by Karen Anders
Derrick sighed. “So? A lot of people know Pashto. What’s your point?”
“That’s not the only language you’ve mastered. You know my point. There are other tells, too.”
“My sports car with the machine guns in the tailpipes?”
Did that sleek car Derrick drove have...? Damn the man. He sounded completely sincere as usual. “You’re always playing your radio at work, and screw it, but you look like the kind of guy who would fit right in.”
“You know for a guy who’s so good at hacking, I don’t see much result, surfer boy,” Derrick said.
“Go ahead and try to change the subject by taking potshots at my ego.” Austin smiled when Derrick gave him one of his intense looks. But Austin was sure he liked to keep him off balance. It annoyed Derrick that his attempts never seemed to affect Austin. Surfing was all about balance, and Austin paid his dues and then some.
“Why don’t you tell me about the marines, especially about that embassy takeover? Weren’t you the hero of the day? Saved the ambassador’s very pretty wife after three days barricaded with her and fighting for your lives. Didn’t they pin a medal on your chest for that?”
“Shut up, Gunn,” Austin growled. Damn him. He’d been rummaging around in Austin’s record. Maybe he wasn’t the only primo hacker here. “How do you know that?”
“You talk in your sleep, Beck.”
Austin’s phone rang and he answered. “Beck.”
“Hey, this is Amber. I’ve been going through Lieutenant Kaczewski’s file and I found a commendation he received for helping out an Afghani man sort out a case of mistaken identity.”
“Okay, how is that relevant?”
“He lives in a village about ten miles from Bagram. Safid Darreh. His name is Raffi Jamal.”
Austin sat up straighter. “Hey, Gunn, Kaczewski saved some villager by the name of Jamal. He lives about ten klicks from here. Safid Darreh.”
“First name?”
“Raffi.”
If Austin didn’t know Derrick as well as he did, he might have missed the imperceptible tightening of his fellow agent’s mouth and the narrowing of his eyes. “Let’s check it out.” He sounded apprehensive, which was another red flag in Austin’s book. Derrick never sounded anxious.
Safid Darreh,
Parwan Province, Afghanistan
Dexter braced himself against the wall, watching as the guy led with the barrel of an M9. As soon as it sufficiently cleared the doorway and was no longer a threat to his body, Dex grabbed it and swung the guy inside. His mind was on subduing this bad guy tango, but he’d compartmentalized the fact that Piper might already be dead.
The tango fought and Dex pushed him against the wall, shoving his arm into the air. A suppressed shot went harmlessly into the ceiling.
The guy struggled, but Dex countered his moves and knocked the weapon out of his grasp, already prepared to use both hands to capture his attacker’s hand as he stabbed toward Dex’s abdomen with a knife. Deflecting the blade away from his body, he jerked the guy forward and shoved his body into the tango’s back, twisting his arm until he heard it snap. The man cried out in agony, then Dex stripped the blade out of his hand and dragged the man’s back against his chest, setting the knife against his throat.
Just then Raoul Markam dragged Piper into the doorway across from where Dex restrained the man he’d just fought and now held prisoner with the knife at his throat.
“Kaczewski,” Markam said, his voice low and menacing. “Drop the knife and let him go or I’ll put a bullet in her head.”
“You’re going to kill her, anyway, Markam. Believe me, if she dies, I’m going to take you apart and make sure that you die very slowly.”
Markam did exactly what Dex hoped he would. Dex watched Markam’s eyes and he knew the millisecond he was going to pull the trigger. Dex dropped and with a flick of his wrist released the knife.
The bullet went into the tango’s heart, but Dex wasn’t watching him as he fell dead in front of him. Markam’s head jerked back and he stumbled against the wall, the knife protruding from his eye. He took her with him and, as he slid down the wall, he knocked Piper to her knees. She scrambled away and Dex rushed over.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She pushed his arm down and snatched up the gun on the floor at her feet and brought it up, the barrel right along his ear. The gun discharged twice and Dex spun to find another man crumpling to the floor.
Piper sat there for a second, a shocked look on her face, her hand tightening around the weapon. “Not Dex. Not today, buddy,” she said fiercely. Then she closed her eyes, snarling through clenched teeth, “I am really getting sick of these guys.”
Dex chuckled. “Hoo-rah, Senator. Locked and loaded, ba-by. I’m going to start calling you Double Tap.”
She gave him a grim smile. “Stay here,” Dex said. “I guess I don’t have to tell you to shoot to kill.”
She nodded and Dex moved through the house, the gun at the ready, peeking around doors and into closets. There were no other baddies.
He started back for Piper when the back door squeaked and started to open. Dex waited with his finger on the trigger.
“Mon Dieu,” Blessing said, pulling up short and gasping, her hand to her chest. She glanced down the hall where Markam sat. She crossed herself. “Looks like you’ve had some uninvited guests.”
“Piper,” he called softly, and she came out from the living area into the kitchen with their backpack. They all headed for the back door.
“My Jeep is parked just outside the gate,” Blessing said, hugging them both. “I’d say it’s time to leave.”
