Could he be the leak?
"Hey!” The too-handsome-for-his-own-good fellow AFSA officer sauntered over. “Fancy meeting you here. Some coincidence, huh?"
"Isn't it though.” Erika fixed him with her best stare, one that had coerced confessions out of hardened criminals and terrorists.
But of course, Chad was too good for that. He just quirked an eyebrow at her and turned his attention to Aiden. “How are you holding up?"
"Not too bad, all things considered."
"Have you given our conversation any thought?"
"What conversation would that be?” Erika didn't like the male bonding glances shooting back and forth between the two men.
"The one where I told him that I didn't think you'd been fucked since the two of you broke up before graduation and asked him to take one for the old team and do you again so you'd lighten up on us mere mortals forced to work with you."
Erika coughed and sputtered, causing her to have trouble catching her breath. Aiden hurried to her side, hovering near. When her eyes stopped watering and she drew air into her lungs without difficulty, she stepped away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. She couldn't believe the boys—men never really grew up—standing in front of her had that conversation. Oh, she could hear Chad saying something like that. He was incorrigible. What she couldn't imagine was Aiden participating in the discussion.
But what if he had? What if the reason he'd made love to her wasn't because he was overwhelmed by desire for her but because he thought she'd be an easy piece of ass?
She'd deal with him later. For now, the best defense was a great offense. “Maybe you wouldn't have to ask if any of you men were up to the challenge.” Oh yeah, that comment would get her in hot water for sexual harassment if anyone but Chad heard her. But he'd started it, the petulant five year old inside her whined.
He only laughed and saluted her. “Good one, Major. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to change into a clean flight suit so I can grab some dinner in town.” As she watched his green clad butt head for the door, he looked back over his shoulder. “You two lovebirds are welcome to join me. I'd love some company."
"Sure, that sounds great."
Erika's head whipped around at the sound of Aiden's reply. So much for a quiet evening alone.
"I'll meet you in the lobby in fifteen."
As she and Aiden followed behind, he leaned over to whisper in her ear, his hot breath sending chills of pleasure down her spine straight to her clit. “We'll beg off after we eat, if you want, and that'll leave the better part of the night to spend together."
The man must have learned how to read minds somewhere along the way. “I'd like that very much.” Meanwhile, she'd take the opportunity to see why her gut was sending out bad signals about her coworker. She didn't like the feeling one bit, but she always listened.
Forty-five minutes later, the trio was just sitting down at a table in a quaint seafood restaurant overlooking the water, when Erika's cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she frowned as she flipped open the top.
"Colonel?” Why the hell was he calling her on her cell phone? They'd agreed not to use it since the danger of being tracked was high.
"Is Aiden with you, Major?"
"Of course, sir. We're—"
"I need you to report back to Langley immediately."
"Of course, sir, but—"
"Immediately, Major. Sonny has Greene's daughter."
Chapter 10
"How the fuck did this happen?” The rage pounding through Aiden's body threatened to explode out of control. He paced the confines of the small living room that made up part of Colonel Franklin Covington's VOQ suite.
"Mr. Greene, if you'll just calm down—"
Aiden whirled about to stare at Colonel Covington. “Calm down? You want me to calm down?” He didn't know where he found the self-control to keep from lunging at the man sitting on the couch, patronizing him. His head hurt from the effort.
"Yes—"
"A sick mother-fucking bastard has my daughter and you expect me to calm down?” Aiden's heart raced, his pulse thundered in his ears, his entire body felt like a balloon with too much air. Ready to burst apart at the seams.
"We'll find him—"
"No offense, sir, but I don't trust you to find a B-52 in a field of daisies. Not now. Not anymore. I trusted Major Dalton when she told me to come with her and not to worry about my family, that they'd be protected."
"And we were—"
"But there's a leak in your organization, sir, that has not only almost cost me my life, twice, but has now put my daughter in serious danger."
As Aiden glared at the colonel, the tiniest flicker flashed across the older man's face. The balloon shattered.
