Impossible End (Unchecked Book 3)

by Bartel, Sybil

  Fuck, a biker? “And neither of the hired guns saw or knew about the sniper?”

  “Negative.”

  Shit. “I don’t like it.”

  “Me neither. I’m driving up to Daytona to talk to Talon. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  Fuck. “Who you leaving me with?”

  “I’ll have Tyler meet you in Largo.”

  “What about Collin?”

  “He’s reassigned.”

  “You didn’t let him go?”

  “I’m keeping him close ‘til we see this through. He could be the connection for all I know.”

  “I thought you screened.”

  “I do. I triple check then I sit on them and watch for a holding period before I check them again. He’d looked clean through the whole process. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean he is. I’m not the only security firm who screens this way. He could’ve figured it out and played the part. But trust me, I’ll find out what’s up before this is over.”

  “Copy. Let me know what you find out from Talon.”

  “Will do.”

  “One last thing. I talked to Barrett. He’s going after Maldonado from his end. He’ll be calling you. Make sure the hired gun talks, but not about us.”

  “Not my first op, Gunny.”

  “I’m not your Gunnery Sergeant anymore.”

  “You’re sure as shit acting like it.” André hung up.

  I rubbed a hand over my face, wondering why Maldonado would hire a biker.

  I EASED THE COBALT UP to Neil’s dock just after sunrise. Layna was curled up next to me, drifting in and out of sleep. I carried her up the steps, used the code to unlock the door and deactivated the alarm to Neil’s vacation house. After laying her down on the master bed, I reset the alarm and closed all the shutters. She watched me but she didn’t say anything.

  “I’m taking a shower, be right back.”

  She nodded.

  I closed the bathroom door, turned on the shower and pulled out her cell. I sent a quick text to Tyler.

  Me: We’re here

  He instantly texted back.

  Tyler: Watched you dock. Perimeter secure.

  Me: We’re going to sleep, call if there’s any problem

  Tyler: Copy

  I got in the shower and two minutes later I was back in the bedroom, setting my 9mm on the nightstand. I didn’t think she was going to fall asleep that fast, but she did. Curled in a ball, her breathing too even to be fake, she looked like an angel. I almost didn’t want to disturb her but I was feeling selfish.

  I dropped my towel and pulled back the covers. She breathed in deep but she didn’t move. I cupped my hand under her head.

  “C’mon, baby. Let’s get you out of these clothes.” I gently lifted her.

  Her eyes fluttered open and my heart took a hit. Every second of last night was written all over her face and I was suddenly back in that damn church the night I met her. I wanted to wipe the fear from her eyes then, and I wanted to do it more now. I wanted to kill the sniper all over again. Hell, I wanted to walk into that jail and kill Maldonado with my bare hands.

  Tension radiating through me, I pressed my lips to her forehead. “It’s okay. I just want you comfortable.”

  She nodded but she didn’t speak. She looked off into the distance and I knew she was retreating into her own mind as I pulled her shirt over her head and stripped her jeans off. I wanted her naked but she looked so damn vulnerable in her bra and underwear I couldn’t do it. I lay down and pulled her into my arms.

  Settling her back to my chest, I stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. “What’s this about?” I asked, keeping any intonation out of my voice.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re pulling away from me. Why?”

  “I’m right here.” Her voice was too quiet.

  “You know what I mean.” I kissed her shoulder. “Talk to me.”

  She sighed. “Is it always going to be like this? One step forward, twenty steps back?”

  I should be glad she was referring to last night as backward steps instead of a catastrophic event, but I knew how shit could brew into a storm for her. “No.”

  “That’s it? Just a no?”

  Morning light filtered through the blinds as I pulled the soft weight of her hair through my fingers. The sunlight, as drawn to her as I was, picked up on the strands and made them shine. “Do you trust me?” I asked quietly.

  “Yes, of course, but—”

  “Do you believe I’m capable of taking care of you?”