“It damn well is,” Dex replied, and preceded both women out the door, checking thoroughly around before he motioned them out. They rushed through the backyard and slipped out the gate. “Sit in the front,” he instructed Piper as he climbed into the back.
Blessing jumped into the driver’s seat and as soon as she closed the door, she gunned the engine and peeled off.
Piper turned around and wedged herself through the small opening in the seats, then threw herself at Dex. “I don’t want to sit in the front. I want to be close to you,” she said, her voice firm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as the Jeep wobbled and jostled them against each other until they hit the main paved road.
“There was a man parked at the gate. That’s why I went on a circuitous route to get us to the main road. I don’t think he saw me.”
“Probably another one of Markam’s lackeys.” He looked behind them and the way was clear. “Looks like we got away clean. Your timing is impeccable, my friend.”
“What about the mess we made?” Piper said, looking up at Dex, the gratitude in her eyes shining in their tawny depths.
“Don’t worry. Afsana and Raffi will handle it.”
“I’m worried about that man. What happens when they get home and he’s still there?”
“There’s no way to warn them, Piper. We’re just going to have to hope for the best.”
She looked distressed, her eyes filling. “I don’t like this, Dex.”
“We can’t go back, sweetheart. I know they’ll handle it. We have to have faith in them.”
She nodded, clearly understanding the need to keep going, but not liking it one bit. Dex didn’t blame her.
“We’re going to get you home. Pretty soon you’ll be back at your mansion with your gardens and your pool.”
“I don’t use the pool,” she said, wiping at her eyes.
“Why not?”
Her head came up as if she’d blurted out something she hadn’t meant to say. “I, um, don’t like the water.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Really? Are you sure that’s it or can’t you swim?”
“All right. I can’t swim. I never
learned.”
He smiled and brushed at her cheek with his thumb. “Well, if it’s one thing I know how to do, it’s swim. I’ll teach you.”
“Good luck with that,” she groused. “I do have a brother who’s a navy SEAL, and if he couldn’t coax me into the water, what makes you think you can?”
“I have my ways. We’ll see.”
She shook her head and snuggled against him, even though he knew it wasn’t a good idea and his chest got tight thinking about them having a future together. There was no damn chance. Which made him realize that he might be looking at a lonely existence for the duration of his military service. Taking a chance again on someone who might not be able to handle his deployments left his gut in a twisted knot of a mess. He despaired of ever finding that unbreakable woman to stand by him. He thought Piper might be made of titanium and the thought of being with her again only added a newer, sizzling dimension. He wanted to tumble her into a real bed and take his time with her. But each time they were together would add one more new layer of need and want spiraling inside him until all his walls would crumble.
Realizing his thoughts were heading into dangerous ground, he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, not liking the churning in his gut. The old anger was seeping back, and he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to remember how his relationships in the past had failed.
An hour later, Blessing pulled up to the Kabul Star Hotel. “Here are your key cards, and I took the liberty of buying you toiletries and clothes. Everything is in this bag. You can charter your jet by getting on the hotel wireless. Quickly now. Get out of here as soon as you can.”
Piper handed her a check. “Here is reimbursement for you, Blessing, and thank you so much for everything.”
“This is too much, Piper.” She tried to shove it back, but Piper pushed it back at her.
“Then use it for your clinic.” She kissed Blessing on both cheeks and hugged her hard.
Dex then hugged her, too. “Stay safe. I’ll see you on the next go-around.”
As she drove away, Piper and Dex were heading into the hotel and straight to the business area. Once inside the office, Piper sat down at a computer.
“I think we should just go straight to the airport and charter the flight. Less chance for someone to track us by your credit card.”
“I don’t need to pay,” she said, bringing up the website and making a reservation. “We have a private company on retainer. It’s a fractional ownership that my brothers and I enjoy.”
“Even better, Moneybags.” He smiled.
After they were confirmed to fly out in an hour and a half, they headed for the elevator. Once inside they went to the numbered floor listed on their key cards and were soon in their hotel room.
“We should get cleaned up,” he said, and walked to the bathroom.
He would get through his shower fast and maybe eliminate the need that was already climbing up his groin and giving him an aching erection.
He’d like to think he was strong enough. But then she stopped him cold.
“Dex?”
“Piper?” he said, his voice rough now with need, with anticipation, as her eyes darkened with more than fear. She needed comfort and he wanted to give her that, to make her feel safe and secure.
What was left of his flimsy resolve disintegrated. She was still reacting to the events from an hour ago. He would probably never get that image of that gun to her head out of his mind. It almost made him reckless. He wanted her again. Wanted to see that look in her eyes over and over. He wanted to see it when he was inside of her, when he was making her climb the peak, when he was the one who pushed her over. He wanted to be the only one who saw that look ever, and it was that fierce, ridiculous surge of possessiveness that almost gave him back the edge he so desperately needed.
* * *
Piper was still shaken. She couldn’t seem to get rid of the memory of that gun up against her spine or seeing Dex once more in mortal danger, but with his skill and quickness, he’d saved her again. She didn’t want to be alone out here and she felt the need to stick close to him.
