by Lexi Blake
“Dallas Executive,” Michael said. “It’s the airport my father would use.”
His father was the head of Malone Oil and a billionaire, so Michael would likely know.
“A real 4L jet. I bet it’s tricked out, man. I bet he’s got the best fucking Wi-Fi in the sky. Is he beautiful? Does he glow and shit?” Hutch sighed a little.
Case bit back the need to vomit. Drew Lawless was the youngest billionaire in America and he’d earned it the new-fashioned way. He’d created a tech empire and now all the geeks worshipped at his feet. “He’s a dude. He definitely doesn’t glow.”
He was actually quite intelligent and he’d definitely not wanted his sister to be anywhere near Case.
Hutch was having none of it. “He’s a software god. I bet he glows. I’ll stop his sister from going to South America. Should I send the cops in after her for the brutal assault on your junk, man?”
“Just delay her.” He wasn’t sure what to do. He only knew he needed more time to make the decision.
Hutch strode out of the living room back toward his office.
Case opened Hutch’s freezer. How much ice cream could one man eat? It was all in pint tubs. Couldn’t the dude have a couple of popsicles or something? Case couldn’t shove a pint of Chunky Monkey down his jeans.
“It’ll get better in about ten minutes,” Michael assured him with an amused expression on his face. “The flaring pain, that is. The ache will be with you for a while.”
“Had your balls busted much?”
“I grew up on a ranch. You haven’t felt pain until a horse you’re shoeing manages to kick you there.” Michael handed him a beer.
Hell, it was cold at least. He put it on his aching crotch.
He didn’t even have beer at his apartment right now. He’d counted on Theo to buy food and shit for so long that he was just empty. While Theo had been in Africa, his sisters-in-law had made sure he had groceries. They’d tried since Theo died, but he’d held them off. It was pathetic to have Grace and Charlotte have to take care of him.
So he’d moved through his days drinking protein shakes and eating takeout and keeping his place like he’d kept his bunk in the Navy. He was only messy when he was happy. When he was miserable he tended to keep his place perfect and pristine, as though he had to control something.
Welcome to his world. Everything was neatly in its place and meant absolutely fucking nothing.
Mia’s apartment had warmth and light and she loved to bake. She looked cute with all that blonde hair piled high on her head and an apron around her curves.
He’d definitely thought about ordering her to cook for him wearing nothing but that silly apron of hers. Her nipples would peek out and he would be able to see that luscious ass. They could make a game out of it. When she was bad, he could spank her with a spatula, and when she was good, he would sit her in his lap and feed her, his hands moving over her, caressing her.
Fuck that hurt. She’d found a way to make his damn erections unbearable.
“I actually meant for you to drink that.” Michael had popped the top on his beer.
He still would. He wasn’t picky.
His cell trilled and he looked down. Shit. Sean. He was picking up Case and Hutch to head over to Erin’s and help her settle in with TJ. Someone would be spending the night with them for a week or so until Erin found her groove.
He picked up the line. He had to come up with a way to get out of going over there tonight. “Hey, brother.”
“Grace and I are downstairs. You guys ready? Tell Hutch if I find him slipping Carys pixie sticks again, I’ll murder him and force him to pay my daughter’s dental bills. Doesn’t he have a skateboard or something? Because he could hang on to the rear bumper.”
Case didn’t have time to negotiate a truce right now. “Something’s come up. I’m going to be a little late so I’ll bring Hutch with me.”
Sean was quiet for a second and then his voice was deeper, going serious. “Anything I can help with?”
He should tell his brother. He should tell Sean and Ian and get Li up here.
If she was right and this dude would run if they didn’t play this Mia’s way, was he willing to risk it? His eyes drifted over to the folder she’d left that contained the first glimpse of his brother he’d had in months.
What would Theo want him to do?
Protect Erin and his son first and foremost. Protect them from harm, from hurt and loss. Erin couldn’t lose Theo twice. If they couldn’t get him back, it was better for her to think he’d died in her arms, that he’d been dead all this time. She needed peace in her life right now, needed to bond with her son.
