by Lacey Thorn
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Book Description
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
Dear Readers...
Gems of Romantic Fiction
ResplendencePublishing.com
Breaking Into Love
An Alpha Enforcer Squad Story
By Lacey Thorn
Resplendence Publishing
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www.resplendencepublishing.com
Gems of Romantic Fiction
Breaking Into Love
Copyright © 2017, Lacey Thorn
Edited by Michele Paulin and Jaclyn Thomas
Cover Art by Tiffany Mason
Published by Resplendence Publishing, LLC
1093 A1A Beach Blvd, #146
St. Augustine, FL 32080
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-995-1
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Electronic Release: March 2017
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.
My name is Mandy, and I’m one of the best code breakers in the galaxy. That means I’m most at home with a hand held unit, definitely not in a combat zone. So why is Command sending me into the Fifth Quadrant with an elite alpha squad unit?
It doesn’t help that the Liege Commander has sent the most alpha of the Alpha Enforcers to escort me, Tor Dayes and Webb Xantor. I knew from the moment Tor tossed me over his shoulder and ordered me to settle down that we weren’t going to get along. Then Webb informed me there was only one bed onboard. I can either share it or sleep on the floor.
Determined to put them in their place, I’ve started a battle I have no hope of winning. I shouldn’t want them, but how much half naked, perfect male flesh can I be exposed to before I cave?
We’re all wrong for each other. There’s no future for us together. My job involves breaking codes, not breaking into love. Now, I just need to get my heart to remember that.
For Susan, who supports me unconditionally and is always willing to have a brainstorming session! You’re amazing! Thanks for being my friend!
Chapter One
I was lost in my work. As my best friends, Emma and Soph, would say, I was always lost in my work. As far as I was concerned, they were both partly to blame. They’d left me and gone off to have adventures and chase their lifelong dreams. Needless to say, I couldn’t be mad at them. I was excited for them.
They’d been chosen to take part in the Alpha Enforcer Squad project, as I liked to refer to it. Recently, Command had decided to take a closer look at the increased mortality rate of our Enforcers. Then they’d decided to do something about it.
Emma Certze had been the first female Enforcer attached to the project. At six foot tall in her bare feet, with long, black hair and green eyes, she managed to be fierce and sexy at the same time. Her father is the lieutenant over our station. She’d been linked with two male Enforcers, one of whom is the son of Liege Commander Diamato. Funny thing was, Emma had hooked up with Diamato and his partner, Dracon, the night before they were paired up by Command. She’d decided to go out with a bang. More like she started with a bang! The chemistry those three put off had singed everyone around them. From the Intel I’d managed to gather, Emma and her men had continued setting off sparks. Only now, they were doing it in the Fifth Quadrant.
The Fifth Quadrant. It was a major hot bed of criminal activity. Enforcers trained to go there but didn’t always make it out, not even in a body bag. Dangerous was an understatement. Anything was for sale in that zone if the price was right, drugs and sex were staples, and nothing was off limits. The word no meant nothing. Most women would die to stay out of there. My friends… They couldn’t wait to get in.
Soph was in the Fifth Quadrant, as well. She was a part of the Alpha Enforcer Squad project, linked with three alpha Enforcers. She’d been bubbling over with nervous excitement when she’d left. If I’d known what was up, I would have shared everything I knew with her. Command was big on confidentiality, though. Especially when it came to their little projects. So all I could do was assure Soph how amazing she was. Trust me. If anyone could handle three men, it was Sophia Burrelis. She was a pint-sized, blonde bombshell, but she was also born to kick ass.
Then there was me. My real name is Mandriella Vectors, but thankfully, not many people know that. Everyone calls me Mandy. Unlike my best friends, I’m not an Enforcer. I’m an intelligence officer. My staple is codes. Until my most recent assignment, I’d never met a code I couldn’t break. But my current project was driving me crazy. Someone was sending a signal from within the Fifth Quadrant directly to an Enforcer communication network. How they were managing it was one question. The type of code was another. It consisted of a series of sounds that made no sense. At least, not yet. I was still running tests on it.
I worked for Liege Commander Diamato. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy with my inability to break this open and tell him what it was. I was beyond frustrated myself. Honestly, I was just frustrated in general.
“Mandy!”
“Ah!” I yelped and almost threw my handheld unit in the air. I’d been working late, so I was still in uniform. No Enforcer black for me. My uniform consisted of gray pants and shirts along with gray boots. I’d always thought the gray made my blue eyes stand out, but that was just vanity talking.
I’d barely hung on to my device and now, turned a glare onto the person who’d startled me. Miles stood there, pushing his glasses up on his nose and looking at me as if I were dinner and he were starving. I could kill Soph. I knew she was behind this. She and Emma both worried about me. They thought I needed to go out more, live it up, lose my virginity. Sigh. There, I admitted it. I was a virgin. It wasn’t because of some antiquated, prudish ideals like those that had ruled the women of our world centuries ago. I’d just never met a man who made me want to get naked with him.
