Challenge Protocol

by Dawn Ryder

  “That’s right, baby, you can take it.” Logan’s voice sounded strained as he pulled back. His fingers tightened on her hips as he pushed smoothly back into her, the gel easing the way. This time his length lodged deep inside her and she heard a rattled breath shake his body. He cussed low and deep next to her ear as he remained deep inside her bottom, allowing her to adjust to his invasion. The tension eased, transforming into enjoyment.

  A second later the bed rocked as Logan began taking her. His hands held her steady as he worked his length in and out of her ass. Pleasure ripped through her with each deep thrust, her pussy begging for the same treatment.

  Dack suddenly lifted her shoulders and knelt in front of her. He pushed forward, until his cock teased the opening to her pussy. A thin wail filled the room as Dack began pressing his cock into her from the front. Logan pulled out as Dack entered her. Her breath felt frozen in her lungs with her pussy full and her ass empty.

  And then they reversed it. Dack withdrawing as Logan thrust deep. She arched back, lifting her bottom for the penetration of her ass. When Logan began pulling out, she curled her lower body forward to accept the hard invasion of Dack’s cock. This time, the hard flesh slid against her clit, triggering another jolt of pleasure. Time stood still as they worked together, both cocks using her body.

  But it was only a waiting game. She couldn’t keep to the slow pace and neither could her partners. Logan lifted her up and impaled her on Dack as he dropped her thighs around his. Her arms clasped Dack’s neck as Logan began fucking her with her pussy still full with Dack’s flesh. Each one of Logan’s thrusts pushed her clit up and down on the hard cock in front of her. Need twisted and tightened as Logan fucked her harder and faster.

  He suddenly gasped and shook as pleasure erupted throughout his body. He pressed his length deep as she felt a tremor shake his huge body.

  “My turn.” Dack growled as he withdrew from her pussy and pulled her away from Logan, before standing up and taking her weight completely as he turned and pressed her back against the wall. His hips began pumping, thrusting hard against her. Pleasure speared through her within minutes as she clawed at his shoulders and squeezed him between her thighs. The orgasm slammed into her brain, making everything dark as she felt the jerk and pulse of the cock inside her. Dack growled as pleasure took command of him, his chest flattening her breasts as he used his strength to press her tightly against the wall.

  She wasn’t even sure how she ended up back in the bed. They were a tangle of limbs and low pants. Pleasure raining down over her skin like a shower of sparks. She was content to linger in the afterglow as long as her partners remained nearby.

  * * * * *

  Dack rubbed a hand over her shoulder sometime later, his fingers smoothing along her skin as she lay with her head pillowed on his chest. “I think that was actually the most perfect sex I’ve ever had.”

  Cambria felt like purring. Oh the sex had been terrific but the cuddling was supreme. “Sorry, guys, but see my mama taught me that perfection isn’t so easy to achieve.”

  “Is that so?” Dack sounded sleepy and relaxed as she toyed with some of his chest hair.

  “That’s right.” As she gently pinched his nipple, she let her other hand slip along Logan’s thigh, enjoying the firm muscle there. “Perfection takes dedication and lots of practice. My mama says that’s something that the younger generation just doesn’t grasp. She thinks we want everything too fast, and real perfection just can’t be rushed.”

  Dack gripped her chin and raised her eyes to met his. “Don’t you worry, baby, I have the highest respect for your mother. I’ll be happy to work on the sex, over and over until we get it perfected.”

  Logan raised his head, a wicked grin decorating his lips. “It’s going to take a lot of time, but count me in.”

  “I love a challenge.” Dack’s eyes flickered with heat before he pressed her head down onto his chest. One large hand stroking the side of her head.

  Logan nuzzled up behind her as she let the sound of both their heartbeats carry her into slumber. It was better than an island paradise because this one was the real thing.

  Besides, she loved a challenge. Dack and Logan were just about the purest definition of that word there was. That was what made it perfect. Love was about finding soul mates. Tonight, she was sleeping with both of hers.

