Mercenaries

by Anne Kane

  She nodded. “Yeah, but how? No one but me goes near my car.”

  “Let me think on it. There must be something here you’re overlooking. In the meantime, what kind of plans do you have for tonight?”

  She blinked. “Tonight? None. Why?”

  “Because I’d like to introduce you to my teammates. Saralyn is planning a barbequeto celebrate Jackson’s birthday and I told her I was bringing you with me.”

  She arched one of those delectable brows. “Don’t you think you should have asked me first? What if I had plans?”

  “You’d change them because you wouldn’t want to disappoint Saralyn.” He tried out his innocent look, which usually had the effect of scaring the crap out of people. “So how about it? You said you didn’t have any plans, and I need to show the guys that I can score at least one date every year or two.”

  She laughed. “It’s been that long since you managed to get a date?”

  He shrugged. “Of course not. But the women in question usually don’t hang around long enough to meet the guys. I think it has something to do with my awesome social skills.”

  “I’m sure it does.” She shook her head. “Let me finish pulling this cylinder head off, and then I’ll go get cleaned up for the party. I can’t get another gasket until tomorrow. Are you going to come pick me up, or should I meet you there?”

  Shotgun grinned. “I knew you’d say yes! I’ll just wait here, and take you back with me. That way you won’t have a chance to change your mind.”

  * * *

  “So you’re the one who’s stolen our sharpshooter’s heart.” Kaeden looked like something right out of a Norse mythology book, complete with the long blond hair tied back with a leather strap. He enveloped her in a bear hug before she had time to avoid it.

  “Easy, Sarge. The little girl doesn’t like to be mauled by strangers.” Shotgun managed to extricate her from his buddy’s clinch.

  Kalie rolled her eyes. “For the umpteenth time, I’m not a little girl.”

  “Well, you’re not very big.” The speaker was a lanky man with a mop of dark curly hair. Trace? Or Pete? She was so not good at this friendly group thing. She’d already managed to forget half their names.

  “Trust me, if you piss her off she’s big enough.” Saralyn came to her rescue. “I remember how she used to drive the guards nuts back in the lab. If you’re not careful, she just might consider resurrecting some of her nastier tricks.”

  “Well now, that’s a serious threat.” The laughter in his eyes betrayed his total lack of concern for her possible retaliation.

  “So Shotgun says you’ve been having some trouble with your car lately. He thought maybe someone might be sabotaging it on purpose?” Right, the guy with the dark hair was Pete. This was Trace.

  She nodded slowly. “Yeah. A couple of minor incidents, but I think I’ve got it under control now.” She flashed an irritated look at Shotgun. He’d been talking to his teammates about her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  Dee linked her arm through Kalie’s and pulled her away from Shotgun’s comforting presence. “I’ll let you in on some of the guy’s weaknesses. We girls need to stick together.”

  “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.” Kaeden grinned indulgently. “Seems to me when you girls get together it’s us men that suffer. I remember the tree-hugging incident quite clearly.”

  “Oh, pooh. You deserved that, and then some. I think you got off lucky that day.”

  “Lucky?” Shotgun’s eyebrow shot skyward “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “Nope. You were definitely lucky.” Dee led Kalie over to introduce her to Wren, her little sister.

  The evening went well, and Kalie began to relax. She’d never had a family, but she’d always imagined that this is what one would feel like. Happy. Joking with each other. Some good-natured ribbing, but underneath she could sense a bond as strong as any she’d ever seen. These guys really cared about each other, and it showed.

  Shotgun had brought her here and made it plain that he cared about her, and they accepted her just like that. He wanted her here, and that was good enough for them. Wow. Just… wow. She’d never expected this kind of acceptance, had never even conceived that it might exist outside of fairy tales. This feeling of belonging, of being accepted just as she was without any conditions or expectations. It was so far from anything she’d ever known, she felt like pinching herself just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

  “You have to come see my garden before it gets too dark.” Dee bounced to her feet and beckoned Kalie to follow her.

  “Sure.” Kalie stood, glancing over at Shotgun. He seemed content to let her go with the other women. She’d never let herself consider settling down. The threat of exposure was too immediate, but all of a sudden she found herself longing for just that. To settle down in one place and be part of a group who really cared about each other. It seemed like an impossible dream.

  She followed Dee toward the kitchen, and Saralyn bounced up to tag along.

  Dee turned, her hands in constant motion as she talked. “So when I first came back here, the guys were using the yard to dump spare parts and there wasn’t anything even remotely green to be found out there. When I told Kaeden I wanted to start a garden he thought I was nuts. No one grows food in the city. I kept nagging though, until he finally decided it would be easier to humor me than to listen to me. I got him to bring in some decent soil from a farm outside the city, and then the guys built me some raised beds and a couple of plant boxes. I got the idea from an old book I found.”

  Kalie followed Dee out the back door and into another world. Lush vegetation covered every available inch of space. Green and yellow beans, peppers, tomatoes and all sorts of other vegetables hung in various stages of growth from large bushes and vines laden with cucumbers and crisp green peas drooped from trellises that crisscrossed the yard. She’d never seen so much fresh food in one place in her life. She turned to Dee, her mouth open in wonder. “I’m speechless. This is amazing.”