"You know who this leak is, you sorry son of a bitch. You know who it is and you've allowed it to happen.” He lunged, wanting to pummel the shit out of the colonel. Erika hooked her arms around his waist, anchoring him in place. If it didn't mean time in the brig, he would have fought her off and laid the bastard flat out. Being stuck behind bars would not help his daughter, Samantha. He had to keep her welfare first in his mind.
"We have to draw Ramos out. By whatever means necessary. It was a risk I was willing to take."
"Except that he got the upper hand on you and is now trying to draw me out."
"A strategic error, on our part, to be sure."
"My daughter is not a strategic error, Colonel. Nor will she be a victim of friendly fire. I want in on the hunt."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. This is an issue of national security. More is at stake here, Mr. Greene, than you realize."
"No, it's not. My daughter's life is at stake. It's personal now, and I will be a part of this."
"I don't like the threat I hear in your voice.” Colonel Covington returned Aiden's glower.
The attempt at intimidation failed. He would do whatever was necessary to save his daughter and see how they liked that. “And I don't like that Sonny has my daughter. I'd say that makes us even."
"If I refuse to allow you to participate?"
"I'll hold a press conference and let Sonny know where I am."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me.” Aiden crossed his arms over his chest as he towered over the sitting colonel.
"Even if it meant risking the lives of numerous intelligence and special operations officers?"
"All I care about is saving my daughter.” His gut churned at the thought of what Sonny might do to Samantha.
"Major Dalton, this is your baby. How do you feel about working with Mr. Greene?"
Aiden had forgotten she was even there. All of his attention had fixated on the colonel the moment Erika had escorted him into the room.
"I don't see that he's given us much choice, Colonel.” She kept her gaze neutral, allowing no hint of emotion on her face, or of her thoughts to show.
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, Major."
She just shrugged her shoulders. Aiden knew they'd have it out later; the look on her face made that abundantly clear. He didn't really give a rat's ass what she thought or how she felt. He was going to track down Ramos if it was the last thing he ever did. He'd do it with or without the government's endorsement.
"Where are my ex-wife and son?"
"They are safe and sound at Wright Patterson under twenty-four hour guard."
"Which is where they all should have been from the very beginning."
"We thought they'd be safe enough in their own home with a twenty-four hour guard."
"You obviously thought wrong."
"We underestimated the lengths Sonny would go to in order to get back at you."
"If you'd bothered to consult me, instead of just ferrying my sorry ass across the country, I could have told you he'd try something. No one knows this bastard better than me. No one."
"You got your wish, Greene. You're now a part of the team. You still need to play things our way."
"I'll pla
y things however I need to in order to get my baby girl away from that madman."
"I'll only say this once, Greene. You play by our rules, or I'll throw your sorry ass in the brig so fast—"
"You're not threatening me, are you?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I will not allow my officers or this mission to be compromised. Too much is at stake."
"And I will not allow my little girl to be harmed by Sonny Ramos."
"As long as we're both clear on where we stand. I'll get to work processing the clearances you'll need to partner Major Dalton. Major, you're to make sure he doesn't do a damn thing until then or I'll haul both your asses to the brig.” Colonel Covington pushed to his feet and turned to face Erika, who snapped a sharp salute. “Dismissed, Major. You, too, Greene."
* * * *
Aiden sat in an unlit corner of the bar, his sixth beer on the table in front of him, empty.
He'd been a civilian longer than he'd been an officer, even if he counted his time at the Academy. The dimly lit room looked like so many bars outside the gate of so many Air Force bases. The only thing missing from his days in the Air Force, hanging out at the bar with the guys, was the thick haze of cigarette smoke. Some things, however, never changed, as his gaze took in the flight suits and BDUs—battle dress uniforms. As he took in the women looking for a man in uniform.
