Stone (The Elite Forces Series Book 3)

by Kathy Coopmans

  “Hell, sic Jade on them, and I’m positive they’ll be scared for their damn lives.” He starts to laugh before the rest of us do. I can see them all start to think about what I’m saying.

  “What do we know about them?” I look to Pierce in hopes of some answers.

  “I know one of them runs a resort with her father off the coast.” As soon as his words come out, I know what has to be done.

  “That’s it. I’ll go like I’m on a vacation. I can take Jade and go undercover.” Kaleb scowls at me like I just stabbed him in his dick.

  “Jade is not fucking going with you to Mexico. If she goes anywhere, I’ll be right with her ass.” Christ, the man is so damn possessive of her I’m surprised he doesn’t shackle her ass to him when they sleep. I could stand here and argue with him about this, but instead, I’ll just roll with it.

  “Perfect. I’ll take someone too and make it look like we’re vacationing. Then we see what happens. Maybe we can pull some information out of these girls if they have any.” My brows lift right along with his. Then his face turns into a scowl. Oh, this is good. He knows there’s only one option, one person I can take.

  “Who are you thinking about taking?” His tone is challenging. He already knows, but he wants me to say it. I have no problem saying her name at all. In fact, the more I say it, the better it sounds rolling off of my tongue.

  “I don’t know. Emmy?” I lift a brow right along with the corner of my lip.

  “Nice. Two couples on a vacation on the beaches in Mexico with the white sand, the nude beaches, and I’m stuck here staring at fucking trees and shit. Fuckers,” Jackson pouts.

  “No fucking way!” he yells at me before he turns to put Jackson in his place. “And that’s one fucking couple and another undercover woman and man working together.”

  “Lighten up, man. Your sister can handle it; it isn’t any different than you dumping her in that house to stay with me. We’ll just be sharing one room.” I shrug like it’s no big deal, which it isn’t. I’ll be focused on the mission of my life.

  “A room with two beds,” is Kaleb’s reply. I don’t have time for his crap right now, so I tell him what he wants to hear.

  “Works for me. Someone make the call and get us rooms. Make sure they’re suites while you’re at it. Nothing but the best for the women.” I think the asshole may have growled when I walked out right after I spoke to answer the vibrating phone in my pocket.

  Yeah, he could never handle knowing what I’ve done with his sister. He’d lose his shit.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  EMMY

  I say good-bye to my mom and Jade at midnight. Though neither one of them knew the real reason why I kept glancing at the door waiting for my brother to come in, I could tell they both felt the edginess I’ve been feeling. I hope they suspect it had to do with the conversation I had earlier with him instead of the real reason I’ve spent the past two hours pretending I’m listening to Jade go on about finally setting a wedding date.

  I’m ready to head back to the house and see with my own two eyes if Beau is really okay. I need to tell him I’m sorry for being pushy, even though I don’t feel like I was; it’s still the right thing to do after the way he reacted.

  Then I’m going to go to bed and try my best to forget the fact he is most likely lying naked down the hall in bed with his smooth, hard chest, his tight abs, and a cock that was made to fuck on repeat.

  Beau Harris would be like winning the grand prize of men. Sounds dumb, but it’s the truth. From the little I know about the man, I can see how much he cares about those around him. I can tell he is a gives-more-than-he-takes kind of guy. And Jade, I feel for her. She’s told me time and again how much she misses her friend, who she felt like she could talk to about anything. She’s lost two friends in all of this, and I can see how hard this is on her.

  She’s told me how important he is to her and that he’s always been there for her. That’s a rarity in a man. It’s a trait my brother has as well. Even if he’s overbearing, the one thing I’ll always know is he’s there for me no matter what happens.

  If only I knew Beau well enough to be able to guide him back to the man he was, I would do what I could. I’m not talking sexually. I’m talking the everyday living and laughing as he does something out of the norm that will make him notice he has a life yet to live. I know Mallory would not want him to become the bitter and angry man he is now. No one would want that for someone they love.

  The sound of the front door opening draws my attention from the corner of the couch where I’ve been sitting for the past half hour. The room is dim with only the glow of the flat screen television shining on me and blocking my ability to see him in any way other than a silhouette.

  “Hey,” he says calmly then sits down on the opposite end of the couch.

  God, he looks beat up. He has dark circles under his eyes and around the cuts from yesterday’s fight. His hair is a mess and that scruff is begging me to run my hands over it.

  “Jade filled me in a little. Are you doing okay?” Shit. Of course he isn’t okay, you dipshit.

  “Surprisingly, I am. I won’t lie to anyone and say that reading all of that evidence didn’t bring back the worst night of my life, because it sure as hell did. The thing is though, I feel good about it in a way that brings me some sort of peace, knowing we’re taking off to investigate a strong hunch I have.” This man beside me speaks so surely of himself; it’s somewhat baffling and exciting at the same time to see this change in him.

  The idea of him feeling peaceful is a reprieve to the hell that seeped out of his eyes a few hours ago. Physically, he seems more relaxed in the way he sits with his legs sprawled out on the coffee table in front of him. His arm is splayed across the back of the dark-blue couch, and his glare is now transfixed on me.

