Nate's Naughty Nymph [The Doms of Club Mystique 5] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Mardi Maxwell

  “Look at me.”

  She looked up and examined his face. He looked so serious, but his beautiful eyes glowed with satisfaction and love. Love for her.

  “Nymph Everlove Isabella Lachlan, you are my home, my heart, my soul, and my passion. Will you accept my collar and promise to spend the next year with me?”

  “No.”

  Nate frowned. “What?”

  She smiled up at him. “Jonathan Grant McLeod, you are my home, my heart, my soul, and my passion. I give you my submission, but I want forever.”

  Nate opened his hand. A heavy platinum chain dangled in front of her with a four-leaf clover encrusted with blazing diamonds. Each leaf had a symbol outlined with colorful stones. Chocolate diamonds formed a house on one leaf. Rubies outlined a heart on another. Opals formed a crescent moon that she knew symbolized the soul. The fourth symbol was a flame made from a variegated moonstone in colors of orange to yellow. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she’d ever seen. She blinked her eyes to clear them of the tears that glazed them. Nate pulled her to her feet. Their eyes met and locked together as he looped the chain around her neck and snapped the locking mechanism into place. “Do you know the meaning of the clover, Nymph?”

  “Yes, Sir. Good luck.”

  “The day you walked back into my life was the luckiest day of my life.”

  She stretched onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. He cupped the back of her head and slanted his mouth over hers, turning the soft kiss into a promise for the future. The kiss ended with a little nibble on her bottom lip before he raised his head and smiled into her eyes. He reached behind him and picked up a folded cloth and shook it out. The dress was sheer, finely pleated, and opalescent. He dropped it over her head and adjusted the barely there straps on her shoulders before he smoothed the silky material over her breasts and down her hips. The hem brushed the bottom curve of her butt.

  A moment later the sound of clapping startled her. Dirk, Sabre, and Bridget stepped out of the shadows, followed by Jake and Katherine. Orin, Doolin, Miles, and Hugh joined them with their women beside them. They crowded around her and Nate to congratulate them.

  After several minutes, Sabre called their attention to him. “We have a late buffet set up in our quarters. Let’s move this celebration there so the cleaners can finish up in here.”

  Nate lifted her into his arms. She hugged her arms around his neck and smiled. “I’m so happy, Sir.”

  “I am, too, pet. I’m off kitchen duty for three months.”

  She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, and he nipped it then laughed as he carried her over the threshold of the room.

  Chapter Eight

  Eight years later

  Nymph stood on the street in front of her home and watched the firemen put out the last of the glowing embers. Her house was gone, burnt down to the foundation. The only thing still standing was the chimney and their huge gun safe. The firemen focused a spray of water on the safe and steam rose into the air above it.

  Apparently, one of their enemies had decided to take some revenge. The question was, which one? They’d spent the last eighteen years chasing drug dealers, human traffickers, and a wide variety of villains that had popped up along the way. Mendez still eluded them, although they were closing in on him. She and Nate and their team had shut down a lot of bad guys only to have new bad guys take their place. It was a frustrating and never-ending cycle.

  Next to her the fire chief was asking Nate questions, but she didn’t really register his answers. Everything she’d collected was gone. Pictures of her and Nate and their life together were nothing but ashes now. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes. She didn’t try to stop them. She was sad, but in the morning, when the sun came up, she knew she’d be pissed off. Nate’s arm slid around her waist and tightened right before he rested his chin on the top of her head.

  “The chief says it was arson. They didn’t even try to hide it. His men found several melted plastic gas cans at the back of the house and one on the drive. They think several more were thrown onto the back deck and through the bedroom windows.”

  Nymph trembled. What if they’d been home and asleep? Nate was a light sleeper, but they would’ve had to fight their way out of the house. Bullets would have gone astray, and their neighbors would have been in danger as well. “We have to move away.” She waved her hand toward the smoldering remains.

  Nate nodded and she felt her hair tangle in the stubble of his beard. “We’ll find an apartment or another house. Anything you want.”

