by Aliyah Burke
“Who brought you into Recon?”
“Admiral Davies.” Her body slowly relaxed.
“How did that come about?”
Her lips moved along his skin. “I met him as a plebe, and he took an interest in me. Contacted me after I graduated from Annapolis.”
“You like him.”
“Of course. But, more than that, I respect him. He did five tours in SOG.”
She left the bed and padded to the dresser where, earlier, he’d had her bent over, fistful of her black ringlets tight in one hand as he slammed into her hot pussy, her cries echoing off the walls.
He rose and went behind her, swiping their drinks before heading to the hammock. Drinks on the table, he climbed in and beckoned her closer. She straddled him, breasts bare to his gaze. Other than scars, the only marking on her was the anchor and globe tattoo on the inside of her wrist. He took drink and grabbed an ice cube before he circled her nipple with it. She jerked and turned passionate eyes to him.
“I’ve heard of SOG.” He trailed the ice around her other nipple, drawing out a whimper. “They were Studies and Observations Group during the Vietnam war. More secretive than the frogmen.” He put the cube in his mouth.
“He was at…at the forefront of that. And he wanted a group similar but wanted a woman in it.”
Grey chewed the cube as he reached out to palm her breast, toying with the tip. She arched farther into his touch, her teeth sinking into her plump lower lip.
“So, you volunteered.”
She rocked on his length, splaying her hands over his chest. “No, he asked. I…I said yes.” Her tremors in her vocals confirmed his knowledge of her increasing distraction.
Not much difference in his mind. “Why?”
She stole an ice cube from his cup. “You’ve already asked me that.”
It was his turn to tense as she circled his nipples with it. Only she followed it with long laps of her tongue. The heat and the cold combined, and he groaned. She didn’t break until the ice had melted.
God, to have that on my dick.
She kissed up his body until their lips melded together. His fingers were moving below her panty line when she nipped his lower lips and stared at him.
“You asked me a lot of questions. Let me ask you one. Why did you become a SEAL?”
He cupped the nape of her neck and drew her back to lie against him. Sex could wait. Between them, passion hadn’t been the issue. “Always was my plan. From the moment I talked to the recruiter.”
“Why SEAL? Why not Ranger, Delta, or, I don’t know, Recon?”
“It’s the movie thing. They were always the best.”
She grunted, and he was pretty sure she muttered something unflattering about the Navy.
“So, when I left Cottonwood Falls at eighteen, I went to Annapolis, as well, played football and had my sights set on the SEALs, even then. It’s what I wanted more than anything else.”
“And the guys you work with?”
“I like most of them.”
“Most? Aren’t all of y’all close?”
He frowned, grateful she couldn’t see his expression. “No. Not really. I trust them at my back, but…”
“There are others you trust over some.”
“Exactly.”
“That can’t be good.”
He shrugged. “It is what it is. Not everyone gets along.”
“I know that, but the situations you go in, you should have complete trust in the men at your back.”
“And you trust your group.”
“Without a doubt.” The conviction in her tone echoed the words.
“It’s only one that I’m not sure about all the time. He seems to be elsewhere in his mind.”
“Not good when someone should be watching your six.”
“Nope.”
His phone rang, and he groaned. However, when she moved, he tightened his hold on her.
“Shouldn’t you be getting that?”
“No.”
“Could be important.”
Not as important as what I’m doing now. “I’ll check it later.” The wind picked up, and he asked, “You okay or getting cold?”
“I’m in Malaysia, it’s gorgeous, and I’m pressed against you. I’m fine.” She burrowed closer. “In fact, I think I could easily fall asleep right here.”
“Go right ahead, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
She fell asleep not much later, and after another two hours of laying out there, he carefully maneuvered them back inside and placed her on the bed before covering her with the sheet. Only then did he go to his phone and check the call he’d missed.
The man who’d sent him with Recon. He stole another glance at the sleeping woman and stepped out onto the balcony surrounding the villa. Down the steps, he could see the trail leading to the crystal blue waters beyond.
When his call was answered, he said, “Yes, sir?”
“I haven’t talked to you since you went on that mission with those Recon. How are you?”
“Fine here, sir. Something on your mind?”
“Did you notice anything about their commanding officer?”
He frowned. “No. Should I have?”
“I’m not sure. There’s something going on there, but I’m not sure what it is.”
“With all due respect, sir, from what I saw, Cooler was above reproach. He did his job, as did his unit. Even with me as the new member thrown into the mix.”
“And, you didn’t find anything off about the others? What about that Mallery woman?”
Instantly, he bristled, protectiveness racing over him. “Captain Mallery did her job, as did the rest. Why all the questions, sir?”
“I want that group disbanded. Part of why I put you in there. I wanted you to snoop on them, find me something I can use to bring them down. I have to have proof of something to back my claim. But, they’re so secret, and Admiral Davies has a lot of pull.” Anger tinged Fith’s use of the admiral’s name.
