TRACELESS

by Helen Kay Dimon

  Conversations that started that way generally ran downhill. Connor braced for impact. “True.”

  “There’s no way she’s with Marcel.”

  The sentence bounced around in Connor’s head. Through the waves of jealousy he’d come to the same conclusion. “I know.”

  Holt grunted. “Huh, that turned out easier than I expected. Thought I’d have to convince you, maybe threaten to beat you.”

  Last thing he needed was a hit to the head from this guy. “I’m slow, not stupid.”

  “I’m not sure I’d agree with that,” came a voice from the darkness.

  Holt’s gun came up and he shifted into position. The barrel aimed into a dark patch at the back of Marcel’s house. Connor considered it a blind spot, but they were not under attack. He recognized that voice.

  He tapped his hand against Holt’s gun. “Ease up.”

  A figure broke through the shadows and stood on the edge of the circle of light. Blond and forty, he was a few years older than Connor and probably more fit thanks to his current black ops position. He’d served as a mentor and represented most of Connor’s good memories of the group who used to employ him.

  Holt took in the other man and slowly lowered his weapon. “Drake, I’m guessing.”

  “And you’re...let me guess.” Drake snapped his fingers as he thought it through. “Holt?”

  Holt nodded and held out a hand. “Impressive.”

  “Wish I could take the credit for being so astute, but Davis sent photos for me to study during the plane ride. Something about making sure I didn’t shoot a member of the team.”

  “Sounds like him.” Connor could always count on Davis.

  Drake frowned. “Speaking of which, I lost my cell coverage. Looks like there’s a block around here.”

  Connor didn’t like going blind. “Davis and the rest of the team are working on that.”

  With the welcomes and general information behind them, Connor concentrated on the man he once knew. He was more slender but still possessed a laser-like focus that increased his already off-the-charts intensity.

  “How are you?” A handshake turned into a quick hug complete with back slapping.

  “Better than you.” When Drake backed away one of his eyebrows lifted. “Is it true you let Jana get away?”

  Apparently the state of his marriage had made the news. Connor shuddered at the thought. “Only temporarily.”

  “I still say if I had been the one to move in for the rescue rather than taking lookout, she’d be married to me and you’d be living in a trailer somewhere with a cat.”

  Holt barked out a laugh. “Interesting choices.”

  “She hasn’t seen you in years, so she might still pick you.” That was the fear. Connor worried that because of his fumbling and heavy-handed protection tactics she’d pick anyone but him.

  “Right.” Drake tucked his fingers in back pockets and rocked back on his heels. “So what do we have here?”

  “Messed up charity shipments, someone who wants me dead and a kidnapping.” Connor ticked off the list, knowing which line items Drake would hook on to.

  “So, the usual,” Holt mumbled.

  “Charity as in Boundless?” Drake glared at Connor.

  “Yep.”

  “You used to swear Marcel was dirty, that his story was off.” Drake joined them in kicking stones. “I figured your radar was off because he wanted your woman.”

  “Even then?” Holt asked.

  Connor didn’t know why it was a surprise since he didn’t exactly hide the ongoing Marcel issue. “Told you.”

  “Marcel’s not her type. She likes big and dumb.” Drake slapped Connor on the back as he made the joke.

  “Thanks.”

  Drake stared at Marcel’s house. “I say we pick the charity apart until we find something.”

  Holt raised a hand. “I’m in.”

  This is exactly what Connor thought would happen. Drake assessed and planned. He stepped in and immediately started to plot out a retrieval plan. This time wasn’t any different.

  They needed the extra manpower. And no matter how tough Cam was, the guy could use a break and someone other than Davis to talk to, if he could even do that with all the communication problems on this job. “I have a man over there.”

  “Enough said.” Drake straightened his belt buckle. “Tell him I’m on the way.”

  Connor watched his friend disappear again. It’s what he did. Move in, clean up, vanish. It was the unofficial motto of his old office. Having Drake here dulled the edges of Connor’s tension. Maybe he could settle down and enjoy a few more minutes with his wife without worrying who could sneak up behind him.

  He was about to go back inside when Holt’s voice stopped him. “Notice the darkness.”

  Connor stared out over the shapes that looked like blobs. “That happens at night.”

  Shifting his feet and moving in a slow one-eighty, Holt pointed at the roof lines of the buildings. “I mean it’s too dark. Looks like someone turned off the sensor lights.”

  “Interesting.” And like that, Connor’s tension came zooming back. It filled his body and choked off the air around him. The tick in the back of his neck returned as well. “Any chance they were broken by the guys from the porch?”

  “No glass.”

  Because, of course, he had already checked. Holt was like that. Connor knew because he refined the other man’s training. Not that it took much since Holt bordered on fighting machine when he threw in with Corcoran.

  “Footprints?” Connor asked.

  Holt shook his head. “No signs of tampering from the outside.”

