by Aliyah Burke
Stay asleep, baby. I’ll find a way out of this. He didn’t recognize the voice and had his back to the door. Not even a weapon within close proximity.
“Go away, Autumn.” Albany’s tone was unhurried and slightly raspy from all of her cries last night and into this morning.
His brain whirred and clicked all the information. Autumn. Cousin. Marine.
“But I’ve come all this way with your fucking coffee pot. Least your lazy ass can do is get up and say hi. Or give me a go with the stud in your bed.”
He angled his head to glance over his shoulder. Autumn Schovanec had natural curls that framed her face and hung past her shoulders. Her eyes were dark brown and sparkled with humor. Fit. And aware. Not to mention, the woman was packing heat.
“Don’t think Mac would like that much. Leave, so we can get dressed.”
“Such a prude. And he can go fuck himself.” She winked at him and turned her back.
“Morning,” he whispered to Albany as they climbed from the narrow bed and shoved back into their clothes.
He lingered over Albany as she dressed. Once finished, he stood back and watched the reunion. Hugs, smiles, and good-natured ribbing. Resting against the cool wall, he fought a frown and saw the sun would be up soon. He and Albany had just gone to sleep. There wasn’t an inch of her form he’d left alone.
“Why do you keep looking behind me?” Autumn demanded.
“Coffee pot.”
“At your clinic. Where I thought you’d be this time of the morning. You usually are. Although, I can’t complain; if he was mine, I’d keep where he was, too.”
“He isn’t mine.”
Tate didn’t mind the claim, and he nearly disputed her. She’d told him she was his, and he aimed to keep it that way. “Hi, I’m—”
“Tate Irvin. Ex-Navy SEAL and current member of GAPS.” Autumn closed the distance between them. “If anything happens to my cousin, I’m coming for you.”
How the fuck… “I have no intention of hurting her.”
“She finds danger. Not exactly a mealy-mouth there.”
He cracked a smile. “I’ve noticed.”
“Hey,” Albany complained. “I’m right here.”
Autumn waved her cousin off. “How credible is this threat? Your company thinks it’s extremely so but only you’re here.”
Tate picked up on the subtle change in her behavior. She was all business, now. There’d been a slight shift in her nuances. But how’d she find out about GAPS? “They know what I do. It’s real, and it’s here. Somewhere. I’ve located traces but need to get back there to find out how much there is.”
“Zane said you were good.”
“You spoke to Zane?”
“My cousin is your cover. You can damn well be sure I vetted you.” No remorse for doing so, and he didn’t blame her. Even if he was suspicious. He also didn’t imagine her checking up on him sat well with Zane, even less so with Jon, the creator behind GAPS. They were damn good at what they did.
“Why are you here, Autumn?” Albany questioned. “Were you sent?”
He listened avidly. Sent by whom?
“I’m on a momentary vacation, bringing my spoiled cousin a damn coffee pot. I will say that Scott isn’t happy with you, right now.” She grinned. “Or the others.”
Who the fuck is Scott? He ensured to keep a blank expression.
“Let’s talk over breakfast. And coffee.”
Autumn grinned, making her face a hundred times softer. “I bet you’re hungry.” She slid her arm through Albany’s. “Sex is good for working up an appetite.” Glancing at him, she added, “Call in.” The women walked out.
Tate frowned; it wasn’t his regular check-in time. He hated to think ill of Albany’s cousin, but he couldn’t risk anything if she was fishing and trying to set him up. Still, there were other ways to do that.
He had to make a decision. He trusted or he didn’t. While he was fiercely attracted to Albany, he couldn’t go on that. However, he did trust Zane with his life. He, in turn, trusted his girl, who trusted Albany. Therefore, if Tate’s hot doctor trusted and said her cousin was legit, he would take that.
He went to his Sat phone and placed his call. Ten minutes later, he headed to meet the women for breakfast. Tungsten Protective Services worked in a similar capacity to GAPS. Hiring ex-military and police types, their group also had been put together by some retired SEALs, legends in their own right, the Megalodon Team.
