by Rebecca Deel
The medic chuckled. “The all-important equalizer. The local government doesn’t waste money on infrastructure.” He reached into the cargo area and grabbed his Go bag. From inside, he pulled a rocket launcher and two grenades.
“I want to learn how to use that,” Veronica said. “How does Fortress teach newbies to shoot one?”
“PSI has a place deep in the mountains for training.”
“Trouble up front,” Remy snapped.
Adam growled. Another SUV bore down on them at a rapid rate. “Lily, take them out, fast. Jake, you’re on the clowns coming up behind us. Vonnie, watch the side roads on the right. Don’t poke your head out of the vehicle. Blowback from the RPG. I’ll take the left.”
They lowered the windows in the SUV. Lily said, “Hold it steady,” and shifted to perch on the window frame. She fired a grenade at the fast-approaching vehicle. A split-second later, a fireball exploded and the enemy’s vehicle veered directly in front of them.
Lily dived inside the SUV and Remy took evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision with the uncontrolled vehicle.
“My turn,” Jake said. He sat on the window frame and, a moment later, the vehicle pursuing them exploded.
Adam wouldn’t hold his breath, but he hoped the third vehicle at the roadblock had stayed behind to man the post. “Good job.”
They completed the remainder of the drive without interference. Remy slid to a stop at the end of the airstrip beside one of the other SUVs. As they unloaded, an SUV driven by Alex Morgan raced toward them with the third Fortress team on board. Excellent. One more to go.
“Grab your gear. Fortress stirred up a hornet’s nest. Won’t take long for the federales to start searching private airstrips.” Adam opened the cargo area. He reached in, grabbed his Go bag and Veronica’s.
“I can carry my own bag,” she muttered.
“Remy is carrying Lily’s. She’s watching our six.”
Her head whipped in Lily’s direction. Immediately, she dropped back and took up a position a few feet from the other operative to help protect the others.
Adam’s lips curved. Go bags were heavy. At the moment, speed was more important than allowing his girlfriend to haul her equipment bag to the plane. He’d rather tap into her strength; Veronica was trained to protect.
As the two women stepped into the plane’s cabin, the fourth SUV raced to the end of the airstrip. The operatives bailed from the vehicle, grabbed their gear, and raced for the Lear.
Immediately, the first jet powered up. The operatives from the last SUV rushed up the stairs. Adam closed and locked the door behind them as the engine revved.
Maddox dropped into the nearest seat and activated the intercom. “Get this bird off the ground.”
“Copy that.”
The operatives stored gear bags and strapped into the seats as the volume of the engine roar increased. The plane taxied down the strip and lifted off as a handful of vehicles with flashing lights poured onto the tarmac.
As soon as they were level, Maddox asked for a report from Adam and the leader of the PSI team. Once they finished, he called Josh Cahill on the other plane and put the call on speaker. “Report.”
“Both teams were successful with one minor injury.”
“Minor? Who’s bleeding like a stuck pig over here?” Quinn Gallagher protested.
“Rio?” Maddox asked.
“Bullet just kissed Quinn’s biceps. No stitches necessary. I’m patching him up as we speak.”
“Dodge faster next time, Gallagher. Your wife will hunt me down if you are seriously injured on a mission and I want her happy. She’s a vital part of our S & R training.”
“Yes, sir.”
“No injuries to report from this end. The second phase of our operation will go as planned.” He turned his head to stare at Adam. “Except for one adjustment. Zane caught a transmission from one of Los Diablos’s men, Salazar’s second in command. He alerted Lilah Collins to the attack on the cartel.”
“What is the adjustment?” Adam’s gut clenched. He already knew he wasn’t going to like it.
“Zane reserved the honeymoon suite for you and your bride at the same hotel where he and Claire stayed with Remy and Lily.”
“Honeymoon suite?” Veronica stared at her new boss.
