Circle of Desire

by Carla Swafford

  For the first time since her capture she felt back in control. In the next few days, she would be free. No place was so secure she couldn’t find a way out. She’d proven that to Theo many times. Even the punishments he meted out didn’t deter her from doing what she wanted.

  Collin couldn’t be trusted in keeping his promise about the orphanage. What man could? She would find a way to protect the children. She just couldn’t do it from inside the OS.

  Chapter Six

  Damn! The man knew his way around security.

  After two weeks of searching, she’d found a vent large enough to fit into and at a blind spot from the cameras. Five feet into the vent, she came to a metal grill with no visible lock, at least from what she’d seen.

  Her shuffling around had only proved that his people were safe. Goodness, on top of that, they couldn’t leave without going through three different security checkpoints. Even if she could unlock a door, there were two other measures she had to get through. One required a handprint and the other was visual recognition by guards.

  Now she visited the OS’s cafeteria with two guards standing in the doorway watching her. They weren’t the same fellows from the day she disappeared for about twenty minutes as she scrambled through the vent and came to a dead end. It appeared since they couldn’t account for her time, they were pulled off babysitting duty. She’d heard later they were placed on cleanup. And that had nothing to do with trash. Their punishment had more to do with dead bodies and the waste they left behind. She had a feeling it would be best to avoid coming across them in a dark alleyway. They probably would love to show her how much they resented her disappearing act.

  She blinked. Not her problem. Her main concern was finding a way out and protecting the orphanage from any damage the head of OS sent their way.

  She’d gone through the cafeteria line and chosen grilled salmon and a salad. The food was surprisingly good, although she couldn’t say much about the atmosphere. Too bright. No place to put her back to a wall.

  Carrying a tray to her usual low traffic area away from the vending machines and buffet line, Olivia scanned the crowd. A group of operatives dressed in sweat-stained workout clothes sat slumped over tables sipping on their sports drinks. Another group sprawled on the floor wore jeans and T-shirts and played poker. And then there were the Secret Service wannabes with their white shirts and black suits and ties. They munched on candy bars, watching the group gambling as if they expected a fight to break out in any minute.

  Several heads turned, their gazes following her path to her empty table. From some of the looks she received, she might need to keep an eye over her shoulder. She doubted her new guards would protect her, at least not until others got a punch or two in. She ignored the cold stares and pretended to take her time eating as she checked out the open kitchen.

  Over a period of several mornings and afternoons, while she worked out on the treadmill in the exercise room, she’d noticed that, of all the freight that came into the OS by the elevator where Collin had brought her in, no food products were included. No fresh fruit or vegetables. No sodas or meats. So that meant the kitchen had its own elevator. And probably one that wasn’t watched as carefully.

  “You’re a brave soul.”

  Olivia turned to face Doctor Blondie. “Pardon?”

  The woman laughed and placed her tray on the table across from her.

  “After Jake and Ed were placed on cleanup, Collin had a hard time finding volunteers to guard you.” The doctor sprinkled dressing on her salad as she nodded toward the two men. “Your new guards are hoping you’ll try to escape during their shift.”

  No surprise they wanted a good excuse to cause her pain.

  “Volunteers?” Olivia wished she knew what the doctor was wanting, sitting here chatting like they were friends. She gave the woman a questioning look. Who wanted to be friends with a killer?

  “Yeah. Collin has a second sense on who can or will do a job. He asks and we say yes. We trust him to make the right decisions to bring us back home.” The doctor dug into her salad as if she hadn’t said the craziest thing Olivia had ever heard.

  Forehead wrinkled, Olivia picked at the slab of fish in front of her. In The Circle, Theo had ruled like some king from ancient times. And he felt casualties were the price of war against terrorism. He would never worry about such trivial numbers. It dawned on her; no one spoke of Theo with such a tone of respect. Fear, yes. But never admiration.

  Chapter Seven

  Two more days of training and eating the food in the cafeteria brought pay dirt. She’d found if she ordered the sandwich special, she could wait near the end of the line and look into the back kitchen. That was where she spotted the other elevator.

  Using the excuse of wanting a sandwich special to go, she watched two workers exit and return using nothing more than a key card. About the time they handed her a wrapped sandwich, a guy exited the back kitchen pushing a hand-truck filled with sodas.

  She strolled over to the sliding glass refrigerators lined along the wall as if she wanted a Coke and crowded the man until he stumbled against her. Presto! She had a card and now needed the right time to escape.

  With no time to waste, she strode over to the elevator in the back kitchen and slipped in the key card. Within seconds, the steel door closed seconds behind her and she released a little shout of triumph.

  There were two buttons on the panel: one and two. That was simple.

  A ding warned her that the doors were about to open. She leaned against the side wall so anyone standing outside the elevator wouldn’t see her at first. No one walked in.

  She peeked out. It was a T-shaped corridor. Straight ahead she could see metal double doors with wire mesh glass panes, while the horizontal corridor was pitch black on both ends. She shivered.

  Through the glass panes as she was about to push on the handles, she spotted Rex and another man standing in what looked like a parking garage. They were talking and laughing. Then Rex slapped the man on the shoulder and turned in her direction.