  Chapter Nine

  The phone buzzed, and Dack picked it up before his eyes were completely open. Cambria shifted but didn’t wake up completely. There was movement from the other side of the bed as Logan watched him.

  “Tyden.” There was no pleasant greeting. At three in the morning, the call was business. Easing his arm out from beneath Cambria’s head, he turned to leave the bed.

  “So you want to play with me?” The voice was a blast of icy wind from his past. Every muscle drew taut as hate blazed a path through his mind.

  “Raul Ramos.” Dack growled the name in a deadly voice as he stood up. Logan moved, leaving the bed as he heard the name.

  There was heavy laughter on the other end of the phone. “That’s right, asswipe. You should have stayed buried. Now I’m going to introduce you to the price of resurfacing. There’s things worse than death. You should have remembered that.”

  The line went dead and Dack cussed. Checking the phone, it flashed an unknown label at him. Ramos knew what he was doing. He’d kept the call short enough to ensure that Dack didn’t get a lock on his location. Frustration made him clench his teeth hard enough to make his jaw ache.

  “What did the bastard want?”

  Dack didn’t get the chance to answer Logan. Cambria’s cell phone began ringing from the bedroom, making Logan turn around as he made a grab for it before she woke up. He didn’t make it. Cambria was flipping her phone open as she rubbed her eyes with the other hand.

  “Yes?”

  “Put Dack on the line.” Rem snarled at her in a tone she didn’t know her brother could use.

  “What?” Two nights of debauchery were taking their toll because her brain did not want to clear the slumber away. “Why do you want to talk to Dack?”

  She didn’t get to hear her brother’s answer because Dack plucked her phone out of her grip.

  “This is Dack.”

  Her mind shook off the last traces of sleep as she watched Dack’s face. Fury was etched into every tense line as he gripped her phone so tight, she anticipated hearing the plastic crack at any second.

  “What is going on?” Dack’s eyes cut over to her and she shivered at the hard look in them. He listened to her brother for thirty of the longest seconds of her life. Tension tightened inside her chest as she watched rage, really hate-fueled rage, cover his face.

  “Keep your ass down and moving.” Dack’s voice was full of command. He issued his words into the phone like a general on the battlefield.

  A chill went down her spine as she rose to her knees. “What is going on at my house?” This time, she made sure her tone of voice made it clear that she wasn’t going to be ignored. She put her hand out. “Give me that phone.”

  Dack shut it instead.

  “Hey, that was my phone call.”

  “But it was meant for us.” Dack was furious. Cambria sat back on her knees as she recognized the edge he was on. It wasn’t something you played with. He was dangerously tight, seething with true rage. The killing kind that made her stop talking for a moment while she waited for him to give her the details.

  “Your house is gone, Cambria.” Logan cussed under his breath as Dack considered her shocked expression. “It’s burning like a Roman candle.”

  “But Rem’s all right?” She couldn’t remain in such a docile position and jumped to her feet. “He’s all right?” Her voice rose as she demanded confirmation.

  “He’ll heal up.”

  Cambria cussed. She didn’t much care what either man thought about her dirty mouth. Her brain was frantically trying to sift through the surprise of the moment and grasp at enough details
to formulate a plan of action. But the hard reality was, there was very little to do. A three-hour drive separated her from her condo. If it was burning, there was nothing she could do. She hated being helpless but she couldn’t even dial the emergency services because she was in the wrong county.

  “Guess my insurance holder will be cutting me a check.” Her sarcasm gained her questioning look from both men. Logan was stepping into his pants as she held her hand out for her cell phone. Dack kept it tightly gripped in his hand.

  “You can’t call Rem right now.”

  “Why not? He called me.”

  Dack frowned at her. “No, he called me, Cambria.”

  Propping her hands on her hips, she glared at the stubborn attitude Dack was wearing. “Fine, and now I want to call my brother.”

