Ultimate Prey (Book 3 Ultimate CORE) (CORE Series)

by Kristine Mason

  “And now?”

  “I’ve never been part of a team before. Even Jiu Jitsu is an individual sport. But after partnering with Ryan, and the way Dante, John and Hudson treated me as their equal…I want to stay with CORE.”

  “Since you mentioned Ryan… How do you feel about him?”

  Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “He’s very skilled and knowledgeable. He was able to track Steven and—”

  He waved a hand. “I’m well aware of his qualifications and am highly impressed by them, and him. I want to know how you feel about him.”

  She cleared her throat. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

  “It is if there’s a chance that you two will work together.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’ve asked Ryan to join CORE?”

  “Not quite.” He lightly pressed on his side and leaned back in the chair. “Lola, I have wealthy, powerful clients who, in the past, have asked me to help them in a way that would not involve the police or any other government agency.”

  “How is this different from so many of CORE’s other clients?”

  “The difference is that these clients wanted not only absolute discretion, they wanted me to find a way to make their problems disappear—off the books, off the record and, if need be, off the face of the earth.”

  She raised a brow. “Sounds like they’re looking for hired assassins.”

  “Which is why I’ve turned them down. But,” he said, raising a finger. “The idea intrigued me, only I worried too much about my agency’s reputation. Until yesterday, when I realized what we really are capable of doing.”

  “You mean, what we’re capable of getting away with, right?”

  He smiled. “Your words, not mine.”

  She crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I want you to lead a small group that will help me take CORE…above the law. The cases you and your people would take would be unusual ones that either regular law enforcement or government agencies have been unable to solve, or wouldn’t or aren’t able to touch. I know many people in high places who have used their power to literally get away with murder.” Several bastards immediately came to mind. Holding his right side, he stood. “I want to be able to go around the law. I’ve spent my entire life solving crimes and giving victims and their families’ justice. I believe in righting wrongs and making people pay for their crimes.”

  He moved around the desk. “Steven proved to me what I’d known in my gut. With the right people, CORE can make problems go away—without involving the authorities. Except, I can’t have CORE linked to these clandestine…activities.”

  “Are you suggesting I run a secret agency, as in, we don’t have a name or a 401k?”

  Chuckling, he used the desk for support. “Officially, you and your people would not be CORE employees. But you would all be compensated for whatever job you take.”

  She stared at him, her face surprisingly expressionless. Knowing Lola the way he did, or thought he did, he was fascinated. Not many people could keep him wondering and unsure of their response or reaction.

  “And if one of my people were killed or injured?”

  “You know that same unfortunate risk applies to my regular CORE agents.”

  “I do. My question is, will you pretend to know nothing about those deaths or injuries?”

  “Publicly, no. But if that occurs, they’ll be taken care of.”

  “You mentioned Ryan. Have you asked him to join this secret agency?” She shook her head. “God, secret agency sounds ridiculous.”

  “Make up a name for yourselves, I don’t care. What I care about is having certain jobs done. How you and your people handle them will be at your discretion.”

  “So if we break a few laws, or execute a—”

  “Lola,” he began, “I’m not hiring a band of mercenaries and assassins. I’m hiring people who will be able to infiltrate places my regular agents might not be able to. Your group will have the muscle, the brains, the jack of all trades, the marksman and…the actress.”

  She licked her lips and glanced away. “Vlad, Harrison, Barney, Ryan and me.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Have you talked with them?” she asked, rubbing a hand along her forehead.

  “Earlier, while you were helping your mom pack her suitcase. They not only agreed, but loved the idea of having you run things. Vlad and Harrison were especially pleased that your operation will be based here.”

  She quickly met his gaze. “Here?”

  “I’m buying this rental house, gutting it and making it a place where you’ll work from.” While he’d planned on tearing down the house, Barney had suggested a gut job would be more than enough to bring the place to his standards. “Harrison and Vlad will also be living here. I can handle the sale of your condo. As a sign on bonus, I’ll also take care of the down payment for your future residence.” He cleared his throat. “If you have a place to stay, the sign-on bonus is still yours. The others will receive one, as well.”

  “Ian, I…you honestly trust me to do this job? Does my mom know about this?”

  “I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t. As for your mom, she’s the one who suggested I not only have Vlad and Harrison live here, but that I should supply the house with the same technology I have at CORE. That would include computers, weapons and security.” He grinned when he recalled how excited Cami had become, and how she’d taken her suggestions to a level he hadn’t considered. “You’re mom thought I should set up a dummy corporation in order to allow you to access funds without having to contact me. But I’ll need to think on that.” The last thing he needed was the IRS blowing his undercover operation.

  “Are John, Dante and Hudson aware of this?”

  “Yes, along with Rachel and Owen. They love the plan, and were pleased I’d chosen you.”

  “Wow.” Drawing in a deep breath, she stood and approached him. “Thank you for the opportunity.” She held out a hand. “I won’t let you down.”

  “You’re accepting my offer,” he began, taking her hand, “without discussing it with your mom or Ryan?”