  She backed up, not wanting to take her eyes off the big man. But when her butt met the closed elevator doors, she darted down the dark corridor.

  The clanging of the metal doors opening pushed her further into the darkness than she felt comfortable. Musty and too dark for comfort, the hallway felt endless. She pressed her shoulders to the wall and hoped Rex didn’t turn on a light or look her way. She watched as he slipped his card key into the slot and tapped the button to call for the elevator car. He folded his arms and sighed. A ding announced it had arrived. He started to enter, but quickly stopped and moved to the side.

  Her heart jumped. Had she made a sound? Could he see her?

  Then she heard a voice and the rattling of glass. The soda man pushed his hand-truck as he shook his head, asking Rex to keep an eye out for a dropped key card. The big man shook his head and disappeared into the elevator.

  She was unsure how long the soda man would take to clear out of the way, and she didn’t want to take any chances of being spotted.

  Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. By concentrating on breathing, she felt her heart rate slow down. She turned toward the elevator when a big shadow shoved her against the wall. Heat and unyielding muscle pressed her face to the cement blocks.

  “What the—”

  She grabbed the knife hidden in the waistband of her jeans. Before she could use it, a large hand gripped her wrist and squeezed. Pain shot up her arm, numbing it momentarily. The clang echoed in the dark, magnifying the danger. She realized once again she’d screwed up.

  Hand-to-hand combat was not her forte.

  The big body crushing hers against the wall didn’t let up. She struggled to breathe. The pressure on her chest left little room for her lungs to expand until he shifted and pushed his erection to the small of her back.

  She gasped. That special scent of male and spice mixed together engulfed her senses, causing her heart to pound so hard she felt faint.

 
Collin Ryker.

  The man had a reputation for being cold and ruthless with his enemies. With her latest escape, she hadn’t endeared herself to him at all. What did he plan to do to her for punishment?

  Shaking her head, she said, “I had to try one more time.” No way would she ask for leniency.

  He released her arm. Before she had time to react, his hands clasped her waist and with a firm touch slid up her rib cage and until he cupped her breasts and squeezed. She moaned. His hips grinded against her. He was so hard and thick. Her cheek rested on the rough texture of the wall.

  The sounds of heavy breathing and cloth rubbing together filled the darkness. A dance as primal and old as time controlled them. Olivia loved how his big body wrapped around her, rocking into the crease of her buttocks.

  He unsnapped her jeans and slipped a hand down the front. Another moan escaped her as a broad finger dipped into her moisture. Her head dropped back onto his chest as she pressed herself to his thumb. She whimpered.

  Why did this man have such control over her body?

  “Olivia,” he whispered. “If you try to escape again, I can promise you’ll not live to regret it.”

  A simple flick of his finger and waves of pleasure shook her.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Collin wanted to sink into her. He never imagined a woman could make him forget where he was and what he should be doing, and it wasn’t to spend time playing patty-fingers in OS’s basement. Even though she was The Circle’s most successful assassin, he found her every move challenged and intrigued him.

  “Do you understand?” He pulled his hand out of her pants and twirled her to face him. His grip tightened on her upper arms.

  Chin down, she looked at him from beneath her eyelashes.

  “Yes,” she bit off.

  He didn’t move away. His gaze remained on hers. What was it about her? Thoughts of chaining her to him excited him more than he deemed acceptable.

  “I thought you had understood before.” He lifted her until they were nose-to-nose. “Do you really care about what would happen to the children? I’ve investigated several other facilities, and from what I can tell your money has made a big difference. Do you want it on your conscience that you let pride get in the way of a hundred-plus children’s well-being?”

  “I said I understood.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  “What do you want? Me to beg you for forgiveness?”

  “That would be a start.”

  “Sarcasm. You don’t get it, do you?”

  Her eyes sparkled with more life than he’d ever seen in another person. He wanted to bind her to him and immerse himself in what made her so alive, so vital. Most days he felt like he was a zombie, the walking dead, but not around her. He felt more alive.

  “I want your loyalty.” By the look on her face, she was as surprised by his demand as he was. He had a gut feeling she considered agreeing if for no other reason than to find out what he expected from her.

  “No one’s ever asked for that,” her voice cracked.

  “I’m not asking,” he said with his usual bluntness.

  “Ha! I have to say, you don’t mince words.” She wiggled out of his clutch and headed toward the elevator.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

  “Upstairs. I guess I need to build some upper body strength. I don’t like how you can throw me around.” She stopped and pressed the button as she threw an anxious look over her shoulder. The only light in the corridor shone on her and highlighted the pink coloring in her cheeks.

  He liked flustering her.

  When the doors slid open, he stepped in behind her. With her back to the wall, she waited for him to push the next floor button. He pressed his hands on the wall to each side of her and leaned over, caging her with his body. His mouth stopped a mere inch from hers.

  “Do not try to escape again,” he threatened.

  “I won’t.” Her lips parted on a sigh.

  His gaze shifted to her mouth. Damn, he wanted another taste. Just as he was about to give in, the elevator began to move.

