by Harte, Marie
Jack grunted. “Good work. The store owner’s okay, though, right?”
“I left her with a little headache. It was unavoidable,” he said to defend himself.
“We don’t hurt civilians.”
“No shit.”
Jack glared.
“I tried my best. It wasn’t easy to get the name, but without some movement, I wouldn’t have found it.” Movement—what Aidan referred to as his method of searching through the brain. He mentally sifted through thoughts and memories, and sometimes his probing brought pain to the subject under scrutiny. Not his problem.
“Fine. So we have a name.” Jack mulled over the idea while Aidan succumbed to temptation and tested his boss’s shields, searching for a crack.
Prying was instinctive, and it passed the time while Jack pondered what to do next. Just once inside Jack’s head, and Aidan would stop. It killed him that he couldn’t see more than a solid, blank wall of thought. He’d read the other members of the PowerUp! team at one time or another and, after that, made it a point to stay out of their heads. They didn’t like his intrusion, but Aidan subscribed to the axiom better safe than sorry. He had to be able to trust the team, to an extent. They all had secrets, but none of them meant him any harm, personally. He could live with that. He just wished he could figure out Jack.
“If you want to walk without a limp, fucking shut it down. Now.”
That Jack spoke in a calm tone while he continued to look through the folder on his desk shocked Aidan out of his intrusion. He hadn’t thought the man could sense the light touch of his mind. “How can you feel that?”
“Same way you work your way into the brain. It’s mind magic.”
Aidan snorted.
“You keep poking, I’ll cut you off at the knees.” Jack lifted his head and pierced Aidan with a wolf-bright glare.
“Uh, okay. Sorry.”
“Right. So what else can you tell me about our newest buyer?”
“Michelle Nolan. A nice girl from Kentucky, now living with some high roller with a thing for kink, specifically, domination.”
“Right up your alley, eh, Aidan?”
How the hell his boss knew of his nighttime proclivities, Aidan couldn’t say. Nor did he care at the moment. They were close to completing the mission, something Aidan always did. He’d never tolerated failure. He couldn’t. So he ignored Jack and continued, “Her boyfriend is Doug Polski. He’s a big name on the D/s scene in select circles in New York, and he’s done time for grand larceny, assault, rape, you name it. But he always manages to find a Get out of Jail Free card. From what I learned, he bought the book for his boss, who happens to be having an intimate party at his beach house this Saturday in Mendocino, California. He’s extended an invite to a ton of deviants with criminal connections spanning the country.”
“So get yourself invited.”
That was what Aidan had hoped Jack might say, yet the cost might be higher than they could afford. “See, the thing is, this party isn’t for your everyday mafioso wannabe. Only bigwigs have been invited, those with a particular fetish for certain things. And they have bankrolls substantially higher than ours. Hell, just getting into the party costs fifty grand. We’d be better off reconning the place, then stealing the thing.” He paused. “Oh, and Polski’s boss? That would be Carl Kerr.”
“Hold on.” Jack scowled. “Carl Kerr, the trust-fund millionaire who owns the seedier half of Portland?”
“The same. He won’t let just anyone into his party either. And he’s known for some deviant shit—I did some digging. He’s into bondage, games, and young men to sate his appetites. Sorry to say, I’m not his type. Too aggressive.”
Jack grunted.
“So unless you have fifty thousand dollars sitting around to pay my way in and a background for me that will stand up to scrutiny and get me included on that party list, we’re done before we’ve started.”
“There’s no point in trying to steal the book unless we know for sure it’s the one we’re looking for.”
“True. My intel could be wrong, and this book isn’t the one our client wants. No point in inviting trouble with these dickheads if we don’t have to. But I think Kerr has it at his beach house. Polski already got paid, from what I hear. A big thank-you from the boss for a job well done.”
“Hell. We’ll need an in.” Jack paused. “Hold on.” He turned away and dialed the phone. A few curt niceties gave way to a discussion about money. Jack hung up and nodded at Aidan. “You’ll have your fifty thou, as well as a cover to get you in.”
