by Lexi Blake
PRAISE FOR LEXI BLAKE AND MASTERS AND MERCENARIES…
“I can always trust Lexi Blake's Dominants to leave me breathless...and in love. If you want sensual, exciting BDSM wrapped in an awesome love story, then look for a Lexi Blake book.”
~Cherise Sinclair USA Today Bestselling author
“Lexi Blake's MASTERS AND MERCENARIES series is beautifully written and deliciously hot. She's got a real way with both action and sex. I also love the way Blake writes her gorgeous Dom heroes--they make me want to do bad, bad things. Her heroines are intelligent and gutsy ladies whose taste for submission definitely does not make them dish rags. Can't wait for the next book!”
~Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author
“A Dom is Forever is action packed, both in the bedroom and out. Expect agents, spies, guns, killing and lots of kink as Liam goes after the mysterious Mr. Black and finds his past and his future… The action and espionage keep this story moving along quickly while the sex and kink provides a totally different type of interest. Everything is very well balanced and flows together wonderfully.”
~A Night Owl “Top Pick”, Terri, Night Owl Erotica
“A Dom Is Forever is everything that is good in erotic romance. The story was fast-paced and suspenseful, the characters were flawed but made me root for them every step of the way, and the hotness factor was off the charts mostly due to a bad boy Dom with a penchant for dirty talk.”
~Rho, The Romance Reviews
“A good read that kept me on my toes, guessing until the big reveal, and thinking survival skills should be a must for all men.”
~Chris, Night Owl Reviews
“I can’t get enough of the Masters and Mercenaries Series! Love and Let Die is Lexi Blake at her best! She writes erotic romantic suspense like no other, and I am always extremely excited when she has something new for us! Intense, heart pounding, and erotically fulfilling, I could not put this book down.”
~ Shayna Renee, Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads
“Certain authors and series are on my auto-buy list. Lexi Blake and her Masters & Mercenaries series is at the top of that list... this book offered everything I love about a Masters & Mercenaries book – alpha men, hot sex and sweet loving… As long as Ms. Blake continues to offer such high quality books, I’ll be right there, ready to read.”
~ Robin, Sizzling Hot Books
“I have absolutely fallen in love with this series. Spies, espionage, and intrigue all packaged up in a hot dominant male package. All the men at McKay-Taggart are smoking hot and the women are amazingly strong sexy submissives.”
~Kelley, Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews
Submission is Not Enough
Masters and Mercenaries, Book 12
Lexi Blake
Submission is Not Enough
Masters and Mercenaries, Book 12
Lexi Blake
Published by DLZ Entertainment LLC
Copyright 2016 DLZ Entertainment LLC
Edited by Chloe Vale
eBook ISBN: 978-1-937608-53-8
McKay-Taggart logo design by Charity Hendry
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to my team and to all the readers who have followed the Masters and Mercenaries series since it all began five years ago. I hoped the series would make it for five books so being here at book twelve is amazing to me. I thank you all for the support and I hope you’ll come with me on many more adventures!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Master Bits and Mercenary Bites by Lexi Blake and Suzanne M. Johnson
An excerpt from Perfectly Paired, Topped Book 3 by Lexi Blake
An excerpt from Bound to Submit by Laura Kaye
An excerpt from Dangerous Protector by Sidney Bristol
About Lexi Blake
Other Books by Lexi Blake
PROLOGUE
Grand Cayman
“Kill her.”
Theo heard the words of his CO, but he hesitated. His heart was thumping in his chest, but it was an oddly pleasant rhythm. Adrenaline flooded his system, making him hyper-aware of everything going on around him.
He’d done the impossible, gotten through all the security to save his boss. Tennessee Smith had been his full-time boss at one point and now he was also a friend. The ex-CIA agent had recruited him out of the Navy and then led him straight to McKay-Taggart and this mission.
Unfortunately it had gone haywire and Ten had been captured, and now looked worse for the wear. It was up to Theo to get him out and save the mission.
If he could pull this off, no one would look at him like the littlest Taggart ever again. He wouldn’t be in the shadow of Ian or Sean. He wouldn’t merely be Case’s baby brother. He was well aware of the fact that while there were only a few minutes between him and his older brother, everyone considered Case to be the badass. Theo was the sweet one, the one everyone worried might not be fully capable of handling himself in the field without big brothers looking out for him.
He didn’t want to be the sweet one. He wanted Erin to look at him like she did Case. Like he was competent and not just some himbo she’d allowed into her bed. Some kid she would dump when she found a real man.
Fuck, he loved her and he was going to prove to her that he was worthy.
But first he had to decide if he was going to follow Tennessee Smith’s order.
