* * * *
“Alexa, I’m ready to go now. I want to check out the new winter fashions at Stella’s Boutique. You said you wanted to go with me.” Sally stood in front of Alexa. Alexa was deep into her book. Just a few more chapters to go and the love story with its happily ever after would be finished. She loved getting lost in a book and imagining being one of the characters.
“I’ll meet you over there. I promise.” Alexa pulled her sweater tighter and wiggled her butt on the metal bench. It was late fall. The wind was picking up, but in the sun it seemed warmer. Now that the clouds were moving in, her days of reading in the small park in the center of town would come to an end very soon. She could go to the library. The Delite Library was filled with lots of great books in the romance section, and it was never really crowded. They also had those private little sections she could go hide in and get lost in a book for the day.
Sally shook her head and laughed. “You know men like that don’t exist, right, sis?”
Alexa ignored her sister and shooed her off, waving her hand as her eyes remained glued to the pages.
She tucked her foot under her bottom and was entranced in the scene where the tall dark stranger now known as Kyle and his cousin, Derek, insisted that they should fight over the love of Fantasia. Fantasia of course refused to come between the two cousins and decided it was best to call things off. Just as Fantasia was walking away, a car came zooming down the road and nearly hit her. Fantasia was lying on the blacktop, bruised but not seriously injured.
Alexa turned the page with one hand while she kept her other hand over her heart. She felt her pulse increase, and being so enthralled in the story, she hadn’t heard anything but her own thoughts. Tonight she would go back and highlight the pages that she loved most. Especially the love scenes and how romantic and in tune to the woman the men were. She also loved when the heroines were strong and empowered. She wished she had those qualities.
“Good book?” someone asked, and she nodded her head and mumbled a yes, not even bothering to look up to see who it was.
Then she felt the large figure behind her, and she hurriedly pressed the book to her chest in fear that someone might see what she was reading. She glanced up and gasped. Michael Phillips? Oh God he is so good looking. When did he return from one of his secret assignments? She had heard the gossip around the club about a large group of Marines and their assignments. Michael and Chad were part of the group.
He raised one eyebrow at her, his dimples so visible they were practically winking at her. He held her gaze. His big blue eyes sparkled as he crossed his arms in front of his massive chest. He was wearing a T-shirt. Was he crazy? It was very cold out here.
She swallowed hard.
“It must be, because you didn’t even hear me approach, Alexa. You need to be more careful and aware of what’s going on around you.”
She furrowed her eyebrows at him. Gosh, he was so uptight and bossy. Who did he think he was anyway?
She looked around them, realizing that they were practically alone. Only an older woman and man walking hand in hand were near the small lake in the center of the park. She pulled her sweater tighter against her chest.
“I don’t think I’m in any danger, Michael. I’m in the park in Delite. What could possibly happen?” she asked as she placed her bookmark then closed the book and tucked it into her small bag. She stood up and realized just how huge and tall Michael was.
“You look cold. The fall and winter can get pretty brutal around here. Don’t you own a warm jacket?” he scolded. She pulled her sweater around her, but she felt the chill. She wasn’t certain it all stemmed from the temperature. He sounded bossy, and was that her belly that quivered in approval of his tone? Yikes, she was definitely reading too many romance novels.
“I’m fine. What about you? You’re wearing a T-shirt.” She got lost in the sight of his massive chest of muscles and the way the cotton of the shirt stretched across them. The man was a work of art. Throw in the dark camo pants he was wearing and he looked edible. She swallowed and knew she needed to focus on reality. This man was not a character in a book. He was the real deal. And after the way Chad looked about to kill her last night, she knew they were dangerous men. She’d had enough of dangerous men. Plus she was twenty-three and still a virgin even though her uncle’s men tried to take that from her, too. She shivered.
“Come on, let’s get you inside where it’s warm. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee,” he stated then reached for her. She stepped away, afraid of him grabbing her, touching her, making contact with her, and she nearly fell over the bench.
She stumbled, dropped her bag, then quickly picked it up and used the bench as a barrier between them.
“I’m good really. Thanks anyway. Enjoy the park.” She practically yelled over her shoulder as she hurried away from him.
She crossed the distance between the park and the street quickly and hurried into Stella’s Boutique. She looked out of the front window and watched as Michael made his way to the café. Two women were walking down the street, and their faces lit up from seeing him. Of course they did. She had the same reaction. He was gorgeous.
“Found something you like?” Sally whispered next to her ear as she placed her arm around her shoulder.
Alexa jumped and gasped, and Sally chuckled.
“Busted!”
Sally looked at a rack filled with sweaters and long skirts near the window.
“What?” Alexa asked as she tried to ignore the feeling of being caught in the act drooling over Michael.
“I saw him talking to you. He was watching you for a few minutes while you were caught up in your romance novel,” Sally teased.
Alexa looked up from the rack of sweaters.
“He thought I was cold. He just said hello.”
“I bet he wanted to warm you up, Alexa.”
“Stop that, Sally. He did not.”