Wow. That was serious pull. “Great. Now I just have to find someone I can dominate for a weekend who’ll catch Carl’s eye.” Aidan scoffed. “Seriously. I can work with a fake identity and the money, but going into a Dom party with a new sub won’t work. First of all, I won’t bring a civilian into danger, and second, the only person I can think to work with in this type of situation would be Ian. Kitty’s too hard. She’s a spitfire, not the image we’d need. And with Carl’s penchant for dudes, she’s not the best person for the job anyway. The rest of the guys around here are too big and aggressive to make a suitable partner. Ian’s pretty enough to distract Carl, but he’s such a smart-ass.” Aidan shook his head. “He’s the only guy I can think of, though. I’ll need time to train him. With the party in just a few days, it’ll be tight—”
“No. Not Ian. I’ve got a partner for you.” Jack held up a hand. “And before you start, this isn’t up for discussion.”
Terrific. Aidan just knew he wasn’t going to like Jack’s next words.
“You need to keep this as real as possible to convince Kerr you’re on the up-and-up. I don’t see you pulling this off with a woman.”
Aidan didn’t either, but he’d done worse to bring home a case.
“You need someone to handle, someone who’s already familiar with the book and you, who won’t need to be brought up to speed on more than how to obey when you tell him to.”
“Makes sense,” he said cautiously. So far, he and Jack were on the same page.
“This is going to be dangerous. Finding that book should have been easy, but it’s been one chase after another.”
“No kidding. So are you going to match me up with one of the Cannons, then?” They were the only psychics and mercenaries Aidan knew besides the team. He wouldn’t mind a shot at one of the younger twins, Justin or Kyle. They didn’t fit Kerr’s type, but he could work around that. Both men were brawny and had stamina, but they looked young and were hot. He’d love to order one or both around. Plus, they could no doubt handle themselves in a fight. He wasn’t sure what they could do psychically, but Jack had warned the team to be wary of the Cannons, so Aidan considered them a serious threat.
Jack smiled, and Aidan took an immediate mental step back. “I have someone better in mind.”
A name flashed at Aidan so powerfully, he knew Jack had to have projected it. “Oh shit, no.”
“Oh shit, yes. He’s yours for the duration. Don’t fuck it up. We need that book back to satisfy the client. Period.”
“But—”
“Yes or no? Because I can always give the case to Keegan and James. I’m sure they could pull this off.”
And then everyone would know he’d failed, that he couldn’t handle it, no matter that Gavin had messed up. It had been Aidan’s case to begin with. Hell, the team already looked at him with caution because of his telepathy. He didn’t want to add scorn to the mix. Look at how he viewed Gavin, that perennial screwup.
And speaking of the naive, sexy little nerd, “But he’s—”
“Yours to get up to speed. He’s smaller than you, and he wears innocence like a second skin. Get him all starry-eyed and mission-ready, and you might be surprised at what he can do.”
“Surprise is something I don’t need in the field,” Aidan muttered.
“You taking the case or not? I have work to do.”
“Hell yeah, I’m taking the case,” he snapped. He stood, but bef
ore he could leave, Jack tossed him the file.
“Get started fast. You have five days before you need to be in California. In the meantime, we’ll put together a package for you and your new boy toy. And Aidan? This is important. I have a feeling a lot of our tomorrows rest on this case.”
Aidan didn’t like Jack’s sober warning. But he liked the thought of partnering up with Gavin Caldwell even less. Christ, Gavin’s submissive to Aidan’s dominant? Why not just shoot him in the head and be done with it? He swore to himself all the way home, wondering how the hell he’d make their pseudorelationship work in time for a dungeon party with a well-known crime lord.
JACK STARED AT his empty doorway and frowned. The phone rang, and he picked it up. “Yeah?”
Owen Stallbridge answered, “Testy today, Jack. So you think this lead is real?”
“I just said so, didn’t I?” he growled. When Owen said nothing, the creeping tension climbing Jack’s spine moved faster. “What’s going on?”