“Yes, ma’am. Congratulations on your elopement, Mrs. Walker.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Veronica sat back, stunned at the news that she was newly “married” to Adam Walker. “Fortress techs aren’t the only ones capable of hacking into government records. I assume Zane planted the proper trail.”
“Of course. He doesn’t miss a trick.” Maddox smiled. “Relax. At least you get to enjoy some time in a luxury suite at Fortress’s expense. You’ll have to spend some quality time in the room in order to give the right impression. Zane will make reservations for dinner at a nearby restaurant. After that, take a moonlight stroll. At some point during the evening, I hope one of Lilah’s henchmen will make contact.”
Make contact? A fine euphemism for abduction. “How will Lilah Collins know we’re in Belize?”
“Belize City isn’t the size of New York City. Word gets around fast. Plus, Zane will make sure word leaks that you insisted on honeymooning in Belize because you’ve always wanted to visit the country.”
She frowned. “Wouldn’t that seem suspicious? I would never ask Adam to take me to a place where he was held captive and tortured.”
“Lilah doesn’t know that, Vonnie,” Remy said. “She’s never met you, doesn’t know you love Adam too much to ask that of him. Maybe Adam didn’t share his past with his new bride because he didn’t want to distress her.”
Veronica’s cheeks burned. Remy was correct. She did love Adam that much. Didn’t mean she wanted to announce she was in love with the amazing operative in this manner. She shifted her gaze to Maddox. “If you ask me to play the role of a high-maintenance diva, we might have a problem.”
Adam snorted. “You don’t have a high maintenance bone in your body. Lilah wouldn’t buy that even if we tried to sell it to her. She has to know what Silverman put you through. No diva would have survived days in his hands and lived to tell about it.”
“When did we get married?”
Maddox glanced at his watch. “About three hours ago.”
Something in his voice had Veronica’s eyes narrowing. “This is all a false paper trail, right?”
“You were right in assuming someone from Lilah’s organization would check on the marriage. I wanted the cover story to hold up under scrutiny.”
“What does that mean?” Adam asked, his voice sharp.
“It means two operatives made up to look like you and Veronica made a quick trip to Las Vegas and tied the knot using your names and IDs. According to the state of Nevada, you are legally married. And before you complain, someone has already been checking extensively with boots on the ground.”
Adam exchanged glances with Veronica, then turned a glare on his boss. “You’re stepping all over my plans, Maddox. I hoped to ease Vonnie into marriage. This is like using a sledge hammer to force her acceptance.”
On the speaker phone, Josh Cahill said, “Boss, your wife would have had your hide if you pulled this stunt with her. I don’t even want to think about what Del would do to me.”
While the banter between the Durango unit and Maddox continued, Veronica looked down at herself, flinched. She didn’t look like a bride out to celebrate her marriage to the man of her dreams.
“Vonnie?” Adam covered her hand with his. “Talk to me.”
She turned, froze. Veronica had never seen that look in Adam’s eyes. Uncertainty, as though he wasn’t sure of her feelings for him. No surprise, she supposed. She had told Adam she loved him, but there was no way for him to know she didn’t toss the L-word around like candy at Mardi Gras. She had never said those words to another man.
Veronica leaned in and kissed him, her free hand cupping his cheek. “I’m not dressed like
a woman out to wow her new husband. I look like a refugee from a militia group.”
He relaxed, his crooked smile curving his lips. “The plane will land in Belize City about the time shops open. We’ll shop before we go to the hotel.” He sent a pointed glance to Maddox who watched them with interest. “You can foot the bill for our wardrobe, Maddox.”
A chuckle from the buzz-cut blond SEAL. “Consider it my wedding gift to you and Veronica.”
Durango’s leader said, “Anything else, Maddox?”
“That’s it for now. Get some rest. While Veronica and Adam are living in luxury, the rest of us will battle the bugs while keeping an eye on the Collins estate and grounds.”
A groan from Gallagher. “Heat and humidity, here we come.”