  He may look exhausted, but he doesn’t look defeated anymore. His shoulders are curled back, his head is higher, and as if it could be any more possible, the man is an absolute danger to my existence. I need to get away from him before I crawl on his lap, hike up my skirt, and ride his big cock.

  “Well, I’m going to bed. I hope you get the answers you need.” I reach across the couch and give his hand a gentle squeeze. Because, well, what else am I supposed to do? He’s here, he’s talking, and there really isn’t anything left for me to say.

  “I apologize, Emmy. I was an asshole. I should’ve never talked to you the way I did today.” His words stop me right before I turn the corner to the hallway where I would disappear out of his sight. My back is to him, but I can hear and feel the sincerity in his voice. He means it.

  “I accept your apology.” My heart begins to flutter over a simple apology, which is something it never does. My head is scattered with all kinds of commotion pulling me in every direction. I’m usually composed and the one in charge, yet here I am ready to falter at the feet of a man who I wonder if he even knows what the hell he’s doing to me.

  This man has me all tied up in a knot. I don’t get it at all. He’s not damaged, yet he is. He’s emotionally unavailable, yet he isn’t. He’s hurting, yet he’s not.

  “There’s one more thing I need to tell you before you go to bed.” I turn to meet his heated glare. His eyes roam up and down my bare legs, lingering at the center of my thighs. Yes, I’m teasing him in a way I shouldn’t. Now that he notices I have no panties on underneath the thin material of this dress, and even though he has seen me naked and had his face buried deep in my pussy, I feel more exposed than I did earlier today.

  “What is it?” I somehow manage to get those three little words out of my mouth without sounding like some schoolgirl with a stupid little crush.

  “I told Kaleb I would tell you this. You and I are going with Jade and Kaleb to Mexico tomorrow. We have a lead and need your help with staying undercover and we just found out we leave in the morning. He’s telling your mom now. He said if you needed him to give him a call. He’d be right here.” My eyes go wide not so much from
them needing my help, I would do anything to help them find out who’s responsible for this. It’s going to Mexico that has those flutters stopping right along with my heart shrinking in my chest.

  That’s where Ty was. That’s where they captured and tortured Kaleb. This can’t be true. Kaleb told me everything and asked me to never tell our mother. Even though I swear at times the way she looks at Kaleb when he walks into her home and sees the photos of my good for nothing dead brother right alongside ours, she knows Kaleb’s the one who ended Ty’s life.

  My mom would never admit her suspicions for the sake of the love she has for the son who has loved and respected her like any child should. She would never hurt him like that by making him admit to the horror. Kaleb will always live with some sort of regret, but this, this will eat away at him like the horrible memory it is.

  I need to see him or at least talk with him to make sure he’s okay. This will leave a bleeding wound that may never heal in my brother no matter how hard he tried to conceal it or tuck it way. Knowing that Ty had anything to do with this could break my brother again.

  I’m thankful for the unconditional love Jade has for him and the strength she has to hold him together. I feel terrible all of a sudden thinking my brother may have had something to do with the tragedy that haunts Beau.

  I feel sick. The enchiladas my mom made are rolling around in my stomach. Voices are screaming in my head, telling me this is not my fault, but a part of me knows it was my blood that may have done this to him.

  “No,” I whisper. “God, Beau. Please tell me the hunch along with the nasty taste in my mouth and the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is wrong.” He says nothing, only a look of sympathy conveying back at me.

  I’ve always considered myself to be a strong woman, one who is independent and carefree. I’ve always known exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I did my best to stay out of trouble until I left for college, staying focused on what I needed to do to become a doctor. If only I would have been able to stop my brother from leaving in the first place, then none of this would have happened.

  “Emmy, stop. Right the fuck now. I know what the hell you’re thinking, and there is no way I will let that shit consume your mind. I lived it for months, and as you know, it nearly drowned me. It’s not anyone’s fault that there are sick and twisted people out there. We can’t control the actions of others. The only thing we can do is seek revenge and put an end to this fucked-up nightmare so we can all live. Listen,” he tells me then moves quickly to stand in front of me.

  He cups my face, and I let him by welcoming his warm hands as he tilts my head up to look into his crystal-clear eyes. I feel as if the tables are turning, where he’s the one trying to heal me. It shouldn’t be this way, and yet his touch, his gaze slices into me enough to halt my thoughts.

  “I don’t know what’s happening between us. There’s something. You feel it as much as I do. But,” he swipes his thumb back and forth gently across my bottom lip, “what I know won’t happen between the two of us is guilt. Not anymore for me and definitely never for you. Do you get me, Emmy? I need your strength. I’m not afraid to ask for it. Now, go call your brother. I think you need him more than you need me right now.” I desperately want to tell him how sorry I am, but I can’t seem to put together a coherent sentence. The guilt is still there, slowly drifting away behind the determination of those first words he spoke about something happening between the two of us. He has no idea how much I wanted to hear him acknowledge he feels it too, but if he’s right about all of this and my brother had something to do with this, Kaleb is going to be devastated.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to his retreating back. He stops at the threshold of his doorway. His shoulders rise and fall in a brief contemplating measure before he turns and with long, unwavering strides and makes his way back to me. One hand slides around my waist, the other to the nape of my neck as he pulls me into his massive body, and I can feel hardness everywhere.

