Star-Crossed Miracles

by Avery Gale

  “On the ship. They’re expecting us, and Kent has a cleanup crew coming for the vehicle.” Brock must have looked skeptical because Tucker shook his head. “We’re going home in style, I’ll say that.” Brock sensed a very large but looming, so he didn’t respond—he would just wait it out.

  Tucker ran his hand through his hair in annoyance. The gesture was one of his younger brother’s few ‘tells,’ and it always meant he was dancing on the edge of his limited patience. “The entire ship has been chartered by Cameron Barnes.” This time it was Brock’s turn to suck in a sharp breath.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? The same Cameron Barnes who owns Dark Desire?” The owner of Houston’s infamous kink club had become something of a recluse since moving to the Caribbean and helping his wife set up a much needed medical facility. From what Brock remembered, Dr. Cecelia Barnes was already famous in her own right when she married the club owner. Her innovations in pediatric surgery drew patients from all over the world to the clinic she’d established in Houston.

  Tucker’s voice broke through Brock’s mental rehash of what he knew about Cameron Barnes. “Barnes chartered the entire ship as an anniversary gift for CeCe. Evidently, they are planning to add to their family again soon, and he wanted her to have a chance to fully indulge in her submission before she’s pregnant.”

  “She does enjoy impact play,” Brock chuckled, “and I know Cam is insanely protective even when she isn’t pregnant. I don’t even want to think about what he’s like when she’s carrying his child.”

  Brock and Tucker had both been members of the club for years, and they’d worked with Cam on a number of black op missions while they were SEALs despite the fact the man was supposed to be retired. Brock suspected Uncle Sam would never let Cam fully retire, he was simply too good at his job and knew too much to let him go.

  Brock and Tuck had been heavily recruited by the CIA but turned down multiple offers because they’d heard too many stories like Cam’s. As near as Brock could tell, the damned organization was too much like a blood-in, blood-out gang. Once you were a part of the group, death was your only way out.

  Chapter Four

  Tucker and Brock kept Mia between them as they walked through the large metal gate toward the dock. She’d evidently overheard enough of their conversation in the SUV to know they were getting on a ship; she hadn’t questioned them when they turned into the large parking lot of the industrial end of the dock rather than continuing into the city as they’d originally planned. Tucker was beginning to worry about her continued silence, hell most of the women he knew would have been peppering them with questions.

  As they approached a small building about halfway down the wooden dock’s length, the shadowy figure of a man emerged from the small structure but remained in the shadows, leaning against the wall. Cam Barnes. Once a man was trained to remain in the shadows, it was an impossible habit to break. His stealth was legendary, and even those who knew him the best always wondered if they knew him at all.

  When the trio reached the small office, Cam stepped out and offered his hand to Tucker and Brock. “Good to see you and under such interesting circumstances, too.” Cam shook his head and smiled. “As usual, Micah’s connections and timing are impeccable. If he’d called a few minutes later, we’d have already cast off, and it would have been damned hard to explain why we wanted to redock.”

  Turning his attention to Mia, Cam held out his hand, and even though she hesitated, she set her much smaller hand in his. “Mia, it’s a pleasure to meet you. The men from Prairie Winds have told me a lot about you. My lovely wife is looking forward to meeting you, it seems your reputation as a photojournalist precedes you.”

  Mia’s smile was warm, and even in the dim light, Tucker could see the pink blush of embarrassment staining her cheeks. Fucking Barnes always could charm the ladies.

  “Come.” Cam pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before gently tucking her small hand in the crook of his elbow. “There is no need to remain exposed any longer than necessary. My team has cleared the area, but drones have made it almost impossible to be certain we aren’t being watched.” As they walked, Cam gave them a quick run-down of the situation.

  “The ship has six levels. We’re using the top three for most of our activities and utilizing the next two floors exclusively for sleeping quarters because all those cabins are nicely appointed, spacious suites. We’ve assigned you one on the starboard side near the stern as an added precaution.” His gaze flickered between Brock and Tucker, taking in the position of their hands and nodded. “Good. You’re both right-handed. I took a chance you would be.”