The rest of the operatives chuckled and razzed the other man before Maddox ended the call. “Same goes for you,” he said to the operatives on their plane. “Rest while you can. It’s going to be a long, hot day while we see if Lilah changed the security surrounding the house. Zane is searching for schematics of the house and looking for upgrades to the security system.”
“Tell him to look for changes to the out buildings as well,” Adam said. “The guards stayed in those buildings and Collins discussed constructing new tunnels between those buildings and the basement. After Fortress pulled me out of there and blew the original tunnels, Lilah may have made the changes her father considered.”
“I’ll pass the word.”
Within minutes, the cabin was quiet except for the sounds of operatives settling into sleep and Jon’s fingers clicking on his keyboard. Veronica watched him for a couple minutes as Adam slept beside her.
The sniper glanced up, raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry.
She needed some water anyway and the small galley was near the front of the plane. Veronica stood.
“Vonnie?” Adam’s gaze zeroed in on her. “You okay?”
“Getting water. Go back to sleep.”
With a slight nod, he closed his eyes.
She slid past him and walked the aisle to the galley. With a shrug, she grabbed an extra bottle of water. If Jon didn’t need the water, he could return it later.
Retracing her steps, she stopped beside the operative who had set his computer aside and waited for her. “Water?” she whispered.
“Thanks.” He patted the seat beside him. “Can’t sleep?”
“Not yet. Adrenaline.”
“It will drop soon.” He tapped her water. “Drink while you can.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
He didn’t say anything.
Right. Sore subject. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” More silence. Veronica decided to return to her seat. She’d find a way to apologize later for intruding.
“Eli and I were on a mission that went south. We were working with another Fortress team. The sniper from the second team left his position against orders. I was captured. Eli found me a few days later.”
“You don’t have to say any more. I understand.” After what she’d gone through at Silverman’s hands, Veronica understood the near paranoia with safety when you were vulnerable.
“Adam is the same.”
Her gaze shifted to the man who had captured her heart and found him watching her interaction with Jon. She winked at him and returned her attention to the sniper. “From what I’ve observed, Fortress operatives don’t sleep unless they’re in secure surroundings or have one of their own that they trust on guard.”
He inclined his head in silent agreement. “He’s a good man, Veronica. Will you give him an honest chance?”
If only Jon knew the truth. She was crazy about Adam Walker. “Absolutely.”
A nod. “My wife likes him, and Dana isn’t comfortable around men.”
“Oh?”
“Long story, one that’s hers to tell if she chooses to share.”
“She must miss you when you’re gone.”
“She and Brenna, Eli’s wife, stay together when Eli and I are working. They’re sisters.”
Veronica thought about her brother, sighed. Was he safe? She’d been tempted to use her DEA connections to check on him. She’d resisted the urge. Veronica didn’t want to know if her brother was a replica of her father. “They’re lucky to have each other.”
“Do you have siblings?”
“One brother. Haven’t seen him since he left at eighteen and joined the military.”
Jon drained the rest of his water. “It’s hard for those who serve in the armed forces to relate to civilian life. Some don’t try to connect with their families, preferring to stay immersed in military life.”
“I think the decision to stay away was a deliberate choice that didn’t have anything to do with his military service. Our home life was bad.” A yawn caught her by surprise. “Sorry. I promise it’s not the company.”
The sniper held out his hand for her empty water bottle. “Go rest so Adam will sleep. I’ll toss the bottle.”
“Thanks.” She returned to her seat and Adam wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep with her head resting against Adam’s chest, the steady beat of his heart a source of comfort and a reminder she wasn’t alone and vulnerable.
It only seemed short minutes passed when the landing gear locked into position with a jerk. Veronica blinked and sat up. Daylight streamed through the windows of the Lear, the tropical sun warming her skin.
Adam strode down the aisle and dropped into the seat beside her. “Good morning. Ready to start our first day as husband and wife, Veronica Walker?”
She smiled. “I’m ready to spend Brent Maddox’s money on my honeymoon wardrobe.”
