Stryker (Books 1 & 2) (Atrox Security)

by J. C. Cliff

  “Thanks.” The guy takes off in said direction with his suitcase full of supplies. There’s a lot of buzz and excitement floating around, everyone busy with their own task.

  “Well, looks like we have a busy morning ahead of us,” Hunter says, as he smiles at me once more. He nods to Stryker, who’s still at my side. “I finished working the schedule late last night, and normally I don’t do this, but I thought it’d be best to pair the both of you together for the entire trip. I think since the two of you have been here so many times before, and with your experiences, you’ll make for a very efficient team.” His smile is confident, and something gleams in his eyes as if Stryker had put in for the request. “I read in your files,” he says, looking at me, “that you’re wanting to get back into nursing school, right?”

  I flush a little bit, growing hot, and with the increasing humidity, beads of sweat begin to trickle down my back. That’s personal. I didn’t want anyone to know, most of all Stryker. He doesn’t need to be privy to any more of my personal life than need be. “Yes, that’s the plan,” I murmur.

  “Great,” he says loudly, clasping his hands together, “with the medical background Stryker has, you’ll most likely learn more on this trip than any other you’ve been on before. You know he’s earned the nickname of Obi-Wan, right?”

  I want to burst out laughing. Seriously? Men. My lips thin in annoyance. I can’t get away from him, no matter how hard I try. I almost want to kick Hunter in the shins for being so thoughtful.

  “Yeah, so you’ll be learning from me, your own personal Obi-Wan master,” Stryker whispers into my ear, his voice dark and promising. I want to elbow the arrogant ass, but instead, I hold myself together and give everyone a false smile of professionalism.

  Hunter leans down to give Celia a chaste kiss on her cheek, and she visibly melts on contact. “I’ll meet up with you later,” he murmurs to her. “I’ve got a lot of people to get situated.”

  Celia gives him a parting hug then pats his hard chest with a gleam in her eyes. I grow irritated with her. She’s going to ditch me every second she can for this eye candy, and I’m not going to have a moment’s escape from Stryker. She’ll be clambering all over that sexual creature the entire trip. Hunter takes off and starts doling out orders, directing the volunteers as to what goes where and who is teamed up with who.

  “All right, let’s get the show on the road.” And with Stryker’s announcement, he lets me go. He retrieves the suitcases he brought, which are full of equipment, gloves, and medicine, in order for us to treat the locals. Celia loops her arm through mine as I begrudgingly start walking toward the clinic.

  “What the hell happened last night?” I hiss at Celia. “You left me, and you never do that.” I ask the question, even though I already know the answer. She’s all about the sex, but I need to vent.

  “Oh come on, Val. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tap that. Even a blind man would’ve jumped at the chance to have Hunter.”

  I roll my eyes at her insatiable appetite.

  “It’s not like I’m going to marry the man. I’m just having some spontaneous fun.”

  Even though she has a few double standards of her own, I still don’t want to tell her I slept in Stryker’s arms last night, and I certainly won’t be sharing the news that I’ve been roped into doing sharing his bed all week long, whether I want to or not.

  CHAPTER 26

  ~ Stryker ~

  We worked together all morning long, side-by-side, and it was really cool to see Valerie come to life. She wasn’t the emotionally charged woman I kept running into for the past week. She was even-tempered and full of happiness that flowed into daylong smiles, definitely in her element. I was amazed at how well we worked together too. She was the perfect assistant and eager to learn, even from me. I just hope she doesn’t revert back to pushing me away at the end of the day, when all our patients are gone.

  I slip away during our lunch break to meet up with Hunter behind the clinic, where things are quiet and no one is around. He has more opportunities to keep in touch with Travis and Quinn during the day than I do, since he isn’t seeing patients or processing them in.

  “Any news?” I ask Hunter, as I come up beside him. He’s got his back leaning against the brick building, gazing out into the treeline, deep in thought.

  He gives me a sidelong glance and exhales in frustration. “It’s been hellacious, man.”

  “What has been?”

