Saving Olivia (Team Cereberus Book 1)

by Melissa Kay Clarke

  The touch sent warmth through her body, and she melted against his palm. "It's good to be home," she murmured. Her breath hitched when he leaned over and kissed her sweetly. Okay, so it wasn't just her.

  He let his hand slide away and started the vehicle. Olivia glanced out the window as Bruiser navigated the parking garage and pulled out into regular traffic. She had watched this same view several times before in the past four years, but knowing this was the "final" time settled something deep inside. The next time she left home, it would be because she wanted to and not because she had to.

  "Are you hungry? We can stop and grab a bite if you want."

  She turned back to him and shook her head. "No, I'm good. Besides, I want to save room for Auntie's enchilada casserole." She grinned mischievously. "But if you need to waste some time before taking me to the Community Center for my party, we can just drive around."

  She watched his face as shock flashed across it and he coughed. "Jayden?"

  "Mmmhm. He couldn't help it. The last time we spoke, he spilled the beans. Don't worry, though, I wouldn't rain on Auntie's parade for anything. I'll act properly surprised."

  They drove around for another twenty minutes before Bruiser announced they had wasted enough time. When they got to the center, he took her hand and gave her a wink. Together they walked into the door.

  "Surprise!"

  People shouted to her as she entered. Acting properly shocked, she grinned and waved. She recognized a few members of Auntie's church, several attendees of the center and a couple of neighbors. There was also a group of four handsome, buff, men whom she had never seen before standing in one corner. Bruiser raised a hand in greeting which they returned. That had to be Bruiser's team.

  Jayden rushed forward and threw his arms around her. Squeezing her tightly, he yelled, "Welcome home, Livy! Now you don't have to leave ever again."

  Olivia tightly hugged her little brother, who was already taller than her. "Hey there Jaybug. Nope, I'm not planning on ever leaving again. You're stuck with me, kiddo."

  He let her go and scrunched up his face. "I'm not a kiddo, Livy. I'm as big as you."

  "I see that. You've grown another foot since March."

  He grinned and puffed out his chest. "Come see what I did." He grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled.

  "Jayden," Auntie Nat admonished gently. "We talked about this, remember? There's plenty of time later. She's only just gotten home. Let her get her breath first." She also hugged Livy closely. "It's good to have you home again."

  "Okay, Auntie," Jayden mumbled and dropped Livy's hand. "After you breathe, I'll show you my big painting."

  Everyone laughed, and music filled the air. In one corner, a large retro style boom box sat on a card table. Tunes poured from the speakers on either side of it. On the countertop sat a large flat cake. Olivia wandered over and smiled at the camouflage design on top with a huge, "Welcome Home Livy" written in bright orange icing. There was a suspicious looking gouge in one side. She was pretty sure it would match Jayden's finger. She laughed. It was perfect.

  "Olivia!"

  She glanced up and saw Bruiser standing with the four strangers next to a punch bowl. Motioning her over he handed her a cup of the fruity drink and pulled her into his side. "Olivia, I'd like you to meet Cowboy, Finch, Railroad, and Hick, members of my team. Gentlemen, this is Olivia Parker, the guest of honor. Toad couldn't make it today; he had other plans."

  Olivia blinked as she looked up at them. "Nice to meet you." She glanced at Bruiser. "Toad? Why in the world would you guys give him that name?"

  The one named Finch muttered, "He earned it." He took a big drink of the watered down punch and frowned.

  She started to ask another question but was cut off by Jayden grabbing her hand. "Hi, guys. Come on; you've breathed enough. I want to show you," he whined.

  Livy couldn't help but laugh at his exuberance. "Excuse me, please." She gave them a nod and slipped from the comfort of Bruiser's side. "Alright, Jaybug, I'm coming. You're pulling my arm out of the socket."

  He continued to drag her until they stopped before a large wall on one side of the massive room. Dropping her hand, he stood back. "See? They let me paint on the wall."

  She gasped.

