“Sure, if you think you’re up to it.” She tossed the towel back onto the handlebars.
“If I remember from last time, you were the one having trouble keeping face-first off the floor.” He lifted one eyebrow as his lips fought a grin.
“Oh, it’s going to be like that. Talking all that smack. Let’s see if you like the smell of mat sweat.” Her heartbeat picked up speed. Having him touch her even in mock fighting was better than the nothing she’d gotten for so long.
They moved into their fighting stances and Collin struck first. Hands and feet shot out in quick succession as grunts marked each hit. Minutes passed and she held her own as determination guided every movement until he pushed her to retaliate in the same fury. She wanted to show him a little of why she’d been so valuable to The Circle.
“Collin, I need to talk you now,” Rex’s deep voice came from the side.
Just as Collin turned his head to look at his second in command, Olivia, already in the midst of a punch, thrust the heel of her palm into the middle of his sternum.
Collin staggered back, wheezing from the unexpected hit.
“Bitch!” Rex bellowed and lunged for her.
With a twirl and side kick, she swiped his hands away before he could touch her. She stepped off the mat. Hands on hips, chest heaving, she grimaced.
“You know, you’ve got a nasty habit of interrupting us whenever we’re practicing!” She sneered, making it obvious she wanted him to try something.
Hand held out, Collin moved between them, his face pale and drawn tight. “No! I knew better than to let myself get distracted.”
With concern, she watched Collin rub his chest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good.” He took a deep breath and flinched.
“Get Dr. Shelton!” she said to a nearby attendant.
“No! I’m okay.” Collin shook his head. “What’s up, Rex?”
Knowing she probably should leave them alone but worried about his condition, she stayed and offered him a bottle of water. He unconsciously grinned and thanked her for it as he listened to Rex.
“Let’s go in your office.” Rex gave Olivia an angry look. “She’d better come too. She’s part of it.”
Unsure what set off Big Foot again, she waited to see if Collin agreed. This was too much like the last time they had exercised and Rex had interrupted. Was it finally a new mission? She could use a break in the monotony of her new life at the OS.
He stared at Rex for a few seconds. “Okay. Let’s go.” Then they headed down the hallway to his office. Collin hadn’t looked her way. Her gut said it wasn’t a mission. To think of it, Rex appeared too satisfied about something.
Olivia didn’t move. She hated the thought of just following them without protest. Nothing in Collin’s attitude encouraged her to believe he would protect her from Rex and whatever the man had on his mind. But if she didn’t follow, he could accuse her of anything and she would never have a chance to take up for herself. Rex had said it concerned her.
She jogged to catch up with them.
No sooner than they walked into Collin’s office, Collin faced Rex, eyes narrowed. “What have you heard?”
Olivia remained standing, forcing her fingers to relax their grip on the sides of her sweatpants.
“We’ve gotten news that The Circle will hand over two of our operatives if we release her.” Rex jerked his head toward Olivia.
She cut her eyes over to Big Foot and sighed. “The Circle doesn’t take operatives captive.” There had to be a misunderstanding. The Circle always released the operatives after taking their weapons. Then again, her former organization had told her the OS murdered many of the operatives she’d seen walking around breathing and living in the OS headquarters, like Lucian. The look she received from the men warned her she was in for a long night. She flopped into a chair and her muscles eased up, thanking her for the relief.
“Yeah. I know. They usually kill them.” Rex stood, arms crossed, next to the desk as Collin sat in the large black leather chair behind it.
“We don’t take them captive or kill them. We let them go.” We? Old habits were hard to break. Anyway, what were they trying to pull? Collin’s grave face showed he didn’t believe what she was saying. While Rex’s became redder with each word as she defended her former employer, “I’ve never killed an OS operative.”
Before all the words were out of her mouth, Rex roared and lunged for her. Collin dived over the desk, paper and file folders flew everywhere, knocking them all onto the floor before Rex’s hands grabbed her. She scuttled out of the way until her back hit the wall. Deep inside she knew she’d just missed dying.
