Circle of Deception

by Carla Swafford

  “No—”

  “Don’t lie to me again.” For a moment, Rex felt a twinge of tightness in his throat. Too many times in the past he’d forgiven his brother for being inconsiderate and self-centered, but no longer. He’d reached his limit and needed to concentrate on what was best for him.

  “For Christ’s sake, Rex, that’s not what I’m trying to tell you! I didn’t sleep with Nic. Shut up long enough to listen to me! She’s dead! Nic was killed in the cave-in. She pushed me out of the way and a rock hit her. Crazy thing was it would’ve missed me anyway, but she got in the way. They said she probably didn’t even feel any pain. It was instant.”

  The men released his arms.

  Rex stared at him. What game was his brother trying to play this time? He was tired. So tired of his manipulations. For years he’d gone along with it, believing his brother was smarter and knew what he was doing.

  “I swear. You can see her if you want. The ambulance isn’t back yet. There were too many wounded. They have her with the other bodies in one of the smaller caves so she’ll be out of the heat until they can get here.”

  Seeing Nic lifeless wasn’t an option. He shook his head. Another life gone. He clasped his hands behind his neck and shook his head. The silence continued. Rex looked at the people standing around, watching the drama between the brothers play out. Even the birds had hushed, though the generators still hummed steadily.

  As if his acknowledgement of their presence was the release for others to talk, a brave soul asked another operative about checking the electrical hookup for the lights in the cave. That was everyone’s signal to return to normal and avoid looking at the brothers.

  Without a word, Rex turned and hobbled away. He ignored the tears on his face as he reached the waiting guard and his truck and got inside.

  His feelings for Nic had always been mixed, but she deserved a long life. Why hadn’t he insisted she come with them? By leaving her behind, had he ensured her death?

  Her sweet face flashed behind his eyelids once he leaned back against the headrest. Another face moved in place of Nic’s. Abby. He couldn’t leave her alone to search for her brother. It was time for him to stop fooling around and make her understand how important she was to him.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  * * *

  “SHIT, SHIT, SHIT.” Abby ducked behind a Dumpster and counted to ten before peeking around the edge. The smell of rotten food almost overpowered her. She hoped it rained again soon.

  The section of Birmingham she’d tracked her prey to would never be on any tourist map. Redbrick buildings coated by dust and hidden behind metal fences and topped with razor-wire lined the opposite side of the street. Hiding in an alley between an abandoned car dealership and a burned down restaurant, she waited for a certain person to exit the gate covered with sheet metal.

  Normally she didn’t do surveillance. Not long-term anyway. But after watching Rex and Jack argue, she’d rushed down to stop their intense face-off. Only she’d arrived too late and word had gotten to Ryker. He’d arrived an hour later, furious with everyone.

  “What the fucking hell happened here?” Ryker’s voice sounded like gravel in an oak barrel.

  Jack straightened and lifted his chin. A defeated look pulled at his bruised and scratched face. “I underestimated the enemy, sir.”

  With a jerk of his head, Ryker directed Jack to follow him. They stopped not more than ten feet from where she stood. Grinding his teeth, Ryker looked like he could spit out pebbles as he listened to how the events unfolded and the number and names of the injured and dead.

  “I take full reasonability for the clusterfuck,” Jack said. His shaking hand slid across his shaved head.

  “As well you should.” Ryker crossed his arms and stared hard at Jack. “Finish up the mission. We have more intel for you to check out. You know what you have to do about Brody. When it’s over, you and I will have a long talk about your future with The Circle.”

  Jack nodded and looked down at the paperwork Ryker handed him.

  Abby had never envied Jack’s position. One failed mission could find you demoted to grunt work, in a holding cell, or dead.

  She didn’t move fast enough before Jack caught her eavesdropping.

  “Rodriguez! You’re on surveillance duty. Get your shit together to watch the front and back entrance of this facility.” He blasted out the orders, and she did her best to keep up as he headed to the impromptu control base. Her skills were wasted on surveillance.

  “Whatcha looking at?”

  The unexpected voice brought her crashing back to the present. In one fluid move, she kicked out and drew her gun.

  Rex stumbled back; one hand slapped down her leg while the other held tight to his cane.

  “Whoa! I guess you could say I deserved that. Put that away.” He nodded to her Sig.

  “You’ve got to stop it. I don’t know how you do it, but you need to stop.” Warmth flooded her face from embarrassment. She needed to be more alert. At the rate he continued to sneak up and scare the crap out of her, if she didn’t die of a heart attack, someone else would take advantage and kill her.

  “Who are you watching?” Rex looked over her head at the street beyond.

  They had moved back to the hotel in Birmingham that afternoon, but they shared the suite with Ice and the operative assigned to keep an eye on them. Ryker claimed the man was there to ensure Rex stayed put and let his injury heal, but the big guy wasn’t having any of it. And here he was in the middle of her assignment.

  “What are you doing here? And where’s what’s his name? You know, your watchdog?” She turned her back on him to monitor the gate.

  “Sal. Remember he had the tall Mohawk, skinny kid who worked in IS?” When she turned her head and frowned, he added, “He’s gained some weight, works out, and now reports to Jack.”