  “Thanks. I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished here.” Dee eyed up her little garden. “But that’s not why I brought you out here. We wanted to talk to you about Shotgun.”

  “What about him?” Great. She knew this was too good to be true. They were going to tell her to leave him alone before she brought a whole passel of trouble down on their heads.

  “We’re trying to be helpful, not scare you off.” Dee frowned. “I don’t mean to sound like a protective older sister, and I’m pretty sure Shotgun would not appreciate me butting my nose into his business, but he’s like a big brother to me.”

  “To us.” Saralyn piped up. “And it’s obvious that he’s fallen for you hard, which is the point because Shotgun has never taken more than a passing interest in a woman before.”

  “Which means you could hurt him real bad, and we don’t want that.” They both shook their heads emphatically.

  “The guys have been together a long time, and they have a kind of bond thing going. I swear they communicate by osmosis, and then wonder why we have no idea why we don’t know what they are doing.” Dee looked at Saralyn, and both of them giggled.

  “I kind of noticed they’re closer than most guys.” Kalie wasn’t sure where they were going with this, or why they felt the need to explain it to her.

  “Exactly!” Dee looked pleased. “That’s what I’m trying to say. The guys have been to hell and back together, and they’re more than just a group of mercenaries. If one of them were captured, the others would be all over it before the government had time to tattoo the number on his shoulder. And don’t kid yourself. They’d get him or die trying. These guys are joined at the hip. Ain’t any of them planning on selling the others out, or leaving them behind. When you bond with one of these guys, you don’t just get him. You get them all and they will look after you just like they look after each other, because they know how much we mean to their brothers. I ran out on Kaeden a few years back, and he let
me go because he knew I needed the space. But, he kept close tabs on me even if I didn’t realize it at the time. As soon as he thought I was in real danger, he and the rest of the guys were right there to haul my ass back to safety. And then they risked their lives to help me get my sister out of trouble, too. That’s just the way they are.”

  “You looked pissed back there when Trace asked you about your car. Like you thought Shotgun shouldn’t have talked about you with his buddies. That’s the thing, though. He will always share with the other guys. Ask their advice. Just share whatever he knows. Being with one of these guys is not like any other relationship you might get yourself into. You need to consider this carefully.” Saralyn looked up at her with a sober expression. “Do you want Shotgun, knowing that he comes with all these attachments? He’s never going to walk away from the guys to be with you. If you can’t handle that, you need to put a stop to this right now. While you can both still walk away.”

  Could she walk away, or was it already too late? If you’d asked her just a week ago, she would have assured you that she was tough, and independent, and no guy would ever mean more to her than her freedom.

  Now she wasn’t sure what she believed. Was that gut-wrenching, soul-searing jolt of pure joy she felt every time Shotgun walked into sight love? Or lust? Or both? How could she tell the difference?

  “You finished ogling all the green stuff? It’s getting late, and I had an early start this morning.” Shotgun stood outlined in the kitchen doorway.

  How long had he been there? Had he heard what Dee and Saralyn had been saying? Kalie turned to the other women. “This is really amazing. Thank for showing it to me, and for all the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.” She hoped her smile wasn’t as shaky as it felt.

  “No problem.” They both smiled at her. Sincere friendly smiles that told her they really were ready to accept her, they just wanted to be upfront about the terms.

  And she understood, she really did. If she hurt their friend, they’d come after her like an alley cat protecting its kittens. All claws and sharp teeth.

  * * *

  They made it back to her place without actually ripping each other’s clothes off. There was some groping and pawing involved, but altogether Shotgun was very proud of himself. By mid-point in the drive, his pants felt six sizes too small, and his cock was throbbing with eagerness. Good thing she didn’t live any farther away.

  Kalie fumbled with the keys for what seemed like an eternity before the door finally swung open and he practically dragged her through it. “Nice place. Love the color scheme.”

  He had no idea what color the wall was, and he couldn’t care less. Backing her up against the wall, he fastened his mouth on hers and allowed himself to feast.

  She tasted ripe and so very, very ready. He nibbled on her lower lip, teasing her mouth open to plunder the sweetness within. Leaning into her soft curves, he let her feel the full extent of his arousal. He had a feeling that as long as he was anywhere near Kalie, this was going to be an ongoing problem.

  His tongue tangled with hers, and he felt her shudder with pleasure. Despite her tough girl attitude, she was an innocent when it came to sex. She had no idea how to disguise her reaction to him, or else she just plain didn’t care.

  He felt a flare of hot satisfaction at the idea that she hadn’t kissed many men before him. Sex was one thing, but kissing was intimate, a connection that he selfishly wanted to keep for himself. He knew it was corny but no woman had ever affected him like this before. He wanted to wrap himself around Kalie and keep her safe, a pretty tall order considering her background.

  Without letting her go, he shrugged out of his shirt and reached for hers. He wanted, no needed, to be skin to skin. He needed to bury himself deep inside her, where he belonged, and he didn’t want to let go of her for even a second.