  It was a beautiful mural done in vivid colors. At the center, Jayden had carefully airbrushed the words "Community" in the gaudy block letters common with many graffitists. However, the six mini pictures around it stunned her. Mixing the street art style with caricatures, he had portrayed scenes he had obviously witnessed within the center. At the top, several small children sat in a circle while a woman helped them with homework assignments in the after-hours school tutoring program. To the right and slightly lower, a group of young teens played basketball. The next one depicted Mrs. Claymore drawing on a large sketchpad. The lowest picture was a group of young women sitting in a group, doing their nails, their faces animated as if in the midst of gossip. Next was a group of men and women carrying boxes toward a table with "Food Bank" draped across it. However, it was the last picture that caught her attention. In it, a muscular man stood in a tank shirt and shorts, showing a group of women how to kick a dummy in the knee. Jayden had captured Bruiser's good looks in perfect caricature form with his head slightly larger than his body, and a grimace on his face with tiny beads of sweat flying from his body.

  "He did a good job," Bruiser stood beside her looking up at the wall.

  "It's fabulous." She turned and hugged her brother proudly. "Look what you did!"

  "I know, Livy. I'm the one that did it, duh." He rolled his eyes. "Mr. Art said he is going to ask if I can do one of the walls on the outside. He has to get permission first."

  She grinned at him. "I'm so proud of you."

  He smirked then hugged her. "Auntie is cutting the cake now." He turned and hurried off toward the table where Natalie was placing squares on paper plates.

  "He amazes me," Olivia leaned against Bruiser.

  "You amaze me," he whispered and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Come on. You don't want to miss out on your cake, do you?"

  Bruiser's eyes rarely left Olivia as she flittered around the room, talking to everyone. Sitting at a table with his team, he watched her make the rounds, thanking each person for coming. Every once in a while, she would glance up at the mural and smile wistfully. He could tell she was insanely proud of her little brother.

  "Hey, Romeo, you and Livy an item?" Cowboy picked up the cup of punch and drained it. "Because it sure looks that way from here. "You haven't taken your eyes off her since you arrived."

  Bruiser reluctantly drew his gaze from watching her move around the room. He raised one eyebrow. "As I told you before, we're just friends."

  Cowboy barked out a laugh. "Just friends, eh? That possessive streak you're showing says a lot more than 'just friends.' Don't think we haven't noticed how your mood changed after getting certain texts and emails over the past three months. Admit it, Bruise, you got it bad for her."

  Bruiser chuckled. "I admit nothing."

  "I noticed she and her brother don't favor," Finch nodded toward the two standing by the cake table. "Is one of them adopted?"

  The question took Bruiser by surprise. "No. Why do you ask?"

  "Jayden is light complexioned," Finch answered. "Livy is much darker."

  "From what I understand, they have the same mother but different fathers. Olivia is Biracial, and Jayden is Caucasian." Bruiser's gaze darkened. "Don't tell me you are a racist because that shit doesn't fly with me."

  Finch threw his hands up in surrender. "Hell no, I'm not a bigot. I may be from the South, but that doesn't mean I believe in that elitist bull-crap. I was just curious about adoption, that's all." He stood and picked up his cup. "I'm going to head out. I have a few things to take care of."

  "Finch!" Bruiser called out, but his teammate kept walking. Finch dropped his cup in the trash. He stopped to say something to Olivia before exiting the building.

  "What was
that about?" Bruiser asked in stunned disbelief.

  Railroad, the quietest, most focused member of their team shrugged his shoulders. "He's been moody as hell since coming back from leave last week. I tried to get him to talk about whatever is bugging him but he won't."

  Bruiser watched the door as if waiting for it to open and readmit Finch. He had been so focused on Olivia's homecoming he hadn't even noticed the change in his teammate. His thoughts were interrupted when Hick dropped into the chair Finch had just vacated. He held a paper plate with a huge piece of cake in one hand and a plastic fork in the other.

  Smacking his lips, Hick crooned, "Mmmmm. Good cake."

  "Again?" Cowboy shook his head. "Man, why do you do that to yourself? You know that weird metabolism of yours is going to slow down eventually."

  "Nah, my whole family is like this. We can eat anything and never gain any weight." He shoved a bite of the sugary confection into his mouth and chewed. Washing the bite down with the watered down punch he licked the frosting from his lips. "Best cake I've had since New Orleans."