  She looked toward the other end of the alley. Sal looked better without the foot-high Mohawk. The lanky fellow waved stiffly but remained several feet away. Rex had probably told him to wait at that spot, and few people dared to ignore his orders.

  “Geez,” she murmured, and turned her attention to the street. Jack probably arranged it so he could spy on Rex. She’d seen the second explosion, and that time it had been between the brothers. Obviously, their unresolved past had caught up with them. Nic’s death surely didn’t help matters. It was later when Charlie called with the details that Abby’s name had been part of the blowup.

  She wanted to tell him she was sorry about Nic’s death, but the moment didn’t feel right.

  “Listen, you’re not alone in trying to find your brother.”

  His warm breath tickled her neck. Every inch of her back soaked up the heat from his body. The drizzling rain had stopped a few minutes earlier, and she hadn’t realized how chilled she’d become since then.

  “I’m really not sure how Ryker managed it. He convinced them Edward was still alive, and the chief investigator has given us to the end of the week. If Edward doesn’t show up by then, they’re reporting it to the FBI. They haven’t found anything to indicate foul play. The Davison cousins are still in jail; otherwise, we would have the feds all over us.”

  “Forty-eight more hours.”

  “Yeah.”

  A white SUV stopped in front of the metal gate. A guard came out and spoke with the driver, and with a wave of his hand, the SUV drove through the opening. The gate closed as soon the bumper made it inside.

  “Who do you think that was?”

  “I couldn’t see the driver from here. That’s the third vehicle to go into the facility.”

  “Brody’s ammunitions plant?”

  “We’re not sure. I’m the third shift to watch from this side. Liam’s on the other gate. During his time undercover at Brody’s farm, he overheard that Greta was obsessed with a Victoria’s Secret store in a local shopping mall. Yesterday, Ryker sent one of the operatives to wait for her to show up. She did at lunchtime yesterday. They said she returned here
and hasn’t left.”

  “Jack assigned you?”

  She hesitated. Since Rex was second-in-command of The Circle, technically higher rank than Jack, would he countermand the orders?

  “Listen, I’m just surprised that he has you doing grunt work when your talents are better suited for more.” He stepped back.

  That helped. Her mind had become foggy with the need for his touch. She felt like it had been weeks from the last time she’d made love to him. There was no they. He enjoyed their time together but she refused to kid herself that he thought it was any more than a way to pass the time and maintain their cover.

  “We’re shorthanded.” She stopped from saying more. They’d lost several operatives from The Circle’s general population and the OS, including Nic. He acted like he was handling the loss.

  He grimaced.

  “Are you hurting?” she asked. What was he doing here? “Go back to the hotel and get some rest. If we hear anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  “How much longer are you going to be here?”

  “Probably another hour. Charlie should be relieving me soon.”

  “I thought she was a mechanic.”

  Abby looked away and rolled her eyes. “Everyone is pitching in,” she said without explaining the shortage again.

  “I’ll hang around until she gets here and then you can drive me back to the hotel.”

  “What’s wrong with Sal?” She kept her gaze on the fence and the movement she could see between the sheets of metal.

  “He can drive your car. We have some unfinished business.”

  That pulled her attention back to him. “What’s that?”

  “Not here. We’ll talk about it at the hotel.” He grinned and leaned back against the wall. The graffiti behind him rose and fell in black paint. The top portion of an M just visible above his head gave him horns.

  She sniggered.

  “What’s so funny?” His dark eyebrows dropped into a vee and with the scar on his cheek, he certainly looked like a fiend from hell. Damn, he was a handsome devil.

  She bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud. All she needed was to reveal her hiding spot to the people across the street.

  “About time you got here,” Rex said as Charlie walked up, and the rain started falling again.

  “I’m not late. Hell, I’m early.” Charlie was only a few inches shorter than Rex. So when she rose on her tiptoes and glared, she looked straight into Rex’s eyes.

  Abby grinned. “You’re way early.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like Abby to drive me back to the hotel,” Rex said. The tone he used clearly said he would do whatever he wanted, that he only told her to waylay a fight.

  “That’s between you and Abby. I’m here now, so obviously I don’t have a problem with it.” Charlie raised her eyebrows and chuckled.

  Abby looked at Rex and then back at Charlie. What did they understand that she wasn’t getting? It didn’t matter. She was ready to get out of the rain.

  After they convinced Sal to take her sedan, they returned to the Birmingham hotel in the truck. Though Rex didn’t like it, she drove. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he was acting strange. She wondered if he was popping pain pills. That would explain some of his behavior and was enough of a reason for her to insist on driving.

  The suite was just as beautiful as she remembered.

  “I expected Jack and Ice to be here,” she said.

  “Ice is handling the transport of the bodies, and Jack is setting the attack on the facility you were watching. They’ll pick us up in the morning and fill us in then.”

  She had a feeling he’d set this all up for them to be alone together.

  “You want a drink?” Rex limped over to the cabinet with the liquor lined up on top.

  “I’ll pass. Are you sure it’s okay for you to drink?”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, pain pills and alcohol can be a deadly combination.”