“Oh yes he did. I saw him reach for you, and then you nearly leaped the bench like a track star jumps over hurdles.”
Alexa felt her cheeks warm. How embarrassing. I probably looked like such an idiot.
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. I am sure that Michael will try hitting on you again.”
“He doesn’t like me like that. He’s older and a lot more experienced. He likes other types of women, like the two he’s talking to right now,” Alexa said as she looked out the window and watched Michael holding the door open for the two women. Now they would be having coffee with him, enjoying a conversation with him, and sitting close to him at those damn small tables in the café.
“Somebody’s jealous,” Sally sang then hummed as she moved on toward the middle of the store and a new rack of shorter skirts. They were beautiful but way too short for Alexa.
“I am not jealous. You can’t be jealous of something that isn’t yours.”
“Sure you can and who said he couldn’t be yours? You’re beautiful and he is definitely interested.”
“Well, I’m not interested in him or Chad.”
Sally gasped.
“Why you little minx. Two Marines? I think your erotic romance novels have gone to your head. You go, girl! I say hell yeah to a double-Delite.”
“Oh God, please stop talking so loudly.” Alexa lowered her head as she noticed a few other women in the store glancing at them. They had to have heard her sister’s remarks.
“Oh please, like none of the women in this store are interested in a ménage with two sexy Delite cowboys? I think not.”
“Oh brother.” Alexa walked away from her sister and toward the section with jackets. She eyed a nice leather one with fur inside and fur surrounding the hood. Glancing at the price tag, she figured it was an investment in some cold weather attire. It was kind of flashy and sophisticated looking.
“You need to go for it. You need to look at some shorter skirts and sexier tops, Alexa, and stop hiding behind baggy clothes and books.”
“Hey, I love my books and I like long
skirts.”
She moved closer to her and whispered.
“There’s no bruises to hide anymore, Alexa. We’re past that now.”
Alexa felt the tears sting her eyes. She shuddered at the thought of what they had gone through.
“It’s okay. We don’t have to live with that type of fear anymore. We’re not doing anything wrong by wearing shorter skirts and showing a little skin. That was their hang-up and control, and they’re no longer controlling us.”
Alexa was quiet a moment.
“How can you just snap out of being fearful? I can’t. I remember their threats, their anger and control.”
Sally placed her arm around her sister’s waist and pulled her closer. Their heads were together.
“It’s time to move on. People don’t have to see you as weak or so shy that they can’t converse with you. It will only open you up to danger and the wrong kind of men.”
Her sister’s words sank in. Was that what Sally was doing? Was she playing a role of acting strong and socializing with everyone when really she was just as scared and timid as Alexa?
“Now I think you should shorten up those skirts of yours and start chatting with Michael and Chad more often. They’re great guys and I know you like them both.”
Sally let go and began to pull out some questionable skirts and tops for Alexa to try on. She started doing a runway walk with the clothing in front of her as she pranced up and down the aisle. Alexa laughed.
Could she really come out of hiding? That wasn’t an overnight decision to make.
“Will you cut it out, Sally? You’re so crazy.” Alexa looked back at some of the longer skirts on the rack.
Sally grabbed her arm and practically dragged her to the dressing room.
Sally reached for more items as she led Alexa to a changing room. Alexa giggled then shook her head. This was going to be a long afternoon.
Chapter 2
Chad walked down the hallway and noticed that the office door was closed. He wondered if Michael was looking up some information on Solandro Cruz. Chad had heard that name before, and even as he completed his last mission in Cartagena, he had still come up with nothing on this man. None of his sources had anything definite. Not a description, not a location of residence, and not even whether the man existed. There seemed to be no legal records on Cruz, yet one file came up red flagged on his flight home from Columbia. Since then, he had received three separate calls from his superiors. Both Michael and Chad were concerned for Mason. He just left for a similar gig in Columbia. Before Chad had left Cartagena, he had a feeling that some of his higher-ups had ruffled a few feathers on their previous visits. The Columbians were looking to cut ties with the United States and were leaning toward accepting offers from notorious drug lords. He was afraid it was going to come down to bombing some towns and issuing a strong arm to get the locals to cooperate. They didn’t need them handing over information to large drug operations like Francisco Santos.
It was becoming hostile territory over there, and Chad hadn’t liked the feelings he had after this last trip.
He knocked on the office door using their secret knock so that Michael would know it was Chad.
The automatic lock unlocked, and Chad walked into the room. Sure enough there was Michael deeply enthralled in information on the screen in front of him as he glanced up toward the other screens that faced his seat in a semicircle.
“What’s going on?” Chad asked.
“We’ve got a potential situation. It’s Nate. He’s missing,” Michael stated, and Chad took the seat next to him and in front of another computer screen.
“What do you mean missing? I know headquarters hasn’t heard from him in a few days, but still, that’s not uncommon when you’re a sniper and about to take someone of importance out.”
“It’s more than that, Chad. His last update came through two hours ago. He was working under cover with Maria. She got him into the party on the Santos estate. The command called me to ask me about any other locations he could be holding out in.”
