“Serious as shit, Jasmin, leave it alone.”
“Lincoln Parker, I swear to Christ I will hunt your ass down and find you in whatever hole you decide to run to. We are talking when you get home. I want this resolved. I want my husband back. I get it, I screwed up. But damn, can you give me a break? I didn’t fucking know.”
I would have agreed to anything at that point just to get the hell out of that room. “Fine, Jasmin. I’ll find you when I get back.”
Before I made it all the way out the door her little ass was in front of me. Blocking the door, she grabbed my face with both hands. “You be safe and come home to me.”
Her lips were on mine before I could answer her, my body reacting on instinct. I could not deny this woman even when I was pissed as hell at her. I took over the kiss, gathering her hair in one hand, pulling her head to the side to get a better angle. She groaned into my mouth and pressed her perfect tits harder onto my chest. Damn it to hell this woman was sexy as shit. I could feel her tight nipples through her thin tank top as she rubbed herself against me.
She went for the waist band of my pants and started to unbutton them. Next thing I felt was her soft little hand grabbing a hold of my throbbing erection, her thumb rubbing over my piercing and it was my turn to groan.
“Jasmin,” I started in a tight voice.
“No talking Lincoln, just feel me. Laura, not Jasmin. Remember me,” she whispered.
There was no way I could turn her down. As much as I knew I needed to walk away from her I simply could not. Laura or Jasmin, it did not matter what name she used. Bottom line, she was mine. Just one more time, then I would give her the time she needed, the time I should’ve given her before I took her the first time.
I picked her up and wrapped her legs around my waist, shutting the door plunging the room into near darkness. I walked us to the bed and gently laid her down. I did not need the light to navigate her body. I had committed every detail to memory. I knew every part of this woman; every fear, every dream, and every sexual desire.
I slowly removed her tank top and the boxer shorts she slept in most every night. Her body was flawless. Even with all of her battle scars it was utterly perfect. I kissed her stomach, remembering there was a time we had talked about having babies. Arguing over which one of us would give up being an operator to take care of our tribe. We both wanted to have a home full of children.
I peeled my clothes off as quickly as I could, eager to get inside of her. Once I was divested of clothes I climbed onto the bed next to her, kissing my way over her perky tits, gently biting each one before continuing on to the soft skin under her neck. She threw her head back and moaned her approval. I slid a hand down through her neatly trimmed hair to test her readiness. She was slick and hot and more than ready.
There was no need for foreplay, no dirty talk before I slid into her. I was home, she was my home, had been for almost the last three years. I gently rocked into her in slow, long thrusts. There was nothing hurried about our love making. I was letting my body tell her all the things I was too afraid to. All the feelings I was too afraid to tell my wife. I had already pushed too hard to fast and it caused her to lash out and run. If this was the last time I would have my wife, I was going to savor and memorize the moment. I would need it for the rest of my life.
I shoved my face in her neck, needing to inhale her scent; I kissed her neck and her shoulder, pushing myself in harder and faster. Making sure I rubbed my pelvis on her clit every time I bottomed out, twisting my hips grinding against the sensitive nub.
I felt her insides start to tighten around me. Shit, that felt so damn good. I pushed in harder as her inner muscles worked me over, my climax fast approaching. I lost my rhythm as Jasmin’s moans grew closer and closer together; I took her lips in a soft kiss. I gently licked her lips and sucked, stroked her tongue with mine, moaning when she sucked my tongue and pushed her hips up to meet me.
“Please, Lincoln,” she begged.
I gave her all my weight and placed my hands under her ass and pulled her onto my dick harder, giving me better contact with her clit. Her hips bucked into mine and she clamped down on my dick so hard I had no chance of holding off. One more thrust and I planted myself deep inside of her, letting her inner muscles milk every drop of come I had to offer. My head spun at the intensity of my orgasm and secretly I hoped I planted my baby in her. There would be no more running, she would forever be tied to me. Dick move? Maybe, but I could give two fucks.