  He savored the taste of her, forcing himself to take it slow, show her he could be tender. Their first encounter had been on the tailgate of a truck, and although he didn’t regret making love to her so soon after meeting, he regretted the setting. He wanted her to think of him as an amazing lover, someone who would make every encounter a magical experience. A quickie on a tailgate was hardly the impression he wanted her to remember. So, tonight he needed to change that. After tonight, when she looked at him he wanted her to see something different, someone different. Someone she couldn’t bear to be without.

  They were both naked now, and he swept her up in his arms. “The bedroom?” He didn’t want to waste the time looking for it.

  “Down the hall.” She pointed the direction with her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He reclaimed possession of her mouth, and a breathy little moan escaped her throat. His cock swelled to almost painful proportions. He’d never felt this way with any other woman, this amazing combination of out-of-control lust and the urge to be gentle at the same time.

  He laid her on the bed, and she watched through half-closed eyes as he straddled her hips. Reaching forward, he explored her body, mapping her curves with the palms of his hands. He took his time, enjoying every moan, every sharp intake of breath, every indication that she felt this as much as he did.

  He didn’t rush her, teasing her breasts with his tongue and teeth until she squirmed helplessly beneath him. When she tried to reach for him, he captured her wrists in one hand and drew them up over her head. “Not yet. This time it’s all about you. I want you so hot you’re begging me.”

  She opened her eyes wide, locking them on his face. The pupils were so large they almost wiped out the rest of her eyes. “Please. Shotgun. I can’t take it anymore.” She caught her lower lip in her teeth, and he’d never seen anything so damn sexy in his entire life. Desire swept through him, so intense he couldn’t wait any longer.

  Bracing himself above her, he nudged her thighs apart and positioned himself at the entrance to her sex. Already, he could feel the moisture gathering. She was ready. “Damn, you are so beautiful.” He thrust hard, seating himself balls-deep in her warm channel. She closed around him, her slick warmth gripping him and welcoming him deep inside her.

  He managed to hang onto his sanity for a few more precious seconds. He pulled himself almost all the way out, then slid back in with excruciating slowness. Kalie let out a low whimper and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  That simple movement was his undoing. He couldn’t hold back any longer. Lust roiled through him as he pumped in and out of her exquisitely tight sex. She met him thrust for thrust, unintelligible sounds issuing from her throat as they roared toward a shared climax. The sensations rocketed through him and he let out a yell of sheer male triumph as his orgasm burst over him. Her sex clamped down on him, milking his seed in long slow waves that left him breathless.

  If this is what love felt like, he never wanted it to stop.

  Chapter Four

  “It’s almost start time. I need to get into position.” Kalie reached up to give Shotgun a quick peck on the cheek. Somehow, having his solid presence at her side had a settling influence on those damn butterflies that multiplied in her belly as race time drew near.

  “You need a better kiss than that. For good luck.” Tilting her head up, Shotgun wrapped his arms around her and seared a kiss across her lips, letting his mouth linger for an endless minute on hers. She let herself luxuriate in it for a moment, luxuriate in the almost unfathomable fact that this great big hunk of man had nothing better to do than stand here and help settle those dang butterflies.

  “Go get them, little girl. I’ll be waiting right here at the finish line when you’re done showing those yahoos how a car should be driven.” He slid his hands down her arms in a soft caress before he finally let her go.

  She was starting to like being called little girl. Did that make her weird? Firmly ignoring the butterflies that felt like they were multiplying by the hundreds inside her belly, Kalie secured her helmet and slid into the cockpit of her car. Making sure the safety harness was secured seemed to hel
p settle the butterflies down a bit. At least if she made a major mistake, she’d probably live to tell her grandchildren about it.

  Wow, where had that come from? She’d never ever considered having children before Shotgun showed up. The guy was a damn bad influence on her. She felt a soft smile start to curve the corner of her mouth. Be a scary bunch of kids with them for parents.

  Taking a deep breath, she started the engine. As it revved up, she let her senses flare out. She immediately felt that almost magical connection to the machine, the legacy of all the horrors in the lab. Not everything from that period in her life turned out bad. Her consciousness expanded to explore every nook and cranny of the mechanical wonder, checking for anything that felt off.

  Nothing.

  The car was behaving perfectly; every little bit of metal doing exactly what it had been designed to do. Shotgun was probably right -- there was nothing wrong. She was letting her nerves and her imagination see problems where they didn’t exist. Not surprising, given the huge changes in her life lately and how much was riding on this race.

  She glanced at her watch. Five minutes to the start of the race. She blew a kiss at Shotgun, fully aware that he couldn’t see the gesture from inside the helmet. The drive to the start line gave her time to warm the car up, accelerating fast and then braking hard. Her tires needed to be warm, and the engine running at peak in order to get away from the start line clean. A good start would be essential to placing in the race.

  She glanced at the other cars. A total of twenty drivers had been invited to participate and she’d lucked out, drawing the inside forward position for start.

  The starter signalled the last warning, and Kalie watched a couple of mechanics scramble away from the cars. She wondered idly what it would be like to have to depend on someone else to tell her if her car was running properly.

  Flexing her fingers on the steering wheel, she eased her car into the favored slot, mentally counting down the last sixty seconds.