  He poured a drink and watched her over the rim as his masculine throat moved up and down with each swallow. How could a man’s throat be so sexy while doing something so simple?

  “I’m not taking anything. Seen too many people become addicted. I take a couple strong ibuprofens every few hours.”

  Eyeing him with distrust—men do like to act tough—she pulled out the ponytail holder and fluffed out her hair in an attempt to dry it. She hated to think how bad she looked. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself he was an adult and she wasn’t responsible for his stupidity.

  “Listen. I’m going to take a shower. If you could order me a hamburger, I would appreciate it.” As soon as she said shower she regretted it. It brought back memories of the last time they had been alone in the suite together.

  When she glanced his way, he was pouring another drink. She bit her lip, picked up her suitcase near the door, and trudged up the steps to the master suite. He held the glass in his hand and watched her walk up the staircase.

  What had he wanted to talk about? Jerking her attention away, she hurried into the bathroom. On seeing the huge glass enclosure, the memories of her last shower there drove the breath out of her lungs. She locked the door. She needed to regain a little control, and besides, she needed that shower.

  Then she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Whoa! Wet hair framed her face, highlighting her slightly pink, prominent cheekbones. Her lips appeared full and soft, and her skin glowed. That was a surprise. Not that she was beautiful, but she didn’t look like the drowned rat she’d expected. Then she looked down at her T-shirt. The soaked thin cotton had become see-through and the dark outlines of her nipples were visible beneath a plain white bra. That all at least explained the heated looks Rex had given her.

  She turned on the faucet and started the shower to allow the water to warm. Then she opened her suitcase. Nothing screamed sexy. Remembering the satin slip she’d worn underneath her wedding dress, she pulled it out of a side pocket. A little wrinkled, but maybe the steam from the shower would help.

  Within thirty minutes she’d finished, leaving her hair partially dried. She felt so much better and more in control. After a light coating of makeup, she headed toward the stairs.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  * * *

  EXCITED BEYOND BELIEF from the thought of having the evening alone with Rex, Abby had missed him so much that she didn’t care whatever he had to say to her. She rushed down the stairs and came to a stop. A tray with a covered dish sat in the middle of the table, but no Rex. She checked the bedroom, carefully opening the door. No sign of him or his suitcase.

  Tears welled in her eyes for a few seconds and then she shook her head. The last few days had been stressful and so uncertain. Maybe she needed a change in her life. Glancing over to the bedroom again, she narrowed her eyes. He’d never acted like a coward before, but for the moment she would enjoy her meal and relax. Being alone wasn’t as exciting as making love to Rex, but she would enjoy her solitude.

  She returned to the dining room and lifted the cover to find a hamburger with fries still steaming beneath it. Within minutes she’d devoured every bite and decided a glass of wine would be a perfect ending. Then she snickered. Not exactly the ending she’d hoped for that evening.

  The twinkling light beyond the balcony drew her attention and she decided to enjoy her glass there. Memories of how close they’d come to making love out there shot warmth through her body.

  He didn’t give her a warning, but she felt his presence and her heart picked up speed. The temperature on the balcony changed abruptly and a sensation of no longer being alone kicked her senses into high gear. The wind died down but her nipples remained hard as if they knew who stood behind her.

  “A beautiful night. Unseasonably warm.” She inhaled deeply and caught that special clean male scent of Rex.

  “Hand me your glass.” The deep tone brooked no argument. She turned and held out the glass. His eyes glimmered even in the darkness. A c
hill traveled down her spine. He looked stern, almost foreboding.

  With slow precision, he slid the glass onto a small table and returned his attention to her.

  “What are you wearing underneath that scrap of material?”

  Looking forward to seeing his reaction, she said, “Nothing.”

  His snarl of a grin took her breath away. The Rex standing in front of her was the dangerous arms dealer Rurik, ready to take what he wanted.

  Tingles shot straight to her clit.

  “Face the city.”

  She hesitated. “What happened to us talking?” she teased.

  “Now.”

  Was this what she wanted? Yes. The forceful, confident Rex excited her. She turned.

  His heat covered her back and then strong hands rested on her hips, slid across the silky material, and stopped over her pelvis. Bunching the material, he lifted it until he slipped his fingers over her mons and farther.

  “You’re so slick and wet.”

  One thick finger divided her moist folds and stroked over the knot wanting his attention, but he continued until he thrust into her. Instead of withdrawing and thrusting again, he hooked his finger into her and lifted—placing tight pressure to the perfect spot needing his attention. His hand hauled her body up, lifting her feet off the floor, pressing her back against his clothed chest.

  “I want in you. I want my cock in you with your body trembling, holding, squeezing.” Every word he said caused her thighs to clench.

  She gasped and held on to his arm with both hands. It was times like these that she realized how strong he was and how easily he could hurt a person. But the strange sensation of being a puppet in his hands didn’t bother her. In fact, she liked the way he controlled his brute strength. Ripples of muscle moved wherever his body touched hers. A second finger hooked into her and his thumb rubbed and rolled her clit as his other hand matched the movements on a breast. She was his personal sex toy. And she liked it a lot.

  “Yeah? You like that, don’t you?”