I pulled out of her and rolled off the bed, walking into the bathroom to get something to wash her off with. By the time I made it back to the bed she was dozing on and off. I washed in between her legs and when I was done I kissed her belly.
“I love you, Linc.” Her eyes were closed and she was asleep.
“I love you too baby.”
***
Oh Five hundred comes way to fucking fast when you have only had a few minutes of sleep. All hope of a restful sleep evaded me last night after I left Jasmin’s room. Damn that woman was infuriating. I went from wanting to smack her ass red for that damn mouth of hers to needing to tie her to my bed and fuck the holy hell out of her. I should never have given in last night, allowing my mind to go to rainbows and unicorns thinking about babies and shit. I was a dumb fuck. That woman was going to rip my heart out again and again if I let her. Zane was right. She is so different than she was before her memory loss. She was still the same prickly badass as she was before, but now she had this thick wall around her.
I walked into the kitchen for some much needed coffee, hoping it would clear my fucked up thoughts. This was the last damn thing I needed before heading into a mission. I needed my head in the op or someone could get hurt, or worse, killed.
“You good?” Zane asked as he walked in behind me.
I was so fucking keyed up already that when my brother spoke I was ready to kill him. “What the fuck?” I growled out.
“Swear to Christ, Linc, I will yank your ass off this mission. Your head is so fucked up you’re ready to bite my shit off over a question.” Zane was equally as pissed as I was this morning.
“Zane, I do not give two fucks to stand here and be questioned. My head is good. Same place it always is before a mission, on the God damn mission. You got any other questions?”
This asshole better just walk the hell away. I needed to grab my kit and get ready to leave.
“Just one, did you make shit right with your wife?” He had the mother fucking nerve to ask.
“You’re God damn lucky you are my brother. Any other man questioned me about my wife they’d find themselves on their ass. Mind your own business. Now, you have any question about the mission?”
As my luck would have it, Jasmin and Eric decided to make their way into the kitchen to hear the last part of my conversation. Jasmin’s face was white as a ghost and Eric looked like he wanted to laugh.
“Good Morning.” Jasmin’s voice filled my ears, only pissing me off more.
“Yup.” With that I walked out for a smoke and to check on our departure. The sooner the better.
The helicopter had landed at zero four hundred and was already loaded with what little gear we had here. Leo and Colin were talking with the pilot, doing a safety brief. From what Zane had told me these guys would never fly in any aircraft they did not certify themselves.
I lit my smoke and walked to the corner of the house. The sun was barely peaking up over the horizon. The sky was just turning orange. We only had about fifteen minutes until lift off. Just as the nicotine started to work its magic and calm my nerves I heard my name being called. Turning around, I saw Jaxon walking towards me.
“What’s up, Jax?” I asked as he neared.
“How are you brother?” He cautiously asked.
“Fine as wine,” I replied, reverting back to jargon, not wanting to get into a discussion about the past twenty four hours.
“So that’s how you’re gonna play it?” He shot back.
Thi
s was my team. At some point I was going to have to let them in and learn to trust them, but right now they still felt like Jasmin’s team and I was the outsider.
“Before a mission, yeah.” I hoped my response would smooth over any bad feelings.
“I hear that, probably the smartest thing you can do. Clear all that shit from your head, just know we all have your back.” When Jax finished he placed a wad of chew in his lip and spit. “I’ve got your back, both in mission and home.”
I gave a nod in acknowledgement, not sure what to say to him and took another drag of my smoke.
“Final brief in five with the President, Drew, and Jas before we hit it.” He threw over his shoulder.
I snubbed my smoke out and slid my mask firmly in place. It was go time.
Chapter Eighteen
Jasmin
This fucking guy was going to give me whiplash. One minute I was in his arms, he was gentle and rocking me after a nightmare. The next minute his eyes were dead and cold. Last night he made love to me. I felt it, felt the change in his body, felt his eyes on me. I didn’t need light to feel the way he touched my skin. I didn’t need to say the words to show him how I felt. I allowed him to see every part of me in the darkness, and now he was looking at me like he did not know me.