  “I make my own decisions,” she said, her voice firm, confident. “One thing I want to make clear. If I choose to bring on more people, I do the hiring.”

  He tightened his hold on her hand. “Are you telling me my input isn’t allowed?”

  “Who’s running the show? Me or you?”

  Damn, the girl had balls. “You.”

  “Then no. My people, my way.”

  “You’ve got it.” He let go of her hand, then embraced her. “I’m truly proud of you.” He leaned back. “Go spend time with your mom. The jet is scheduled to leave in less than an hour.”

  After she left the room, Ian leaned against the desk. He’d definitely made the right choice in picking Lola to lead this new team. And while he’d let her run the show, she’d still answer to him, and he’d still be in control.

  After all, he was and always would be a manipulative son of a bitch.

  Chokoloskee Bay, Florida

  Saturday, 1:58 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

  Nervous excitement made Lola too restless to sit still and wait for a fish to bite. After her mom and Ian, along with John, Hudson and Dante, had boarded the jet, she and Ryan had gone back to his house, where he kept his fishing boat docked. During the drive to his place, then the trip from his dock to the southern tip of Chololoskee Island, they’d talked, but neither had mentioned their conversation with Ian.

  Considering they were involved, they needed to discuss that she was not only moving to Everglade City, but that she was now running a covert agency. God, she still couldn’t believe the fantastic opportunity. The men who would be working with and for her were solid and dependable. Ryan and Barney had proven that over the past two days. She already had faith in Harrison’s skills and trusted his judgment—and Ian’s—when it came to Vlad. Then again, with the way the Russi
an had taken care of her mom, she already held a soft spot for him.

  “Sadie, no,” Ryan said, his voice firm. “Bad.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and laughed when she saw Sadie, tail wagging so hard her entire back end shook, dipping her paw into the bucket of squid they were using as bait. Ryan shooed her away, then replaced the plastic lid the dog had knocked off the pail. Sadie lowered her head as if she was actually remorseful, then nudged his leg with her nose. Grinning, he crouched and gave the dog some love. He looked so sexy in nothing but a pair of low-riding shorts. If his boat had been anything like the drug dealers’, she would have ditched the fishing pole and suggested they went below deck.

  He looked up from the dog, then after giving Sadie a final pat, he plucked two water bottles from the cooler he’d brought, then stepped over to where he’d left his fishing pole in the rod holder attached to the boat. “Anything biting?” he asked.

  “No. How long before you usually catch a fish?” she asked, and locked her fishing pole into the rod holder next to his.

  He took a seat next to her and handed her a water. “I’ve caught fish within an hour, but there’ve been days when I’ve spent six or seven hours out here and came home empty handed. If that happens to us, there’s a great little restaurant in town I’ll take you to for dinner. It’s not exactly how I pictured our first date, but I promise to make it up to you.” He kissed her bare shoulder, then moved the strap of her tank top. “You’re getting red and need more sunscreen. Hang tight and I’ll get it.”

  She grabbed his hand. “It can wait. We need to talk.”

  He sat back down, and faced her. “I’ve been waiting for you to say something about your meeting with Ian.”

  “Just like I’ve been waiting for you,” she countered with a grin. She slipped off her sunglasses, then his. Ryan’s eyes were always so expressive. For what they would discuss, she wanted to be able to gauge his reaction without the sunglasses in the way.

  She drew in a sharp breath. The intensity in his dark gray gaze didn’t match his easy smile, which upset her. “You don’t have to hide from me,” she said.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You’ve been joking around, but I have a feeling the fact I haven’t said anything about my meeting with Ian bothers you.”

  He looked away. “Yeah, it bothers me. But what you discussed with your boss, and whatever decision you’ve made, is your business.”

  “You’re right. It is.”

  He quickly looked at her, his eyes widening slightly.

  “But,” she began, and touched his hand, “my decision affects us and I think it’s important we talk about it.” She tightened her grip on his hand, and looked out at the water, then closed her eyes. Small waves gently rocked the boat. Seagulls cried overhead. The sun kissed her cheeks, while her hair moved with the warm breeze. “I love it here. It’s so beautiful and peaceful.”

  “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  She opened her eyes and met his gaze. “I’ve accepted Ian’s offer to run his new operation. How do you feel about me living here?”

  “I’m glad you took the position. You deserve it.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  She gasped when he quickly grabbed her upper arms and turned her to face him. “Because I don’t know how to answer.”

  “Try honestly.”

  “Fine. Happy, worried and scared.” He released her and pushed a hand through his hair. “After we made love last night, I held you, wishing we could lie like that every night. Now that you’re moving here, the possibility is there, and I couldn’t be happier about it, or more excited for you and the new position you’ve taken. But we just met, hardly know each other and…I’m worried we’ll discover we don’t work.” He let out a breath. “What scares me is that we will.”

  She would have almost preferred if he’d lied to her. His honest answer worried and scared her, too. What if they didn’t work? She wouldn’t walk away from the opportunity Ian had just given her, but also didn’t want either of them hurt or their relationship to effect their new team. “We can take it slow,” she suggested. “Get to know each other. From the way Ian explained the operation to me, it doesn’t look like we’ll always have work, I’ll need something to do between jobs. Maybe I can help at the souvenir shop? Or scoop ice cream when Mel’s busy chopping cars and boats and bodies, or whatever she does.”