  “Fucking Celia. My God, every time I turn around, she’s on my heels. Shaking her is like trying to shake lose a sticky booger off your finger,” he growls in frustration. I have to laugh at him. “Glad you’re finding this funny.”

  “Hey, not too long ago, you were laughing your ass off at me,” I remind him.

  He cracks a pretty boy grin and nods. “Yeah, guess I was.”

  “So, any news on the home front?”

  “Nah. There’s been no suspicious activity on the drones, and they’ve been circling around a twenty-mile radius or more. I guess it helps we are in the middle of nowhere, because they can spot trouble coming from miles away. But none of us are sure there will be any trouble, or what said trouble is going to look like.”

  “It’s always better to be paranoid than sorry,” I say, as I take the heavy load off my shoulders. “By the way, where’s your pack?” I ask Hunter.

  “It’s in the bus well.” He holds up his hand before I can say another word. “I already know what you’re going to say, but it looks unnatural for me to be carrying one around. Trust me, I’m not happy about it, but if any shit goes down, you can damn well be sure I will have my gear in less than sixty seconds.”

  I believe him, especially because he looks on edge. I imagine he is having separation anxiety from his gear.

  We do have special alarms on our watches that Quinn can activate if shit starts hitting the fan unbeknownst to us. That would give Hunter the extra seconds he needs to get to his gear, but that’s not the way we want to keep tabs on incoming trouble.

  “God, it’s fucking sweltering,” Hunter grumbles, as he wipes a rag across his forehead. “Feels like a hundred-damn-degrees.”

  “Yeah, it is hot. Stark contrast to what we left in Raleigh, but I’d take the heat any day over the cold.” I grin at him, wanting to tease him about the humidity messing with his hair, but he’s truly irritated with something, and it has nothing to do with the weather. His foul mood probably has to do with Celia. “Late night, buddy?”

  He leans his head against the brick building, briefly closing his eyes before he rolls his head to the side to look at me. The fatigue is even evident in his voice. “She kept me up half the night. The woman is a bona fide cougar.” I chuckle at him and wonder if he’s met his match. “So what’s going on with Val?”

  “Gut feeling is she has no clue what surrounds her. She even mentioned going back home several times, not caring if she left Celia behind, and she meant it. She’s having a difficult time being here, as she has too many bad memories of losing her family the last time she was here.” My forehead wrinkles as I think about her consistent demeanor. “Her attitude fluctuates, but that’s only because of me. Her character, however, appears to be the same from when I knew her. What I’ve been witnessing all along is that despite all of the money Valerie has come into, she really hasn’t been changed by it. She still comes across as the down to earth, genuine, and caring-natured woman I remembered her to be.” I look Hunter square in the eyes, adding, “I think she’s innocent and clueless.” I swipe at the sweat over my brow before it drips into my eye. “She doesn't seem to be taken with material items… unlike her friend Celia.”

  “You got that right. Celia packed two extra bags of luggage. Totally unnecessary shit, from what I could see. She had those bags fastened down tight with different locks. She must have changed the locks out, because no way would the TSA allow that on a flight. While she was taking a shower down the hall, I was able to pick the locks open and get a quick glimps
e into her luggage.”

  “What you find?”

  He raises both his brows, as if he can’t process what he found. “There were no drugs that I could find, and if she would’ve had them in those suitcases, she’s more stupid than I thought she could be. I found a lot of personal items that looked to be either sentimental or collectibles. Very odd things to be packing for a mission trip, don’t you think?”

  “Oh, definitely. Sounds as if she doesn’t plan on going back home, does it?”

  He scratches at the day-old scruff on his jaw, contemplating just that. “Don’t know if she plans on making a run for anything, but yeah, judging by her suitcases, you would think she’s moving here permanently. Then again, if she were on the run, she wouldn't be toting big-ass suitcases around either.” He lets out a huff of frustration. “But who the hell knows what women think or what goes through their mind when it comes to their personal shit and needs? The fact she’s so eccentric and high maintenance throws me off a little.”