My head was going to fucking explode at this rate. They say women have mood swings. I apologized and admitted I was wrong, what more did he want? An engraved fucking plaque that he could hang on his wall? Not a chance. I had done far more than I ever thought I would. I just needed to keep my mouth in check. It had gotten me in enough trouble already.
We were all sitting at the dining room table; maps, blue prints and schematics littered the surface. Everyone had a look of intense concentration, this was what we did, this was what all of us were born to do. Plan, strategize, and execute with exact precision.
“Status?” Z asked as he shifted some papers in front of him. From what I could see it looked like it was a hand drawn map of one of the drug tunnels.
“Team seven is in place and awaiting our arrival. They have been patrolling the tunnel. It is all clear,” Colin said as he passed a satellite image of the Marron Valley pass on the California Mexico border across the table to Zane.
Long gone were the days of grainy images with little detail. You could see every detail of the pass and the rock formation that hid the tunnel from the satellite.
“We will cross through the tunnel. Once on the other side we end up here.” Zane pointed to the topographic map that was spread out in the middle of the table. “We follow the Tecate Creek three klicks east. We will have relative cover through the valley. We will hug the southern wall of the valley here.” He paused again and ran his finger along the map pointing out the steep valley walls. “We head five klicks south at the Tijuana river junction, hugging the western wall this time.” He stopped, allowing everyone to scan the map.
The topographic map showed the elevation of the mountains surrounding the valley and the waterways that flowed through the valley. What it did not show was what I knew were beautiful red rock formations and steep cliffs and beautiful greenery that carpeted the mountain ranges on either side of the valley.
“The valley opens here at the northernmost part of the property,” Zane continued, pointing at the map again.
“Latest intel confirms Sonreír has three guards inside the compound, no outside patrol,” Jaxon added as he read over a SITREP from HQ.
“We will split up here.” Z pointed to the map again where the valley gave way to a wide clearing. The map had Sonreír’s property outlined. “Jaxon and Eric, you’ll scout and head one klick south to the guard tower to confirm there is no patrol and disable any outside surveillance. We have been told there is none, but verify. Leo and Linc you’ll stay close to the mountain wall and head south towards the compound. Colin you’re with me, we’ll cut straight through the middle using the overgrown pasture as cover. He has one hundred and fifty head of cattle, give or take.” Each of the guys studied the map and gave their affirmative. “Rendezvous point is here.” Z marked the map with an X and jotted down the longitude and latitude coordinates. “We will breach on the north side. The conservatory is the most vulnerable,” Zane finished.
Leo slid the blueprint of the house over the topo map and pointed out the conservatory. “Weak spot is here, they forgot a small window while installing the alarm system, which is bunk by the way. A common criminal could get past this piece of shit system.”
That didn’t sound right and I had to ask, even though I was not technically on the mission. “Why would he have a shit system in a high crime area?”
“Fear. He doesn’t need an alarm system. No one in their right mind would dare step foot on his land,” Lincoln spoke up for the first time. “I’d be surprised if the doors were locked. He is a cocky bastard that’s for sure. He thinks he is untouchable.”
Tom grunted his agreement and added, “His father, Alonzo, was the same kind of stupid. He was as narcissistic and arrogant as they come. He loved nothing more than to show everyone around him that he was in control and above the law. He was an abusive bastard; he beat his wife for the slightest infraction. He ended up hanging his wife in the grove beside his home. Her and the guard he was convinced she was screwing. He believed Alonzo Jr, or “Sonreír”, as he became later in his career was the product of that long going affair. He left both bodies hanging in the tree for weeks in a show of power. Alonzo Jr was around fourteen.” He shook his head and his face screwed up like he had smelled something horrible. “Let’s just say it was a pleasure to take out that asshole out when the order came. I don’t lose sleep over the fucker, that’s for sure.”