“I heard from someone today I hadn’t talked to in months.” Silence. “She needs information from that book. Something’s not right. And if I don’t get the answers she needs, I’m worried we’re going to have a real problem on our hands. And by our, I mean you and me.”
Jack liked Owen, and the bastard knew it. But this was the first time Owen had included Jack in his personal problems. “What do you need me to do?”
“Come over, and we’ll talk. I can’t wait on this any longer, no matter what she says.”
Burning with curiosity—because nothing had fazed Owen in the two years Jack had known him—Jack agreed and said good-bye. He set the phone back in its cradle and left the office.
He ran into Kitty upstairs. Their day manager and resident empath, Kitty kept the gym and the team running smoothly. He didn’t know what he’d do without her. “I have to go, but I’ll be back soon.”
“Roger that.” She gave him a mock salute and grinned, her green eyes bright with enthusiasm. She pulled a rare answering grin out of him, her good mood infectious. “Make sure you watch your back. And drink more water. You look dehydrated.”
“Yes, Mom,” he mocked.
Kitty frowned. “Don’t make me open up a can of whoop-ass, boss. I’m a redhead. We’re known for our tempers.” The woman could calm a raging storm and often did. Temper. Right.
He waved. “I have my cell if you need me. Oh, and have Nathan on standby. I might need him later.”
“Sure thing.” She turned to help a gym patron needing her assistance, and Jack slipped out the door.
Time to fix what was broken. He could only hope Aidan would continue his streak of successes and that Gavin could do what needed to be done. Because if he didn’t let Gavin fix his mistake, he had a feeling the younger man would leave for good. And that he couldn’t let happen.
Chapter Two
Gavin groaned and fell back on the couch. His small condo overlooking the Deschutes River had been pricey but worth it. During the warmer months, he left his patio door open and listened to the rushing water, enjoying the calm that nature brought. Today’s low temperature kept the river’s music muted through the wind-blocking doors, so he lay on his cushy sofa and stared at the ceiling. He did that a lot lately, assessing and reassessing his life.
The need for action pricked beneath the surface. His intuition screamed at him to do something. He just didn’t know what. He’d like to go back to the gym, head downstairs into the underground training area known only to the team, and beat the hell out of someone. Namely, Aidan. The smug bastard.
He clenched his fists as an image of the man intruded on his thoughts. That blond hair was too long, his brown eyes too dark, his physical presence too overpowering. Everything about Aidan was a little too much. Gavin swore. Someday, Aidan would screw up. Mr. Perfect couldn’t be 100 percent right all the time. Gavin just hoped he’d be there when the dickhead tripped over his own feet.
It was easy to pick on Gavin. Yeah, he’d screwed up the first time an enemy had fired real bullets at him. Sue him—he’d frozen. A logical reaction most normal people might have. After freezing up, he’d shot straight up into the air, his fight-or-flight instincts on overdrive. Problem was, bullets could travel up. The smart thing would have been to take cover. At the time, he’d been with his trainer. Caleb Dalton was as big a jerk as Aidan, and the man had torn him a new one after saving his ass.
Did Gavin deserve the reprimand? Probably. But to fix Gavin’s fear, Dalton should have thrown him right back into danger, so that he could get used to life-and-death situations. Instead, Dalton had grounded him and ordered that he put his math degree to work saving the government money, an attitude Admiral London had seconded.
That hurt. Gavin greatly respected the admiral, so he strove to please him by doing the best job he could, even behind a desk. His efforts to be noticed had backfired, though. He’d been too good at his job, and no one wanted to let him return to the field.
“Kind of like now,” he grumbled and blinked when he realized the ceiling looked closer than it had before.
With a muffled oath, he glanced down at the receding couch, now several feet below his body. What he wouldn’t give for a useful talent. Something like Keegan’s powerful telekinesis, or James’s awesome ability to control fire. Aidan, as annoying as he was, could read minds.
