Identity Crisis

by Rochelle Paige

  My gun was already out of its holster by the time she’d taken cover. I fired off two shots in quick succession. The first one took down the woman and the muscle went down with the second. Brody’s voice was screaming in my ear as he relayed information to the feds who had subdued and arrested the Frisbee guys, taking them out of the equation. When the dust settled, it was just me and Blue Shirt standing face to face, our guns aimed at each other’s heads.

  “Looks like we have a Mexican standoff.” This confirmed it. They guy was definitely not as good as he thought he was if he didn’t realize it was the feds who’d taken down part of his team.

  “That would only be true if I couldn’t proceed or retreat without being exposed to danger.”

  He moved his hand from side to side. “You move and I shoot you. It’s pretty much the definition of being exposed to danger.”

  “Except you didn’t take into account the outside forces moving in on us.” I didn’t move my gun or shift my focus away from him. My situational awareness was good enough that I didn’t need to. Instead, I waited for him to look around and take stock of the position he found himself in.

  “Your team is down. They have your sniper in custody.” The second part was a bluff since I hadn’t gotten an update on the sniper yet, but he didn’t know that. “The feds want you alive, but I’d actually prefer dead. Please, do me a favor and give me an excuse to blow your brains out.”

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “She brought in the SEALs.”

  Chapter 20

  Delia

  It sounded like things happened so fast after I rolled under the picnic table at Blaine’s command, but it also felt like everything moved in slow motion. I didn’t know how else to describe it other than surreal. I tried to be as still as possible, my arms wrapped around my head as I cowered under the protective shelter, hearing two shots ring out. Blaine was out there, unprotected. Two instincts warred within me: one to stay hidden and safe and the other to look to make sure he was okay. Knowing which choice he’d want me to make, I stayed where he’d told me to go and waited it out. Finally, I heard him say he was a SEAL and I knew he was still alive.

  Then I heard the sound of running feet and one of the agents reading someone their rights. Blaine’s voice again as he answered some questions. At some point, Brody had joined them, too. The minutes passed painstakingly slowly, until it finally sounded like the action had died down.

  “Can I come out now?” My voice came out wobbly and soft, but Blaine must have heard me. He was suddenly crouched down in front of me, holding his hand out.

  “You okay, baby?” he asked, his gaze raking down my body, making sure I wasn’t hurt.

  “Yeah, I am. Are you?” My question was the barest whisper of sound as I caught sight of the body on the ground behind him. It was the guy who’d been holding the duffle bag with a bullet hole between his eyes.

  A bullet hole.

  Between the eyes.

  Of his dead body.

  It looked like a perfectly aimed shot. From someone who had been facing him. My gaze shifted to the gun in Blaine’s holster and back to the body again. Then I looked behind me, wondering if one of the agents had fired the shot as they’d come running. The only thing I saw was the trunk of the big tree. I was still trying to process it all when Blaine moved in close and pulled me into his arms.

  “I am now,” he whispered against my hair.

  He was warm. And strong. And alive. Then, it hit me. He could have so easily died protecting me today. We both could have. In the blink of an eye, our lives could have been over. I was surrounded by people who dealt with violence and death on a regular basis, but it was so far removed from my world. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around what had happened. How I’d gotten here. Then the trembling began. Full body shakes as it all came crashing down on me.

  “Shh, baby. It’s okay,” Blaine murmured as he moved to the picnic table and pulled me onto his lap.

  I’m not sure why, but the gentleness of his voice and the soft touch of his hand as he rubbed my back was enough to send me over the edge. Huge, gulping sobs wracked my body. Blaine held me through it all, providing shelter in the storm of my meltdown. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there together, but by the time I’d settled down, his shirt was drenched with my tears and I felt like I could sleep for a million years.

  “Sorry.” My apology was a croak, low and rough, my throat feeling swollen and sore.

  “It was the adrenaline crash,” Blaine explained. “It hits people in different ways.”