If she knew Theo was alive, Case wasn’t sure what she would do. The trouble was if no Taggarts showed up at her place tonight, she would know something was happening.
And then there was the fact that Ian would take over. Ian would make all the decisions and Case would be expected to fall in line.
Ian would make decisions about Mia and that didn’t sit well with Case.
“It’s Mia. She showed up and we…well, let’s just say it ended with her getting a little violent. I need to talk to her.”
Sean chuckled over the line. “I always liked that girl. Get out to Erin’s if you can. If you can’t, just text me to let us know you’ve got something else to do. You know I always thought you two could be good for each other. Whatever you did, it might be helpful to beg.”
He wasn’t sure begging would work. He wasn’t sure he wanted it to work because he knew anything he got from Mia would be short term. A woman like Mia didn’t get serious about a man like him. “Bye, Sean.”
Michael was staring at him, his eyes narrowed. “You just lied to your brother.”
Maybe he’d worked with Michael for too long. “I did not. Mia was here. I’m trying to find her so I can talk to her.”
“Not buying it. Oh, I get that Mia was here and you had a fight, but you wouldn’t be delaying her plane and potentially getting Hutch thrown back in jail over a lover’s spat.”
“We aren’t lovers.” And that was a major part of the problem. The chemistry between them was so palpable. There was always heat between them and he was getting fucking tired of not indulging it.
If Mia wanted to ride a cowboy, why the hell was he acting like a horrified virgin? If she wanted to use him for sex, for a walk on the wild side, why the hell couldn’t he do the same? Maybe after they fucked for a few long days they could act like adults around each other.
“You know what I’m saying.” Michael leaned in. “What’s going on? You made a decision to not tell Sean something. I watched you do it.”
He was such a fuck-up. This was precisely why Ian didn’t trust him. “Mia’s got it in her head to go chasing some story in Colombia. It’s about The Collective.”
Michael whistled. “How ironic is that? You fuck up your relationship with her because Big Tag thinks 4L might be a Collective company and now she’s going to get herself killed investigating.”
Yes, that summed up the situation nicely. “That’s why I’m delaying her.”
“Okay, what’s the plan? Are we stopping the investigation or helping her?”
The ache had set in, but Michael had been right. It was somewhat better now. He couldn’t tell Michael what his real mission was, but he wouldn’t hate backup. Mia was slippery. And things could change when he got boots on the ground. He wouldn’t take over the op the way Ian would. He would have his team lay low and watch out for Mia. They might not even have to know what they were looking for.
“If I don’t help her, she’ll do it anyway,” Case mused.
“Or you call her brother and he stops her.” Michael summed up what would likely be the most practical plan of all. It was also the one he wouldn’t use.
He couldn’t do that to her. Yes, it would be the smart play, but Mia was wild. He liked her wild. He didn’t want to see her brother force her into some glass case where she was nothing but a pretty face at
a party. Mia was passionate about her work. He’d found that out the hard way. Besides, he knew damn well what it felt like to be in the shadow of an older, brilliant brother. It was hard to step into the light. He couldn’t shove her back there. “No. We back her up.”
“Cool. Colombia is hot this time of year. I’ll pack swim trunks and work on my tan.” Michael set down his beer. “Am I driving to the airport or do you want to do it?”
“They’re way less likely to tow you.” One of the perks of being an heir to Malone Oil.
Hutch walked back in, carrying his laptop. “Okay, delaying Mia’s plane was a breeze. She wasn’t actually scheduled to take off for two hours, but now she’ll find herself stalled for a rather lengthy maintenance evaluation. She’s now scheduled to leave at ten p.m. But the interesting part, and by interesting I am referring to the part most likely to get us all murdered in our sleep, is about a man named Tony Santos. He’s definitely ex-Agency. I just called Ten. Ten says Tony is batshit crazy but has a thing for blondes. When Ten wanted information out of Tony, he had to send a blonde.”