  “Blaze, this isn’t about what you can or cannot do.”

  “This is exactly that.” I gently stroked down her arm.

  She turned to face me. “I don’t need to be taken care of.”

  I loved how determined she was. I loved that she was a fighter but she deserved to be taken care of. “Protection, safety, shelter…those are the things you need and that’s what I’m going to give you—now, and every day for the rest of your life.”

  Her big brown eyes stared at me. “When will it stop?” she whispered.

  She was so damn pretty it hurt to look at her sometimes. “Maybe never.” I couldn’t lie to her. “But Maldonado is being taken care of, the sniper is handled and we’re going to wait it out here a few days while André does his job. After that? I can’t say what other fallout is going to happen because of your father but I’ll handle it.” I took her face in my hand. “You are not alone.” I kissed her once. “You’re mine and I love you.”

  A tear slid down her cheek. “Eight.”

  She counted every time I gave her those three words but I’d never told her she was off by one. I simply wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. “You need sleep.”

  She filled her lungs with air and let it out slowly. “Okay.”

  Three minutes later, her breaths evened and her muscles relaxed.

  Reluctantly, I closed my eyes. The IED flashback never came. Instead, the bullet piercing the snipers skull replayed in a slow motion loop until exhaustion won and I fell asleep.

  The sound of ringing pulled me from sleep and had me instantly alert. I scanned the sparse room for anything out of place as I answered, “Yeah?”

  “Shift change,” Tyler said. “You want some takeout before I catch forty?”

  “What time is it?” Neil didn’t even have a damn clock in his place.

  “Just past noon.”

  Shit, I felt like I could sleep another six hours. Layna rolled over and stretched. I ran my hand down her thigh and rubbed my thumb behind her knee. “Who’s taking over for you?”

  “Two men. Carlos and Davis, both solid. Davis is your contact. Use this same number if you need him. I’ll bring you food?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Going out to eat was too risky.

  “Give me twenty.”

  “Copy.” I hung up and pulled Layna into me. “Good afternoon,” I whispered, kissing her ear.

  Chills broke out across her arms. “Mm.” She arched her back and rubbed her tight ass against my hard dick.

  I gripped her thigh. “You doing that on purpose?”

  “Mm hm.” She did it again.

  Christ. “You better?” I wanted to take her so hard I couldn’t concentrate.

  “Better than what?”

  I loved the raspy sound of her voice. “Last night.”

  “I always want you. That never goes away.”

  Thank fuck. I stripped her underwear, put her on her hands and knees then pulled her ass up. Fisting my dick, I stroked through her folds once then slammed home. “Fuck, you’re so wet.” And tight, and hot, and so fucking perfect I could’ve come in seconds.

  “Blaze,” she cried out.

  I fucking loved hearing her say my name. I leaned over her back and dragged my tongue and my teeth along her neck to her shoulder. “Fast and hard, baby. We don’t have much time.” I pinched her already hard nipples and moved one hand to her clit. She jerked against my touch and her pussy tightened
like a glove.

  I couldn’t take it. I started pounding into her. My dick hitting her cervix, her walls clamping down around me, I wasn’t going to last. “Come,” I demanded.

  The second I felt her go off, I gripped her hips, thrust deep, and fucking detonated. “Oh, fuck.”

  Panting, sweating, my brain shut off.

  Her fingers dug into my thigh. “I feel you, inside me.”

  Her breathy little whisper crawled up my spine and my dick pulsed. I wrapped my arms around her waist and brought her to my chest then flipped to my back. She started to move off me but I tightened my hold and brought my knees up, caging her legs between mine. “Stay.”

  Her back settled on my chest and her hands went to my thighs. I never wanted to move.

  “Neil needs a decorator.”

  Fuck. Seriously? “My dick’s inside you and you’re thinking about Neil?”

  She started to laugh. Not a girl giggle, but a full blown Layna laugh. If I didn’t fucking adore her, I would’ve been insulted as hell.