  “I thought she might need this.” I heard Brody’s voice as an open bottle of water appeared in my line of sight, the side of my face still resting against Blaine’s chest.

  “Thanks,” I whispered, grabbing the bottle and quickly gulping the cool liquid down. It felt like heaven, soothing my scratchy throat.

  “Steele is doing her best to hold Phillips back, but he wants us in the van and he wants it now.”

  I groaned at the thought of having to deal with the man after everything we’d gone through. “What could he possibly want so badly?”

  “He needs to debrief us, wrap everything up in a perfect little bow so he has what he needs if this goes to court,” Blaine explained. “But you’ve done enough for today and he can damn well wait to talk to you until you’re ready for his questions.”

  “No,” I protested. “I don’t want to wait. I just want to get it over with.”

  Blaine tilted my chin with his fingertip until I was looking into his eyes. “Are you sure you’re up for it? If not, I’ll tell him to go fuck himself.”

  I had no doubt he’d do exactly what he said, but it would only delay the inevitable. Although I felt the furthest thing from it, I injected as much strength in my voice as I was able to gather. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  Boy, did I come to regret those words. Phillips had an agent ride with us in the back of the van, someone I didn’t remember meeting earlier so they weren’t even a friendly face. He made it perfectly clear we weren’t to speak during the drive. They didn’t want us to have a chance to corroborate our stories or some garbage like that. As soon as we arrived at the Atlanta field office, they separated us for our debriefing. Only, it didn’t go like I thought a debriefing would. It felt more like I was being interrogated. Hours passed and Phillips didn’t relent. Gone was the man who’d tried to charm me yesterday in order to get me to cooperate with his plan. In his place was a hardened federal agent with questions.

  Lots and lots of questions. The ones about what I’d seen and heard today were easy since I’d been hiding under the table when the worst had happened. Besides, they knew exactly what I’d seen and heard. They were there and they had the recording from the microphone they’d wired me with before I went into the park. It was the questions about Brody that were the hardest. I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to give this man anything he could use against Blaine’s best friend—not after he’d risked so much to keep me safe.

  It seemed Phillips wasn’t satisfied with the arrest. He was pissed two of the TAG henchmen had been killed, especially since Blaine had been the one who shot them both. Although I’d figured out he’d been the one to fire at least one of the shots I’d heard, I was shocked when Phillips told me Blaine killed two people today. Then I was pissed because Phillips tried to use my surprise against me as he pushed even harder for information about Brody. It was a mistake on his part. My anger toward him helped me to hold up during his questioning. I funneled it into a steely resolve as I carefully answered with the truth, but only the parts that didn’t incriminate Brody. Luckily, I hadn’t actually seen him hack into anything, so I was able to word my answers deliberately, focusing on my personal knowledge only.

  By the time he was done with me, it was dark outside. Blaine was nowhere in sight and I didn’t want to leave without him, so I waited. And then, I waited some more, until he finally left a room a few doors down from where I had been questioned
. His face looked like it had been carved from stone. As soon as he saw me, he strode to where I was sitting and held out his hand. “Let’s go.”

  “What about Brody? I haven’t seen him yet.” I didn’t say it, but I was worried about him. I was willing to bet Blaine’s debriefing had gone much the same as mine, and I knew he wouldn’t want to leave without his best friend.

  He gave a quick shake of his head. “He’s still being questioned, but I’m not letting you stay here a moment longer than necessary.”

  I wanted to protest, but he didn’t give me a chance. He practically dragged me from my seat and marched me to the elevator. “But—”

  His index finger covered my lips, stopping the flow of words while we waited for the doors to open. “Not here.”

  The ride downstairs was silent. Blaine’s hand was wrapped tightly around mine, the only sign of how difficult this must have been for him. The night sky was pitch black through the windows lining the front of the building. I had no idea whether we’d be able to find a cab, but I remained quiet as we walked toward the exit. There was an urgency to Blaine and I didn’t want to slow him down.

