"Our old pal Aiden here just may have netted Sonny. He turned Junior's cell phone number over."
Erika shot Aiden a look. When had he managed to do that?
"We set up a tap on the phone line. Sonny was being paranoid, but Junior was being stupid. He had to call the ball and chain. Thanks to that call, we pinpointed his location to an exclusive condo building on Miami Beach. Intel traced the building and discovered a penthouse condo owned by Morgan Enterprises. Which just happens to be the name of one of Sonny's dummy companies. We can thank Aiden for discovering that information back in the dark ages. Plus, we know that Junior will be there through today. Told the girlfriend he'll be back tomorrow. The colonel called in the SEALs. He wanted to call in the Rangers since they'd just helped out. But since this is oceanfront property, the SEALs get to come and play. They'll scout out the building and let us know the best way to go in. We'll have plenty of time to get in place and do this right."
"How long until we get to Miami?” Aiden had every right to look pleased with himself.
"Eight hours or so. A couple of refuelings will be necessary, but shouldn't slow us down too much."
"Isn't this baby a bit of heavy duty overkill for shuttling us down the East Coast?” Not that Erika was complaining. She'd much rather fly military than commercial.
"It's all part of my penance, doll."
The chuckles of the crew echoed through her earpiece.
"If you kept your flight suit zipped, you wouldn't have these problems."
Braedon's laughter rumbled. “Maybe, but then I wouldn't have had so much fun with the colonel's daughter.” He grinned wickedly. “Speaking of which, I'll be taking a break and letting Zippy take a turn in a couple of hours. Whaddya say I come back there and help us kill some time?"
Aiden's body tensed, and he looked like he wanted nothing more than to storm the front of the helicopter and pummel the crap out of Braedon. Oh, yeah.
"I think I'll catch up on my beauty sleep."
"Darlin', you must have taken a nap with Sleeping Beauty."
Was Braedon flirting with her? With his entire crew listening in. What the heck was going on? As she watched Aiden strain against the webbing of his harness, it hit her. Aiden and Braedon had been having a beer together when she picked Aiden up at the bar at Langley. Something must have gone down, and now Braedon was trying to make Aiden jealous. She'd never wanted to kiss Braedon before, but she sure as hell did now. If he kept the banter up for the entire flight, Erika wouldn't have to do anything to get Aiden back.
"Seriously, Braedon, I'm going to unplug and take a nap."
"Just let me know when you're ready for company, sweetheart."
The only thing she was ready for was the conclusion of this assignment. And the beginning of something special with Aiden.
* * * *
The wait was going to kill Aiden. No doubt about it. He was wound tight enough that he was ready to pop like an old-fashioned jack-in-the-box. The flight down here had been torture enough, what with listening to Braedon Powell flirt with Erika for endless hours. Powell was a dead pilot walking if he ever got his hands on the man.
He wasn't jealous. That wasn't it at all. He'd resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't good enough for Erika. But dammit, neither was Powell. She deserved better than a man who couldn't keep his dick zipped inside his flight suit, even when that fling with the colonel's daughter cost him his career.
Aiden had never been so glad to put his feet back on the ground. He all but sprinted out of the back of the Pave Low and into the waiting car. As the SEAL team leader in charge of monitoring Sonny drove them to Miami Beach, he updated them on the progress. Judging by the looks and scowls and snide innuendos, the navy officer did not like having a civilian on the team. Too bad. The colonel had cleared him to be here, even if he'd forbidden Aiden from actually doing anything.
They'd been checked into a nearby hotel and forced to wait. And wait.
The SEALs refused to budge until Antonio got on a plane headed north. They refused to accept even the possibility that an innocent bystander might be injured should something go bad. So Aiden sat staring at the buildings that made up Miami Beach and listening to the roar of the Atlantic Ocean. The surf pounded the beach, its regularity infusing him with a modicum of calm. The noise drowned out the other sounds. The laughter wafting up to him came from the hotel pool.
A knock at the door interrupted his brief calm. His pulse rate soared with the hope it was one of the navy guys coming with an update. He padded barefoot across the room.