  If there’s one thing I do know about this man, it’s that he takes what he wants. He gets what he needs and gives it right back. His lips clash against mine. He growls, his sound savaged, his mouth attacking, his lips biting, bruising, and sending a throbbing ache that starts at my core and stops at my chest.

  He lifts me up by placing his hands on my bare ass, our mouths heated, and my fingers digging into his shoulders. I know what he’s doing, he’s reminding me that even though we are sleeping in separate beds tonight, that the desire he has for me is more than a fuck for him to get off on. He’s right, there is something happening between us. Something that may take a while to figure out. Something I know with every swipe of my tongue across his that I want, but I’m not going to rush into anything with him, knowing how fragile he is right now.

  One of his hands slaps my ass lightly, making me cry out into his mouth. God, I want him. He starts to walk me into my bedroom before he flicks on the light, never taking his mouth from mine. When our lips finally part and he places me down on my bed, his eyes are as untamed as that kiss was. He’s dark and sinful right now, and looking at him, I can tell he feels just as alive as I do after that kiss. I’m not sure what to think, or what to say, or what even sparked him to kiss me like that.

  “I gotta go before I take advantage of you again. I want nothing more than to fuck that tight pussy of yours again, and you have no idea where else my mind has gone while I carried you in here. Good night, Emmy.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  HARRIS

  The minute I saw her sitting on the couch, I knew without a doubt there is something about Emmy that has crawled under my skin. After the way I treated her today, she still sat there and waited for me to come back to the house just to see if I was alright. She’s a saint in a sinful seductress body, and it tortures me to know she’s getting to me.

  I’m done denying that there isn’t something between us. Whatever it is has given me a sense of hope, and that’s all I have to hold on to right now. As fucked up as this life of mine is, if she’s willing to hang on for the ride until we get to the bottom of this, then I’ll do everything to get to know her better and see if we’re compatible outside of this fucked-up situation.

  As much as I want this to be over so that we can all live peacefully knowing the cocksuckers responsible suffer in a way they’ve never dreamed, I can’t help but be happy to spend a few days with her and maybe get to know her better. She has a way of calming me, which is something I need right now.

  My only problem is Kaleb. The man has had my back and pushed my limits through all of this. I care about the barbaric idiot and have no idea how he is going to handle this. I guess it’s a talk I should probably have with him if we decide to continue whatever it is we have started.

  By the time I’ve gone for a run and taken a long shower, my aching cock is still as hard as it was when I first noticed she was bare underneath that dress. I decide to throw caution to the wind and say the hell with it. Right or wrong, I need to fuck her. There hasn’t been anything I’ve done right since I first noticed her here. I guess this means I may as well just dive in and do what I’m feeling. It’s been six months since Mallory’s death, and Emmy is the first woman I’ve been able to even look at.

  I have an itch to go see her right now. I can’t wait to spend some time with her in Mexico. I’m going to find out everything I can about what makes Emmy Maverick tick, right down to her sexual limits. And that’s all going to start right now.

  I make my way down the hall to her room, only to see her bent over, one leg on the bed, the other on the floor. That tempting ass is bare, and my cock twitches as I watch her move around, oblivious to the fact I’m watching.

  “Don’t move.” She jumps to the sound of my voice. The hair from her ponytail whips as she turns to look at me. Her eyes go wide as she stares down at my hands inside my shorts. I’m already stroking my cock.

  Her head tilts, and she licks her lips slowly in a way that would drive a sane man crazy and u
ndoes me. Her lips are purely fuckable. There isn’t a thing about her that isn’t made to be fucked. Her hips make my hands ache to grip them while I imagine taking her from behind. My fingers itch to leave marks all over her tight ass. Fuck me. That ass, that hair, her beautiful face. I want it all. I let my shorts fall to the floor while my hand still strokes up and down my shaft, my eyes never leaving her naked body.

  “I thought you said I needed my rest,” she teases playfully.

  “I changed my mind. You’ll need the rest alright, after I’ve exhausted your body like it’s never been exhausted before. I’ve been hard since I saw you weren’t wearing any underwear. It got harder when I held your ass in the palm of my hands, and I’m harder now that your sweet ass is taunting me to take it.” Her reaction shows me she’s all in when her brows raise and the sweetest yet dirtiest smile spreads across those unforgettable lips. Fuck. I’m going to be screwed in more ways than one.

  “Well, what are you waiting for then?” She wiggles her ass, places her other leg on the bed, hands in front of her, and fuck me, there isn’t a better sight than seeing her submit to me like she is right now. I grip ahold of her hair and pull it back in my fist. I take my other hand and grip my cock, sliding over the crack of her luscious ass and then down to where the tip hits her wetness and back up again.

  I bend over her and take her mouth as she looks back at me. Tasting her lips only makes me crazier. The noises this sexy little soon-to-be doctor makes drive me mad. Half pain, half pleasure whimpers into my mouth as I yank and tug on her hair. My dick is coated with her wetness, making it easy to slide into her a few times.