Operatives all over the plane burst into laughter as Maddox scowled in her direction.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Adam left his Go bag on the plane in the care of the PSI team tasked with protecting their equipment, felt naked without the equipment he depended on within easy reach. However, he was supposed to be a besotted groom on his honeymoon. Carrying his bag wherever they went would look suspicious and he didn’t trust the safety of the hotel to leave his equipment unguarded. Besides, he and Veronica and their teammates would leave Belize in a hurry. He’d rather not have to replace his weapons stash when he returned to the states.
Maddox clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t let your wife bankrupt me.”
“You deserve whatever she dishes out for putting her through this.” He still couldn’t believe Maddox changed the game in mid-play.
“I don’t think she’s suffering repercussions,” his boss said, his tone wry. He edged closer. “She loves you, Adam. Both of you will be able to carry off this role without difficulty. The relationship won’t look fake because it isn’t.”
“Except for the fact I’m not really married to her.” He wanted the marriage to be real. If she agreed to marry him one day, he would be the most blessed man on the planet.
“The paperwork is real. You simply had two stand-ins in front of the official.”
Adam’s jaw clenched. Not the same thing. He wanted to court Veronica and win her hand in marriage the old-fashioned way, not like this. She deserved better. She deserved the best he had to offer, not a sham marriage arranged by a boss with an agenda.
“Adam.” Veronica’s hand squeezed his arm. “We’ll do things our way and wrestle with the legalities later.”
“Ready?” Remy asked, his Go bag in hand, Lily behind him with her bag.
His eyebrows soared. “I would never take another couple on my honeymoon.”
“We’re in the room across the hall from yours. We won’t make obvious contact, but we’re your backup. We’ll follow you wherever you go in case Lilah’s thugs take you somewhere besides the Collins estate.”
“I’m next door to the Doucets,” Jake said. “You have your full team with you this time, Adam.”
Unlike the last time he’d been assigned to work undercover in Belize. “Why would Lilah take us to a different location? She owns the people who work for
her, just like her old man.” Peter Collins had searched hard to find something to blackmail Adam’s alter ego and thought he owned Adam, too. He’d been wrong.
“One more thing,” Maddox said. He unlocked the small safe near the galley and withdrew two velvet-covered boxes, handed them to Adam. “You’ll need these.”
Adam opened one box, stared. A carved wedding ring with small diamonds scattered throughout the design. Beside him, Veronica’s breath caught.
“It’s beautiful.”
He freed the ring and slipped it on Veronica’s finger. He blew out a breath. A perfect fit. How did Maddox know Veronica’s ring size? Adam opened the second box and pulled out the matching carved wedding band for him. This one didn’t have diamonds. Thank goodness. He’d never choose a ring that drew attention.
He slipped it on his finger, grimaced. The unaccustomed weight would bug him until he got used to it. What was he thinking? This marriage wasn’t real, no matter what Maddox said. Adam wouldn’t consider the legal ties binding unless he heard the vows himself.
Veronica nudged him. “Looks good on you. I like it.”
Adam moved into the aisle and motioned for her to step out. “Let’s roll. We have a wannabe drug kingpin to take down.”
“Zane reserved an SUV in your name,” Maddox said. “Remy, you have one reserved in your Fortress fake ID. So do you, Jake.” He waved them on. “Go be tourists.”
Adam escorted Veronica from the airport and found their SUV. Remy and Lily sat in an SUV nearby, pretending to look at a map of the area. Jake was two spaces away, consulting his own map.
“My skin feels like it’s crawling,” Veronica said.
“Mine, too.” He cranked the engine. “At least we have air conditioning in here.”
“Is it too early to shop and disappear into the suite?”
“Not to shop. We should eat lunch out, though. Have to make the honeymoon look real.” He smiled. “Besides, I have to show off my drop-dead gorgeous new wife to the world.”
“And maybe I have to show off my hot husband and warn off the other women.”