“I was sent to spy on them, so you could shut them down?” A warning skated up his spine, and he whirled around, expecting to see Sarah there. Nothing. Stepping back to the door, he peered in and found her where he left her on the bed. “That’s your reason for putting me there?”
“People get used, Sorenson. It happens. Get over it. I’m looking for something else to send you along with them.”
Sarah sat up and slid from the bed before padding to the bathroom and closing the door behind her. She gave him a sleepy smile as she moved out of sight.
“No,” he said.
“What do you mean no?”
“I’m not going to be your stooge. I won’t help you shut down this group of dedicated people.”
“I wasn’t asking,” he retorted.
Grey ended the call with a growl. He still remained by the door when Sarah left the bathroom and walked back to bed where she climbed in and, again, slipped beneath the blankets.
“Sarah,” he said.
“Hmm?” She uncovered her head and looked down the length of the bed at him.
“I’m going for a run on the beach. I’ll be back later.”
“I’ll be here sleeping.”
He nodded and left. Had she heard him? No, if she had, she would have confronted me about it, I’m sure. Even so, he worried she would be gone when he returned and wanted to go back early. He didn’t, though, accepting he had to run out the fury pumping through his veins at the revelation of his role.
The sun had set when he jogged up the steps to the door. With a deep breath, he opened the door and looked around. “Sarah?”
Nothing. His heart sank. Fully inside, he closed the door behind him. “Sarah?”
“I’m out back.” She popped her head in. “Dinner’s ready whenever you are.” Her eyes were gentle, and the smile she leveled at him made him think all was fine in his world.
Thank God, she’s still here.
Chapter Seven
Sarah tucked her jacket tight
er around her. That was the problem with coming home from a warm vacation. Back to the reality of winter. She walked out of the Dulles International Airport terminal, zeroed in on a taxi, and made her way to the vehicle after cracking her neck.
Lord, I’m stiff. I could use a good workout. She instantly flashed to the workouts she and Grey had participated in, and suddenly, the weather was serving to cool her down. Before she could reach the taxi, a man stepped into her path.
“Captain Mallery, ma’am? I’m Lieutenant Shothley, aide to Admiral Davies. He sent me to pick you up.” He spoke crisply but in a low tone as if he wished to avoid being overheard. However, still not in a way that would make her question him mentioning it at all, just like he wasn’t announcing their business to the world.
She took in the telltale military signs, which were still present even if the man was in a black suit.
He reached for her bags, and she flexed her fingers around them without giving them over. “I can take those, ma’am.”
She relinquished them, and he opened the door for her to the back of the black town car. She hesitated a moment, met his gaze as he put her luggage in the trunk then slid over the leather seat. He shut the door as he went around to the driver’s side and climbed in behind the wheel.
He pulled smoothly away from the curb and merged into the traffic. She dug for her phone and texted Shea she was back stateside. After a moment, she sent one to Grey, as well.
When they deviated from the way she knew to get to the Pentagon, she sat up a bit more. “Where are you taking me, Lieutenant?”
He met her gaze in the rearview. “The admiral’s house, ma’am.”
She stilled, body tensing. They had strict rules about never meeting at his house. Always keeping things above board to ensure there were no more whisperings about their relationship, aside from the usual scuttle.
“His house?” An itching settled between her shoulder blades, and she wished for a weapon.
“Yes, ma’am. He requested I be there to pick you up and bring you over.”
How’d he know when and where I was coming home? “How long have you worked for Admiral Davies?”
“Three years, ma’am.”
“And I’ve never seen you before, why?”
His smile was easy. “It’s my job to blend in, ma’am.”
And it was hers to spot those who did. They turned off a main road and onto a smaller two-lane road. Rock Creek Park?
They may have made it strict practice not to meet at his place, but she was well aware of how to get to his house. And this wasn’t it. She leaned back against the seat and nodded. “Why don’t you tell me what Fith wants with me?”
His eyes met hers, and she moved before understanding could seep into them. She lunged at him, grabbing him around the neck and choking him. He punched back, landing a few on her face as they swerved all over the road. The man pressed the gas, shooting them forward where they hit a patch of ice and spun before rolling.
Her world went black, for a moment, but she came to when the man in the front seat attempted to move. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she grabbed the back of his suit and yanked him close where she elbowed him hard in the jaw, knocking him back out, cold. Slithering out through the window, she winced at the injuries. She turned back to the vehicle, its wheels still spun in the air, and the scent of gas permeated the air.
“I should leave your ass here.” She ducked back in and pulled out the man, grunting as she struggled for purchase on the snow and ice.
Once they were a safe distance, she reached for her phone and dialed a number. The vehicle blew while she was waiting for the call to be answered.
“‘Sup, Bug?”
She breathed hard and gazed about. “Fixate on my location and send me a pick up. SitRep—injured, bleeding, and one prisoner.” She moved her jacket aside and frowned at the growing stain of blood on her left side, darkening her tan shirt.
“The fuck? Hang on.” Furious typing before Mucker, another of her team—their ginger Irishman, their tech guru—came back on the line. “They’re inbound. It’s going to be close to an hour. You be okay for that time?”