“Jesus. And I thought my dad was an asshole,” Eric said.
Zane started to fold back up the maps and slid them into plastic sleeves, placing them into his Blackhawk messenger bag. The rest of the team followed, moving at a fast pace, packing up the intel reports and satellite photos. They had a helicopter to catch.
Eric’s phone rang, he glanced at the screen before he slid his finger across the screen unlock, and entered in his code. Placing the call on speaker, he held it out towards the room.
“You’re on speaker. Go,” Eric said.
“SAT COM two is now open and a go for you, Garrett sent the latest satellite images to Zane’s tablet as of one hour ago. It is confirmed Sonreír is still at the compound, but we no longer have use of that Satellite. It has been moved. We’re dark after this,” Jake clipped.
“Anything else?” Zane spoke up.
“The Farm is ready, your kit and weapons are on standby. Captain Black has checked in and they are good to go as well.”
“Copy that. Mission code name: Stephanie Swift,” Zane replied as he zipped his bag shut and flipped the flap over.
The team snickered and the President let out a chuckle. Good to know my uncle had a sense of humor.
That was the only unprofessional thing Zane ever did while planning a mission. He named his ops after porn stars. He got a kick at the higher ups having to say such distasteful names in mission debriefs. I think that was his way of saying ‘fuck you’ to the oversight committees.
“Out.”
Eric slid the phone into the side pocket of his cargos and picked up the go bag at his feet. The rest of the team followed suit. Holy shit, this was it. They were leaving and I was going to stay behind. This was not a feeling I was used to; as a matter of fact, I had never felt this before.
“Jasmin, you got this?” Zane asked as he looked around the room, his eyes landing on the President.
“It’s all good.” I tried to smile to reassure him I was fine.
Truth was I had a sick feeling in my gut. Something felt off. I was chalking it up to all the emotional shit that had been dumped on me.
“See you on the other side. You’ll have eyes and ears, COM two is yours,” Eric said as he passed me a slip of paper with the codes I would need to dial into their COMS.
“Yup, b
e safe.”
“Always. Enjoy the White House, slack ass,” Eric joked.
The rest of the team said good bye, leaving Lincoln and I alone in the room. I suddenly felt like I was fifteen again and waiting for the cute boy in class to talk to me. Screw this shit, I do not play games.
“Be safe Linc,” I said, walking past him towards the door. I could hear the rotor blades starting to wind up signaling their departure was eminent.
Linc grabbed my arm as I tried to slide by him, pulling me into his strong arms, squeezing me tight. He breathed in my neck. “I’ll see you soon, my sweet Jasmin. Please stay at the White House until this is over. I need to know you are safe. I won’t be able to concentrate if I think you are out there unprotected.”
My body stiffened. What the actual fuck? I was not some weak ass little girl. “The fuck? I can more than handle myself. I do not need a baby sitter nor do I appreciate you trying to insinuate I do.” I struggled to pull out of his embrace.
His grip tightened as he lowered his face, coming nose to nose with me. “Swear to Christ you are the most difficult female on the planet. Just this once do what the hell you are told and stay with your uncle so I can do my damn job and take this asshole out.”
He was vibrating with anger. As much as I loved to push his buttons and wanted to disagree, my teams’ lives were on the line. One misstep and the mission would be FUBAR. Everyone had to be at the top of their game. Lucky asshole had me in a corner.
“Fine,” I snapped.
His mouth came down on mine hard. He used my shock to his advantage and pushed his tongue in my mouth. I unwillingly moaned when his tongue brushed mine, flooding my mouth with the taste of coffee, mint, and Linc. In true Lincoln Parker fashion, he fisted my hair and deepened the kiss, taking total control of my mouth. It felt like a ‘good bye’ not a ‘see you later’. When he started to break the kiss, biting my lip then licking the sting, I tried to hold on. Leaning in, not wanting to lose the connection.
Nightstalker: Red Team book 1 Page 14