After the confrontation with Colonel Covington, Aiden had needed to get away, to regroup. If he'd been forced to sit in that room and wait, he'd have lost what was left of his goddamned mind. He'd borrowed the keys from Erika, gotten directions to the bar from Monroe, and bolted. But not before promising Erika he wouldn't drive drunk. She'd hitch a ride later and take him back to the VOQ. Of course, knowing her, she'd follow him, just to make sure he didn't do something stupid.
He should have done more to ensure his family's safety. Instead of being concerned for them, he'd been following his penis right behind Erika. He should have questioned the security arrangements. He should have known Sonny would do something if he couldn't get to Aiden himself. Dammit, he'd been so sure of his knowledge of Sonny's tactics, he'd been preparing to demand a place on the team. So much for his so-called wisdom. It hadn't protected Samantha.
Tipping back the empty longneck, he signaled the waitress for another round. No amount of beer, unfortunately, had helped dull his fears for his daughter. It was his child in the line of fire, dammit. His child, and they wouldn't let him do a fucking thing. The feeling of impotence threatened to choke him. He wondered how many more he'd have to down before the nightmarish visions receded for a time. Aiden had seen firsthand what Sonny did to his enemies. He needed to banish those memories or he'd lose his mind and not be any good for Samantha. He needed to be at his best in order to rescue her from Sonny's slimy little paws. And he would be after he allowed himself this indulgence and gave Covington a couple of hours he'd requested to clear the path for Aiden's involvement in the mission.
"Aiden Greene, as I live and breathe. Is that really you?"
Aiden tilted his head to the light, the voice dragging him out of himself. “Braedon Powell?” Braedon had been a close friend at the Academy, a member of the same squadron, yet another buddy Aiden lost touch with when he put the Air Force behind him. The man in front of him sure as hell looked like Braedon Powell, only older.
"None other. Mind if I join you?” He signaled for another round and pulled up a chair before Aiden had a chance to say no. “What the hell are you doing here? No one has seen or heard from you in a coon's age."
Of course they hadn't. The AFSA had helped Aiden change his name and secure a new identity when he left the military in an effort to protect him from Sonny's long reach. Yet here he sat, using his real name, surrounded by the trappings of his old life, trying to figure out how the hell to track down Miguel “Sonny” Ramos.
So much for that plan. Aiden was beginning to wonder if anything the AFSA planned regarding him actually worked.
"Taking care of some business.” What a fucking understatement. His daughter was more than business. “Are you stationed here?"
"Hell no. Just here to do some search and rescue training. I fly choppers for SAR teams, among other things. For now anyway."
Aiden wasn't near drunk enough to miss the pained tone behind the slight southern drawl. “What does that mean?"
"It means I fucked a colonel's daughter and when I wouldn't commit, she decided to fuck me one last time by telling daddy. I'll be getting out in June when my enlistment is up."
Biting back a laugh, Aiden gestured to Braedon's lap. “You never could keep your pecker in your pants. It almost got you in trouble more than once at the Academy."
"Hey, what can I say? It's too good to keep under wraps."
Aiden couldn't help but laugh. His drinking buddy managed to succeed where a six-pack of cheap domestic beer failed.
"Whoa, will you take a look at the hot number that just walked in the door? I could use a little action tonight to take my mind off of things."
A woman with a body that wouldn't quit sashayed through the door, one hip at a time. Her hair brushed her shoulders, swaying in time with her steps. There was something familiar about her—
Aiden's stomach caught in his throat. The hot number was Erika. He didn't like the way Braedon eyed her up like a piece of meat. He especially didn't like the jealous monster that popped up on his shoulder and spewed unwelcome feelings all over the place. A band of sensation tightened his chest as he watched her stroll to the bar. Damn, she looked better than hot. Her jeans hugged her body, emphasizing the curve of her hips. Her belly-baring shirt skimmed the fullness of her breasts and hinted at the lush delights hiding in her bra. Aiden fought the urge to adjust himself in order to relieve the pressure building behind his fly.
Braedon's smile wilted as the hot number spun around, allowing the light to illuminate her face. “Well, shit, never mind. It's Captain Cube. I wonder what she's doing here? She's definitely not the barfly type."