  “Later.” One word, coated in steel. Dack refused to give her the phone, tossing it to Logan so that he could grab his pants off the foot of the bed.

  “Oh, you are so not going to turn into a jerk on me, Dack Tyden.”

  He grabbed her chin and aimed a hard stare into her eyes.

  “This is not about you, Cambria. Raul Ramos took out your condo in an attempt to punish me by killing you.”

  Shock held the breath in her lungs frozen for a split second. The word “kill” bounced around inside her skull as she tried to grasp the fact that someone had actually meant to murder her. Dack softened his grip as he watched her horrified eyes.

  “Thank God your brother is trained, baby. He made it down a burning hallway and out the second-story window of your bedroom. Give him time to make a clean getaway. He’ll be in touch when he’s in a clear spot to place a call.”

  There was a hint of irony in his voice. Yeah, Rem would be in touch, she’d bet on that one. But it wouldn’t be to chew any fat with her. Her brother would be gunning for Dack and Logan for putting her in danger. A quiver raced down her spine as her stomach knotted up. She felt almost sick as she tried to imagine herself escaping a burning house.

  “Wow. Wait a minute.” Her mind began racing as she thought about the fiery death trap she’d escaped. “Would that bastard know about Mia? You met us together.”

  Logan’s forehead creased as Dack rubbed his chin in thought. “I don’t know, baby. But you’ve got a point. He had to be watching us, to target you.”

  Dack and Logan left the room, flipping on lights in the outer living room. Scrambling off the bed, she ran into the bathroom to where her duffle bag was sitting. She heard the front door open as she pulled a pair of sweatpants on and yanked a tee shirt over her head. She didn’t bother with a bra, but left the bathroom as she was still pulling it over her breasts. Gavin and Reese were standing near Logan. They both wore thick jackets that they unbuttoned as they stood inside the warmer house. Automatic rifles were slung over their shoulders and knit hats covered their heads. She understood why both Logan and Dack had been in bed with her. The night patrol put them at ease.

  Silence descended the instant she appeared.

  “Oh, not even. I’m part of this. Is that clear?”

  Every pair of eyes went to Dack. Turning her demanding look on him, Cambria felt the tension triple. “I mean that, Dack. I’ll walk off this mountain right after I put my shoes on if I’m not part of everything. You aren’t going to shelter me. I’m only staying if I’m part of the team.”

  He didn’t like her challenging him. But there was a spark of appreciation for her courage in his eyes. Cambria stood up to the hard glare, refusing to buckle.

  “You’re in.”

  Dack turned back to look at Reese. “Wake up Nigel and Kane.”

  “And the other girl?” Beck’s soft question came from behind her. Cambria jerked around to stare at the sniper. The sight of him shocked even her. He was wearing the forest. Whatever kind of fabric was stretched over his body, it had bark, pine needles and rocks imbedded in it. There was thick black makeup all around his eyes and covering his hands. A hood, with more bark and pine needles, was hanging from his belt. A wicked-looking gun was cradled across his chest like a baby.

  “We’re too far away to help her. I’ll make a call.”

  “Why don’t I make that call? Mia’s my friend.”

  “You said she lived with her parents.”

  Cambria frowned. “She does.”

  Dack angled his head as he looked at her. “Do you think her parents can deal with this kind of a threat?”

  Her heart froze as she considered what might be breathing down her sweet friend’s neck. She doubted there was a gun in Mia’s house or that the family would even believe that there were scum out there looking for their daughter. It was possible that her father would dismiss the entire thing.

  “I doubt it.” She sounded miserable as her stomach knotted with tension. “Her father will most likely think that his martial arts training is all the protection Mia needs.”

  “How much training does he have?”

  Cambria winced as she considered Mia’s family. “They own a chain of martial arts studios. All her brothers live under the family roof and they are deadly. I wouldn’t want to meet her father in a well-lit alley.”

  “So, it’s unlikely that he’ll take any suggestion of getting her out of sight?”