  “I’ll see if I can gain some insight through Valerie. I just thought those extra suitcases she had were full of medical supplies. Valerie only brought a duffle bag, and it had the most minimal shit I’d ever seen a woman be able to pack. I was quite impressed, actually.”

  It’s been really great tag-teaming with Hunter, each of us being able sleep with the enemy, so to speak, and then come back and compare notes. With the both of us having easy access to little bits of insight and information, it allows us to put our heads together, to try and paint the bigger picture. This scenario could not have worked out any better if we planned it ourselves.

  I pulled at the neckline of my T-shirt as a small breeze stirs the stagnant air, hoping it will cool me off some. “So all our bets are on Celia, then? I mean, if there is any foul play to be found at all.”

  Hunter rolls his lips between his teeth in thought then nods his head. “Yeah, my hundred bucks says she’s a key part. Whether or not Valerie has anything to do with anything, I haven’t decided yet.”

  “I agree, too premature.”

  “You doing okay?” Hunter asks, his eyes squinting against the sun.

  “You mean do I have my emotions in check and not acting like a love-struck fool or a bitter ex-boyfriend?” Hunter grins at me as I pat him on the shoulder in reassurance. “Surprisingly, I’ve been able to reel it all in, all of it. I don’t think I’ve come to terms with much when it comes to her, but I’ve been able to put on the charm and get along. I’m preparing for the worst, so I can be pleasantly surprised if things turn out differently.”

  “Good. The last thing I need to see is you fooling yourself into thinking she could be long-term material again.” Even though it’s the truth of the matter, it kind of stings a little to hear him say that. I know I need to keep my shit real and not waste my time hoping for a future with her. It’s just easy sometimes to get sidetracked, because it’s hard to believe she’s involved in an FBI investigation. “Time to get back to it,” he blurts out, looking down at his watch.

  “All right, bud. Catch you later.” We bump knuckles before he turns around and leaves. As I make my way back, I find myself squinting against the bright sun, trying to process what I’m seeing. It’s an amazing sight, really. I’ve never in my life seen a swarm of dragonflies before. It’s not a small swarm either. They’re thick in numbers, and no sooner have they swooped in along the fallow field behind the school, they’re off again. I shake my head and blink my eyes several times, not believing the majestic sight of colors flying through the air. It’s a unique memory I won’t soon forget.

  Once the magic is gone, I head back into the clinic to find the line of patients winding out the door and down the dirt sidewalk, seemingly longer than it was this morning. I steal a deep breath for courage, thinking it’s going to be a long afternoon.

  I catch Valerie restocking some gloves, getting ready for the second wave of patients. Her back is turned to me, and I can’t help but take in that perfect round ass of hers. I step up behind her and push her into the counter as I lean my weight against her backside, her entire body shivers in response.

  “Stryker,” she whispers heatedly.

  “Just wanna say you did fantastic today,” I murmur in her ear. I gently press my groin farther into her ass, hearing her sharp intake of breath.

  “Yeah?” she asks shakily.

  “Uh-huh,” I reply, “and you looked sexy as fuck doin’ it.” I nip her lobe then add in a deep Darth Vader voice, “I see Obi-Wan has taught you well, young Luke Skywalker.”

  “Oh no, you’re so not going there,” she laughs then spins around to find herself caught in my arms. My lips twitch in amusement as I give her entire body a onceover, my eyes undressing her. I love how it makes her face turn flush.

  I had to fuck with her some, toy with her emotions, and watch her squirm, but I’ve got to back away from her before I get a raging hard-on, or I’ll be the one squirming.

  My close proximity is affecting her, because her hand slightly trembles as she nervously brushes a piece of hair out of her eyes. “Umm…” Her voice is shy, not knowing what to say.

  I give her a quick wink then scoop up her hand to thread my fingers through hers. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?” I tell her, and I couldn’t be more sincere.

  “Stop,” she says, rolling her eyes, clearly wanting to dismiss my compliment. “I don’t know what you’re seeing, but it’s not gorgeous.”