Anyway, Soph had probably wanted to make sure I didn’t stay holed up in my room with her and Emma both gone. So she’d spoken to some of our friends about checking in on me. I was sure she meant well, but Miles had taken the suggestion to watch over me a little too personally and decided it was open season on Mandy. He popped up everywhere. My nerves were fried.
“I thought I’d see if you’ve had dinner yet.”
Miles’ gaze was on my breasts. I was only five-feet-ten-inches, but he was a few inches shorter than me.
“Sorry, Miles. I just finished.”
“Oh, well. We could go for a drink or something.” He licked his lips.
I held in my shudder of revulsion, barely, and turned, walking backwards down the corridor, moving closer to my quarters and the safety of my door.
“I appreciate the offer—”
“Um—”
“But I’ve got a lot of work to get caught up on.” I waved my handheld in the air to show him I wasn’t lying.
“Mandy!” My name squealed from his lips as I collided with what felt like a wall of sheer steel.
Firm hands captured my hips, and I
was tugged hard into the solid wall behind me. I glanced up and over my right shoulder. A dark-green gaze captured mine. He’s gorgeous floated through my mind first. Alpha quickly followed as I took in the uniform with the tiger emblem, complete with alpha symbol. Then I saw the close-cropped black hair and knew I was in big trouble.
“Oh, shit,” I muttered and found myself turned and tossed over Tor Dayes’ broad shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Orders,” he replied firmly.
I heard a door slide open and glanced up, gripping Tor’s waist to help me balance, and watched Webb Xantor step out of my quarters with a bag in his hand.
“Well, well, well,” he said as he sauntered over and squatted behind Tor. He lifted his handheld and glanced from it to me. “Good eye, Tor. Mandriella Vector, your presence has been requested by Liege Commander Diamato.” He waved the bag in front of my face. “Looks like you’re packed and ready to go.”
“He did not send Neanderthals to get me.”
A shiver went through me at the look in Webb’s gaze.
“No, Mandriella. He sent the best for you. Feel lucky.”
“Um, Mandy?”
Miles. I’d forgotten he was still there. Webb straightened then moved so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Tor while I could do nothing but try to peek between them. The blood rushed to my head, and I considered biting Tor. As if he suspected my intent, his hand patted my ass firmly.
“Settle down,” he ordered.
Oh, hell no. The fact the Liege Commander wanted to see me didn’t surprise me. The fact he’d sent Tor and Webb to get me did. They were the most alpha of the alphas. The Enforcers other Enforcers strived to emulate. They were barbarians. I’d said as much in my report, listing them as not being good potential candidates for the Alpha Enforcer Squad project. They were more than proving my analysis.
“Boyfriend?” Webb asked, glancing back at me.
“Not hardly,” I muttered then felt guilty when Webb grinned.
“Out of the way,” Tor ordered, and Miles hit the wall and stayed there. I’d dropped my head so I wasn’t sure if Tor had helped Miles move or not.
“You get everything she needs?” Tor asked.
“Good enough,” Webb answered, patting the bag he held.
“Excuse me?” I said.
They ignored me.
“Did you let Lieutenant Certze know we were here?” Tor tossed out as he moved rapidly down the hallway.
“He should be learning about it around the time we’re pulling out,” Webb replied.
“Excuse me?” I said again and grabbed Tor’s side, clenching my fingers into the muscles there and giving it a twist. Hell, I think it hurt my fingers more than it did him. His hand fell on my ass again, this time with more force—enough force it left a sting that had me squirming.
“Settle down,” Tor ordered again.
“I doubt the Commander meant for you to bring me to him this way,” I bit out.
“Probably not,” Webb agreed. “But we’re Neanderthals.”
“Barbarians,” Tor added.
“Animals,” Webb continued. “We’ve never been good at following rules.”
“Not our style,” Tor said.
“Fuck,” I muttered, dropping my head and burying it in Tor’s lower back. I didn’t need to be a genius to know they were throwing my words back at me. They’d seen my report. Liege Commander Diamato must have known that, yet he’d sent them after me anyway. I was in all kinds of trouble here.
“Oh, you have no idea how much trouble you’re in, Mandriella,” Webb whispered, and I turned my head, meeting his gaze and swallowing at the fire that smoldered in his brown eyes. “But you will,” he vowed.
“It’s a long trip to where we’re meeting him. Lots of time to show you just how alpha we can be,” Tor promised.
Oh, yeah. I was in big trouble.
Chapter Two
I was tossed more gently than I’d anticipated onto a couch once we’d stepped inside their shuttle. The doors swooshed shut, and my heart rate picked up.
“I suggest you sit and relax,” Webb ordered. “The sensors on the door operate only at my or Tor’s touch or command.”
“As does everything else onboard,” Tor offered.
“At least, give me my damn bag,” I raged. “You might have missed something I need.”
“I was very thorough,” Webb assured me. “I made sure to grab anything you might require.”