  She shook her head. “No. We need to make sure we don’t have neighbors. Whoever’s found us will come after us again. We can’t take the chance of anyone else getting hurt when they do.”

  “Okay. We’ll find something in the country and install a good security system.”

  Nymph turned and wrapped her arms around Nate’s waist. She leaned against him. “Do you think it was Mendez?”

  “No. Mendez would have made sure we were in the house.”

  A cold breeze, heavy with the smell of smoke, lifted the hem of her dress. Thank god she’d changed into street clothes before they’d left the club tonight.

  “We’re going to one of McCabe’s safe houses. Bridget’s already busy stocking it with food and clothes for both of us. Dirk’s arranged for several of Thor Larkin’s men to secure the area tonight. Once things cool down they’ll open the gun safe and pack it up for us.”

  “It’s a good thing I put all of our important papers in the gun safe.” Bright lights hit them when a van turned onto their street. Nymph she shielded her eyes and read the logo on the side of the van. “The reporters have arrived.”

  Nate turned them until his back was to the van and his broad frame shielded her. He pressed his hand to her lower back and escorted her to his truck and lifted her to the seat. She buckled her seatbelt as he walked around the truck and climbed behind the wheel. The truck started with a soft rumble and he pulled out, passing the firemen as they prepared to leave the scene. At the end of the block she spotted Orin and Hugh sitting in a car. She knew they would wait a few minutes before following them. Several blocks ahead of them a large SUV pulled out into the street, and she recognized Miles and Doolin’s silhouettes in the light from the streetlights. “We seem to have picked up an escort.”

  Nate reached over and took her hand. “It will be okay, baby. Trust me.”

  Nymph smiled. “One of these days you’re going to be wrong about that.”

  * * * *

  A year later

  Nate signaled Nymph to stay low as he crept forward. She could barely make out his outline as he slid into the deeper shadows beneath the broad leaves of a jungle plant. Around her there were at least a hundred different kinds of plants with god only knew how many types of bugs living on them. She firmed her lips and told herself to ignore the creepy crawlies and keep her mind on the task at hand.

  They’d finally gotten a reliable lead on Mendez. Within minutes they’d been packed up and on their way. Oddly enough the lead had been one of hers. Several years ago she’d heard a rumor that Mendez suffered from bad allergies. She’d suggested that meant he’d have an allergist somewhere. The guys had shaken their heads and assured her real men didn’t bother with shit like that. Then, Miles, the comedian of the group, had dug in his nose and flicked a booger her way. The guys had laughed, and she’d told them they were sorry bastards while she’d stalked away. Now, her determination to get the name of the doctor had paid off. It was just her luck the man had retired to one of Mendez’s estates deep in another damn bug-infested jungle. Apparently his hobby was collecting rare orchids, and the location suited him.

  “Get your ass up here, Neil,” Nate growled in her earpiece.

  Nymph sent him two clicks on the radio and eased out from beneath the shadows she’d hidden in. She moved the few feet that separated them to his side.

  He glanced at her then indicated a tree about forty feet in front of th
em. “We have company.”

  “I hate when you say that. It always means you’re going to do something stupid.” Nymph looked in the direction he’d indicated. It took her several seconds to locate a boot braced on a branch toward the middle of the tree trunk. “Who do you think they are?”

  “From their gear I’d say one of our special units have joined the party.”

  Miles voice came over the earpiece. “We’ve got a problem. I just spotted Nate’s favorite Army guy approaching the compound.”

  “Damn it! What’s he doing here?” Nate cursed beneath this breath then scoped the area in front of him, looking for Cade.

  “There’s a shitload of security in and around the compound.” Hugh reported. “Looks like an ambush.”

  Orin spoke up. “Our guests are about thirty yards ahead of us. I’ve spotted two on the ground. There are at least two more. See if you can spot them.”

  “Two more just moved into position behind the Army guy,” Miles said.

  Nate cursed. “I’m taking our target out now. “Orin, can you clear an exit corridor for our friends?”