  I tilt my head to the side in awe of her humbleness. She hasn’t changed a bit. “You still don’t believe me, or anyone else who tells you that, do you?” She bites at her lower lip. “It doesn’t matter how many times someone says that, you won’t ever believe it.” Which, in my eyes, make her even more beautiful, because it means she never let that shit go to her head.

  “Time to get the party started, everyone,” someone yells out from behind me.

  “Guess that’s my cue, huh?” I lean in and steal a chaste kiss, and when I pull back, she gives me a lighthearted grin. “I’ve got an off-the-cuff question for you.”

  “What’s that?” she asks, looking unsure.

  “Your friend Celia. She brought a lot of suitcases, but didn’t bring any to the clinic. I just have to know if that’s seriously her luggage or not.”

  Valerie half-laughs. “Yeah, that’s been a serious point of contention with me, one that I’m not happy about,” she says, her tone obviously disgusted. “Celia has always packed like that, but this trip has been the worst by far. She’s always held a certain degree of self-absorbency, not willing to live without the amenities of life, and it’s frustrating.”

  “Then why the hell come on these trips?” I ask, confused.

  “God only knows, Stryker,” she says, throwing her arms out to the side. “She says all the right things as to why she comes on these trips, but her actions speak differently. She never really gets down and dirty with the job. I don’t know if she thinks this is some kind of vacation or what. Anyhow, she brought along a large number of things that have sentimental value, so it surprised me that she said she’s going to give them away as gifts.” She scratches the top of her head, thinking about something. “Makes no sense to me. Does it to you? I mean, if she really wanted to help the locals, they could use a money donation over them trying to pawn an item off for cash, you know?”

  I raise a suspicious brow, because Valerie is right. Lugging heavy shit across the country makes no sense when you could simply get a few travelers checks, but I keep my comments to myself.

  “I love her. She’s like a sister to me, but dang, the woman is eccentric and high maintenance.”

  “I didn’t mean to get you all riled up. I was just curious, because I’d never seen someone bring so much on a mission trip before.”

  Valerie waves me off and smiles. “It’s okay. I should be used to her craziness by now.” She looks as if she's telling nothing but the truth, but of course I can't be a hundred percent sure. I still can't rule her out just because I think
I know her.

  I’m just damn glad that Hunter is tasked with Celia, and despite that, he’s still able to turn up the charm. He can make a woman feel like she's on twenty pedestals at once. He's good; so good in fact, he could make a man want to swing the other way. Some have said that about me as well, but as we have seen, when my emotions get pulled into the mix, albeit very rare, I can easily stumble and fail the attitude test.

  Somehow, Hunter is able to unplug himself, disconnecting from the real world and immersing himself in his role. All of us are trained extraordinarily well for that, but so far, if we are keeping track, Hunter has never even had a remote slip-up.

  What’s going to be hard as hell to come to terms with is if Valerie is involved with anything she shouldn't be. Very hard, indeed. Because dangerously, I feel I have already done what Hunter said not to do. I’ve allowed myself to be drawn in by her magic and charm, and if I was honest with myself, those feelings never really went away. She’s always had my heart.

  CHAPTER 27

  ~Valerie ~

  For some unknown reason, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night. Maybe because I feel a tad chilled, and within the past two nights, I’ve already become accustomed to Stryker’s body heat and his strong arms holding me in a tight embrace as we both try to ridiculously fit on a twin-sized mattress. I’ve fallen asleep each night listening to the thrum of his heartbeat, and when I stir awake in the middle of the night like I’ve done for too many months to count, I almost immediately go back to sleep again, because his steel chest and the steady rhythm of his breathing lulls me right back into a deep slumber.

  We’ve started a bad habit, I know this, but I don’t want it to stop. I could’ve put my foot down and said no when he bargained for me to share his bed, but I think I wanted it as much as he did. Not only is he addicting to be around, but I’d forgotten just how much I’ve missed his sense of humor, bright smile, and his charming ways. His tender touches and chaste kisses have been melting the hell out of my resolve.