“I need to talk to Ice,” my brother said.
I batted my lashes and spoke sweetly. “Who?”
He raised a dark brow in reply.
I sighed and glanced in the direction where Ice, aka Alex, was standing but didn’t look at him. “May I use your bathroom, please?”
“Through the bedroom,” he replied.
The skin on my scalp tingled when I stepped into the dark bedroom. The scent I knew as Alex intensified. Intimacy flowed over me, and my stomach flipped upside down. I was in his bedroom, in his personal space.
Heart thundering, I went into the adjoining bathroom, flipped on the light, and shut the door. I sagged against it instantly, knees shaking.
My brother had to know I couldn’t stay here. I wouldn’t.
Alex
“I need you to protect my sister.” Mercer cut right to the chase, something I would have done if he hadn’t.
“And you can’t because…?” I baited.
“I’m the reason she needs protecting.”
“How bad is it?” I asked, even though I knew if he was on my doorstep, it was pretty fucking bad.
“They sent four men for her,” he spat, stepping closer and lowering his voice. “You know four men aren’t necessary for a one-woman job, unless they planned on having some fun before they finished her off.”
My back teeth came together with enough force that my jaw radiated with a crack of pain. Sabrina was a lot of things—a pain in the ass at the top of that list—but the thought of shit being done to her that I knew was possible had the actual ability to bring me to my knees.
I kept my tone neutral, my voice clipped. “Who are we talking about here?”
“Foreign nationals.”
“On our fucking soil.” I snarled.
“Yeah, well… my last job got messy. And the mess followed me home.”
I cursed.
“I have to take care of this, but I can’t do that if I know she’s sitting at home with a bull’s-eye on her back.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You could have taken her to anyone.”
“Anyone isn’t you.”
“I’ve been out for a few years now. I’m rusty.”
He laughed. “That was a fucking waste of breath, and you know it. Guys like us don’t get rusty. Out or not, this shit is ingrained, and that’s not something that will ever change.”
I started to say something else, but he held up his hand. He looked fucking tired. Dark circles under his eyes, lines around his mouth, and an odor that made me wonder about the last time he was able to take a shower.
I’d known Mercer for years. We’d been in situations together that most people only ever came close to in a movie theater. He was always my top choice to have at my back when we dropped (literally by plane) into some fucked-up hole on the map for a mission. He’d saved my life more than once. I’d done the same for him.
He wasn’t a friend, not really. But we were bonded by loyalty and trust. My relationship with Mercer wasn’t at all like the one I had with Liam. But I considered both of them my brothers.
I’d go to hell and back for Liam. I’d been to hell and back with Merc.
“I know you still got it. You ordered a hit on fucking Perry Crone, for Christ’s sake.”
“I didn’t order a hit.”
“What would you call it?” He challenged.
I shrugged. “He was terrorizing my pregnant sister. Putting my nephew in danger. I wasn’t about to let my bro do something with consequences he would have to live with forever.”
He grunted knowingly. Killing left a mark on you, whether you did it once or a hundred times, for good or for bad. I was already marked the fuck up. I wouldn’t let Liam be, too.
“Your sister hooked up with Liam?” he asked, puzzled.
“I shook my head. Not my blood sister. My chosen one.”
He nodded, understanding. “And now my sister needs you.”
“She’s not my sister.”
“I think we both know she’s a hell of a lot more than that.”
I dropped my arms and tensed. “You got amnesia? A few years ago, you didn’t want me to even look in her direction. You forbade it.”
I sensed movement in the doorway of my bedroom, but I didn’t glance in her direction. Sabrina was listening, but it wouldn’t influence any of the words I spoke.
“And you walked. You walked all the way out of the army.”
Shrugging, I replied, “I missed home.”
“That all it was?” He challenged, but without heat.
I just stared at him, not looking away, not fidgeting. No reaction. After a few, Mercer chuckled. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
I had, but the parts he was referring to were still there.
“She was young, man. So goddamn young. I didn’t want her in this life.”
“Yet here you are,” I said, sweeping out an arm.
His eyes flashed. “Here we are. And I’m man enough to admit I was wrong. I shouldn’t have forced you two apart. It’s probably the only thing in my life I regret. Well, that and bringing the heat down on her in the first place.”
“I would have done the same,” I said, giving him that. It was the truth.
Sabrina had been barely eighteen. I was twenty-four, and I did some gritty shit for a living. Six years might not be so bad if I’d had a desk job and not something that added even more years to my age.
“I honestly didn’t think she’d ever forgive me. In fact, I’m not sure she ever did.”
I was staring at Mercer, but all my attention, all my awareness was directed toward my bedroom where I knew she was hovering in the shadows. I wanted to look over. I wanted to reach in and pull her out into the light and stare in her hazel eyes. I wanted to know if she’d forgiven her brother… if she’d forgiven me.
“I’m trying to make it right.” Mercer went on.
I scoffed. “This isn’t some matchmaking trip or even some way to try and make amends. You wouldn’t be here right now if you didn’t need me.”
“You’re right. But from the second I stepped into this house I felt it. I saw it. It’s still there.”