Maybe that wasn’t such a good talent to have, Gavin thought as he lowered himself to the sofa once more. The PowerUp! group were a friendly bunch, but even among fellow psychics, Aidan stood apart. Gavin remained distanced because he’d failed and couldn’t bear the disdain he imagined sat at the forefront of the others’ minds. But Aidan always got the job done. It was his mind-reading ability that freaked out the team. Hell, it freaked Gavin out. He hated Aidan picking on him. But he wasn’t a kid. He couldn’t claim the guy bullied him, or he’d look like more of a weakling than usual.
Nobody bullied Jack. Or Keegan, James, Nathan, Avery, Noah, Chloe… He groaned. Ian, the slightest member of their team and newest addition, didn’t take anyone’s shit. Mess with him, and he’d empty your bank accounts or forge documents to land you in jail. Gavin could only threaten to hover high above his opponents. Yeah, big threat.
He sighed, wondering if tomorrow morning would suck as much as he thought it might. There was no way Jack would give him a job in the field. Gavin’s time with Kitty in the morning would no doubt be an exercise in patience, while the pretty empath convinced him to relax. Kitty manipulated emotion, but she seemed to actually like him, unlike the rest of the team.
He’d probably spend his time working out, which would at least ease the psychic pressure building inside him. The gene therapy he’d undergone while the PWP had been active had expanded his talent. He’d only been able to move a few inches off the ground before the program, and the stress from doing even that little bit had produced nosebleeds. Now he could rise dozens of feet into the sky and float without fear of falling. Tomorrow he’d exercise and ignore the computer for once.
Hell, anything was better than crunching more numbers.
Back on the couch, he pulled a blanket over himself and started to drift into a light nap when a knock came at the door. A heavy hand rapped several times, and then the doorbell rang unceasingly.
Gavin tossed aside the blanket, rolled to his feet, and stalked to the door. “Hold on.” Jesus, give me a chance to reach the doorknob at least. He yanked open the door. “What the…hell?”
He stared in shock at an annoyed Aidan Marshall glaring down at him. Without asking, Aidan muscled past him and stopped in the center of the living room. “Nice. Not what I expected.”
Gavin shut the door and frowned as he joined Aidan in the middle of his living room. “Expected? Why are you here? What do you want?”
Aidan didn’t answer. Instead he turned to face Gavin, his intense scrutiny more than uncomfortable. There was an almost personal aspect to his study that alarmed Gavin, because he sensed a toughness in Aidan that would extend
beyond the normal day-to-day. He’d be tough with his boyfriends. Demanding. Sexually aggressive.
Not good thoughts to be thinking with the mind reader so near.
Fortunately, Aidan didn’t react at all. The hulking blond circled him, his gaze roaming from Gavin’s hair to his toes. Gavin shivered—from excitement, not the cold—wishing he’d thrown on a sweatshirt to cover the plain white tee he wore.
“You have nice feet.”
“O-kay.” Gavin didn’t know what the hell Aidan was doing in his condo. He followed the man’s gaze to his bare feet, suddenly noticing the cold. Ignoring Aidan for the moment, he turned and moved to the fireplace. With the flip of a switch, he ignited the gas logs.
When he turned around, Aidan was right there, caging him between the mantel and his hard body.
“What—”
Firm lips cut him off. Holy shit was all he could think as Aidan Marshall took command of his mouth. Who knew he could kiss like that, or that the chemistry between them would turn combustible between one heartbeat and the next?
Aidan’s domination flipped that switch inside Gavin that responded to another’s mastery. His secret kink, and the reason he’d rarely found a decent sexual partner. No one could deal with him. Or so he’d thought. Aidan seemed to be handling him just fine.
The kiss deepened, and Gavin couldn’t help the groan that left him, even as he tried to mentally disengage. He didn’t like the man, couldn’t stand his…
“That’s it,” Aidan crooned as he slid a hand between them and cupped Gavin’s erection. “You’re a big boy, aren’t you?”
Fuck if he could think beyond the need to come. Aidan slid his tongue past Gavin’s lips and seduced him with ease. He stroked and led, and Gavin helplessly followed. The hand over his cock grew firmer, rubbing and pushing through the denim. To his astonishment, he felt Aidan’s arousal grinding into him as well.