  "I'm surprised you aren't covering it in mustard or pickles," Bruiser snickered.

  Hick stopped with the fork in the air. "Do you think they have pickles around here?" He laughed at their disgusted looks. "Kidding. I'm just joking." He shoveled the cake into his mouth.

  "How is..." Bruiser paused and searched his mind for the woman's name. "How is Annabeth? Are you two still talking?"

  Hick lowered his chin in a brief nod. Swallowing the bite in his mouth, he continued. "Yeah. We Skype a couple of times a week. She's coming out next month for some writing something or another. We may hook-up while she's here."

  Bruiser nodded. "The convention downtown. River and Joselyn are coming out as well. I was thinking about having a BBQ while they were here. Sound good to you guys?"

  "As long as you're not cooking, Hick," Cowboy said with a bit of snark.

  "Bite me, Cowboy," Hick grinned and shoveled the last of the cake into his mouth.

  The table fell silent. Turning his attention back to Olivia, Bruiser watched her as people started to leave. "Looks like this shindig is winding down," he stated. Standing, he picked up cups and plates from the table. As one, the others stood and helped as well. They returned the tables and chairs to storage, cleaned the floors and put away the decorations. Hick claimed the last few pieces of cake. Auntie Nat had been about to throw them away, but Hick saved them at the last minute.

  Three hours later, Bruiser delivered Olivia, Auntie Nat, and Jayden to their home. He was invited to stay for dinner, for which he happily accepted. He would gladly take all the time he could in Olivia's company. After helping to clean up, Bruiser and Olivia wandered outside, hands clasped, where they perched on the sturdy porch railing. He had his arm around her back with his fingers tucked into her pants pocket. She took his other hand in hers and ran her fingers over the rough, calloused pads. Crickets serenaded them from the shrubs bracketing the sidewalk. Olivia had her head on Bruiser's shoulder.

  "How about dinner this Friday?" he asked as he pressed his lips against her hair.

  "Okay," she whispered then yawned.

  He laughed and pulled his fingers out of her pocket. "Alright, you need your rest. It's been a long day for you."

  She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her with a look. "Sweetheart, you're don't have to pack a month's worth of leaves into a week. We've got time." He hopped off the railing and pulled her down beside him. "I need to go anyway. It's late, and I have PT in the morning."

  The expression on her face made his gut clench. She didn't want him to go. He didn't want to go, either, but he knew he needed to. It made him feel good that she wasn't ready to say goodnight yet. He cupped her cheek with his hand and watched the play of emotions on her face. In this light, with the way her eyes shone, she was so beautiful and vulnerable. He groaned. "Honey, please?" he pleaded. He wouldn't be able to leave her like this.

  She closed her eyes and looked away. "Okay," she agreed and turned toward the door.

  He pulled her back and curled his arms around her, pulling her protectively into his embrace. Looking down at her, he sighed. "You're getting under my skin, Olivia."

  She giggled. "My plan is working."

  He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "So it is."

  They stared at each other a moment longer before Bruiser lowered his face to hers. He hesitated, watching the way her thick, dark lashes brushed against her cheeks. She rose up on her toes, breaching the minuscule distance until they shared a breath. His eyes swept over her face, drinking in the exquisite beauty that was his Olivia. He wondered, Was she his? Not yet, but she would be. With his mind made up, he brushed her lips tenderly. With the first electric touch, she pressed herself against his body, winding her arms around his waist. Sliding his hand around until he cupped her neck, his thumb swept circles against her throat as his tongue mimicked the gesture against her plush lips. With a soft sigh of surrender, she granted him access, and he slipped inside easily. The taste of her was ambrosia mixed with sweet sunshine and the promise of a thousand moments of pure bliss. He was lost in her. Breathless, it deepened until they were both panting. As the kiss broke, she gave a soft whimper of hunger. The sound twisted him inside. With a groan, he recaptured her mouth in a harder kiss, taking her flavors as he nipped and sucked on her tender bottom lip. Reluctantly, he released her mouth. She laid her head against his shoulder, and he curled his fingers into her hair, tenderly stroking. He could hear her heart racing in time with his. Cripes, what this woman did to him!

