right, because if her eyes dropped to his blue-blue eyes, she’d be done. No way to protect him from the trouble she’d caused, no way to protect her heart any longer.

  He scooted her chair even closer to his. The sugary air felt warmer. His full lips dipped down into a frown. “You need to know that I’m crazy about you too. But I’m also done with the secrets and skirting the truth.”

  The last part sounded… unhappy. With her. There was an intensity in his eyes that she couldn’t understand. “Are you angry with me?”

  “Not angry.” He bent his head closer, letting their foreheads kiss. They stayed there forever until he inched back. Their breaths mingled, their gazes locked. “Many things, but never angry with you.”

  “Tell me.”

  He inched back with a tight smile. “Let’s start with my short list. I’m frustrated. Annoyed. And pissed.”

  “What?” Her lips parted, trying to keep up with the roller coaster of emotions her mind was subjecting her to. “At me?”

  “You asked.” A quiet laugh fell from him. “And yeah, sweetheart. At you.”

  She swallowed, stuttering for a comeback. “Those are all the same thing.”

  He bent close to her ear, making fireworks explode on her skin. Deep below her belly tightened with want.

  “Then let me break it down for you.”

  Maybe she shouldn’t have asked for an explanation. “Okay.”

  “First.” His lips brushed her earlobe, and she moaned. “I’m frustrated that you’re in trouble, and I don’t know how deep.”

  The last part was drawn out and worked her senses like a masseuse. She inhaled, her eyes rolling into her head. “But—”

  Parker shook his head, toying with her hair. “Next. I’m annoyed, Lexi, that we’ve been partners on pretty much every damn thing, and you didn’t flag for serious help on this play. I had to get some bullshit semi-informed request from Shadow that didn’t give me anywhere near the intelligence I needed.”

  Her heart palpitated when Parker let his lips brush her neck. “I—”

  His finger reached her lips, pressing and quieting her rebuttal. All she wanted to do was run her tongue along it.

  “Parker, please.” But please what, she had no idea. They were in public, and she squirmed in her seat, nearly panting from his teases.

  “And, finally, I’m pissed. Pissed. So upset I can feel my blood boiling in my skin. I’m giving you whatever I’ve got—talent, resources, knowledge—and I can still see in your eyes that you’re assistance avoidant. I can’t keep you safe if you won’t let me, and I can’t handle how much I need to take care of you.”

  “I didn’t know you were Black,” she said against his finger, unable to ignore the electrical currents telling her to kiss whatever part of him she could.

  “But now you do. And I know Silver like I know no one else in the world. I know how you think, what you do, how you solve problems, and how goddamn smart you are.”

  “Oh,” she whispered.

  “And you being that sexy girl I’ve watched who let me protect her from that piece-of-shit guy? Combine all of that? I like you too, Lexi. Like crazy.”

  She held her breath, not responding. She was barely staying conscious from all the tummy swirls and mind racing he did to her with simple words. “I…”

  “Now the choice is yours. Are you going to let me in? Or am I going to walk away, and when I never hear from you again, then I’ll know they got you?”

  She shuddered as a wave of panic rolled over her. “No one’s going to get me.”

  His head tilted, showing he didn’t believe her. “I found you in less than a day.”

  “You’re good.” She gave him a smile, but it was weak.

  His mouth quirked. “You’re better in many things, and I still found you.”

  “I’m better?”

  He nodded. “Some things you are, but not when it comes to keeping you alive. Understand?”

  “Starting to.”

  “Alright, better than nothing.” Parker stood, took her hand, and tugged her out of the chair. “Let’s roll.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Hand in hand, Lexi let Parker snake them through the mess of chairs and scattered tables to the front of the shop. After a long, sweeping glance into the darkening street, he apparently didn’t find anything that worried him and pulled them into the crowd.

  Three things popped into Lexi’s mind. First, she would’ve taken a lot longer to search the area for potential threats—though she didn’t exactly know what she was looking for. Second, she didn’t know where they were going. And third, Parker still had his hand on hers. Warmth radiated from his strength, and she couldn’t hide her smile. She had her motorcycle helmet in one hand and squeezed his with the other, unable to act as if she wasn’t love-sick, and he squeezed back. Her heart soared.

  They stopped in front of his sleek gray-almost-black R1. They had superbikes in common, but his beast was a jet. She’d known from years of watching Parker and chatting with BlackDawn that he had more than a couple badass rides. But between this one and his Ducati, Lexi was about to fangirl.

  “Did I ever tell you how sick this is?”

  He didn’t say
a word but gave her a smile that was all power-and-sex, just like his bike, then nodded expectantly. The realization that she was about to hop on behind him with her arms wrapped tight… hell, her knees went to jelly.

  But she had her Gixxer to worry about and had lost it once before. It was a freedom she didn’t want to lose track of so quickly. “Mine’s around the corner. Tell me where to meet you.”

  Parker towered over her, his hand still holding hers for a heartbeat before he dropped it. “Already found it. Already moved it. That was easier to find than you.”

  “Ha, um.” She swallowed, more excited than she could have ever imagined. “Okay then.”

  He took her helmet, pressed it to her chest, then grabbed the handles, threw a leg over the bike, and readied for her, all while looking sexier than sin on a hot day. “Ready?”

  Cotton-mouth silent with a dry throat, she nodded and acquiesced, doing as she was told and ignoring the deep need twirling low in her belly. She climbed on the back of the vibrating bike.

  “Let’s move.” With a flick of his hand, the engine growled. “Hang on.”

  Slow and steady through traffic didn’t require putting her hands on him. Then Parker dropped the gear, and she clung tight. Holy shit, he was trying to kill her with stomach-flipping butterflies. His rumbling laughter vibrated between their bodies, making her laugh too.

  When she finally held on tight, he turned his head at a tourist-packed stop sign. “Better.” Mischief crept into his voice, making her wonder what he had planned.

  They sped off, firing her excitement, and wove through the streets until he hit the parkway. She took a breath as they eased onto the open road. This was her element. If it wasn’t in front of a screen and keyboard, it was when the air rushed by. The curving lanes ran along the river. Trees hung overhead, making the darkening afternoon feel like night.

  Finally they slowed in a quiet neighborhood and pulled into the driveway of a more-than-modest house. All the windows were dark, the shades drawn. The garage door lifted, and there was her bike. How the hell had that happened? And whose house was this?