  Cambria simply shook her head.

  Dack shook his head. “There isn’t time for convincing her, Cambria.”

  He turned and picked up a phone. A firm hand landed on her shoulder as she watched. Beck leaned down to keep his words private.

  “Being on the team means compromise. Sometimes you have to let someone else take the mission because they have a better chance of success.”

  “Would this guy really go after Mia?” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she contemplated what her friend was about to face. The solution might be as bad as the problem as far as Mia saw it.

  Beck’s gray eyes never faltered even when she turned to glare at him. “He tried to take you out. He must have been trailing Dack and Logan for the last week to discover your details.”

  “And I drove Mia home.” She didn’t want to believe there was a danger because it was just so unrealistic in a normal person’s life. Casting a look over Beck and his sniper outfit, she felt her stomach knot up. It could happen. Rem was proof of that. “Poor Mia. She’s not going to do so well.”

  A hint of emotion crossed Beck’s face. Cambria shrugged. “She comes from sort of a protected background. If you know what I mean.”

  “You mean she’s a sheltered virgin.”

  “Bluntly put, but yes.”

  A soft chuckle came from Beck as she looked back at Dack to see him snapping his phone shut. He commanded the men around him skillfully and calmly. There wasn’t any hint of nervousness or uncertainty. Every man in the room looked unsurprised by the current life-threatening events.

  That stunk.

  It made her mad enough to hate.

  * * * * *

  Sipping at her third cup of coffee, Cambria leaned over the porch railing to watch the sunrise. Staring at the horizon as it turned pink, her stomach tightened as she considered the fact that Raul Ramos had intended for her to never see this morning. Of course, the scumbag didn’t have it in for her personally, he was striking at Dack. That only pissed her off even further. Taking another sip of coffee, she frowned at the taste, missing her exotic coffee, but she smiled as she savored the fact that she could taste and long for her favorite things this morning.

  Raul Ramos could just rot.

  Her cell phone was in the front pocket of a shirt she’d commandeered from Dack’s closet. Men’s clothing was a lot more practical than women’s. The chest pocket would ensure that she heard the first ring loud and clear. Scanning the forest, she searched for any sign of movement. If Beck was out there, she couldn’t spot him.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Dack’s voice sounded tired. His hands appeared on either side of her. His fingers so tight on the rail, they turned white.

  “I guess I was a little h
ard on you guys at the golf castle.”

  She heard his stiff intake of breath as his knuckles popped.

  “That was a dirty stunt taking us there.” His voice was low and menacing.

  “Yes it was. But it was still fun and good for you both.” Turning around, she leaned back over the railing so that she could make eye contact with him. Creases lined his eyes, and reaching up, she smoothed one with a fingertip. As she stared at Dack, her heart ached at the look on his face. It was as if he was building a wall between them as she watched.

  “Cut it out, Dack. You told me the story before I agreed to come up here.”

  “If you’d stayed at home, you’d be dead.”

  The finality of his words sent another chill down her spine. Cambria shook it off.

  “Because of me.” The torment in his tone ripped her heart open. Her temper exploded at the same time because she just didn’t know how to be meek. Her style was all “charge forward with your guns firing”.

  She hooked her hand into his shirt. Tightening her fingers, she pulled him down towards her.

  “That’s bullshit! I don’t ever want to hear you talking like you don’t deserve love.”

  His cheek twitched and then he reached behind her, hooking her body with one arm and pulling her against him. He hid his expression against her hair, but she felt the quivers running up and down his body. Tipping her head up, she made sure her words would reach his ear.

  “Don’t you dare let that bastard take anything away from you that you refuse to give him. I swear I’ll beat your ass if you build a wall between us. I will find a hard crocodile to use next time too.”

  His arms tightened so much she couldn’t breathe for a moment. But she enjoyed it so much, her heart ached with it.

  “You’ve got a unique brand of charm, Cambria.” He tried to muffle his words in her hair but she heard the relief in his tone.