“What? How the hell did she do that and why would he go? Why is command concerned and telling you all this?”
“The command came from up top. It was believed that someone of importance was going to be there. Someone the agency has been searching for. Plus, Nate must have come across some useful information. Nate sent out a distress signal. He was on his way out.”
“Oh shit. That isn’t good at all. He knew his cover was blown. Who the hell could the special guest be? I mean it must be someone other than Francisco Santos himself? He’s been hiding for so long and no one can get into his estate or property.”
“Well Maria somehow had made a connection. She’s been working for the US for years, so she’s a reliable snitch.”
Chad thought about Maria, the older Columbian woman. Maria was a cousin of Santos’s. She had fallen in love with a government official who was being strong-armed by Santos. The official was trying to clean up some of the drug problems and illegal activity out of the city when Santos murdered him. Maria sought revenge on Santos and his entire operation.
“Well did you find out who the surprise guest of honor is?”
“Was. The event took place two nights ago.”
“Fuck. Where is Nate?”
“I hope on a fucking plane out of Columbia, but the feds don’t have shit yet. But, bro, get this, the guest of honor has the initials S.C. Who have we been looking for the last two missions?”
“Solandro Cruz?”
“It has to be, and by the radio chatter and the amount of buzz on the forefront, I’d say we weren’t the only party interested in meeting Mr. Cruz.”
Chad glanced at the screens and some satellite images of where Nate was last seen. He hoped that their friend and fellow Marine was okay. That was the problem with these secret missions. They were extremely dangerous. If anyone was caught, he was on his own, and the government denied knowing him and claimed to have no idea why he was there. His chances of survival after being captured were slim.
“Are the commanders asking for volunteers?”
Michael took his eyes off the screen to look at his brother.
He shook his head.
Chad ran his fingers through his crew cut hair. The feel of the scars along the scalp were deep. He had many battle wounds just like Michael.
“So we fucking leave him there and assume he’s dead? What about Mason? He’s heading out there next.”
“You know the deal as well as I do, Chad. It’s the path we’ve chosen. We’ve cut back a lot this past year. We discussed getting out of this shit sooner than later. Maybe the time has come. As far as Mason is concerned, I think his mission is placed on hold until we locate Nate.”
Chad inhaled then turned around in the seat he was in and looked at Michael. Michael was older than him by a matter of twelve months. They had each seen a lot of shit in their military careers. Each had secrets and actions they never talked about or admitted to being part of. But now things were changing. They were being hired out to go in blind, with very little information, and over what appeared to be personal issues or government power plays. He was starting to feel uninspired and ready for a change.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking about making this last mission I took my last one. I’m lucky I got out of there alive,” Chad admitted, and Michael raised one eyebrow at him.
“Seriously? It was that bad?” Michael asked then looked back toward the computer. Chad wondered why he felt like his brother was disappointed in his statement? If he wanted to be finished, then he would quit and start helping Monte with his security business. He asked him a dozen times and told him when Chad was ready to just say the word.
“Why are you giving me shit over this? As I recall you cut back and only took the recent mission because of Maria.”
Michael immediately turned toward him. Chad wondered if Michael had a thing for Maria. Now was as good a time as any to bring this question up.
“Fuck you, Chad. How many times do I have to tell you that I never slept with her. She’s an informant. Her family finds out she’s helping the US government and she’s dead.”
“Hey, it’s been a question for months. You took a special interest in her.”
“I felt bad for the abuse she went through and for the fact that her cousin killed her lover. Last mission when I arrived a few days earlier than expected, I couldn’t reach out to her. She wasn’t responding and I had a bad feeling. I was concerned for her. She started seeing someone from town. A nice man she said owned a local storefront. My gut told me something was up, and when I finally located her and snuck into her home, I found her in bed, eyes swollen closed and ribs broken. I asked her if it was Santos or his men and she denied it. She said there was a new guy. Some shithead from Santa Catalina.”
Chad thought about that a moment.
“Solandro?” Chad asked.
“Could very well be him. That’s why I’m worried about Nate. All we have is a name, yet no one can give us a face, a description, or anything concrete on him. It’s like he really doesn’t exist.”
Chad thought about that a moment.
“You know on my last two assignments I was in Panama.”
“Bro, you’re not supposed to give out information like that.”
“Michael, you’re my fucking brother. If I can’t trust you, then I’ve got no one, nothing. Just fucking listen to me, will ya? I was in…South America.” Chad began to say then paused and looked at his brother waiting for his acceptance at the less exact location.
“Go on, wiseass.”
Chad chuckled. “I remember the way I felt about the business dealings and watching the leaders and their men prepare for something. At first I thought it was some sort of celebration. You know those guys like to party, but this was different. Someone of importance was coming, and it was scheduled for during the night. Since it had nothing to do with my mission or why I was there, I didn’t return to watch. The same thing occurred while I was in the last place, near the first place. This has been building and building for over a year. Whoever that guest was, they very well could be the new power player in South America.”
The Sinful 7 of Delite, Texas 3: Her Double Delite Warriors (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