  He shoved off the wall, placing some distance between them.

  “Good,” he said with a measure of satisfaction and doubt.

  Chapter Eight

  Stupid man.

  Olivia tossed the fellow over her shoulder and then rolled across the floor. In an upward twist, she jumped to her feet, prepared for another attack. Sweat poured down her face and her muscles ached, but she ignored all that as she waited for the next challenge.

  “Enough.”

  She turned to the man controlling the exercise. Arms crossed, Collin stood on the sidelines wearing loose sweatpants and a sleeveless sweatshirt. Nice muscles to show he worked out but not obsessively as to be bulky. What a shame she still hadn’t gotten him out of his clothes.

  And goodness knows she wanted to. But ever since their time in the dark, he never gave her a chance to be alone with him. Someone was always around. If not Rex or another operative, then he made sure the guards stood nearby. So much for his believing her promise not to escape.

  Today, she’d thought of a way he would have to touch her.

  “Over three months ago you’d said we would exercise.” She grinned. “So far, it has been me exercising.”

  With hands on her hips, she waited to see if he would accept her challenge. He’d gone missing the last two weeks and no one would say if he would return or when. She hated to admit she’d gotten used to having him around, teasing her with his presence, mocking her when she tried to encourage his advances. Crap! She was a glutton for punishment.

  Speaking of gluttons, her exercise partner chuckled and slapped a towel around his neck as he glanced at Collin. “I can understand you’re nervous. She moves like she’s done this all her life.”

  She found it fascinating how the OS people treated Collin as if he was one of them. At The Circle, no one would be brave enough to even hint at Theo for being nervous about anything. For that matter, she doubted Theo had ever taken personal interest in an operative’s training. He’d never been concerned about her even when she shared his bed.

  “Come on. Exercise with me.” She crooked her finger.

  Collin looked away as if he needed time to think. Then he moved into his stance, ready for their sparring. The next ten minutes produced a blur of kicks and throws she was sure she would regret tomorrow. When she landed chest first onto the mat and all her breath swooshed out, she stayed down.

  Give her a gun. She’d show him her special skills.

  “Olivia?” He stooped next to her, pressing fingers against the side of her throat while brushing her hair out of her face. “Are you all right?”

  “Just . . . trying . . . to get . . . my breath back.”

  After a few seconds, she was able to take a complete lung full of air and felt better even though she was embarrassed by her performance. Had the other operative been playing with her or was Collin that much better?

  “Hey, Collin, can I talk with you a moment?” a harsh voice said off to the side.

  As Olivia sat up with Collin’s help, Rex hovered near the mat looking antsy.

  “Sure.” Collin nodded and turned his attention back to her. “Stay here. Dr. Shelton will be here in a minute to look you over.”

  “Oh, hell, no.” She wasn’t about to let that woman touch her again. “Nothing’s wrong. Just had the breath knocked out of me. I’ll go back to my apartment.”

  “She can come too. We can use her,” Rex said without hesitation.

  She? She had a name and didn’t like the thought of anyone using her. But what the hey? Maybe an opportunity would come up and she could use it against Big Foot.

  Conscious of her sweaty body, she hung back, feeling like a midget following two giants. Instead of riding the elevator to what she guessed would be Rex’s office, the pair led her down a couple hallways and then into what looked like a study. Books lined the walls and a massiv
e desk reigned in the far corner. The plush carpet screamed expensive and the room smelled of Collin, that special masculine scent.

  “We—”

  “Wait,” Collin interrupted Rex and turned to Olivia. “You do understand if you betray us in any way, I’ll have no option but to terminate our understanding in every aspect.” He took the chair behind the desk.

  “Like you had to spell it out to me again.” She rolled her eyes. “If The Circle even suspects I’m still alive, I’m a marked woman. They would issue a termination decree. So you can only hope I live long enough to be useful.”

  No matter the years of service or how loyal she’d proven herself over and over again, she was as good as dead once The Circle learned she’d been captured alive by the OS. Collin’s threat didn’t disturb her at all. It had been expected. She’d lived with the knowledge she could die at any minute.

  How different was it to serve one organization over another? Irony continued to screw with her life. The only difference between the organizations was that one was apparently more relaxed than the other, though both were deadly. And there was no doubt of why she enjoyed life like she did—taking strange men to bed for a one-night stand and leaving them wondering what in the hell happened.

  With that thought, she eased into a leather chair situated before the desk. She examined the profile of the one man she wanted and never had. The firm jaw with a five o’clock shadow. His brow furrowed in concentration. His hair was a little longer but still thick, and the cocoa color tempted her fingers to play in it. Wherever he’d gone, the temperature must’ve been warm as he sported a nice even tan.

  “We’ve tracked down Mason Redmond,” Rex announced as he remained standing, arms akimbo.

  That got her attention. If it was the same Mason she’d heard of, he was a nasty piece of work affiliated with not one of the largest but certainly one of the deadliest terrorist groups, Inferno. They believed the only way to bring in a new world order was to see the world burn. The Circle had been looking for the leader for around two years.