  The words he didn’t say made all the difference. Without cut wires or any other evidence of vandalism, the options dwindled. He loved when that happened. Knowing the players was essential and right now he guessed at their identities. Factoring out his personal feelings wasn’t always easy but the possibilities did keep dwindling.

  “So, we’re talking turned off from inside the house.” And since Connor knew his team didn’t cause the damage, the suspect pool shrank again.

  “Possible.”

  Which Connor took to mean definitely.

  From the beginning he’d been looking and assuming the danger rose out of something he’d done. With the repeated attacks and news of the inventory inconsistencies, his view had changed. The anger the leader attached to him. There was more than a twinge of something personal and nasty going on. Connor got that.

  There was no question Jana’s role here was as a pawn. She served as the fastest road to him. But he couldn’t separate out his work from the charity. He knew there was a link but couldn’t quite get a handle on it.

  “I hate Marcel.” He did. Right down to his bones. Hated his look and his voice and really despised the way he looked at Jana.

  In certain circles he was viewed as a savior. Connor looked and saw a phony. Jana had been in his care as an employee of sorts twice and got kidnapped both times. Either she’d found something or her conscience served as a potential burden. Something wasn’t right and it all traced back to Marcel. It had to.

  “Sounds like your dislike is not without reason. Frankly, I’m amazed you can get through ten minutes without punching that guy,” Holt said with a trace of anger in his voice. “Do we confront him now?”

  Connor thought the punching part sounded good. Shut down the charity and throw the guy in jail. Connor knew it wasn’t rational and the evidence he had didn’t support any of it, but in this case reason flew out the window.

  Maybe Jana was right and he did have a problem with overkill.

  Rather than moving in too fast, Connor went for smart. “Not yet.”

  “You want more evidence?”

  They needed something other t
han a few inventory slips. Marcel would pass the blame to a young staffer or overzealous employee overseas, just like he did before. “I want him to lead us straight into whatever mess he’s made. Catch him in the act.”

  “I’m thinking we won’t have to wait long.”

  Connor hoped that was true because he had much better things to do with his nights. “Be ready.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hidden next to a ridge behind Marcel’s property, they waited. Luc shook his head as the newest kidnaping plan blew up around him. Not that he minded since he thought the whole thing suffered from too much ego and too little thought. Still, getting outmaneuvered by Connor ticked him off.

  Rich jumped off the hood of the truck and grabbed the binoculars out of Luc’s hands. “Who is that?”

  Rich looked, even leaned in. Bruce didn’t say a word.

  Thanks to the poor lighting and bad angle, Luc couldn’t make out the face of the newcomer down there on the porch. He saw the cocky walk and the comfortable conversation with Connor. Since the guy didn’t get shot, Luc had to assume the Corcoran folks considered him safe.

  That was not good news. Down so many men, Luc didn’t need more targets. “Another player.”

  Keys jangled as Bruce shoved them back in his pocket. “We need to hang back. Come at this from a different angle. Maybe wait until daylight so we can see who’s moving around down there.”

  Rich’s hand dropped and he slammed the expensive equipment against the truck’s hood. “That wasn’t the plan. I want the rest of my money and to get out of here, and that means finishing this.”

  Since he never sanctioned this idea, Luc wasn’t married to completing it now. He refrained from pointing out he never thought this was a good idea. “We need a new plan.”

  Grabbing the woman got harder the more men Connor had on his side. And now everyone appeared to be awake and walking around. That stole their advantage. Made getting in and out and catching Connor literally with his pants down impossible.

  “Do you recognize the newest guy?” Bruce asked Luc.

  “Not from here, but his presence changes things.”

  Bruce nodded but Rich looked back and forth between the other men, his face reddening as he watched the byplay. “Why?”

  Luc didn’t think Rich could get more clueless. Turned out he was wrong. “We could be dealing with more of Connor’s men or outside law enforcement. There are too many variables we don’t know.”

  “New plan.” Bruce headed for the driver’s door. “We get closer then head off on foot. We’ll sneak into Marcel’s house and do a little recon.”

  Rich frowned. “I thought there was someone on guard in there and we had to pull back or whatever else you two have been saying. What happened to all the warnings from two seconds ago?”

  “Connor is with his wife. The big one is walking the property and the other one went into the bunkhouse.” Rich ran through the list and mentally double-checked it to make sure he hadn’t missed anything obvious. “We have a lot of awake people but one who might not be.”

  The confusion hadn’t cleared from Rich’s face. “And the new guy?”

  Luc reached around Rich and picked up his binoculars. Adjusting the lenses, he scanned the area and stopped when he spied a lone figure walking in the darkness and ducking into a car. “Looks like he’s leaving for now.”

  “Okay then, let’s grab the woman.”

  “No.” Luc grew tired of giving that answer.

  Rich clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “So what’s in the house you two think is so important?”

  Luc didn’t need Bruce’s help. That one was easy. “Answers.”

  * * *

  Jana woke up when Connor crawled back into bed. Technically, she’d been asleep since he closed the door behind him and went outside.