Albany and Autumn were laughing and joking around the new coffee pot that filled the air with the scent of rich java. The old one sat off to the side, alone. Even from a distance, his body reacted to her. Wanted hers. She’d left her hair down, and it touched her shoulders.
“What did your boss say? Okay to trust me?”
Tate nodded and reached for his coffee mug. “All good.”
Autumn laughed. “I know I am. Thanks for commenting, though.” Albany joined in.
Talk remained light as they ate. Right before he was ready to suggest heading inside the clinic from where they ate at the outside table, Autumn stood.
“I have to get going.”
“Already?” Albany gathered the plates.
Dark brown eyes watched him carefully. “Yes. Places to be.”
“It was great to see you, cuz. And thank you for the coffee pot.” Albany gestured out the window. “I’m assuming that’s your ride coming in?”
“Sure is. Tate, nice to meet you. Good luck.”
“Appreciate it.” He accepted her hand. “Safe travels.”
“Always.” She pivoted, and he grinned at the outline of a sidearm in the waistband of her pants.
The Jeep stopped amidst a cloud of dust, and Autumn hugged Albany once more then hopped in as they stayed at the doorway.
“Say hi to Mac for me,” Albany cried out.
Autumn snarled and flipped her off before the vehicle tore away back out the gate.
He stared down at Albany’s head. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned him. Who’s Mac?”
“A man she’s desperately trying to pretend doesn’t exist.”
“Why is that?”
“No clue. She’s stubborn and hardheaded.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Traits I see that run in the family.” Her expression made him laugh.
αβ
Albany shook her head in disgust as she drew the sheet over the dead woman on her table. Tate snapped off his gloves while Sarki did the same on the other side.
“It wasn’t your fault, Albany.” Sarki maneuvered to her side and bumped shoulders with her.
“Sure, it was. I’m supposed to be a doctor. She wasn’t even twenty-four, for Christ’s sake. Now, I have to go tell her kids and husband I wasn’t able to save her.”
“I can do that for you.”
Gratitude swept her. “Thanks, but it’s best I do it.” She stared over the body to Tate whose blue eyes were on her with laser focus. No words were needed between them; she had no doubt their thoughts were on the same track.
Three. This woman was the third death in two weeks with the same symptoms. Those symptomatic of polonium poisoning. She couldn’t ignore it, anymore. There was a problem, and if she was going to save people, she had to get it out of the hands of whomever had it to Tate, so he could take it away.
“Doc?”
Tate’s deep voice stabbed the bubble she was drowning in. “Huh?”
“The family?”
Reality crashed. “On it.” She walked out, through the beds—which were thankfully empty—to where the surviving members waited. The tears and cries chipped away at her soul like someone creating an ice sculpture.
Albany understood to be a doctor you had to have a thick skin. You had to remember death was inevitable, and she couldn’t possibly save everyone.
Have a better chance in the States, though.
She scowled at the thought as she made her way to her office. She’d waited until the man had finished herding his c
rying children out of the clinic before going, and now, she needed a moment alone. Sinking into her tiny office chair, she covered her face with her hands.
“What are you thinking?”
Tate.
“I could save more if I returned home. Practice back in the US.” She lowered her hands but didn’t look up, not wishing to witness the disappointment in his gaze.
Tate sat on the edge of her desk, close but not touching her. “But?”
“I’m a schlep for even thinking such a thing. If I leave here, so many will suffer without the care I can provide.” She rubbed the corner of her left eye. “How pathetic and selfish am I to worry about my track record with saves and failures when those who live here need so much more than even I can give them?”
“This one was hard for you, Doc. That’s all. Did you know her?”
She sighed. “No. Yet, all I want to do is cry over her loss.”
“This is a bad thing?”
She looked at him. “Do you cry when someone dies? I mean you were there. Are you feeling an overwhelming urge to do so?”
