by Kaylea Cross
“She was dirty.” Kiyomi’s tone was icy, seething with the anger that threatened to break through her iron control. She’d thought she’d been tough before her capture, but that whole experience had changed her. Hardened her. She would never be taken again. Never. “Trinity told me you thought there was a chance she might have been innocent, but whatever intel made you think that was planted either by her or someone close to her.”
“How do you know that?” Amber asked in surprise. “I thought it had been someone from the Valkyrie Program trying to turn me on the others.”
Her insides tightened. “Because she asked me to kill you.”
A tense, brittle silence met her words, broken only by Georgia’s soft whistle.
“What?” Amber finally said, her voice flat.
Kiyomi nodded, glad to have the chance to say this out loud in front of everyone. She wanted them all to know exactly what had happened. The depths the others had sunk to. “You and Hannah were the only ones who knew where that money was. She wanted you dead so that no one else would be able to track or have access to it.”
The rest was harder to say. “She knew we’d been friends and roommates and thought I had the best chance of getting close to you again. When she contacted me, she framed it to seem like you were the one who’d betrayed the others. That you’d taken the money and tried to disappear.”
The lying bitch had tried to manipulate Kiyomi to do her dirty work. To have Kiyomi kill her oldest friend.
“But when I dug deeper, I found out she’d betrayed you,” Kiyomi continued, growing angry all over again. “They made it look like you’d stolen money from some of the Bratva members, when really it was Zoya and Stanislav. They used you and the other Valkyries to knock off their biggest threat, then framed you as the culprit and leaked your location to Bratva. Once they killed you, Hannah, Zoya and Stanislav could keep all the money for themselves.”
She’d expected Amber to be angry about it, but instead she looked almost relieved at Kiyomi’s explanation. “I knew…most of that, but didn’t have definitive proof aside from what I already turned over to Rycroft. Do you have any evidence you can give me?”
Kiyomi’s throat tightened, combined anger and grief hitting her. She swallowed. “My best friend’s dying words. That’s all the proof I need.”
“Who was your best friend?” Trinity asked.
“Julia Green.”
Amber sucked in a breath. “Another Valkyrie hacker.”
Kiyomi blinked. “Yes. Did you know her?”
“No, we never met. But she was killed on an op in Saint Petersburg months ago. I found buried files and a few news stories about her. The media reported that she was an escort killed by a rough John, but I knew better.”
“The truth was much worse,” Kiyomi said. “She was tortured by Stanislav’s former Bratva friends and left to die in a back alley in Moscow.” Maybe even the same ones who had being lying in wait for Amber. “I know, because I’m the one who found her.”
“How did it happen?” Amber asked, face grim.
“Hannah and Zoya had tried to recruit her before they approached you. Julia turned them down, sensing something was off.” Julia had her quirks, but she was a straight arrow when it came to jobs. If it smelled off, she’d steered clear. “She kept tabs on them after that and sent me files from time to time. Hannah found out and used Zoya’s connections through Stanislav to have Julia killed to make sure she never exposed them.”
Amber shook her head slowly, absorbing it all. “This is unbelievable. Have you got the files?”
“Not anymore.” Presumably Rahman had them now. “I wanted you to know because I hoped it would ease your conscience. Hannah deserved to die.” Kiyomi picked at the hem of her sweater, agitated and struggling to hide it. “All the Valkyries involved on the Rome op except you were traitors. They left you behind to pay the price and then turned on each other like sharks in a feeding frenzy afterward to eliminate each other, all in the name of greed,” she said in disgust. “I tried to find you so I could warn you or at least send you the evidence I had, but you’d already gone off grid.”
“That’s why you went after Hannah.”
She nodded, the burning need for retribution rising once again. Hannah was dead. Fayez Rahman wasn’t. And she couldn’t live with that. “I wanted to be the one to kill her. But I figure she got what she deserved in the end.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you, and Julia,” Amber said softly.