When she couldn’t seem to get the words out of her mouth, he walked back to her, opened the door, set the Do Not Disturb sign on the handle, then threw the dead bolt.
He took her hand and backed toward the bathroom, stopping briefly to unzip the bag and pull out the toiletries bag. “I need someone to help me wash my hair,” he said. “I don’t think I can get my hands over my head.”
She blinked back the moisture in her eyes. He was able to throw that knife with deadly accuracy, but she was so grateful for his understanding.
He nudged her head to one side, dropped his mouth to the spot below her ear, sending a sparkling shower of electrical shivers down her body, tightening her nipples. His mouth closed around her lobe and sucked and she gasped as he pulled her against him.
Then his mouth found hers and he kissed her, hard, deep and wet.
She set her hands on his bare shoulders. He slid his hand heavily down her spine, cupped her rear and meshed her hips to his, his hard-on caught between them.
She helped him with the tunic and the vest and with trembling fingers untied his pants. When she went to reach for her own clothes, he helped her out of them, his hands lingering as if he wanted to memorize every dip and valley of her body. He was fully aroused. It was a slow, tortuous tease until he reached for the tie to her pants.
“I can’t pretend not to want you. My body gives me away,” he told her, his eyes hot with passion.
Her response was to kiss his chest and curl her hand around him, stroking him.
She told herself sternly that it was all about comfort. Nothing more.
She couldn’t let him be any more.
Chapter 10
Safid Darreh,
Parwan Province, Afghanistan
Austin stopped the Jeep and parked half a mile away from the good-size village. He could see the sand walls and, as they approached the entrance, there was a man standing by a vehicle. He had a communication device and, even better, Austin recognized him as Outcast’s second-in-command, Ted White.
They worked together to subdue him and when he’d been flex cuffed and turned around, Austin said, “So, what are you doing here?”
“Just some Outcast business,” he said.
“Does that business include the assassination of a US senator and the murder of a navy SEAL?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t.”
They walked him back to their Jeep and shoved him facedown in the backseat. Austin flex cuffed his feet and they closed the door.
“Let’s find the Jamals and hopefully they’re okay.”
Austin nodded. They wrapped their head scarves and entered the village. When they came across an old man, Derrick spoke to him and the man pointed down the street. “He says the house with the red door.”
Austin nodded. There were a few people out, but not many. Some used the water pump and a potter fired up his kiln. As soon as they got to the end of the street, Austin and Derrick split up. Austin went to the back and Derrick to the front. In the back of the house, there were numerous goats and a vegetable garden. There was also a gate. Austin positioned himself in front of the back door, taking a quick peek through the kitchen window. From his vantage point he could see a man, woman and two young boys standing in the hall. There was the body of a man with a knife through his eye slumped against the wall. The woman had her two sons’ faces pressed into her sides. A man with a suppressed M9 was pointing it at them and he could hear muffled shouting.
“Where are they?”
Austin didn’t hesitate. He tried the knob and it turned. He eased the door open just enough so that his body could slide inside.
On cue, Derrick
knocked, and the guy glanced over his shoulder toward the closed front door. “Answer that, but if you even look at him sideways, your wife and kids get it.” The thug gestured with the gun.
The man, who Austin presumed was Raffi Jamal, went to the door and opened it. Derrick greeted him and started talking to him. Austin entered the room and the woman’s head whipped to him. Her eyes widened. Austin put his finger to his lips for her to keep quiet.
“Hey, pal,” Austin said, and the guy brought his head around, the gun swinging in their direction. Austin clipped him on the chin and he went down. That’s when he saw the two other dead guys. One was face-down on the floor and the other was sprawled in the doorway across the room. Jesus... Kaczewski was a juggernaut.
Derrick came through the door, his gun drawn. “Can you believe this? They sent five guys after this SEAL.” Austin chuckled. “The guy’s a one-man riot.”
Derrick didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed straight ahead and Austin got a chill down his spine at his colleague’s expression, a resigned look and one so full of regret it made Austin’s gut clench. Austin was just rising from flex cuffing the unconscious man. He turned to follow Derrick’s line of vision. The woman, holding the small boys, had the exact same look in her dark eyes, along with one of abject shock.
She clutched the boys closer and said softly, “Derrick?”
Then it was Austin’s turn to be shocked senseless. The older boy turned his head and Austin blinked and blinked again.
He was the spitting image of Derrick right down to his black hair, dark good looks and midnight-blue eyes.
Kabul Star Hotel,
Kabul, Afghanistan
Piper grasped and arched into Dex, the exquisite sensations spearing through her rendering her speechless as well as mindless.
Words like beautiful and sexy, said in a deep, ragged, melting voice, rasped in the steamy air.
He had her against the tiles, her crossed wrists in his big hand currently at the small of her back, the other roving over her in a possessive slide. She hungered to be taken by him. She wasn’t accustomed to a man like Dex—unconventional, raw. Brad was reserved and low-key. Not that he wasn’t confident, but he’d never held her like this, ever. They hadn’t even had sex in the shower.