  Finally, we were through the doors and on the sidewalk, but Blaine didn’t slow down. He headed to the left, toward a black limousine sitting at the curb about thirty feet down the road near the closest intersection. As we approached, the back door opened and Blaine helped me inside, quickly following behind me. There was one occupant already inside—a familiar face from countless news reports and because he resembled his brother. Damian Slater had come to town.

  “How bad is it?” he asked.

  “It’s a clusterfuck,” Blaine growled. “Phillips is a dick. He’s in a position of power and wants Brody’s head on a platter.”

  “We’ll just see whose head ends up on a platter once everything is said and done.” Damian might not have been a former Navy SEAL like Blaine and Brody, but I got the impression he was just as dangerous.

  I shifted in my seat, unintentionally drawing both their gazes my way. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “I’m the one who needs to apologize for being rude, Ms. Sinclair.” Damian’s reply was smooth, the formidable man from a moment ago replaced by the suave playboy the media portrayed him to be. “From what I’ve heard, you’ve had quite the day already. Please allow me to drop the two of you off at the hotel so you can get some rest.”

  The car hadn’t moved away from the curb, and I glanced out the window toward the building. “What about Brody?”

  “Our team of lawyers is headed upstairs,” he explained. “They’ll have him out before I make it back here to pick him up.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for him?” The question was for both of them, but I turned in my seat to face Blaine. “I feel like we’re abandoning him.”

  “If there was any doubt in my mind about him walking out those doors tonight, we’d still be up there,” he assured me. “We’re not leaving him behind. Damian has this covered, and there’s a lot they need to discuss sooner rather than later.”

  “I’m okay with waiting.”

  “As much as I appreciate it, we’re going,” he insisted.

  “You’ve got to be at the end of your rope and it’s my responsibility to make sure you have what you need. I’m going to take care of you and trust Damian to take care of his brother. He’s earned it.”

  Damian looked surprised by Blaine’s admission. I didn’t understand it after hearing everything he’d done for him when Blaine had been injured. It seemed kind of obvious that Damian had more than proven himself.

  Exhaustion hit me, and arguing any further about heading back to the hotel seemed ridiculous. “Okay.”

  I listened as Blaine told Damian the events of the last week. I was struggling to stay awake, my eyes continuing to drift shut while they were talking. It didn’t take long before I gave up the battle and leaned my head on Blaine’s shoulder. Darkness claimed me instantly. I slept deeply, not waking when the limousine arrived at the hotel. It wasn’t until Blaine placed me gently on the bed that my eyes slid open again.

  I watched silently as he removed my shoes and socks. Raised my hips so he could pull my pants down my legs. Held my arms up when he lifted my shirt over my head. And stared while he swiftly removed his clothes until he was standing in front of me in nothing but a pair of black cotton boxers.

  It felt like weeks since we’d last been alone together, though it had only been this morning. At the thought of what could have happened today, the need I always seemed to feel for him quickly shot past the point of being unbearable. With a boldness I’d never shown before, I hooked a finger into his waistband and yanked him toward me. His eyes tracked my every movement as I shoved him onto his back before stroking my hand along his lower abdomen and slowly sliding it down the front of his boxers.

  His hands flexed at his sides and his jaw clenched when I wrapped my hand around his hardened length. “You want to be the one in charge tonight?”

  Teasing him with a light stroke, I couldn’t resist lapping up the drop of pre-come on his tip before answering. “We both know who’s really in charge here.”

  “Enough teasing,” he growled. “If you want to be the one on top, you better get moving. I need to fuck. Now.”

  There was a desperation in his tone I’d never heard before. I swiftly pulled his boxers off and ripped my panties down my legs before I straddled him. Fingers wrapped around his cock, I dragged it through the dampness between my thighs. Moaning deeply, I guided him to my entrance and sank down slowly, inch by inch, until he filled me. His head fell back and a low growl escaped as his hips surged off the bed, sending his cock deeper. My fingers clenched against his shoulders while I struggled to hold myself still, determined to savor the feeling.