Kiyomi’s jaw tightened but she nodded in acknowledgment. “I’m glad Hannah’s dead. I’m glad Zoya and the others are dead, too. And I’ll do whatever I can to help you guys end Stanislav.”
Amber blew out a hard breath and dragged a hand through her hair. “All right, look, I need to be straight with all of you before this goes any further.”
Kiyomi and the others all watched her expectantly.
“This doesn’t end for me once we get Stanislav and bring in the rest of the Valkyries. It only ends once I find out who was behind the program, and see them brought to justice for what they did to us.”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it,” Megan said, frowning. “We’ve got our hands full with everything else right now, and Stanislav is a dangerous target even with all of us working together.”
“I know,” Amber said. “But I need you all to know my end game up front. And I’ll understand if none of you want in on it. I’m prepared to do it on my own if need be.”
“Not a chance,” Trinity said. She looked around the room, making eye contact with the others before coming back to Amber. “Once all of us are safe and accounted for, we’ll find all the guilty parties behind the program and make them pay for what they did.”
A ripple of savage satisfaction swept through Kiyomi, raising goosebumps on her skin. “Loyal Unto Death,” she murmured. The Valkyrie motto. An oath they had all sworn. But clearly it meant nothing to some of them.
Trinity’s smile was sharp as a blade. “That’s right.” Her cell phone rang, drawing her attention. “It’s Rycroft,” she said, and answered.
Kiyomi sat up further, drawing Amber’s gaze once more. “And Rahman,” she added softly as Trinity spoke with Rycroft. “He needs to die.” Amber would understand the kind of hatred that burned inside Kiyomi. The kind that slowly ate away at the soul like a corrosive until there was nothing left.
She wanted justice for what had been done to her. And the only kind of justice befitting a man like Rahman, was death.
“He does,” Amber agreed. “And I promise to help you make that happen.”
Relief bled through her, easing the tension in her beat-up body. The pain was constant, her ribs knifing her with every breath, but it also served as motivation. Rahman would die for what he’d done to her. “Thank you. I’m with you on all of this. Everything.”
“Me too,” Megan said.
“Same,” Georgia added.
Trinity ended the call and lowered her phone to her lap. “He’s on board. We can go ahead with what we’ve outlined on the Stanislav op. We plan it and execute it ourselves. The less he knows about the details, the happier he’ll be, and the less he’ll have to deal with on his end once it’s over.”
Kiyomi wasn’t in any condition to go hunting, but damn, she wished she could.
“What about the guys?” Megan asked, gesturing to the computer screens on the table. “What’s their involvement gonna be on this thing? I mean, former Green Beret and two military-trained assassins…”
“Stanislav’s going to show up with a team, so us having solid backup’s a good thing,” Trinity said, then looked at Amber. “What about Cordova? I’d say he’s proven himself worthy. But do you trust him enough to be brought on board for this?”
Kiyomi looked at Amber, curious as to her answer. There was definitely something brewing between those two, and Kiyomi hoped her old friend was ready for it.
Expression impassive, Amber stood and turned for the door. “I’ll go
talk to him.”
****
Jesse climbed out of the back seat of the old Land Rover and hung back to talk to Bautista as Ty and Marcus headed for the small building that served as a detached garage for the classic cars Marcus had inherited along with the estate. They’d just come back from a tour of the property, and Jesse was convinced the former SAS member owned a slice of heaven.
If he got the chance one day, Jesse wanted that kind of retirement. Not nearly on as grand a scale as this, but a decent house that was paid-off, and as much acreage as he could afford surrounding it.
He liked space. Room to breathe, away from prying eyes. And after doing what he did for so long, spending his remaining years in privacy and peace and quiet sounded pretty damn awesome, and he’d been careful to sock away most of the money he’d made.
“What’s your take on Stanislav?” he said to Bautista in Spanish. He didn’t get to converse in his native tongue too often anymore and kinda liked the chance to.