  “I can’t…” She laughed harder. “I can’t keep you inside…” She rolled to her side and I slid out. “Neil’s gonna be pissed about his sheets!” She dissolved into laughter.

  “Christ, woman.” I shook my head, not giving a shit about the sheets.

  She held her left hand up and wiggled her ring finger. “Not woman, wife!” Giggles cascaded out of her, reminding me why her laughter was the best fucking part of my life.

  My cell phone rang. Smiling, I answered without looking at the display. “This’d better be good, Tyler.”

  “It’s André. Maldonado’s dead.”

  I sat up. “You sure?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  “Thank G—”

  “We got a problem.”

  I LOCKED DOWN MY EXPRESSION. “Details,” I demanded.

  Layna sat up and looked at me.

  “You need to come north,” André insisted.

  I tried to smile at Layna. “Why?”

  “How soon can you get to Talon’s?”

  I bit back a frustrated growl and tried like fuck not to let Layna see my growing tension. “Depends on what intel you give me.” He needed to give me something before I risked my wife’s life by taking her up there. “I’m not going to step in it.”

  “You’re already in it, both of you are, neck deep. Your names are being thrown around as possibly being behind this. We’re trying to contain it but you need to get the hell up here.”

  Jesus fucking Christ. “How?” I smoothed my hand over Layna’s hair.

  “How’d your names leak, or how are we containing it?”

  Layna leaned into me and I lowered the volume as low as it would go so she couldn’t hear. “Both.”

  “I don’t want to discuss it over the phone.”

  “Then we’re not moving.”

  “Dios mios,” André sighed. “Look, your names leaked. You knew this could happen but I’m containing it. Get up here. We’re relocating you two.”

  “How serious is it?”

  “The kind of serious where you leave the country while I sort this shit out. Carlos and Davis will bring you up.”

  “What about Tyler?”

  “He’s already on his way. Neil too.”

  Shit. “Transport,” I said cryptically. “I need to know what I’m getting into.” There was over three hundred miles of open road between here and Daytona Beach.

  “Rat trap,” he said, mentioning the nickname of an operation that turned to shit in Afghanistan. We’d gotten surrounded and weren’t sure which way to get out. We weren’t in danger in the compound, but we knew the second we breached, we were going to be exposed as fuck. He was telling me it was safe to come up but after that, he had no fucking clue.

  I needed to know if we had to disappear permanently. “Completely off grid?”

  “No, just until the heat settles. Neil’s working on the details. In the meantime, get up here. I’m not discussing anymore of it over the phone.”

  Fuck. “Copy that. Six hours.”

  “See you then.” André hung up.

  “What’s going on?” Layna’s hand was clutched in a fist as it rested on my chest.

  I pulled her fingers apart and took my time kissing each one. She watched my movements but her breathing didn’t slow. The tension in her shoulders stayed rigid and I could tell she was waiting me out. “I think we should plan a real honeymoon.”

  “You already did. We’re on it. I was joking about a redo.”

  “I wasn’t. Where do you want to go? Bahamas? Hawaii?” Fuck, where did she like to vacation? She’d never said. All I knew was she hated cold weather but knowing Neil was planning our shit, it was most likely going to be somewhere in Scandinavia where he had a past and connections.

  “We’re already on an island.”

  I brought her hand to my mouth and touched the underside of her wrist with the tip of my tongue. “How about a different island?” Denmark had islands but I wasn’t going to tell her shit until I knew what Neil had planned.

  She jerked her hand back. “Damn it, tell me what’s going on!”

  I calmly took her hand back and laced our fingers. “We’re going to Daytona.”

  Her rigid posture didn’t budge. “And?”

  I fought a smile. “Have I told you how smart you are?”

  “Yes. But you were mistaking my instincts for intelligence.”

  “There’s a difference?” I brushed my thumb over her knuckles, studying her expression.

  “Tell me the rest of it.”