"Captain Cube?"
"Yeah, you know, as in ‘ice.’ I think I'm having a case of major shrinkage just being this close to the major."
While Braedon continued talking, Aiden's eyes remained glued to Erika, who was trying to catch the bartender's attention. The discomfort in his jeans wasn't from the same problem befalling Braedon. Oh, no, things in his pants were expanding too rapidly for comfort.
"She's shot down more men than the VC over Vietnam. A lucky few manage to get a date, but then she freezes them out. She's a one-date wonder. I tried myself last year at a joint training session. I got shot down before I even saw the tracers. She is one cold cookie."
Aiden struggled to reconcile the image Braedon painted of Erika as cool and aloof with the image of her hot and supple and writhing beneath him.
"Hey, didn't you date her back at the Academy? Isn't she the one who dumped you right before graduation?"
How the hell did Braedon know that? It wasn't like Aiden told anyone. “One and the same.” No point in keeping a secret everyone knew.
"Did you ever score with her? There's a running bet that if a guy ever did get close, she'd freeze his dick right off, she's so frigid. Only the bravest of the brave even try anymore."
Erika? Cold? Frigid? The woman who seduced him right out of his pants? She was so freaking hot, she qualified as a cause of global warming.
She must have spotted him. She began to weave a path from the bar to the far corner. “Are you ready to head back? We have an early day tomorrow."
"Your business includes her?” Braedon made a low whistling sound. “Be careful man, I'd hate to see you lose it.” He cupped his hands over his crotch.
"Well, if it isn't Captain Powell, as I live and breathe.” Erika gave him a once-over that would have wilted the cock of a weaker man.
"How long has it been, Major?"
"Not long enough. I thought I'd seen the last of you after that last joint training session over a year ago."
"Then it's you
r lucky day."
Aiden's nerves went on alert at the flirtatious tone in Braedon's voice. Only Braedon would put the moves on a woman, who by his own admission, most men would avoid like a sexually transmitted disease. One who'd turned him down flat. Still, he wanted to punch the guy. The green monster on his shoulder egged him on.
"You mean Hugh Jackman's about to walk through the door and sweep me off my feet?” Erika swiveled around and looked at the door.
Aiden laughed out loud.
"Ouch.” Braedon clutched his heart.
"Your ego is big enough to survive the blow.” She held out a hand for Aiden. “Ready?"
"Won't you join us for a drink?"
Aiden should have known that Braedon wouldn't give up easily. The man was ruled by the head in his pants.
"No, thanks, I'm Aiden's designated driver."
Judging by the look on Erika's face, she was more than ready to head back to the base. The world shifted to one side as Aiden stood, prompting Erika to wrap an arm around his waist. He'd had more to drink than he thought. He used his unsteady footing as an excuse to hold her tight as they headed for the bar. “'Night, Braedon, good to see you again.” He shot his old friend a self-satisfied smirk as he saw the look of pure amazement on his face.
Once outside, Erika spoke again. “So, how much did you have to drink?"
He didn't like the tone of her voice. Who the hell was she to judge him? “Six, but I'm not drunk."
"So says you.” Thumbing the keyless entry, she unlocked the doors as she guided him to the passenger side.
Once he dropped into the seat, she leaned over him to buckle his seat belt. Her breast bumped his cheek as she backed out of the car. He couldn't help himself; he took a bite out of her nipple. He wanted more.
"Aiden.” She smacked her head on the roof as she jerked away.
Smiling sheepishly, he kept his gaze on her now erect nipples. “What can I say? The invitation was too great to pass up."
The only response was the slamming of the car door.
The short ride back to the VOQ passed in a silence that allowed Aiden's demons to return, tormenting him with fears for his daughter. His plan to numb his brain had been a dismal failure. Now he had to find another way to keep the nightmares at bay until Covington secured the necessary clearances for him. Until then, he was powerless.
The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs Page 13