“You mean in general?”
“Yeah, and on this idea of using Megan and Amber as bait.”
“Guy’s evil as fuck and twice as ruthless. As for them acting as bait?” He lifted a shoulder. “Word is he’s bent on avenging his dead girlfriend, and his ego’s big enough that the plan will probably work.”
“He still in tight with Bratva?”
“No, he’s definitely out. But he’s still got connections, and a fuckton of money to get what he wants. So if you’re asking me if he’s still as much of a threat now that he’s out of Bratva, the answer’s yes.”
“Then they’ll want him dead too, because nobody just leaves Bratva.”
“Right.” He eyed Jesse. “Unless you’re asking me something else, for a different reason?” A spark of amusement lit his deep brown eyes. “Maybe, say, a certain brunette hacker you’re concerned about?”
Oh, he was concerned, all right. But he wasn’t going to admit how into her he was when he wasn’t even sure he had any shot with her. No sense making a fool out of himself if things went nowhere. “I’ve seen her in action. She can handle herself.”
Bautista arched a dark eyebrow. “So you’re not worried?”
“It’s Stanislav. Let’s just say I have…reservations.”
“Ah. That’s different then.” His tone was dry.
Jesse changed the subject. “You’re back in Miami now, huh?”
“Been there a long while now. Got myself a signed pardon and everything.”
“Is that right? How’d you manage that?” Dude had a reputation in cartel circles that had been known to make grown men piss themselves when they learned he was hunting them.
“Some guy named Rycroft who used to work for the NSA. You’ve probably never heard of him.”
Jesse grinned. “Nope. But I gotta ask, because it’s killing me. How’d you get out of that world and start over in the civilian world?”
“Georgia,” he said, plain and simple. “She’s all the motivation I needed to leave my old life behind. We still have to watch our backs even with the pardon, but we’ve managed to make a good life for ourselves.”
Jesse nodded. “A sniper, huh?”
One side of Bautista’s hard mouth lifted. “Yeah. And that’s every bit as hot as it sounds.”
Jesse laughed. “I can see the appeal.” Although to him a certain brunette, kickass assassin who also just happened to be one of the best hackers in the world was hotter.
They were nearing the garage now. Ty and Marcus were inside, bent over the engine of a classic Aston Martin as they talked, while Karas lay curled up at her master’s feet.
“Hey, man, I don’t know your situation with Amber,” Bautista began, “but here’s a word of advice from a guy who’s spent the last three years living with a Valkyrie.” He paused, gave Jesse a pointed look. “These women?” He shook his head. “Don’t ever—and I mean ever—get in her way or try to control her. Just don’t.”
“Yeah, I can imagine. Thanks.” He thumped Bautista on the back, grateful for the reprieve when they stepped into the garage. He wasn’t sure yet what would happen between him and Amber, but whatever it turned out to be, it was private.
She’d…changed him somehow. He hadn’t been looking for a relationship. It hadn’t even been on his radar. Yet his feelings for her were growing daily, along with the strange sense of possessiveness where she was concerned. That last part didn’t bode well for him given what Bautista had just said, but Jesse couldn’t pretend it wasn’t there.
He and Bautista joined the other two men at the classic car and talked like a bunch of gearheads for the next few minutes until footsteps crunched on the gravel path outside. Megan appeared with Georgia, Amber behind them.
Jesse straightened, his entire body on instant alert, unable to take his eyes off her. She had on dark, snug jeans that hugged every curve of her hips and thighs, and a light green sweater he’d love to shove up so he could bury his face between her breasts.
“You guys about done in here?” Megan asked as she sidled up to Ty and wound an arm around his waist. “We need to talk to you about something.”
“Something important,” Georgia clarified, stepping into Bautista’s side and leaning her blond head on his shoulder as his arm came around her.
“About Stanislav?” Ty asked.