“No, but I’m—”
“Don’t say a SEAL.”
His eyes were kind. “I was going to say trained to disassociate myself.”
“That’s the problem, Tate. So was I. Except now, I can’t seem to do that. I can’t collapse over every patient that comes in here. I wouldn’t make it.”
“Look, cut yourself some slack. You’re not in a private clinic in the States where you set your own hours and see people when you want. You can’t refer them to the emergency room. You’re their physician and their ER doc. All together rolled up into one sexy package. You’ve probably seen more patients than you would during practice over there. Allow yourself to cry, here and there; it happens.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not fair to those I’m supposed to save.”
“It’s not fair to you,” he insisted, taking her hand in his. “You’re on twenty-four-seven. Allow yourself to break, every now and again.”
“I’m supposed to be better than this.” She tried to extract her hand from his, but he didn’t allow the separation.
“Explain.”
“I can’t,” she said. “It’s my own personal demon.”
“You’re a perfectionist. I’ve seen it.”
“We all are in my family; it’s…complicated.”
“You’re not the only one who grew up in a complicated household.”
“No, but I had to go to cotillions, act a certain way. Hell, even going to country clubs to be seen was required. All of us had to achieve above and beyond.” Her shoulders sagged. “I just don’t… I’ve never been able to be easy on myself. And this, losing people because I don’t have the right equipment and knowing I wouldn’t have lost her in the States because it would have been available to me, kills me. Makes me want to go back, but then, what do I leave these amazing people with? Nothing. Only because I don’t like the difficult conditions here? That’s pathetic of me.”
“So, you had a weak moment and wanted to go home. Who cares? Only the two of us know, and I swear I won’t tell a soul. As for the cotillions, you’re right, I don’t have a clue what it’s like to be in that situation. Much less having a congressman as a father and a brain surgeon as a mother.”
“Oh, it doesn’t stop there. Autumn’s brother is a five-star celebrity master chef. Another is one of the top MMA fighters. Plastic surgeon and some actors are in our family. We have high-powered attorneys, professional athletes, and let’s just say no one works fast food. Although, I do have a sister who owns about ten of them. All of us have been expected to maintain a certain level of—” She expelled a sigh. “Never mind, it doesn’t sound any more than whining when I try to explain, which I suppose it is. I’m fine. Or rather, I will be.” A few deep breaths before she looked up at him, once more.
His thumb moved in small circles along the back of her hand while he observed her. No censure or judgment in his gaze, just direct and piercing.
“What?” She canted her head to the side.
“Sounds like you have an amazing family. I am curious, though. With all of that, what prompted Autumn to join the Marines?”
“She left on her eighteenth birthday to join up. Hated the snobbery of politics and the cotillion world. Wanted no part of it. Her father is an orthodontist, and his second wife is a model. Or was. Now, she spends her days shopping. Anyway, he had grand plans for her that Autumn had no intentions of being part of. Before you ask, no, they weren’t happy with the fighter either, but now that he’s on the top of his game, they’ve softened. Autumn is the one we don’t talk about at family reunions, except in hushed tones. Don’t get me wrong; she’s damn good at what she does, but they’re pissed she’s not making what she could.”
“You two are close.”
“I’m over here in Africa instead of servicing some over paid actors in Atlanta. They’re not exactly pleased with me either. Just because I allowed my mother to play dress up with me and became a doctor do I get a bit more leeway. Not too much.”
He used his other hand to tip her chin toward him. Even though she knew what came next, she couldn’t help the hitch of breath and closing her eyes as she waited for the kiss. He claimed her mouth, and she sighed as the kiss deepened. Tate spread his hand along the nape of her neck, drawing her closer as he coaxed her tongue out to play with his.