  I searched for cracks. I looked for a thread that was about to unravel, but all I saw was agitation. “We may have to disappear for awhile.”

  She didn’t even flinch. “How long is awhile?”

  “Would it matter?”

  Her eyebrows drew together for a moment, but then she exhaled and her face softened. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we go.”

  I kissed her once then had to pull back before I took her again. “Right answer.”

  “But I’m not going somewhere really cold.”

  Shit. I forced a smile. “I’ll keep you warm.”

  She crawled over me and straddled my legs. “How warm?” she purred. “Because I’m going to—”

  I slammed my mouth over hers. Rough, demanding, I stroked her with my tongue and ran my hands up her back. She melted into me and it only turned me on more. Already hard again, I lifted her by the waist, positioned myself, then drove her down as I thrust up.

  “Ahhhh!” She clenched down on me, hard.

  I gripped a handful of her hair, pulled and her head fell back. “So fucking tight,” I growled.

  She rocked into me and her moan filled the room.

  Head back, lips parted, her eyes half-lidded, she was so fucking gorgeous. I put my mouth against her throat and whispered, “Do you know what you feel like?”

  “No,” she rasped.

  “Like everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  Her body stilled, her eyes opened and I released my tight grip in her hair as she brought her head up.

  “Blaze,” she breathed, staring into my soul.

  “Everything,” I repeated.

  Her hand landed on my heart. “I love you.”

  “I know.” Every part of her body changed when she looked at me. Her shoulders lifted, her back went straight, her eyes turned to liquid heat and her pulse raced. I knew how she felt about me.

  She pushed her fingers into my hair. “I’ll still always tell you.”

  “I know.” She needed the words. I didn’t. I didn’t throw out words when I had actions.

  Her forehead creased and her hands stilled. “What if I never told you again?”

  “It would change nothing.”

  She turned her head and dropped her arms.

  I grabbed her chin and brought her back to me. I’d been waiting for this to come up. I never told her I loved her in response to her telling me. It c
heapened it. “But I would miss it,” I said honestly.

  “Would you?” It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation.

  “Yes.”

  “I miss it.”

  I wrapped a hand around her throat and pushed her away from me. My other hand grabbed her waist and yanked her hips closer. Her back arched perfectly. I drew a hard nipple into my mouth and swirled my tongue.

  She cried out, digging her fingers into my scalp.

  Sucking hard, I drew my teeth across her nipple then released her to lick away the sting.

  Her pussy clenched hard around my dick. “Oh my God.”

  “How many times have I come inside you?” I asked calmly.

  “I dunno,” she answered absently, rocking her hips.

  “How many other women have I come inside?”

  She froze and looked at me, the color draining from her face.

  “How many?” I demanded.

  She swallowed.

  “You know this,” I reminded her. “Answer me.”

  “None,” she whispered.

  I dropped my Marine face. “You don’t need the words,” I slowly annunciated, letting her see the man I was, not the warrior I’d been trained to be.

  Her eyes welled with unshed tears.

  Then I gave her the fierce truth that meant more to me than any three words. “I would die for you.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek.

  I cupped the back of her head, laid her down and thrust into her with everything in my heart. “My Layna. My love.”

  She clung to me with desperation, as if she couldn’t get close enough then she gave me what I craved most in this world. “I am yours. I will always be yours.”

  My lips crashed over hers and I shuddered, thinking how I’d almost lost her. My life was darkness before her. I was never going back there. I would kill a thousand times over to keep her safe.

  Her tongue swirled up to meet mine and all thoughts ceased except the exquisite torture of my painfully hard cock buried deep inside her. Cupping her face, I thrust forward and rubbed my thumb over her bottom lip. “You’re gonna come for me, baby.”

  “Yes,” she breathed, arching off the bed.

  “Feel me.” I drove deeper. “Only me.”

  “I do,” she rasped, her legs starting to tremble. “You’re everywhere. In my body, in my heart.”