“Yes. Come back to the house,” Megan said. “You too, Marcus.”
Jesse stayed where he was, watching Amber. She paused near the door, waited for the others to leave and shut it, leaving them alone with about a million’s worth of vintage cars. His heart kicked hard against his chest, his blood heating at the weight of her prolonged stare. She watched him as though she couldn’t look away from him.
“How was the tour?”
The mere sound of her voice made his cock swell. “Tour was good. It’s a gorgeous place.” He leaned back against the Aston Martin and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting. “You want to talk to me too?”
“Maybe.” She pushed away from the door and started toward him in a walk that could only be called a prowl, her eyes on his.
Damn, she was sexy. All confident, female power. She knew who she was, and what she wanted. Hot. “I’m all ears.”
She walked up and stopped a mere foot from him. “We got the green light to go after Stanislav. We’ve done the initial mission planning, but there are a lot of details still needing to be worked out.”
“Such as?”
“Do you want in?”
The look in her eyes made it clear she didn’t mean just for the op, and it sent most of the blood in his brain surging to his groin. Oh, baby, you know I do. All the way in, until you cry out my name and clench around me while you come.
And after that, he wanted in even deeper. In her life, and in her heart.
“Do you want me in?” he countered. He needed her to want him just as badly as he wanted her.
She lifted an eyebrow. “And if I did?”
“I might be willing to help you out.”
“Hmmm. The offer’s so tempting.”
“But?” Jesus, she smelled good. He wanted to bury his face in her neck, nibble his way up to her jaw, across to her mouth and work his way down to the secret place between her thighs. He was dying to taste her there. Find out what made her gasp and moan. What it took to make her come. What it took to rip down her protective shields and get into her heart.
“But I don’t like strings.”
He reined in the immediate impulse to argue. Damn, she wasn’t making this any easier for him. “No? What about restraints?”
Her lips curved, mischief sparking in her gaze. “You got a kinky side, Cordova?”
“Come find out.”
The mischief transformed into avid interest. “I don’t like being controlled.”
“No. But you might find you like giving up control with me.”
She stilled, her pupils expanding, and the air around them thickened. Heated. Crackled with latent, sexual energy that clamored to be unl
eashed.
“Such hungry eyes,” he murmured, reaching up to rub the pad of his thumb across her plump lower lip. It gave to the gentle pressure of his touch, her mouth parting for him. Inviting him in. “What are you hungry for, belleza?”
He’d told himself to hold off on this until she was ready for more than a fling, but it was too late for that. He’d do any damn thing she wanted. Get her off in any way she wanted, as many times as she wanted, and hope for the best.
“You,” she answered, pressing her body flush with his. Her mouth was an inch from his, the sizzling anticipation tying him in knots. “Can I have you?” Her whisper brushed over his lips, and suddenly the need to taste her, claim her, was overwhelming.
A warning shot into his barely-functioning brain. That if he did this without the promise of something more than just sex, he could lose her. Probably would lose her.
But it was already too late. He needed her too much. Wanted her so badly he was willing to roll the dice.
Threading his hands into her thick, soft hair, he slanted his lips across hers and took that tempting mouth.
Chapter Fifteen
Relief and need slammed into Amber. Yes. Finally.
She leaned her weight against Jesse’s hard frame and poured herself into the kiss, gripping the back of his head with both hands. Maybe if she got him out of her system, she could move on and get past this attraction that distracted her so badly.
All the tension between them, all the teasing had led to this moment and she wasn’t letting him stop this time. The meet up with Stanislav could happen at any time. She’d lived most of her life with death only a step behind, so she’d always gone after what she wanted.
And what she wanted right now, was Jesse. She even wanted more than just right now, but wouldn’t let herself contemplate that.
He groaned when she stroked her tongue along his, wrapping one solid arm around her hips to pull her tight to him. His heat and strength made her melt into his hold, her nipples tightening, a delicious throb building between her thighs.