“I can’t stay here by the burning car. I don’t know if he was working alone or not. We’re moving. Just”—another glance at the bleeding—“make it quick.” Hanging up, she shoved her phone in her pocket. Going over the man with her, she took his sidearm, checked it, and felt better having it in hand. With his shoelaces, she bound his hands and had to stop several times to catch her breath. Her body burned.
They moved slowly, her energy depleting faster than she could recover. The cold helped slow the blood flow, but she was still losing too much, and she knew if Fith’s men found the crash, tracking her would be a snap.
The only thing in her favor was the sun had gone down, so unless they had night vision on them, they would be using flashlights. That alone would give her a heads up before they reached her.
Exhausted, she sank to a tree trunk at the edge of a clearing. After checking to make sure the man at her side was still out and secure, she used her free hand to touch the injury. Broken rib that had punctured through. She could only pray it hadn’t gotten to a major blood vessel.
Spots had begun to flicker before her eyes when she heard the familiar whoomp whoomp of a helicopter. God love you, Mucker. She struggled to gain her feet only to give up and remain on the cold ground, pistol pressed up to the man at her side.
“Bug? I’ve got her, up here to the right.” Windy’s voice was music to her ears. The light hurt her eyes, but she didn’t care.
Windy crouched before her while Owl and Liver took the other man. He moved her jacket aside and shook his head. “This is what happens when you take vacations without us.”
She licked her dry lips. “Noted.” A few deep painful breaths. “We secure?”
He nodded in the light. “We got you, Bug.”
“Good.” She passed out.
αβ
Sarah opened her eyes and groaned. There wasn’t an inch of her that didn’t hurt.
“Want me to get the doctor?”
She cut her gaze to the left and found Shea waiting there. Her friend was in civvies and looked exhausted.
“Shea?”
“Let me fill you in before you ask. You’re in Bethesda, three broken ribs, so damn lucky you didn’t puncture your lung or something else vital. You’ve been here for a week now.”
“I don’t remember anything.”
“You’ve been in and out of consciousness since they brought you here.”
“My mom?”
“Doesn’t know.”
“I have to get home and see her.”
She tried to sit up, but Shea shook her head. “Don’t move.”
The doctor showed up, and once she left, there was another knock on the door. Cooler stood there, his hat in hand. Also, dressed in civilian clothing. He walked in and approached the bed. His normally bland eyes were hard as flint, and she couldn’t even begin to say how happy she was not to be on the shit end of the storm he would be creating.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been fucked. Who was he?”
Cooler flicked his gaze to Shea, who shook her head and stood.
“I get it. I’m not needed for this part. I’ll be back later, let you two talk. Coffee?” When Cooler nodded, Shea reached out and squeezed her arm. “Back in a bit.”
When they were alone, Sarah looked back at her CO. “Well?”
The man sat at her side and inhaled deeply. “It is a man who works for Fith.”
“Who is he?” Her palms burned with the need to wrap around the asshole’s neck. “I should have reacted sooner. I shouldn’t have let it get as far as it did.”
“Don’t go there. Davies wants to come see you.”
She immediately shook her head. “Tell him to stay away. The car blew up, so by all accounts, I could be dead.”
“Not anymore. You’re in Bethesda. Fith will know yo
u’re alive.”
“I can leave, right?”
Cooler nodded. “Yes, I asked they keep you a bit longer for observation. You can go if you feel better enough to head home.”
Home. That would be a nice thing. Go see her mother and relax.
“I’d like to go. Don’t suppose you’d allow me on my bike, right now, would you?”
“Not happening.” Shea’s tone was sharp and decisive. “I’m driving you home.”
She’d not even heard her friend come back in. “What about—”
“I’m on leave. No room for arguing. You won’t have to drive in my car, and it’s about time I meet your mother.”
Cooler grunted. “I’ll patch you in on more and let the Admiral know you’re okay.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He squeezed her shoulder and walked out, taking the coffee on his way. Shea took her seat once more and reclined back. “When do you want to leave?”
“This place? As soon as I can get some pants on. Not heading out in this with my ass hanging out the back of the gown.”
Shea lifted a bag from beside her chair. “Had some here the entire time. Just waiting on you.”
Sitting slowly, Sarah took some careful breaths and realized it was okay; she would survive this, after all. With Shea’s help, she got dressed and eventually got checked out of the hospital. Together, they walked out, and she shook her head when she saw Shea’s car.
“How is it you can get away with parking right up there?”
“I’m special,” Shea replied.
“So many things I could say to that,” she muttered.
“Shut up and get your ass in the car.”
She sank into the comfort of the interior and groaned as the heat rose up into her. Shea joined her, shifted into gear, and pulled smoothly away from the hospital. Music played softly around her and Sarah watched through lidded eyes as the snowy landscape went by.
When they merged onto Interstate 95, Shea sped up, zipping around those who were scared by the snow falling.
“Did you really think you would be riding your bike down here? In your condition?”