  They stayed that way, clinging tightly to each other as the world passed them by. He would have stayed there all night holding her in his arms except for the yawn that overtook her. He sighed forlornly.

  "I better go before Auntie Nat comes after me with a broom," he whispered against her hair.

  Drawing out of his arms, she pulled her lip into her mouth and nodded slowly. "Okay," she acquiesced, taking a step back and wrapping her arms around her middle.

  Standing there, less than two foot from her and he was already missing her. She had burrowed in under his skin and was well on her way to stealing his heart. This woman whom he had seen only a handful of hours was rapidly becoming more important to Bruiser by the minute. She was bordering on vital. It should have scared him. It didn't.

  He forced himself to turn away. He dropped down the steps and walked to his SUV. Unlocking the door, he looked back to find her watching him with a beautiful smile on her face. Again, his body reacted. Clearing his throat, he called out, "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

  "Okay," she returned.

  Finally, as he pulled out of the driveway, he noticed her enter the house and closed the door. The guys were right. He had it bad for her and frankly, he didn't care. Olivia was what he wanted most in this world. He had a feeling she harbored the same desires, but if she didn't, he would do his best to convince her they belonged together.

  Chapter 6

  "Finch. Cowboy. Take the northeast entrance. Hick, you and Toad, have the gate. Railroad, are you settled?"

  "Affirmative. I'm in the nest. Thermographics make three inside the first room and four in the second. No guards."

  Once again, that feeling of unease slid over Bruiser's consciousness. Intelligence pointed to the house as being the home of one of the top ten terrorist leaders, but Bruiser had his doubts. Haafiz al-Bashir had taken credit for a dozen terrorist activities spread over three continents. Although he prided himself as a humble man of the people, al-Bashir, like many of his compatriots preferred a more upscale lifestyle. The so called "compound" they were about to raid looked more like a farm rather than a terrorist cell. Made of simple mud brick walls and hard, tamped floors, the building sat low in the moonlight-drenched valley. There was also a marked absence of military presence. The whole thing put Bruiser on high alert. Either this was a huge mistake, or things were going to go sour.

  Bruiser gave the nod to the two men crouched bes
ide him. Dressed in all black including knit hats pulled low, they drew their weapons and leaned slightly forward. Bruiser hated having civilians along on a mission, but he had no choice; orders were orders. He whispered to them, "Stay here. We'll secure the building and then bring you in." He pointed to the top of a water tower. "Railroad is there. He's got his eye on you. If it goes FUBAR, he'll guide you out of here and to the evacuation point." He tapped his ear, indicating the hidden earpiece. "He'll let you know when to move." Bruiser pulled his Colt M4A1 assault rifle up and glared at them. "For the record, I was against bringing you with us until everything was secured. We could have brought any informants back to base."

  The taller man known only as Madison snarled his nose. "Noted. I believe we already went over this song and dance of yours back at base, soldier. You do your job and let us do ours. This isn't our first rodeo." Beside him, Raulston lifted his chin in agreement.

  Idiots. "More like a circus than a rodeo," Bruiser muttered under his breath. Crouching down, he took several breaths then whispered into the mic. "Go."

  The team moved with the practiced ease of a well-rehearsed dance. Toad rolled a flash bang into the compound courtyard as Cowboy did the same around the back. The detonation created momentary confusion which the SEALs used to their advantage. Rushing into the front room, Toad and Hick secured the area quickly and rounded up the occupants who were screaming and rubbing their eyes. Similar sounds erupted from the adjoining room where Cowboy and Finch entered. Within moments, the compound was secured without a single shot being fired. Thank God. Bruiser much preferred this to the alternative.

  "Man, something ain't right," Cowboy hissed as Bruiser entered. "There are three women and four kids."

  "Put them all in here," Bruiser barked even as his sense of unease tickled at the back of his brain. Cowboy was right. Something was wrong with this whole operation. This was much too easy. "Cowboy, stay here. The rest of you search. See if there's a hidey-hole or tunnel. If al-Bashir is here, we need to find him." Looking around as the group assembled next to him he gave the "all clear" for the two agents attached to the mission.