  Tucker felt his lips curve at the adorably confused look on Mia’s face. Since she clearly didn’t have any military experience, she probably didn’t understand how advantageous the position on the right side of the ship would be for a soldier holding a weapon in his or her right hand. His attention to detail was just one of the reasons Cam Barnes had attained an almost legendary status among covert operators the world over. Even his sworn enemies respected his intuitive ability to anticipate and intercept an adversary’s next move.

  In all the years Tucker had known Cam, he’d never seen him remotely ruffled professionally, but if anyone dared to endanger the woman standing in the distance, Cameron Barnes came apart at the seams. Carl Phillips loomed behind Dr. Cecelia Barnes, one arm wrapped securely around her upper torso, providing a perfect shelf that lifted her breasts perfectly, making it appear the mounds were dangerously close to spilling out of her low cut dress. As they approached, Carl leaned down and whispered something in CeCe’s ear, and Tuck grinned when her entire body shuddered.

  “Leave it to Carl to thoroughly distract her right before I need her focused,” Cam chuckled. This time Mia’s curiosity seemed to get the best of her and she opened her mouth to ask, but Cam gave her a small shake of his head. “I’ll let my pet explain everything to you in a bit. We’ve already started spreading your cover story, and they’ll be taking you up to the spa first. Right now, I need you to pay very close attention to your surroundings because your safety is our primary concern.”

  Tucker smiled when Cam paused until Mia’s gaze returned to him, leaving Carl and CeCe to stand, waiting patiently at the end of the gangway. Mia surprised him when she finally turned her attention to Cam and tilted her head to the side.

  “I have one question first, does everyone in your acquaintance share?”

  Tucker could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen Cam Barnes do more than chuckle, so when Cam leaned his head back and laughed heartily, Tuck stared open-mouthed at him and wondered if hell had just frozen over.

  *

  Way to go, Mia. Open mouth and insert foot. The question had blindsided her, probably almost as it had their host. It was one of those moments when she opened her mouth, intending to say one thing and something else popped out. I really do need to learn how to keep my thoughts and my words from playing scramble tag in my mind. She’d meant to ask him if she’d be able to access the internet, so she could work while they were on board, but seeing the interaction between the man and woman standing in front of them had sent her mind reeling. Dammit all to donut covered dalmatians, she hated it when that happened.

  “Mia, you and my wife are going to be fast friends, which is wonderful because that’s how we’re explaining your sudden appearance. We’ve already begun circulating the rumor that you have only been in the lifestyle for a short while and have recently become involved with the two Doms accompanying you. You sought your friend’s advice on dealing with two men at the same time, and when CeCe learned you were close by on an assignment, she invited the three of you to join us on the second leg of our trip.”

  Staring at Mr. Barnes, Mia couldn’t help but admire the smooth way he’d laid it all out for her. He’d been gracious as well as clear and concise with the information. Their whole group had delayed their departure to help her, and what had she done? She’d asked him a very personal quest
ion without even stopping to consider how easily he might bar her from boarding and using their kinky cruise as a way to escape the hounds of hell nipping at her heels.

  Instead of being insulted by her impertinence, he’d leaned his head back and laughed before continuing on as if she hadn’t asked about his personal sex life. The stunned looks on Brock and Tucker’s faces told her it wasn’t the reaction they’d expected either. Dandy. Before she could think up a lame excuse for her inexcusable behavior, he’d held up his hand to silence her. The man was obviously used to being obeyed, and for the first time, his earlier words began to sink in.

  “Aha. I see you’ve finally thought of something else you probably should have asked about first, haven’t you, sweet Mia?” He turned to Brock and grinned, “I do so love that look of dawning realization on a sub’s face. That moment when their eyes are opened for the first time to something completely unexpected. Come.”