What kind of exchange was Mia planning to make? “What else did Ten say about him? Can I catch this fucker and make him talk? I’m a blond. You telling me I’m not his type?”
The idea of Mia flirting with some crazy dude made him…well, it made him a fucking crazy dude.
Hutch frowned. “Are you serious? I think Ten was talking about women.”
Sometimes Case understood why his brother smacked his more ridiculous employees upside the head. “Can I find him and take him?”
If Ten thought he could, maybe he could leave Mia out of that part. He would indulge her, let her go with him, but he wanted her out of the truly dangerous shit. If this guy had worked with Tennessee Smith, he was dangerous.
Hutch shook his head. “According to Ten this guy was one of his best and he knew how to make himself scarce. I think if you’re going to take him, you better be damn certain you get him because he’ll disappear and he won’t resurface for a very long time.”
Michael nodded his way. “Your call, brother.”
He had to make a decision. God, he needed Theo. Theo was the voice of reason. Theo was smarter.
Theo could die and this time it would be all Case’s fault.
“Saddle up. We’re going on a little trip.”
Hutch stared at him, his face serious for once. “But there’s cake at Erin’s.”
“And there’s a severe beating for you right here if you don’t go and pack.” Yes, Ian had it right.
“Wait, does this have something to do with Mia Lawless?” Hutch seemed to have missed the important parts of their conversation.
Michael sighed. “If he wasn’t so good with a computer…”
If Hutch thought he might meet his hero, he would be easier to deal with. “We’ll be commandeering that 4L jet. You can sit exactly where Drew Lawless sits.”
“I bet they have awesome cake.” Hutch ran back to start getting ready.
Case walked out with Michael, who promised to pick them back up after he’d packed. Case made his way to his place. He had some packing to do, too.
He would play this her way for now, but she was about to find out that he had some rules of his own.
CHAPTER TWO
Mia stared at the pilot. “What do you mean we can’t leave until ten? We’re supposed to be leaving in fifteen minutes.”
Every second counted. Case was likely getting his ducks in a row even as she sat here in the very nice lounge of the private airport her brother used when he flew into Dallas.
That overgrown ape had probably called one of his tech guys and was already trying to find Tony. He would trip one of Tony’s many traps and send him running and then nothing would get done.
Why hadn’t she simply done it this way in the first place? She should have followed this lead on her own and given up on that man a long time ago. She should have taken his cues. After she’d discovered his romancing her had been all about finding out if her brother was a member of a shadowy, Illuminati-like organization, he’d been cold as ice.
They’d been playing each other, although her feelings had been real. She’d thought maybe after he’d had time to cool down he would see how unfair it was for him to blame her. He’d done the same damn thing. But no, Mr. Stubborn-as-a-mule Taggart couldn’t be bothered to think about fairness. He was an asshole and she was so done with him.
She wasn’t some pathetic doormat. She was Mia Lawless Danvers. She’d covered war zones. Hell, she’d started a few in smaller, less stable countries. Case Taggart could bite her ass.
The pilot shrugged. “No idea. It was weird, but the airport won’t let us go without maintenance signing off on the plane. I thought I’d taken care of all that in Austin. They’re working on it now. And your bodyguard is here.”
“Good.” She wasn’t entirely foolish. Bran really would check on her so she’d called around and found her own bodyguard in the two hours since she’d left Case Taggart cupping his own balls. She hadn’t even looked on Craigslist or anything. She had contacts and one of them happened to be in town.
Not that she’d met Ezra Fain before. He was a friend of a friend and apparently was hard up for some cash, had a valid passport, and could travel to South America on a moment’s notice. According to her friend, he was ex-special forces and a little down on his luck.
As long as he could watch her back and mostly stay out of her way, she was cool. The only reason she’d hired Ezra Fain was to please her brother. When it came time to meet Tony, she would go in alone, and now she didn’t have to fight anyone on that.