She moaned and leaned closer to her lover. Sprawling her hand along his torso, she gripped his shirt, trying to pull him even nearer. She wanted to lose herself and just feel. Cherished and important. Not like a failure. And, if she was going to pull that off, she needed to do it with this man here. Off the charts, mind-blowing sex. Inching closer in the chair, she placed her other hand over his crotch and squeezed. “Please,” she moaned.
“It’s the middle of the day.”
She stood and nipped his lip. “So, we shut the door. Right now, just take me. Hard and fast. I need to forget.”
His growl was her answer, and she surrendered to his touch, allowing it to sweep her away where it was a world of two. Him and her.
Chapter Six
Her body was tight against his as he rolled over. Time to go.
“You really think you can get there and back without being discovered?”
Tate rubbed the tips of his fingers along Albany’s nape. They lay in darkness in her hut, three days after she’d faltered in her resolve after the death of the young woman. Since then, there had been one more, and he’d been witness to the woman he was used to seeing. Confident, happy, and his geeky sex kitten. Her passion for what she did here resonated in her every being, helping her to shine from within. After night had fallen and they had retired, he’d gone to her hut and made love to her.
It wasn’t going to be easy leaving her. Hell, he had no wish to let her out of his life. Her life wasn’t easy, and she embraced it with a vibrancy that poured into him, making him feel even more alive.
“Yes.” He heard the worry in her voice. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I should come with you.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not risking you.”
She readjusted so she lay on top of him in the narrow bed. “What if I don’t want to risk you?”
“It’s what I’m here for. I have to find the polonium and get it out of here. You said so yourself. We can’t let these bastards continue to kill off the locals because they want some people to work around it who they consider expendable.”
Her breath was warm against his chest. “I know; I still don’t like it, though. What if you’re discovered? Get hurt and need medical attention.”
Guiding her mouth to his, he kissed her with leisurely fashion. “I promise I’ll be back before you know it.”
“You’d better be.”
“Sounds like you’re getting proprietary on me, Albany.”
“Don’t get a swelled head. I’m just feeling protective, right now. It’d be that way for anyone about t
o walk into an area swarming with rebels.”
“Even Scott?”
She paused before chuckling. “Scott? Yes, I’d want him to be safe, as well. As far as proprietary feelings, those are solely the responsibility of his wife and surgeon. I don’t want her on my bad side. Have you been thinking about him all this time?”
Okay, so it made him appear petty and highschoolish but yes. “Maybe.”
“He’s one of the ones who started up Tungsten Protective Services. I’ve worked with him before, and I believe I’m firmly in the little sister category.”
Tate rolled her over and kissed her, once more. “Stay in that category. I’ll be back. Go to sleep.” He strode to the chair he’d placed his clothing on earlier and dressed in moments. Weapons in place, he slid from the hut and set off after checking around him to see if anyone watched. Everything was silent around him. He marked his position and got moving, aware it was death if he were discovered.
He knew the terrain and trajectory. When he reached the building, he slowed, alert and cautious. Remaining along the outskirts, he waited until he’d memorized the patterns of the guards before he made his way to the nearest door. He tested it and smiled when it opened. Although there hadn’t been alarms when he’d been the previous time, he still proceeded with caution.
As he stood in front of the secret panel, he stood over the dead body of a guard who’d come in the room on an unscheduled visit. The man had come in to jack off in solitude, and he’d not been able to reach his completion since Tate had killed him immediately. Honestly, he hadn’t been about to wait for the man to finish.
“Not how I’d prefer to spend my nights. I had a willing woman in a bed, and instead, I’m here in an old building about to descend into a room housing polonium for dirty bombs standing over a man who I killed with his dick in hand. Damn, I miss Albany.”
SIG Sauer palmed, he descended slowly, taking each step without sound. At the bottom, a faint glow filtered up, and he hesitated before putting his feet into the light. Dipping down his goggles, he adjusted a nob and frowned at the red beam crossing the stairs.
Why was I thinking it would be easy? Carefully maneuvering over the lasers, he progressed. The farther he went, the staler the air became. Then a new scent leached into the area. Sickness.