  “Sure thing,” Orin said. “Good luck.”

  Nymph didn’t like the plan, but knew she’d do the same thing in Nate’s position. “Come back to me.”

  “Always.” Nate brushed a finger over the tip of her nose, his way of silently saying “I love you.” Then he disappeared into the jungle.

  “Neil, I want you to move back ten yards and do your favorite thing. Miles, move twenty yards east of Neil. Hugh, same thing west. At Nate’s signal, Neil, start taking them out.”

  Nymph groaned silently. The guys knew she had a thing about heights so they sent her up high every chance they got. Their philosophy was she would eventually lose her fear. Too bad they were wrong. She moved back, located a large, vine-covered tree, hoped there weren’t any snakes hiding in it, and began to climb. Every five feet she stopped and checked the view then moved on until she found the perfect spot. A large branch on the backside of the tree with a smaller branch on the side to rest her rifle on. Vines hung down behind her, hiding her six, and she made sure no part of her body showed. She scanned the area and spotted three men between the guy in the tree and the compound. “I have three hostiles outside the walls at my twelve. They’re grouped up like a bunch of old gossips.”

  “I have two more,” Miles said. “It’s an ambush, all right.”

  “Okay, stay sharp,” Orin said. “Doolin, watch our six.”

  “Got it,” Doolin said.

  Nymph calmed her nerves by double-checking to make sure her extra magazines were where they should be. When she was satisfied she could grab them in a hurry, she scanned the area in front of her. The three guys were still gossiping, but now two of them were sitting down and resting against the wall. The third one had taken cover behind a small bush. She sighted in on him then quickly moved on to the other two. If they stayed where they were and she moved fast enough, she could take all three of them out. She resisted the urge to look for Nate, as she knew she’d never locate him. Plus, she might lose the chance to take these guys out when he shot Mendez and the shit hit the fan.

  Several minutes later her nerves were stretched tight and about to snap, when she heard a rifle shot. The compound lit up like high noon as the sound of men yelling reached her. She inhaled, zeroed in on her targets, and began firing.

  * * * *

  Nate listened to the chatter on his earpiece and made his moves based on the other team members’ reports. He moved slowly, one inch at a time in a stop, listen, and go pattern. To his right, he heard the sound of cloth brushing against a tree trunk. He froze and surveyed the area with his peripheral vision. A moment later he made out a darker shadow at the base of a tree. He eased to his right until he was out of sight then moved forward.

  Miles’ voice came over the radio. “The Army guy is thirty feet to your left.”

  Nate sent back two clicks and put a large tree between him and Cade. He moved as quickly as he dared, knowing it wouldn’t be long before Cade attacked the compound. Once in the clear he moved faster. He hadn’t protected his sons for the last nineteen years just to see Cade die now.

  He moved forward several feet. Nothing moved, not even the leaves on the bushes around him. Usually the jungle would be alive with the sounds of insects and animals. The men by the wall had silenced them with their loud presence. A lucky break for him. He smiled when he spotted a huge tree about forty feet to his left.

  He’d have to cross directly in front of Cade and his men. He weighed the odds of getting caught then threw caution to the wind. He moved toward the tree in a stop, listen, and then go pattern. When he was directly in front of Cade he moved cautiously, inch by inch across his path. The time it took to make it to the base of the tree and slide around it had his nerves stretched tight. He couldn’t help but feel he was running out of time. He forced himself to take in a couple deep, cleansing breathes as he looked up. When he saw the ladder leaning against the side of the tree his first thought was, “you’ve got to be shitting me,” followed by, “fuck.”

  He looked higher, expecting to see the barrel of a rifle aimed at his head. Instead all he saw were orchids glowing in the small amount of moonlight that reached them through the canopy. Apparently the good doctor didn’t give a thought to security.