His tone had me opening the bag quickly and going bright red as I took in the delicates lying on top. Lots of sheers and lace and nothing that would pass as a uniform. No gray anywhere in sight. In fact… I kept rummaging through the bag.
“Did you pack anything other than my underwear?”
“I went with what I thought you’d look best in,” Webb said.
Tor peeked in the bag. “Nice,” he murmured.
“Oh, grow up,” I growled and stuffed everything back inside before looking up with a glare. “I need to speak with Liege Commander Diamato. Show me to your control room.”
“Ah-ah-ah,” Webb informed me. “You’re in our house now. That means there are rules to be obeyed. You earn privileges here.”
“Earn? You can’t be serious!” I yelled.
“Rule number one,” Tor stated. “You will be obedient.”
“You wish,” I muttered.
“Rule number two,” Webb continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “You will be punished for disobedience.”
I snorted, not bothering to say anything. I mean, who did they think they were kidding?
“Rule number three,” Tor said.
“Really?” I interrupted. “Don’t you think the first two pretty much cover everything?”
“Nice to see an intelligence officer with some intelligence,” he commented to Webb as if I weren’t in the room.
“So you think you can follow the first rule, then?” Tor asked.
I bit my tongue and nodded. There were other ways to retaliate. It wasn’t my fault if they hadn’t thought things through. They obviously knew I worked in intelligence as a code breaker. I suspected they didn’t realize everything on their ship was programmed via a code—one I’d figure out and hack into given enough time. Those settings that only responded to their touch? I’d take care of that soon enough. So I’d play by their rules for now. Soon, they’d be playing by mine.
Webb lifted a brow as if he could someone divine my thoughts. He made me nervous. Something about him sent a shiver down my spine. He was definitely someone you wanted on your side. I was smart enough to know I didn’t want to make an enemy of him and Tor. Hopefully, I hadn’t already with the report I’d sent stating they were unsuitable candidates for Project Alpha.
“Good, let me show you to the room you’ll stay in while Tor gets us disembarked from the station.” Webb pulled me to my feet.
I gave a startled yelp and dropped my bag, mortification making my neck and face heat as a few of my underclothes spilled out. Webb bent and picked them up before I could, rubbing the wisps between his big fingers as if he enjoyed the feel of the material. His gaze had my breath catching in my lungs when our gazes collided. His was hot and hungry. For me. He wanted me, and my pulse raced at the mere thought. My panties grew damp, and with a start, I realized I wanted him, too.
“This way,” he commanded, his voice deeper. My nipples tightened and pressed against the soft material of my shirt. His gaze dropped, and a smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. I chose to ignore both and reached for my bag instead.
“I’ve got it,” he said then surprised me again by placing his hand on the small of my back and turning me to walk with him down a corridor.
“This is our command room,” he said, pointing it out as we passed. The door had been left open, and I saw Tor inside as we walked by. “That’s the training room. This one’s the bathing room. The galley is down to the right, but there’s an ordering unit in the bedroom if you don’t want to go down there. We
’ve got a pretty good menu onboard.”
“No soldier’s rations?” I teased.
“It pays to be the best of the best,” he said with no cockiness in his tone. He knew he and Tor were the best and accepted it. There was a hint of a sigh at the end of his words, and for the first time, I wondered if there was a downside to being the top alphas in the Enforcers.
He stopped at a door and put his hand on the reader. The portal slid open and revealed a room much larger than I’d expected.
“After you,” he urged, pressing against my back to get me to step inside.
A bed dominated the room. It was huge, easily large enough for three or four people. He crowded in behind me, and his erection brushed against me when our bodies touched. I jumped away, swiftly moving across the room to stroke my hand over the end of the bed. The covering was soft and silky, and I was betting it would feel great over my bare skin when I slept. It was getting late, and I was usually an early-to-bed, early-to-rise person.
The rest of the room was sparsely furnished. I saw two panels and assumed one led to another bathing room and the other to a closet. I planned to make use of both, though I wasn’t sure I had anything packed that would require hanging. I was waiting to dump the bag and see if there was more at the bottom, hidden under all my sheers.
“Bathing room over there. Closet there. Both will open for you. Just press the button. This entry door will also open for you. You can go back to the main room, as well. The rest of the areas are off limits, unless you’re with me or Tor. Is that understood?”
Webb lifted his brow at me, as if daring me to forget the order for me to be obedient. It was as if he wanted to punish me.
A shiver went through me again. It was crazy. After years of not finding myself attracted to anyone—at least, not enough to give away my virginity—I found myself sexually drawn to the two alphas I’d said wouldn’t do well in a committed triad with a female.
Talk about a glutton for punishment! I needed to get my head back in control and push other thoughts away. Tor and Webb weren’t for me. Hell, they wouldn’t be good for any woman. At least, not long term, and I was smart enough to know I couldn’t keep my heart from engaging once sex was involved. For some reason, I just wasn’t built that way. That was the real reason I was still a virgin. I wanted more than a good time. I wanted what I’d read in the antiquated fairytale books I’d discovered as a teen. I wanted happily ever after.