“Stop it, Rex.” Collin straddled the big man, holding him down by his arms.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” she asked.
Collin wasn’t sure how long he could hold Rex back. Seeing so much white of his friend’s eyes demonstrated how crazed he was to wrap his hands around Olivia’s pretty neck and twist.
Centering his attention on the man beneath him, he leaned in close to Rex’s ear. “This is not the way to question her about Abby’s death or your brother’s betrayal.” He didn’t want to hurt Rex unless he was pushed. Collin had been aware of the man’s pain in losing two people he loved, but he’d never realized how it had eaten away at his sanity. Though it had happened five years ago, Rex still refused to come to terms with it.
“She’s lying,” Rex said between gritted teeth.
“We don’t know that. It’s all speculation.” Collin sensed Olivia’s impatience behind him. If she heard what they were saying, she was keeping quiet. “You’d promised to keep your cool around her.”
“It’s true. Fuck it! Another operative died bringing the information to us.” Tears filled the big man’s gray eyes.
“We’ll find out the truth. Give me time.” He wished he could wipe away Rex’s pain, but the man would have to work it out on his own. The decision was made. He would send Rex on a mission, while Olivia remained at headquarters.
“But will you be able to follow through with the decree? Will you kill her?” Rex grabbed the front of Collin’s shirt with trembling fingers.
He wanted to mash Rex’s face in and tell him no, but his friend was right. As head of OS, following through with decrees of termination were his responsibility and the only way to control many of the more dangerous operatives working for his organization. No matter how much he hated it all. Only how could he tell his friend he hadn’t decided to kill Olivia? She was the key to reaching Theo, to pushing the crazy man over the edge.
Clasping his friend’s fingers, he pried them from their grip. “I’ll do what’s needed.” He stood and held his hand out to Rex. “Now tell us what you found out.” He moved behind his desk and watched Olivia’s face as he ordered Rex, “Tell her everything; include what we believe The Circle’s new objective has been for the past five years.” He wanted to see if any emotions were revealed on that serene countenance of hers.
Rex’s face turned red. “The bitch knows—”
Holding his hand up, Collin said in a level, firm voice, “Humor me. Tell her. No accusations. Just facts.”
Like a soldier recounting a battle lost, Rex pulled his shoulders back. “Five years ago, Abigail Rodriguez and Jack Drago—”
“Drago? Boy, I’ve heard of that name. He’s absolutely insane,” Olivia interrupted. She stood but quickly placed a chair between her and Rex.
“Olivia.” Collin shook his head, frowning. He noticed she kept wiping her hands on her sweats as if she was trying to clean them without success. “Jack’s Rex’s brother.”
“Rex Drago?” Her face paled. “I never put . . . I remember hearing about you. I don’t know why I didn’t put two and two together. Rex. OS. Not many people have your name and size and the scar . . . you wiped out an entire Circle team singlehandedly.”
Collin raised his hand to stop her babbling. It disturbed him more than he imagined; Olivia never babbled. From Rex’s
stance, he guessed he needed to help his friend continue the account or Rex might lunge for her again. Before he could say anything, Rex started talking.
“She’d gone to New York City to shop. She’d been so excited.” Rex’s deep voice brought their attention back to him, his gaze staring off in the distance as if he could see the past.
“Abby was captured by The Circle,” Collin said as sadness pulled at his face.
“I wasn’t there for her. I was on assignment in the mountains of Peru and couldn’t get back in time. Jack—” He swallowed deep; his eyes searched the ceiling as he regained his composure. “Jack went after her.” His horror was reflected in his eyes. “He disappeared. Not too long after that we received her burnt corpse with a note. Jack had been too late to save her. Instead we received a note saying he wasn’t coming back but staying with the OS. He’d fallen in love with one of Theo’s whores.” The big man shot a murderous look at Olivia, making it clear he referred to her.