Hope McDonald was some kind of crazy scientist, and it was obvious she was the reason for Ten’s extremely bad day. He’d been captured by her father, and it looked like the senator had been doing some experiments of his own. In torture. Ten could barely walk. He’d begged Theo to run and take the rest of the team with him, but Taggarts didn’t leave their men behind. Even when they were surly and difficult.
Still, standing there and aiming right at the blonde’s head, he had to wonder how far he could go. “She doesn’t have a gun.”
“That bitch doesn’t need one.” Ten’s lips were dry, his voice cracking out of his mouth.
Dr. McDonald’s well-manicured hands came up. “Theo won’t kill me. He’s a gentleman. You should move. Father’s men will attack from behind and the Chinese will come up the road.”
Theo stared at her, knowing precious seconds were flying by. She was an odd duck. It was obvious she’d had a thing for him back in Dallas. Was that why she was helping him out now? He’d never done a thing to encourage her. Since the moment he’d seen Erin, he hadn’t looked at another woman. He’d known that crazy redhead was the only one for him. “Why would you tell us anything?”
“Because it won’t change the outcome. I would like for us to work together, Theodore. I find you fascinating. Even more now that I’ve read your records. Mr. Smith was a good subject, but you will be a masterpiece. You should hurry. They’re almost here.”
“Kill her,” Ten insisted.
The moment seemed almost stuck, as though he wasn’t sure what he should do. He’d had a few moments like this, when he’d known somehow the outcome depended on his own choice. The world seemed to slow and he knew whatever he did next would change things.
In the end, he had to follow his conscience. He put an arm around Ten Smith and started to drag him out into the night. They had an army of MSS agents after them and all of the senator’s mercenaries. “I can’t shoot an unarmed woman, Ten. You can fire me later, but I can’t.”
As they exited Ten’s torture chamber, he seemed to perk up a bit. “Faith. Tell me Faith left the island.”
Brody Carter stepped out from where he’d been clinging to the shadows. The massive Aussie was part of the team Theo was in charge of. Dressed in black from head to toe, he somehow managed to blend into the night. “I’ll take him. And Faith is safe and sound back at the vehicles with Hutch and Erin.”
The Aussie chucked Ten over his shoulder with a thud.
“Why is Faith with Erin?” Ten managed with a huff. “The last I heard she never wanted to talk to any of us again.”
“I needed her intel.” Theo touched his earpiece. There would be time enough for a full debrief later. “We’re on the move.”
His communications specialist’s voice came over the comm device in his ear. Hutch’s voice was steady over the line. “You’ve got trouble heading your way, Theo. Your girl just took off. She and Faith are on their way to rendezvous. I’m coming after them.”
Theo felt his stomach drop. Cool. He needed to stay cool, but the idea of Erin charging in made him anything but.
Brody stopped beside him. He’d certainly heard the news.
“What’s wrong?” Ten tried to twist his body up.
“Are you kidding me?” He didn’t wait for Hutch’s reply. Greg Hutchins might joke around, but never during an op. If Hutch said Erin had lost her damn mind and decided to no longer follow orders, then she was on her way and apparently bringing a civilian with her. He had to deal with it. Oh, there would be hell to pay when they were done and it would all come out of her sweet ass, but he had to keep it together for now. Later she would get a spanking that would make even her masochistic self cry. “Fuck. Erin and Faith are on their way in. Hutch is firing up the van and coming after them. It looks like we’re going to have to squeeze into one vehicle. I’m going to have her ass.”
Gunfire splattered through the air. It was hard to figure out where it was coming from sometimes. It seemed to come from every direction.
Would Erin walk into the middle of a kill zone? Was he putting them all in a position to be slaughtered?
Deep breath, Taggart. Your brother wouldn’t have made you second in command if he didn’t believe in you. You can do this. You can save Ten and your team and when it’s all done, you’ll get the girl.
Because he knew the girl was pulling away from him. He wasn’t sure why, but despite the fact that she spent every night in his bed, she was still afraid. Not of him, but of what they could be.
If he showed her he was strong enough, he could put it all to rest.
“I’ve got a line coming in from the north,” a feminine voice said. Desiree Brooks was former MI6 and cool under pressure. Despite the cracking gunfire around them, Des’s voice was cool and calm.
“We need to fall back.” Her partner, Nikolai Markovic, wasn’t as calm. His Russian accent normally wasn’t as thick, and now he sounded like he barely spoke English. “Des, get down. Down! Damn it, Taggart. We’re about to be surrounded.”
And he was terrified for his lover. The Brit and the Russian were from Damon Knight’s team. From the moment they’d gotten to the Caymans for the mission it had been obvious their closeness wasn’t simply cover.