  It had always been that way. He moved or shifted and she came awake with a start. Something about not having him at her side made her jumpy.

  The months apart had been sleepless and frustrating. Holding him, making love with him tonight, made her realize she’d given up way more than the simple joys of marriage. Talking to him across a table, discussing something one of the men had said...touching him.

  He snuggled in behind her and wrapped an arm around her stomach. His fingers went searching a second later.

  She stopped the wandering by putting a hand over his. “What time is it?”

  “Late, or maybe I should say early.” His mouth found her throat and he kissed a line down her neck.

  The words vibrated against her sensitive skin. “What were you doing?”

  His tongue trailed along her shoulder. “Talking to Drake.”

  Leave it to Connor to name drop while his hands made a move on her breasts. Nice try.

  She turned over onto her back and stared up at Connor. The small light on the other side of the room gave the bedroom area a soft glow. The lighting only highlighted his dark good looks. Staring up at the man she loved so much, she forgot what she was going to say.

  His mouth kicked up in a sexy grin. “Yes?”

  “What?” But he got it. That knowing look said he understood what he did to her and was happy to use that as a weapon to get his way.

  “Yes, Drake is here,” Connor said, filling in her mental blanks. “He’s going over to cover Cam and check out the charity office.”

  “Am I ever going to meet this man? I’ve seen emails and photos and heard your side of telephone conversations.” Drake meant something to Connor and therefore to her.

  Her husband wasn’t the bring-friends-home type. He hung out with his team. They bonded and supported each other. Worked hard and got together to watch football and do whatever it was that had them laughing downstairs at the house.

  But Drake held a piece of Connor’s past. They’d depended on each other through what she gathered were tough days filled with danger and death. That kind of thing had to imprint on both of them.

  She often thought Connor limited his contact with Drake in order to limit the reminders of all they’d seen. She understood. Well, as much as she could as someone who fought death through other means. Still, she wanted to meet the man who meant so much to Connor. Thank him for getting her husband through the tough times.

  And maybe Drake could give her a hint about how to handle Connor and his demons.

  Right now he trailed his fingers over her collarbone, brushing and teasing. “Drake is not exactly a guy who brings a bottle of wine and sits down at dinner to chat.”

  Connor had been the same way when they met. She insisted on dates and dinners and some sense of normalcy. For her, he made the adjustments. “I’m sure your friend eats.”

  “Let me put it this way—if you considered me feral when we got married...”

  “That’s an overstatement, but yes.” Her hand went to his hair. She loved the feel of the strands through her fingers. She’d missed so much about him and about being with him, but that easy pleasure ranked pretty high on the list.

  “I am full-on domesticated compared to Drake. He’s been in the field since he graduated from college.” Connor lowered his head and dropped a kiss on the top of her breast. “He stalks and hides and fixes.”

  “And kills.” She waited for Connor to freeze.

  He kept kissing and caressing, moving lower until his mouth hovered over her breast. “More than you would think and not always for sound reasons. He followed the orders when I no longer could.”

  The strangeness of the conversation—the topics so hard and rough—while Connor whipped her body into a frenzy and made her want to crawl all over him summed up their relationship. From the beginning they’d mixed the danger with the pleasure. She guessed that part of their lives counted as pretty abnormal.

  A thought struck her
. “Do you not want me to meet him?”

  “Honestly, I thought you already did. Way back, I mean. We talk about you all the time and he speaks as if he knows you, which I guess he does in a way. The version of you he hears from me.”

  She felt him smile against her skin. “That sounds bad.”

  “The exact opposite, actually.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “But the fact we don’t hang out with him is not about hiding you or protecting you from his rough side.” Connor pushed up on his elbow again and stared down at her. “It’s really about him never standing still long enough to hold him down for anything.”

  “We all seem to be trapped here until we figure this out, and that includes him.” It felt right to finally meet the mysterious man behind the cryptic description.

  “Yes, it does.”

  “He won’t be able to run from me.”

  Connor rolled into her until his erection brushed her thigh. Before she could catch his mouth for a kiss, he started moving. Down he went, stopping only to nuzzle her in all the right places.

  He rubbed his head back and forth against her stomach until the rough stubble had her body begging for more. One hot kiss against her skin and her stomach dipped. Then he did it again.

  “I can’t imagine any man wanting to get away from you.” He traveled even lower.

  Her fingers slipped over his head, guiding him to where she wanted him and then holding him in place. “So sweet.”

  “Actually, I thought I’d show you how dirty I can be.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  They snuck in using the same entrance they’d escaped from before. The outside sensor lights didn’t click on. The video monitors had been purchased but not installed. The alarm system took care of the outside gate and the doors. Move a window and a wailing noise would blast through the still house. But they weren’t using a regular entrance.

  Crouched down and quiet, they’d moved across the property, heading in from the ridge. It was the one blind spot in the yard. A slim patch of land between the shed and the house. No lights. No warnings.