She was the boss and she would call the shots. This Ezra guy was probably in his fifties or sixties, a kindly older man. Hopefully he would be a good traveling companion. She would like the company. It would take her mind off her hormones and how wretchedly she’d screwed up with Case.
“Ms. Danvers?”
She turned, ready to greet her last-minute hero, and her jaw dropped.
The man in front of her had to be six foot three and looked like he’d just walked off a movie screen. Tall, dark, ridiculously handsome, with sensual lips and the clearest, bluest eyes she’d ever seen. His hair was pitch black and cropped close. He had a sexy scruff covering his jaw.
Maybe he wasn’t the bodyguard. Shit. Had her brother sent someone? “Yes? I’m Mia Danvers.”
He gave her a smile that was sure to melt the panties off a nun. “Ezra Fain. I’m happy to meet you. Hell, I’m happy to be hired by you. I’ve heard we have some kind of delay. Should I look into that?”
Why couldn’t the military recruit unattractive men? She was one hundred percent sure that they did but she had yet to find one of the fuckers. Her first instinct was to tell him to go home, but she didn’t have time to find someone else. It was too bad she hadn’t told her friend the bodyguard she hired couldn’t look like a sex god.
But hey, he wasn’t Case Taggart so she very likely was safe.
Why had he been such an ass?
“No, I think it’s routine.” Maybe she could grease the wheels a little. Pay the maintenance guys to get this done in a hurry. “I’m going to talk to the manager. I’m sure it’s nothing important.”
His glorious eyes turned serious. “Or one of the Taggart brothers is fucking with you. When I found out the plane had been delayed, I’m afraid I did a little check of my own. Someone hacked into the airport’s system about an hour ago and sent those orders in. You do have ties to them, right? I assume they want to delay you for some reason.”
She felt her eyes widen. “Who are you?”
His lips curled up. “I’m your bodyguard, Mia. I’m also very smart when it comes to dealing with men like the Taggarts. They can be…ruthless. You have to work smart to get around them. I do some work for a rival company. We keep tabs on them. That’s how I knew about your relationship with McKay-Taggart. I was surprised you wouldn’t call them. That led me to believe you’re doing something they
don’t like. They can be a bit forceful when they want to.”
What was Case doing? “Is there any way to countermand what he did so we could leave on time?”
“I can certainly try. I’m a fairly decent hacker myself. Or we can bribe maintenance to speed the process along.”
She turned and saw that the need was likely gone. Shit. Case was stalking toward her, his big body in the same jeans and T-shirt she’d left him in earlier. He wasn’t alone. She recognized Hutch and Michael Malone. They were all carrying duffel bags. She’d seen Michael in the hallway of Case’s building as she’d made her getaway, but she certainly hadn’t stopped to talk to the man. He was Case’s best friend. He wasn’t going to give her advice on how to handle him.
So why were they here? What was going on?
“Looks like we have company. Did you work out your differences?” Ezra turned, placing himself securely next to her. “Should I consider myself fired?”
Did she want to be alone with a guy she’d recently kicked in the balls and his ex-special forces friends without any backup of her own? “Nope. Our differences are still going strong. I have no idea why he’s here. I think I might need you even more than I thought.”
Case’s expression changed the minute he saw the man she was standing with. That gorgeous face of his changed from blank to fierce in a moment, his eyes narrowing. “Who the hell is this, Mia?”
Michael put a hand on his shoulder and leaned over, whispering something in Case’s ear when he stopped. Case’s eyes rolled, but when he looked back her way, he seemed to school his expression. “What I meant to say is hello, Mia. I’m genuinely sorry about our last encounter and can we have a talk?”
“I thought there wasn’t anything to talk about.” Unless he was here to commandeer her airplane. She wouldn’t put it past him. “If you think you’re taking this plane…”
Case put a hand up. “That’s not what’s happening.” He set his bag down. “Please, can we talk?”
“You don’t have to talk to him.” Ezra stood solidly beside her. “Why don’t you get on the plane and I’ll take care of this.”