By the way Olivia inhaled and her expression cleared of emotion, he believed she remembered. When her gaze jumped to his and stayed, she confirmed it.
“Rex,” Collin warned. He waited until pain-ridden gray eyes turned to him. “Stick to the facts we know.” He picked up the report off the floor, thumbing through it as he waited for Rex to continue.
“It’s a fact. She fucks everything that moves if it will benefit The Circle and—”
“Enough!” Collin pointed to the door. “Leave. I’ll tell her the rest.”
He was surprised by Rex’s outbursts. Until Olivia came on the scene, Collin would swear his second in command had nerves of steel and nothing fazed him.
Even days after returning from Peru—a mere week following the news of Abby’s death—and later when his brother disappeared, Rex had handled his work professionally and his temper stayed steady. He guessed Olivia’s presence brought it all back to his friend.
Of course, there was the one blip on the screen—The Circle team Rex came across on the way back to finish his assignment in Peru. Although Rex hadn’t killed the team as Olivia had accused, he did cause a lot of damage, sending two of them to the hospital in critical condition.
Yeah, obviously, having Olivia under their roof was becoming too much, especially after they received the newest report.
Not until the door slammed shut behind Rex’s back did Collin return to his seat and relax. He looked at the woman who remained quiet during most of Rex’s tirade as she brought her chair upright and eased into it.
She leaned an elbow against the armrest as if she needed support and placed a fist beneath her chin. “The woman, Abby? How special was she to him? Or is all his angst about his brother?”
Again, she wasn’t acting like herself. Why was she trying so hard to be casual about the requested information? Or was he reading too much into her body language?
“They were lovers.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “And?”
She wasn’t kidding. She really thought there had to be more. Wasn’t being lovers enough? Why was he surprised? During the years when most children learned compassion and love, she’d spent them in an overcrowded orphanage, later in an abusive home, and then who really knew how long on the streets? When she was still vulnerable, The Circle had picked her up. They probably appeared to be her salvation.
“They were getting married. She was shopping for her wedding dress.” Collin’s eyes felt gritty. Rubbing them, he almost missed her flinch. So she finally understood what was eating at Rex.
“As I’ve been trying to tell your friend, I never met his brother and I haven’t killed a woman. I wasn’t much for socializing with the other operatives, and they always sent me after men.” She crossed her arms, rubbing her upper biceps as if she was chilled. “So. Are you sending me back?”
Chapter Seventeen
Olivia told herself she didn’t care what he decided. But that was a lie. She wanted to live a little longer. She wanted to know what was between her and the man looking so intensely at her. He watched her every move, examining her every expression. Probably only fair since she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“Why only men?” he asked.
“What? Isn’t it obvious?” She wished he would just tell her if he was sending her back.
For the last five months she’d been treated better than she’d ever remembered. She even felt safe for the first time in her life. But she knew deep inside he was sending her back.
Cold eyes betraying nothing, he looked at her as he would at any murderer. So what did it really matter what he thought of her? Maybe it was time for her to go back. At least her life was worth two of his operatives. That was a step up in her opinion.
She leaned back in the chair, looking at him with half-closed eyes. “Listen, I hate men. No, I’m not sexually interested in women. I already have a pussy. Why would I want another one? I put up with men for one reason only. Their cocks. Big throbbing ones. A real live hot, hard cock is ten times better than any synthetic one at satisfying my needs. I like playing with them and then leaving before they want more. Was that what you wanted to hear?”
The burning sensation in her stomach said it all. She hated this discussion. She hated that he couldn’t bring himself to care enough to protect her. Why she expected any man to protect her when she’d done it for herself all this time, she didn’t know. She just did.
“I think you’re telling me you hate men, hoping I’ll send you back. Then I would prove you’re right about your assessment.” He walked around the desk and stood in front of her. “But you also told me what you liked about men.”