The sound of a throat clearing burst into the room, and Mercer looked around as Sabrina walked in. “Your man time is up.”
Mercer glanced back at me, dropping some of the guard in his eyes. “You are the only one who will protect her like I would. You’re the only one I trust with my sister.”
How ironic. A few years ago, it was just the opposite.
Almost as if he heard my thoughts, he answered, “You earned it when you respected me enough to walk. If there is anyone out there who might even come close to being good enough for my sister, it’s you.”
Sabrina stiffened, her eyes spearing him. “What the hell, Daniel? You’re acting like you’re trying to barter my arranged marriage. Stop it. You don’t get a say in my love life.” She flushed, glancing at me, then quickly away. “Not anymore.”
We ignored her.
Which pissed her off.
“I’m making coffee,” she announced and stormed toward the kitchen. When she drew level with me, she stopped. “You have some, right?”
My lips twitched. God. She was exactly the same. Still as fucking feisty and gorgeous as ever. “In the tin on the counter.”
She went into the kitchen, and I heard her moving around. A second later, she exclaimed, “A Keurig! I thought I’d have to use that instant crap and then go find a cow to milk just for some cream.”
“It’s Colorado,” I called out. “Not a third world country.”
“You’ll do it?” Daniel asked, watching me.
“I’m still six years older than her. She’s still only twenty.”
“She’ll be twenty-one next month.”
“And I’ll be twenty-seven in a few.”
“Just… don’t hurt her, okay?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You giving me your blessing with your sister?”
He sw
allowed. “I guess I am.”
I digested that, rocking back on my heels. Stuffing my hands into the sweats I’d thrown on, I watched him. This definitely wasn’t fun for him. It gave me a sick kind of satisfaction because of all the shit he’d pulled before.
Cocking my head to the side, I said, “You think just because you bring her here, tell me to have at it, that I’m going to do it? What makes you think I even still want her?”
“I didn’t tell you to have at it,” Mercer said, harsh. Then he glanced up. “You do.”
I shook my head.
“That’s not what this is about anyway. This is about her life. Her not being taken hostage, used up, and tortured before dying alone.”
Actual pain lanced through me at his harsh words. Mental flashes of women I’d seen during my time in the army—women I’d rescued, some I’d been forced to leave behind—assaulted me.
Not Sabrina. Never Sabrina.
“You don’t want her anymore? Fine. But at least protect her.”
“I’m impressed,” Sabrina said, coming back into the room, carrying two mugs. “Your fridge is actually stocked. And you had creamer. The good kind.”
“I like to eat,” I commented as she handed over one of the mugs to her brother.
“You need this.” When he took it, her nose wrinkled. “You also need a shower.”
“I’ve been busy,” he said, taking a swig of the brew.
Sabrina glanced over her shoulder at me. Long, deep-brown hair fell down her back. It was knotted and tangled, making it look like she’d been rolling around in bed. Her golden-green eyes were tired, anxiety tightened her face, and her lips were chapped. My shirt—my favorite flannel—draped over her body, the collar sticking up to caress her jaw when she glanced around.
My guts tightened, and in my pockets, my hands balled into fists.
“You’re a terrible cook.” She remembered.
I shrugged and glanced away. “My sister is a chef.”
Her face clouded with confusion.
Mercer’s voice drew her around. Relief poured over me when she looked away. “The boarder’s wife.”
“Right,” she said. “I read he got married.”
I stiffened. “You read up on Liam?”
“He’s an Olympic medalist. He was in the news a lot last year.”
My shoulders unbunched just a little. Of course. You’d have to live under a rock not to know Liam Mattison.
“I’ll do it,” I announced, making a decision I knew I shouldn’t.
Daniel seemed to visibly sag, then stepped around Sabrina to thrust his hand out toward me. “Thank you.”
I took his hand, solidifying the promise I just made.
“What?” Sabrina exclaimed, coming over and knocking her brother’s arm so his hand came out of mine. “I gave you time to talk. I took a minute and made some coffee. That in NO way was me agreeing to any of this.” She swung around to Daniel. “I am not staying here.”
“Yes. You are.”
Sabrina stepped up to her brother. She was little taller than average, about five feet six, with long sinful legs and a round ass that made this brother want to cry. But she was no match for Mercer, who outweighed her by at least seventy pounds and was over six feet tall. Not to mention she lacked the savagery that I knew damn well lived within him.
She didn’t back down. Either she knew damn well he wouldn’t hurt her, or she just didn’t care. My guess was both. Her bare toes hit against his booted feet, and she poked a finger into his chest, shoving her face close.
“Daniel Mason Mercer, you are not the boss of me. You might be the only family I have left… You might even be more father than brother, but I’m drawing the line! I love you, but enough is enough. I know you’re worried about me, but I can take care of myself. We’re leaving.” She sniffed when she finished laying down the law.
Mercer was looking at her patiently, as if he was used to this.
When he didn’t say anything, she nodded once. “I’ll be in the car.”
On her way out, she paused and thrust the nearly empty coffee cup at me. “Thanks for the joe. See you never.”