  He held out his arm again, and she slid her hand back into the bend of his elbow as she’d been trained to do since she was old enough to walk. One of the advantages of having grown up in her grandfather’s home was being taught how to behave properly in a wide variety of social situations. Mia knew how to properly enter a ballroom, where to sit to best be seen at a charity function, and how to introduce any dignitary you could imagine, so the move was reflexive on her part.

  A noise behind her almost caused her to lose a step as they made their way up the gangway. Did Brock just growl at me?

  Cameron Barnes patted her hand and whispered, “Don’t turn sweet girl. Let them stew a bit, it will do them good and add to your first play experience.”

  Play experience? Oh, brother.

  *

  Cam couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed a sudden change in plans as he had this one. Seeing old friends was always a pleasure, but seeing them completely derailed by a woman who appeared blissfully unaware of the power she held over them held more entertainment potential than he’d imagined possible. But then again, maybe the two Deitz brothers needed a refresher course as Masters. He’d watch them and intercede if it became necessary.

  Ten minutes later, the introductions had been made, and he looked on as Carl escorted CeCe and Mia to one of the freight elevators reserved for the crew. Cam was pleased to see the instant rapport between the women; his lovely pet had far too few friends since they’d moved to St. Maarten. She’d become socially isolated, and he and Carl had been mulling over various solutions for several months.

  Cam was considering moving back to Houston—at least part-time—because Cecelia was no longer able to hide the loneliness he suspected she’d been struggling with long before Carl brought it to his attention. Once she was pregnant again, the feeling would be magnified because his lovely wife did nothing by half-measure, and she’d fall head first into the hormone whirlpool of pregnancy. Yes, it was definitely time to set the plans to move in motion.

  “Follow me. I’ve set up a temporary control center for this operation apart from the one we were using for security and everyday club safety.” In minutes they were standing in a room filled with monitors and state-of-the-art communication equipment. There wasn’t anyplace on the ship or its perimeter they couldn’t see with a few strokes to the keyboard, and thanks to real-time satellite imagery, they’d also be able to see anyone approaching miles before they would ordinarily appear on the horizon.

  “Jesus, man. Were you planning on running an op?” Tucker’s observation wasn’t unreasonable—all things considered.

  “Are you telling me you just happened to bring along the extra equipment to set this up? Fuck, you don’t travel light, do you, Cam?” Brock’s assessment was more accurate than he knew, but Cam never took the safety of his family for granted.

  His home in St. Maarten was a virtual fortress, just as his penthouse apartment in Houston had been. Finding a new home in Texas that would allow his family the same level of security wasn’t going to be easy. He had no problem remodeling, but patience wasn’t his best trait.

  “Given my background and contacts, security breaches are always a possibility. I find it easier to be prepared.” Grinning, he added, “We’ll have three semi-trucks waiting at the dock to off-load when we arrive in Houston if that tells you anything.”

  Brock and Tucker both shook their heads in amazement.

  “For the record, my wife doesn’t know this room exists. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t keep safety concerns a secret, but this trip was a gift to her, so I’d prefer to keep her out of the loop, for now.” If they’d been on land, he’d have sat down with CeCe and given her more information, but being surrounded by the azure colored water of the southern Caribbean afforded him more flexibility. There wasn’t any reason to spoil her vacation unless he was forced to.

  Turning to the other men, Cam leveled them with a look he knew they’d understand as a required shift in their conversation.

  “Is she going to be able to pull this off? Does she have any experience in the lifestyle other than the very interesting content on her e-reader?” Tucker’s brows arched in surprise, and Brock’s grin was filled with the devil’s delight. Cam shrugged as he added, “You have to love a woman who diligently backs up her devices.” It had been far too easy to access her online files. Someone needed to have a chat with her about the importance of secure passwords.

  “We haven’t talked to her about what’s going to be expected of her because we didn’t really know what level of play would be taking place.” Cam wanted to roll his eyes at Brock’s bullshit answer.