The soft material of his sweats hid nothing. Her talk about hard cocks had excited him and she liked the view.
She pulled her gaze away from the impressive sight. “You have a bad habit of not answering my questions,” she said as she sat up straight, threw her shoulders back and chest out. Let him see the hard tips of her nipples through her shirt. Only fair.
“And your question was?” He leaned over her, clasped her upper arms, lifting her out of the chair. His strength excited her. Knowing he was one of the few men who could wrestle her to ground kicked up her heartbeat. She took a deep breath and inhaled his special aroma.
“Are you sending me back?” Deep inside, she guessed she wanted a no, needed him to tell her no, put her needs in front of others. Just once she wanted someone to care enough to protect her. Harping on it wouldn’t make it so, but she was tired of being alone and defending herself against all odds.
“Yes,” he said as he stared into her eyes.
She hit him. His head snapped back, rolling with the punch. He’d expected it. Clenching her other fist, she struck him again, sending his head into the other direction as she jerked up her knee. With a small sidestep, he ensured the most painful hit missed its mark. Her knuckles pounded with pain from connecting with his rock hard jaw. She grabbed his arm to throw him but he countered and they both landed on the floor. His body pressed on top of hers.
What had she truly expected? She’d just wanted him to be different. Just once she wanted someone to give a damn about her, to fight for her, not against her.
“Don’t cry,” he said as his thumb wiped a tear from her cheek.
The warmth running down her face felt so strange. She blinked.
Crying? She never cried.
Angry and hopeless. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t solve a damn thing. She hated feeling this way. This craziness running though her brain and making her so malleable around him drove her to believing in a future with him. What a crock.
It was just lust. He’d been playing with her for months. He never intended for her to stay. She was only a means to an end, insurance to regain what was taken from him. He offered himself like cheese to a rat and she’d never seen the trap. Lust had blinded her and the only way to see clearly was to take from him what she deserved. If she fucked him, she would be back to her old self: cold, unfeeling, methodical, and especially sane. As sane as
a killer could be in this psycho world.
Clasping his head, her mouth covered his. She savored his heat, taste, all that made him Collin. His mouth softened as his tongue thrust inside hers. Electrifying darts of pleasure shot to her groin causing her to arch her back and press her hips to his hardness.
With one hand she pulled up his shirt, moving apart far enough to toss it to the side. Taking a deep breath, she yanked her shirt off to rub her breasts against his bare chest, loving the rough hair tickling her nipples. He hunched against her groin, stroking his cloth-covered hard penis into her soft folds.
Every inch of his body she touched was so lovely and hard. She wiggled her pants and thong down to her knees as they continued to kiss and then she kicked them off.
He hesitated.
“Please,” she begged.
She shoved at his sweatpants. Then she pulled them down with her toes until they reached his ankles. His mouth dropped to her breasts to suck at the tender nipples, she arched into his pull. Then he started to sink further down her body. She grabbed his shoulders and with surprising ease, urged him onto his back.
“I need to feel you inside me.” She worked to regain a speck of control. “If I’ve never told you, I can’t get pregnant. I had problems when I was younger . . . uh . . . never mind the details, the doctor said I was clean.” Not the most romantic words to tell a man, but she didn’t have time to waste. Maybe that was why he played with her and never followed through on their lovemaking. Condoms by no means played a part in their foreplay and none appeared to be sitting around now.
“Shut up,” he snapped.
Words after her own heart.
He pushed her back, hovering, with dark eyes flashing the amber she recognized as desire. Broad hands squeezed her thighs as his long fingers dug in, surely leaving bruises. She loved the idea of him marking her. Thoughts of his powerful body covering her, filling her, brought a frenzy feeling of need crashing around her.
His first thrust was so hard her back slid on the rug. She moaned as her eyes soaked up the emotions flickering across his face. Immense pleasure and yearning.
Circle of Desire Page 13