I took the cup, and she continued. At the door, she paused and declared, “I’m keeping the shirt!”
Then she left.
I glanced down at the mug, then over at Mercer. “What else do I need to know in order to protect her?”
Now that she was out of earshot, we could finish our conversation before we both made her come back inside.
Sabrina
I waited.
Then I waited some more.
A sound of acute frustration filled the interior of the SUV, and I dropped my bare feet off the dashboard. My hair whipped around when I moved to glare out the back window at the A-frame.
Why did his house have to be so charming? Why did he have to still look like eye candy? Why couldn’t he smell bad like my brother?
It didn’t matter. We were leaving. I wasn’t going to see him again.
I sank back into the seat, pressing a hand to the center of my chest and rubbing. It hurt to see him again. It hurt more than I realized it would. I thought I’d gotten over him.
Liar.
Fine. I at least thought that if I ever had to be in the same room with him again, it wouldn’t nearly rip me in half.
Damn Daniel for bringing me here. For making me relive something that took a chunk out of my heart, leaving it incomplete for all eternity.
I’d made peace with it, with that chunk out of my heart. At least I thought I had.
Daniel still failed to come out of the house. Impatience and anger crowded beneath my skin. Clearly, he hadn’t gotten the memo. You know, the one where I stated clearly that I wasn’t staying.
Fine. If he wanted to stay so bad, he could.
I was leaving.
Shoving open the car door, I stalked through the yard. Stopped. Stared up at the starry sky and blew out a breath. I needed a plan. Glancing around, my eyes fell on something rather obnoxious on the side of the house.
I laughed. “This is just too easy.”
In my haste to close the distance between me and my new transportation, I stepped on a branch, which could have probably doubled as a knife.
“Ow!” I swore, bending at the waist and stumbling. Grabbing my ankle, I hopped around on one foot before balancing to pull it up and glance down. The stupid bark-covered offender was sticking out of the bottom of my foot.
I yanked it out and tossed it down, glancing back to my foot. There was a smear of blood there, but it wasn’t like I had a Band-aid… or a sock, so I kept moving.
A few steps later, I doubled back and picked up the stabby branch. I might need it later.
There was no movement or loud yelling inside the house as I passed, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about. I heard the things Daniel said to Alex when I was in the bathroom. My goodness, he practically asked Alex to marry me!
That ship had sailed, buddy.
Of all the nerve—really! He threw such a momentous fit when he realized something was happening between his “baby sister” and his seasoned teammate, to the point that Alex actually left town and left me absolutely crushed. I didn’t speak to him for months.
Clearly, he hadn’t learned his lesson. ‘Cause here we were.
I was out.
Luckily for me, the giant Hummer was unlocked, which frankly made me snort out loud. What kind of ex-special forces secret op leaves his car unlocked?
Oh well, it was my good fortune.
The door creaked a little when I opened it, which made me wince and glance up at the house. When Alex didn’t burst out hollering, I figured I was in the clear. Climbing inside, I scooted down into the driver’s seat to look under the dash.
It had been a while since I hotwired a car… but it was like riding a bike, right? I smirked, feeling a little gleeful imaging Alex’s face when he heard his car start up and drive away.
That would almost be w
orth hanging around for.
It was dark, and the wiring was hard to get to. Cursing, I slid down onto the floor, having plenty of space because Alex’s long legs required the seat to be pushed back. My toe stubbed on the piece of the dash I’d pulled off, and I leaned my forehead against the leather seat and sucked in a breath.
I seriously needed to get some shoes.
Getting back to work, I grew more frustrated because hotwiring a car was hard in the dark. I perked up and looked toward the glove box, realizing that a guy like Alex probably had a flashlight inside.
I scooted up and reached for it just as a large, unfamiliar hand clamped down on my outstretched arm.
I screamed.
Alex
I agreed to protect her. That didn’t mean I was going to try and pick up where we left off nearly three years ago.
That ship had sailed.
I wasn’t interested anymore. Sabrina made it very clear she wasn’t either.
I didn’t care about her like that. Not anymore.
A shrill scream cut through the night somewhere outside.
The purest form of panic coldcocked me right across the face. Even though my heart was literally leaping in my chest and the stickiest form of dread clung to me, I went cold.
My ability to go utterly calm and methodical during even the hairiest of situations was what earned me the nickname Ice. That and the fact that I killed without blinking an eye.
I moved fast, knocking back Mercer who was shitting his pants trying to rush across the floor. The house shook when I wrenched open the door and rushed outside, gun drawn, eyes scanning the yard.
“Sabrina!” I yelled, not even so much a quiver of fear in my voice.
But, oh, there was fear. So. Much. Fear.
I was going to gut whoever was out here, whoever even thought they would hurt her.
“Put me down!” she yelled.
I leapt off the deck, not bothering with the steps, and rotated to where her voice came from.
“Now! Or I’ll bite your ass!”
What the…?
“Sabrina!” Daniel roared, rushing past me, clearly not hearing the odd threat.
“Ow!” A much deeper voice swore.
Subzero (BearPaw Resort Book 4) Page 4