  “Very well, let me refresh your memories. I started a club in Houston where edge play was acceptable and common. I trained sexual Dominants who were expected to be able to provide whatever level of play their submissives needed.”

  “Fucking smart ass,” Tucker’s muttered curse made Cam grin.

  “Listen, you’ll have tonight to walk around and get a feel for what she’s comfortable with and how you can best meet those needs. No one will question you wanting to gauge the group dynamics your first night on board, but after that, you’ll need to participate in order to maintain your cover.” Brock nodded, but Cam noted the way Tucker’s mouth thinned into a tight line.

  “Do any of your guests have communication access to the outside world?”

  “Not now. We’re jamming signals until we’re out-of-range of land, then we’ll be okay until our next port of call in Mexico.” He hoped his friends had established themselves as a menage by then, so no one gave them a second thought during their time in Cozumel. He wasn’t looking forward to the stop and would skip it if possible, but Cam knew several of their younger guests were looking forward to the street party atmosphere and water activities readily available in the area.

  “If you haven’t won everyone over before then, we’ll need to reassess. I don’t want to do that because the more twists you put in the plot, the more difficult the story is to keep straight. And for obvious reasons, this isn’t going to have my undivided attention gentlemen, so you need to make it work with as little fanfare as possible.” When both men nodded, Cam slid a file across the counter and flipped it open.

  “Here’s what I’ve gotten from Prairie Winds so far. There is something suspicious about the situation with the grandfather. I can’t put my finger on it, but something isn’t right with his security detail. Mendez is genuinely concerned about his granddaughter, but his chief of security isn’t playing from the same sheet of music.”

  “What the fuck?” Cam wasn’t sure if Brock’s question came as a result of what he’d said or what the other man had read in the latest memo from Kyle West. When he slid the printout to Tucker, Cam had his answer.

  “We’ll need clothes. None of the stuff in our bags is going to pass as club-wear. We’re going to be asking Mia some serious questions, but I have a feeling we’ll hit a brick wall until we send her over a few times and slip past the barriers I’m sure she’s erected.”

  Cam was relieved the men shared his suspici
ons because if they were right, retired general Joseph Moreno had more reason to make sure Mia didn’t return than he did to bring her home safely. And if they were right, the man on the inside might prove to be their more formidable adversary.

  “We’ll upload the contents of her electronics to Prairie Winds and see if they can pull any additional information. When I talked to Koi earlier today, he was strung pretty tight.” What else could he say about the man he’d mentored and considered one of his most gifted protegees? The man was fighting hard, wanting to fly to Columbia himself. It had taken Cam almost an hour to talk him out of the plan.

  “He needs to stay with Dr. Tyson. If the men holding her husband are looking for something specific, leaving her unprotected would be the worst possible scenario,” Brock nodded in agreement. There were too many unanswered questions and it was entirely possible Tally would be targeted as well.

  Chapter Five

  Mia liked CeCe Barnes immediately. Their rapport was effortless, and Mia felt like a giant weight had been lifted from her chest as the two of them were escorted to the elevator. Perhaps she’d made a mistake isolating herself even after moving from her grandfather’s estate. She’d never had the opportunity to make friends, so it had seemed natural to keep to herself. Sure, she talked to the people she worked with when on location shoots, but outside of the upper echelon social group who surrounded her family, Mia didn’t really know many people other than a few colleagues.

  Carl Phillips kept pace with them without making any effort to intrude on their conversation. She noticed Carl maintained a physical connection with CeCe at all times, and she couldn’t help but wonder about the dynamics of their relationship. How did CeCe manage to keep two Doms happy? Did she spend equal amounts of time with each man? How on Earth did she keep track? Was jealousy ever an issue? How did she explain Carl’s presence to those outside their lifestyle? She was looking forward to seeing the three of them interact for longer than a couple of minutes as she had during introductions.