  Blaine wasn’t having any of that, though. His hips rolled beneath me as his hands grasped my ass in a firm, possessive hold. “You better start moving, sweetheart. Or else I’m going to flip you over and fuck you hard and deep.”

  “Am I supposed to take that as a threat?” I moaned, bringing my feet up and bracing them on either side of his hips. I rose up until only the tip of his cock remained inside me and then came down hard, bucking my hips. I repeated the movement over and over again, until I was bouncing wildly on his lap.

  “You like taking my cock hard and fast, don’t you, sweetheart?” He fisted my hair in his hand and dragged me forward to take my mouth in a deep kiss, forcing my mouth wide and driving his tongue inside. Lost in his kiss, my rhythm slowed even as my pussy began to flutter around him. By the time he tore his mouth from mine, we were both gasping for air.

  “Yes,” I hissed, gasping when he tilted his hips. The new angle had my body tensing. I writhed above him, each slide of his cock bringing me closer to release.

  “Tell me,” he ordered, hands gripping my hips and holding me in place. “I need to hear the words.”

  “Please,” I begged, trying to wriggle out of his grasp and move so I could come. “I’m so close.”

  “I’ll get you there, but not until you tell me what I want to hear.”

  “I need you, Blaine.”

  “That’s good enough. For now,” he growled. Then he lifted me off him, flipped me onto my back, and drove back in.

  “Please. Please. Please,” I chanted.

  “Wrap your legs around me,” he ordered, surging hard and deep as he jackhammered in and out of me.

  “Deeper,” I groaned, digging my feet into his ass. My orgasm was building—a huge one—my entire body tensing as it got closer.

  He gripped my hips and started to lift me up as he thrust down. This wasn’t lovemaking. It wasn’t even sex. It was fucking. Pure and simple. And I liked it. No, I loved it. We’d come so close to death and each thrust of his cock made me feel alive.

  “Come for me, dammit,” he growled.

  “So close,” I panted.

  “Now,” he groaned into my ear. Then he bit the lobe and licked down my neck. When his teeth scra
ped against my pulse point, it was enough. I went flying and took him right along with me, shouting out his own release.

  When my shudders ended, I rolled to my side and tucked my body along his. The nerves from this morning. The adrenaline rush from the park. The crash from my meltdown. The hours spent being questioned. The strength of my release. It all crashed down on me, leaving me with two choices: slide into the oblivion sleep offered or break down for real this time. I chose oblivion.

  ****

  When I woke up the next morning, Blaine was sleeping soundly beside me. His personality was magnetic when he was awake—making him impossible to ignore. He looked softer as he slept, but it didn’t lessen his pull. It was incredibly difficult to let him be and roll out of bed, but I knew he needed the rest. He’d been so focused on keeping me safe, he’d barely slept all week. Resisting the urge to cuddle close, I quietly slid out of bed and crept from the room. There was plenty for me to do while he slept.

  After making myself a cup of coffee, I powered up my laptop and checked to see if there were any stories in the media about our shootout in the park. I expected to find vague articles with few accurate details, but it looked like Phillips had been a busy bee last night. The first article I clicked on had facts that only could have come from his office. It described the brilliant sting operation he’d led which resulted in the capture of the mastermind behind a dangerous arms dealing operation. The writer in me was curious about what would happen next with the case, but the woman in me hoped they would be able to agree to a plea agreement. I wanted to put the whole experience behind me and move forward.

  Reading the glowing account of Phillips’ heroics made me want to puke, but I was relieved to see he corrected the mistaken reports of my death. Before he let me go last night, he had promised to speak with the local police. I hadn’t expected him to take this extra step on my behalf, but it would be a huge help. Now I had something to share on my social media pages to help explain what happened. Since the story was stranger than fiction, the article would give my posts credibility.