  He grinned. “You’ve never asked me a thing about her.”

  “Why, because she’s drop-dead gorgeous? Trust me, I’ve been wondering if you two ever had a thing, but didn’t want to ask and sound jealous.” She had been a little jealous, but had blown it off since she’d been the one in Ryan’s bed, not Mel. Still, she was curious. “So, did you two ever…?”

  “God, no.” He cringed, which made her laugh. “We grew up together. And don’t let the pretty face fool you. She has more testosterone than most guys I know.”

  “She doesn’t act like a guy.”

  “Just trust me on this. Whoever falls for Mel will either be just as crazy as she is, or in for a major surprise.” He took her hand. “As for a job, I could use help with the accounting end of things. I hate paying bills. I’m terrible with marketing, too.”

  “I can do both. I’ll need help finding a place to rent or buy. I really don’t want to live at the rental house. I have a phobia about staying in a house where people have died. Plus, Vlad and Harrison will be there, and plan to start gutting the place right away.”

  “Yeah, I like the idea of the house becoming our headquarters.”

  “We should name it, and our group. Secret agent sounds so…dumb. Ever since my conversation with Ian, I haven’t been able to get that old Secret Agent Man song out of my head.”

  He chuckled. “Great, now I’m going to have it stuck in my head. As for names, after our meeting with Ian, Harrison said the same thing about naming our group. He wanted to wait to talk to you, though, but suggested we give a nod to Steven Seagal and call ourselves ATL.”

  “ATL? Not following.”

  “Above the Law. It was one of his movies, came out in the late eighties.”

  “I think I know which one you’re talking about. And you know, I like it. We’ll be CORE Above the Law, minus the CORE, of course,” she finished with a grin, then asked, “And Barney is cool with this?”

  “Oh, yeah. He told me the night we came in on the drug dealers’ boat that he was loving all the action going on around the shop.”

  “Good. I like Barney.” She shifted her gaze back to the bay. “So…you’re good with me being in Everglade City, permanently?”

  “You asked me to be honest, and I was, but I noticed you changed the subject.”

  Her heart beat hard, and her stomach filled with a gazillion butterflies. She looked to him. “No, I said we could take it slow and get to know each other better.”

  “You did, but now I want to know how you feel about living here?”

  “I told you. I love it and—”

  “It’s peaceful and beautiful,” he said, repeating her earlier words. “I’m not talking about—” He dropped his hand and leaned back in his chair. “It’s okay. You’re right. We’ll take it slow and get to know each other.”

  They sat there for a while, but how long she didn’t know. Both of them looking out at the water and letting the sun bake them. She’d thought fishing would be boring, and it truly was, except just being near Ryan, the soothing sounds of waves lapping against the boat, the sun, the breeze, Sadie’s occasional groan as she shifted positions…she could become used to this.

  She could fall in love with Ryan.

  “Can I have my sunglasses back?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “No?”

  She faced him. “I’m happy, worried and scared, too.”

  The muscles along his jaw hardened. “Because?”

  “I can’t believe Ian has put his trust and faith in me, but I’m thrilled he
did.” She rose from the chair, then climbed onto his lap.

  He immediately ran his hands along her back and held her close. “And?”

  “And I’m worried how we’ll work together if things between us—don’t.”

  He nuzzled his lips against her cleavage. “And?”

  “I’m scared I’m going to fall in love with you.”

  He froze.

  “Too soon?” she asked, cupping his face.

  He shoved his hands through her hair and brought their mouths close together. “Stay with me, at my house, and let’s find out.”

  She sucked in a breath. What he suggested sounded…permanent. Which didn’t scare her, but still. Between his business and this new CORE venture, they’d be together all the time. “You don’t think I should find my own place to rent or buy?”

  “Maybe. But I think it’ll end up being a waste of money,” he said, kissing the corner of her mouth.

  She let out a sigh when he shifted his hands beneath her tank top and cupped her breasts. “Why’s that?”

  He stilled. “Because I have a feeling one of us will always have an empty house.”

  Epilogue

  Two months later…

  “THE GIANT MUTANT albino alligator still roams the Everglades.” Lola leaned forward and, knowing she had a captivated audience, decided to add a little theatrics to the story. “Legend has it that if you see her and stare into her pink eyes, she’ll hypnotize you right before…she eats you,” she shouted with dramatic flair, causing the three kids, and even their parents, to flinch and gasp. The mom and dad chuckled, while their children, whose ages ranged from eight to twelve, looked around the channel, likely searching for the fictitious alligator.

  “You’re totally lying,” the twelve-year-old boy said, but kept his gaze on the mangroves surrounding the no-wake zone.

  She winked. “Maybe, maybe not.”

  While the family she and Ryan had taken out on the airboat tour chattered away about mutant alligators, along with the real one they’d seen, she leaned back in the chair next to Ryan’s and stroked Sadie’s head.