Or maybe he just knew what a man in love looked like and he damn straight knew how shitty it was to have his woman in the field. Sometimes he cursed the fact that he couldn’t have fallen for a simpler woman than his Erin. His fucking warrior goddess who was going to throw herself into battle if he couldn’t get them out of here.
“I’m going to need you to stand for a minute, Ten. Or at least sit. Keep your head down. Des, Nick, what’s going on?” Brody had to practically yell because the night had exploded around them.
The few lights that had been on blinked out and they were surrounded by darkness. Thank you, Hutch. The kid could work miracles. Ten flattened himself against the building and he seemed like he was going to stay upright. Theo forced himself to focus. Erin had to have seen something he couldn’t. It was the only real reason she would disobey a direct order. He watched, his eyes settling in as Nick backed up toward them.
“We’ve got incoming,” Nick shouted back.
It was going to be all right. They would retreat. They had the package and they would lose whoever pursued them in the jungle. They would go straight for the building he’d found Ten in. The senator would be worried about his daughter. Hell, talking to the doc might even slow them down. This was still going to work. He felt it. “We’ll let them come in and sneak out when they raid the building. They can’t see us here. And Hutch just cut the power. We’ve got the cover of night on our side.”
He fell back as lights ahead split the darkness and he could hear the thud of tires rolling over the pavement. “Get back.”
At least they were all together. They would stay in a tight formation and move toward the road where Erin or Hutch could pick them up. He only saw one set of lights at this point, though he was sure there would be more coming. A few minutes and they would be gone and the senator could look all he liked. He would have Ten and put him on a plane as soon as he could. Then the rest would break up and sneak away without another problem.
He was about to give the signal to move when Des broke off from the group.
“I can cause some chaos,” Des said. “Get ready to run toward the back. We can go up the trail to where we left the cars.”
He leaned forward, ready to order her back into formation.
Before he could get the words out of his mouth, Des moved around the side of the building. There was no way to miss the way Nick tensed. Theo nearly shouted, but it would only have served to give away their position. Two quick shots pinged ahead of him and then he watched as the vehicle that had been coming their way flipped and rolled. The sound of metal gnarling and gears crashing filled the night. The SUV crashed into the building to its right and Theo could feel the ground shudder under his boots.
“Let’s get out of here.” Des turned and started back.
The lecture would have to wait, but she was going to find out that he didn’t play that way. They’d walked in with a plan and that was to stick together. Damon was going to get a hard earful about his people from Theo. But it wasn’t happening now. He readied himself to move, visualizing the steps.
A single shot split the air and Des stopped. Even in the low light, Theo could see the way her skin paled and the bloom of blood on her forehead. Des hit her knees and then slumped forward.
He heard another volley of gunshots to the west. Before the true horror of Des’s death could sink in, he realized they were about to be pinned down. Someone was coming up behind them.
Theo bit back bile and followed his instincts. He reached out and grabbed at Nick before he could get to Des’s body.
The big Russian
pulled at him and for a second, Theo thought he might lose that battle. Thank god for Brody. Brody gripped Nick’s arm and held him tight.
“You can’t go out there. They’ve got a sniper.” He couldn’t quite believe what he’d seen. Des had been standing right there. He needed to get to her, needed to pull her back to safety. If he allowed Nick to run out there, he would be gone, too.
“She could be alive,” Nick insisted, his voice tortured.
Not likely, but Theo understood. They didn’t leave men behind. Never. He couldn’t walk away from her, couldn’t be the one to abandon a teammate.
“Give me a second. Let’s see if we can take out the sniper.” He needed to figure out where he was. They were protected behind the wall, but there would be another car coming and then they would likely be completely outnumbered.
He had to do this with careful forethought, unlike this clusterfuck of a mission he’d embarked on. He could see it now. Erin was going to be the one to have his ass. She’d begged him to call back to his brother, to see if there was any intel at all Ian and the team at home were hearing.
But he’d known what Big Tag would do and he’d been determined to show his big brothers that he was as good as they were.
And now Des was probably dead.
“We have to move.” Erin ran up the street and his heart nearly stopped.
It could have been Erin. She would have thought to create some chaos, too. It could have been Erin lying dead in the street.
Fuck, he loved her. He should have listened to her because she was smart and infinitely competent and he wondered if she would ever be able to love a man who couldn’t command her both in and out of the bedroom.
He shoved that shit down because he had work to do. Hutch wasn’t far behind her.
“I take it we have guests coming we didn’t expect.” It was the only reason she would have disobeyed orders. Erin was disciplined and years of military service had ingrained a deep respect for her commanding officers into her personality.