  Nate shouldered his rifle, waited until a cloud covered the moon and climbed the ladder. At the top he moved higher into the branches until he was higher than the compound wall and could see the house. The house was lit up, including the living room where he could see the doctor standing at a bar pouring two drinks. Nate watched him turn and say something to a man sitting behind him. The back of the chair was to Nate and only about four inches of the man’s head showed above the top of the chair. The doctor walked over with two crystal tumblers in his hands and handed one to the unknown man. Nate whispered, “Got you,” when he recognized Mendez’s large diamond and ruby ring as he accepted the glass.

  Nate noted the stillness of the air, then calculated the distance, and targeted Mendez. The angle was wrong and the old glass in the window distorted the shot. He was considering changing his position, when a movement on the roof drew his attention. One of Mendez’s men was on the roof with a rifle pointing in his direction but lower.

  Nate glanced down. Cade was about two-thirds of the way up the ladder. Adrenaline flooded his system as he adjusted his aim to the man on the roof and slowly squeezed the trigger. The sniper’s rifle fell as he moved his focus to Mendez, who was rising from his chair. Nate lined up his sights and fired. He only had a split second to see that his shot was true before all hell broke loose.

  The sound of shooting filled the air as he scrambled down the ladder. Bullets sprayed the tree. He grunted with pain when one hit his right shoulder. He lost his grip on the ladder and fell, hitting Cade and knocking him to the ground. Before he could move, Cade had a knife at his throat and his men had their rifles pointed at his head.

  “American,” Nate snapped. “We need to get our asses out of here. My team is clearing a corridor for us.” Bullets whizzed above them, ripping the bushes apart and covering them in leafy debris.

  “Prove it,” Cade said.

  “That’s not how this works and you know it.”

  Cade stared at him a moment. “Stay in front of us. One false move and you’re dead.”

  Nate grabbed his rifle and took off in a half-crouch. He recognized the sound of Nymph’s rifle followed by Hugh’s and Miles’ rifles. A second later he heard a sharp click on his earpiece.

  “Nate, another fifty feet and you’ll meet up with Neil. Keep going. We’ll meet up at the river,” Orin said.

  Nate sent back two clicks. Several more shots rang out. He saw a movement in a tree about twenty feet in front of him. Nymph scrambled down the tree to the ground and looked behind him. He signaled that everything was okay and she moved in front of him.

  After they’d moved for about fifteen minutes, Nymph dro
pped back next to him. “You’re bleeding, Nate.”

  “It will be okay. Keep going.”

  Nymph increased her speed but stayed closer to him than before.

  They traveled for another hour, passing Hugh and Miles on the way. When they reached the river Orin stepped into view and approached Cade’s team. Nate and Nymph moved several feet into the shadows of the jungle.

  Before Orin could say anything, Nate heard Cade ask, “Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing here?”

  “We’re the men who just took Mendez out and saved your sorry ass, boy. Mendez’s sniper had you”—he pointed at Cade—”in his sights. You were walking into an ambush.”

  Nate felt a wave of pride sweep through him as Cade crowded Orin. “My sniper had the guy on the roof in his sights when your guy took him out, old man, and we knew we’d been compromised. You and your rocking chair crew fucked up our mission.”

  Nate hid his grin while Hugh snorted and Miles chuckled.

  Nymph leaned against his back and shook with silent laughter before she said, “Dang, he’s a chip off the old block for sure, Nate.”

  The last of Cade’s men stepped into the clearing. “They work for McCabe.”

  Orin planted his hands on his hips and rose to his impressive height. “Doolin, get your ass out here.”

  Doolin moved out of the shadows. “What? I like to be friendly. I introduced myself to this guy, Ben. So shoot me.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” Orin growled. “We’re supposed to be the super-duper secret guys, remember?”

  Doolin grinned. “I gave him the speech about national security and the warning about a fate worse than death.”

  One of Cade’s guys piped up, “Is that the one where you lay back and think of England?”

  Another voice came out of the shadow of a large bush. “No, man, that’s the one when you get assigned a desk.”

  Nate moved deeper into the shadows when Cade’s shooter looked his way. He knew he’d been spotted when the guy started walking toward him.