"Yeah?"
"Aiden, it's me. Erika."
Like she really needed to identify herself; he heard her voice in his dreams.
"What—” His voice caught in his throat as the sight of her grabbed him by the balls. Oh. Dear. God. Standing in front of him, Erika looked like a wet dream come to life. She sported a low-cut one piece swimsuit that showcased her luscious breasts and trim waist. A flimsy piece of fabric draped over her hips only emphasized those curves as well. Red. She wore red. Back at the Academy, she wore red whenever she didn't have to be in uniform. As if he hadn't thought of her before every time he saw a woman dressed in red. Now, he'd get a freaking hard-on every time he saw a woman dressed in red. Damn, he hated red.
"Hi. I thought I'd go sit by the pool and get some sun while I wait. I brought you a pair of trunks in case you want to join me.” She held out her hand, clasping a pair of tacky floral print shorts.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea.” He'd lose what was left of his sanity if he had to stare at her undressed like that. Retaining his resolve was difficult enough without the memory of what little the suit concealed staring him in the face. “We were told it was safer if we stayed in our rooms."
"Sure it is. They also told us Sonny left with Antonio, taking him to the airport, so we have a window of opportunity. Besides, I left a note for the team leader, telling him where we are. It's not like they're going to let us do anything anyway. Payback for letting the bug eaters be glorified babysitters back in PA. Here.” She tossed the trunks at him, smacking him on the shoulder. “Now go get dressed."
Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard ... place. She'd purposely put him in this predicament and the look in her eyes said I dare you. If he didn't go with her, he'd think about her constantly, wondering if other men were hitting on her and worrying about Sonny. If he did go with her, he'd have to see her and worry about hitting on her himself.
"I'll be right back.” It was a toss-up whether or not his choice was the lesser of two evils.
Exiting the bathroom five minutes later, he pocketed his room key and wallet. The flimsy little piece of fabric that didn't deserve to be called a skirt swished with every sway of Erika's hips as he followed her out of the room. Being a gentleman and allowing her to proceed him was not helping him one bit. He willed his cock to behave and not embarrass him in public.
The crowded pool surprised him, with the beach so close. They located two side by side chairs a distance from the pool, close to the pathway between the buildings. Stretching out, Aiden looked up at the taller building and wondered which condo belonged to Sonny and wondered where the SEALs set up their surveillance.
"I think I think I'll take a quick couple of laps before I lie down.” Erika dropped the covering and Aiden choked on his tongue. The sides of her suit cut way up on her hips and left most of her amazing ass in plain sight. The woman was trying to kill him.
Damn, damn, damn. He'd never be able to keep control of his cock or his resolve if he kept staring at her ass. At this rate, she'd be the death of him yet.
The hair on the back of his neck bristled and his stomach lurched as he focused his attention on the scenery above him and not in the pool. Looking down the path to see what set his teeth on edge, he saw him. A man who wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the swanky condominium complex but at the airport waving goodbye to his son.
Aiden recognized Sonny. Neither distance or time erased the memory fr
om his mind. Even a little gray and a lot of flab didn't dim the memory.
Where were those damn SEALs now? Someone was supposed to be following Sonny.
Aiden knew the exact moment Sonny spotted him.
"Ah, Señor Greene. You have managed to find me once again. How? Nunca mente. You have saved me a great deal of trouble by coming to me. Follow me, por favor."
"I don't think so."
Sonny flashed a wicked looking .9 mm handgun hidden in his pocket. “I asked you to follow me. I won't hesitate to end the life of one of the lovely tourists here. Maybe the stunning young woman in the red bathing suit over there.” He tugged the grip of the weapon free.
Erika grasped the rails of the ladder in the deep end, pulling herself from the water. Aiden ripped his gaze from her.
"Let's go."
"I thought you'd see it my way. After all, this is between me and you. No hiding behind a woman this time."
Aiden stepped in front of Sonny, anger tromping all over fear for his safety. “Where to?” He prayed the SEAL on shadowing detail had enough time to alert the rest of the team. And, please, dear God, keep Erika from doing something stupid. His only fear was for her.
"Follow this path. We will be going into the building on the left."
Aiden stayed close to Sonny, not wanting to give him a reason to hurt anyone else. No, if Sonny planned on shooting someone, he'd make sure it was him. No one else was going to die at Sonny's hands because of him again. The SEALs had told them it was probably safer if they stayed in their rooms since they'd spotted Sonny roaming the complex. But no, he had to listen to his cock. Once again, he'd made a mistake and underestimated Sonny. At least this time, the SEALs were in place, increasing the odds of success.
Following Sonny's directions, Aiden entered the lobby of the building they'd had under watch. He wondered if anyone was manning the lobby now. If one of the men milling around was a SEAL, Aiden would never know. The men were trained to infiltrate unnoticed. Sonny pushed him in the direction of a private elevator. Aiden knew he was a dead man if Sonny escorted him to his apartment before the SEALs were in place. He needed to stall.
"Stop right there please, Mr. Ramos."
Erika. Holding her standard military issue .9 mm gun.
Fuck.
"I suggest you leave right now, little lady, before I spray Señor Greene's brains all over the place. It is such a lovely lobby. I'd hate to have the memory of the mess every time I walk through here.” Sonny pulled the gun from his pocket, pointing it straight at the back of Aiden's head, his free arm going around Aiden's neck. Not as tall as Aiden, Sonny's awkward grip forced Aiden off balance, his body bowed uncomfortably.
The people milling in the lobby dispersed with amazing speed, with the exception of one man, who ducked behind a chair. If Sonny noticed, he didn't say anything. Unfortunately, if he was a SEAL, he was in a shitty location to pull off a shot. With any luck, though, he'd be able to back up Erika.
Erika. What the hell is she doing here? Water dripped from her, the t-shirt she'd thrown over her swimsuit plastered to her body. Dammit, if they'd been a little bit faster, they'd be in Sonny's condo right now, where the SEALs could get to him, but she couldn't.
Sonny jerked the handgun, the barrel banging Aiden's ear, the reality of the situation slamming home. A man who hated him had a gun to his head. At any second, Sonny's index finger could twitch, splattering his brains and sending Aiden to kingdom come. Erika might risk pulling off a shot. If she gave her intention away, Sonny could get one off, too, before he went down. Provided Erika had good aim and didn't take Aiden out herself.
Not good odds.
Dammit, the SEALs should have ordered them to stay inside, not just suggested it. Sonny should have still been at the airport, sending Junior back to Pennsylvania.
What had gone wrong?
Had the damn leak sprung again? If he ever found out who he or she was, he'd extract some serious-ass retribution.
When Aiden had worked with the counter-narcotics team, he'd faced the cruel reality that death was a constant player. Yes, he was Intelligence. Yes, his job was mostly collecting and interpreting data for the Special Operations boys. But drug dealers were nasty sons of bitches who killed indiscriminately.
Proof in point squeezed his neck until he gasped for air. Sonny had killed before and wouldn't hesitate to do so again.
Back during active duty days, Aiden had been prepared to die. Not that he wanted to, but he was prepared. He wasn't prepared to die now.
Dammit, he didn't want to die, not when he'd just been revived. He'd been walking around dead since before the new millennium. Erika pounced back in his life like some erotic Tigger in Air Force blue and he came back to life, making him realize all he'd given up—all he'd lost. Because of one well-placed barb by his ex, he'd been ready to give it all up and go back to zombie land.
All because of a fear of failing. Standing here, Sonny sweating at his back, Aiden decided there was something worse than failure, and that was living in black and white instead of vivid color. Living without Erika.
God help them, they would get out of this and he would beg and grovel if necessary to gain Erika's forgiveness. What she did and didn't do for a living was no longer a concern. She loved him and that's all that mattered.
"Let Mr. Greene go, Mr. Ramos."
Aiden made eye contact with Erika, read her confusion. She'd run the odds and come up with the same crap shoot he had.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Señorita. Señor Greene here took my life and family from me. As a man of honor, I always repay my debts."
Erika had to do something and fast. Sonny's pulse was picking up with every passing minute. He was going to do something. Staring Erika down, he willed her to take the shot. She gave an almost imperceptive shake of her head. Damn, he needed to do something to give her a clearer shot without getting himself killed in the process.
And then it dawned on him. A move so simple yet so effective, it was taught in women's self-defense classes.
Shoot him, he mouthed, trying not to move his lips and give anything away.
Again came the oh-so-subtle shaking of her head, designed to look like she was shaking water out of her ear.
Shoot him on three.
One.
Two.
Three.
Aiden allowed his body to go limp, Sonny's choke hold gagging him. The shot rang out in the open lobby, Sonny's grip releasing completely. Aiden fell to the marble floor, cracking his temple.
The man behind the chair raced forward, weapon drawn. More men stormed the lobby with their weapons at the ready. Erika dropped to her knees, cradling his sore head.
"It's over. It's over.” She chanted the words as she brushed his hair back from his face. “We got Sonny."
"Yeah, we did."
They made a damn good pair and he intended to make sure they stayed that way.
Chapter 18
Sitting on the plush recliner, Erika stretched her head from side to side, back and front, while keeping the phone close to her ear. “Yes, Dad.” She'd called her parents as soon as the interminably long briefing ended, the sun setting on one of the longest days of her life. “I hear you, Dad."
Local media had arrived on the scene shortly after someone called 911. While the SEAL commander had refused to release any names or give any details beyond the basic—an escaped drug lord had been killed by the military during a hostage situation—Erika didn't want her parents to see her on the news and worry. Not that they worried.
As usual, her father droned on about her career choice, the lack of money and prestige involved. Listening to him drone on, she realized that for the first time, his words held no sting. She didn't obsess about the irony that for all her father wanted a boy, he wasn't pleased with her choice of a primarily masculine career choice. She didn't wait for the I love you's that never came.
A week ago, their lack of support and understanding would have annoyed her, hurt her. Thanks to
Aiden, she'd discovered she could be happy with her own success, she didn't need her father, or any man, to validate her. Aiden supported her, understood her. He loved her. He trusted her. Nothing else mattered.
"I have some time off coming, Dad. Maybe I'll drive up to visit.” If things went the way she hoped they'd go when she finally got a chance to see Aiden, she'd like to take him to meet her parents. “Yes, of course I'll call you first. Good night, Dad."
She shut her phone, leaning back against the chair. She'd had a very productive conversation with the colonel before she called her parents, even if he did chew her ass out for going to the pool. That had followed a very grueling afternoon with the local police, the DEA, the FBI, and the CIA, not to mention a general or two from Hulbert Field, the home of Air Force Special Operations. While no one doubted she would be cleared, especially with the SEAL's story matching hers, OSI had to conduct an investigation. The Office of Special Investigation would be thorough, of that she had little doubt. She knew she had no choice but to shoot to kill. If she hadn't, Sonny would have killed Aiden, maybe her, and the SEAL inside the building hadn't had a clear shot. The SEALs outside the lobby were hampered by bulletproof glass. She'd done the right thing. The alphabet soup of agencies sticking their noses into the incident could crawl up her butt with a microscope. She was clean.
Arching her back, she shrugged her shoulders and stretched her neck. If only she felt as confident about Aiden. She'd told him that she loved him. And yet, he pulled away from her. When he finally showed up, she'd lay it all out for him and pray he opened his damn eyes. If he didn't come by, she'd track him down and make him listen. If he still pushed her away—
She refused to think about that.
The sun sat on the horizon, a ripe peach spreading rays of red and purple along the water. Any minute now, Erika expected it to sink out of sight. She strolled out onto the small balcony, the air taking on a chill with the approaching night. She filled her lungs with the tangy salt air and listened to the calming waves. The air around her electrified, a sexual energy invaded her body.
The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs Page 23
