Fiery Surrender

by Mari Carr

  “Langston, how long have you been a member of the Trinity Masters?” Mina asked.

  “A couple months.”

  Damn. Rich held his tongue, letting Mina continue the questioning.

  “How did you learn about the Trinity Masters? Were you approached by someone?”

  “I found out about it because of my sister.” Langston lifted one shoulder casually. “She fell in love. With two men from Europe. They were members of the Masters’ Admiralty, and they were here investigating someone who’d come to hide out in America. My sister had been her—the fugitive’s—student, so that’s how she got involved.”

  “And through your sister’s involvement with the European secret society, you found out about the Trinity Masters?”

  “My brothers and I went to help my sister. Juliette and Franco and Sebastian showed up to yell at Sylvia’s then boyfriends—now husbands.”

  “Knowing about the society doesn’t always mean you’re offered membership. When was the offer extended?”

  “Juliette invited us after Eric did.”

  Rich resisted the urge to reach over and shake information out of Langston. Mina was unruffled by the pace of the conversation and just kept asking questions like he was a witness on the stand.

  “And who is Eric?”

  “Eric is the fleet admiral. The boss of the Masters’ Admiralty. Juliette’s equivalent. See, he offered Sylvia membership, and she accepted so she could marry her guys, and then he offered me and my brothers membership. Juliette counteroffered. I accepted.”

  “You and your brothers were offered membership to both societies?” Rich couldn’t keep the incredulity from his tone.

  “Don’t think I’m good enough?” Langston’s gaze was sharp, and for the first time, the other man looked threatening.

  “I’m wondering what exactly makes you so special.”

  “I know how to work. Wasn’t just born into a pile of money. And I’m not making a fortune off the desecration of the environment.”

  Rich saw red. He sat forward, reaching for Langston, but Mina thrust out her arm. She was tiny compared to him, but he wouldn’t brush her aside. He sat back, glaring at Langston.

  “You accepted Juliette’s offer of membership, correct?” Mina asked.

  “Yes.” Langston was still glaring at him.

  “And your brothers?”

  “No. Well, not yet for Walt. Oscar won’t join.”

  “Thank you for that background information. Now to the issue at hand. You’ve already done some consulting with or for the Masters’ Admiralty?”

  “Yeah, I don’t know all the parts of the story, but whatever they learned from Sylvia’s old teacher led them to the main bad guy, who fled to Guam. Juliette gave them permission to follow him, and Seb and I went, too, to help in case there were bombs,” Langston pointed at himself, “and to keep an eye on them.”

  “And this person got away?” Rich asked. “And so they need your help again?”

  “No, he’s dead. Very dead. But he had a sort of religious cult who was the source of the bombs. I’m guessing there’s still a few nuts running around Europe.”

  “Tell us more about how you were almost blown up,” Mina instructed.

  “I was hanging out at the safe house with one of the Masters’ Admiralty, Nyx, while the rest of the team went hunting for the bad guy. While they were away, he showed up at the safe house. Had a small package bomb, which he used to force Nyx to leave with him. I was able to disarm it.”

  “So they want you to disarm another bomb,” Rich said.

  “No, if you were listening to what Juliette said—”

  “Stop.” Mina once more thrust out an arm. “Rich, leave the questioning to me.”

  He nodded. Langston pushed every button he had.

  “What do you think is going to happen when we land?” Mina asked.

  Langston sighed and sat back. “I know one guy from Italy. Milo. I think he’s a knight. Not like, an official one. I think that’s a title in the organization. My sister has told me some stuff, and I learned a few things because I was with them, but I don’t know the structure of it all. It’s kind of funny, now that I think about it, but it feels like I know more about the Masters’ Admiralty than the Trinity Masters. Anyway, either Milo or someone else will probably have me look at a bomb they’ve found, maybe disarm it if they haven’t. Bombs are unique in the way they’re put together. It sounds like they want to know if this bomb is from their religious nuts or some other source.”

  Mina nodded. “Thank you very much. That helps us understand what’s going on.” She too sat back, her arm on the armrest. Rich covered the fingers of the hand resting on her knee with his. He didn’t miss the way Langston’s gaze dropped to their joined hands.

  Rich waited for Mina to continue, pleased when she began asking for the explanations he really wanted. “That answers some of the questions about how and why you were let in. It doesn’t explain your behavior at our binding ceremony.”

  Langston’s shoulders tensed. “Juliette was marrying me off fast because she was worried I’d leave and go to the Masters’ Admiralty. She doesn’t trust me. I didn’t want to be rushed into a marriage because of that.”

  “So this is all about you,” Rich said coolly. The arrogant shit.

  “It isn’t fair to you two,” Langston said. “She rushed the marriage and gave me a man and—” Langston cut himself off.

  Beside him, Mina had gone still. “Gave you?” Her tone was silky soft.

  “Want me to hold him while you hit him, darlin’?” Rich needed to make the joke because otherwise, he was going to launch himself at the other man.

  Langston placed both hands on the top of his head and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m making a hog’s breakfast of this.”

  “And am I to understand you object to being married to Rich?” Mina asked. “And I am your…war prize? Reward?”

  “I just hadn’t pictured…I always thought…” Langston seemed to realize he was in the hole and still digging.

  Weirdly, Rich felt a pang of sympathy.

  “Oh, of course,” Mina mused. “You wanted a harem. Two wives to cater to you and fuck you and take care of you.”

  “Ah, man, you’re pretty, but dumb,” Rich said sympathetically to Langston.

  “No! I mean, I’m straight. Very far toward heterosexual on the Kinsey scale, so I just—”

  “Because the most important part of any relationship is physical intimacy? Because intellect, interests, those play no part?” Mina said, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. “That sort of thinking is exactly why the trinity marriages were formed.”

  “I just didn’t…ah hell…I didn’t even know about trinity marriages until six months ago.”

  “Excuse me.” Mina rose. “I’m going to get some rest in the bedroom. Rich, if you’d like to join me—we won’t be having sex, as we’re both adults and able to control ourselves—you’re welcome to. Langston, perhaps you should take some time to assess the real reason you joined the Trinity Masters, and if perhaps you might be better suited to join your sister in Europe.”

  With that, she turned and walked toward the rear of the aircraft.

  Rich looked at Langston. There were a million things he could have said, but instead, he rose and patted Langston once on the shoulder before he followed Mina.

  * * *

  Ten hours later, and after a refueling stop in Cork, Ireland, their plane touched down in Rome. Mina had spent most of the time in the bedroom except when safety demanded that she take a seat. Rich had slept beside her, his mind restless even as his body was tired.

  Mina, his wife who wouldn’t stay his wife, had curled next to him sometime in the middle of the night, and he’d spent the last few hours playing over what could have been. What the two of them could have had, could have been to each other.

  If not for Langston Hayden.

  There was no way this trinity was going to last. They had been right to fight their
attraction when they’d discussed sleeping together in the legacy house. They…well, Langston…would have to invoke the Bloody Binding rule, and this thing would be dissolved. Or maybe Langston would jump ship to the Masters’ Admiralty.

  Finding out about the European secret society only gave Rich more things to think about and consider.

  Even after ten hours, Mina was still giving off pissed-off vibes and Rich actually felt sorry for Langston. The other man was an idiot in many, many ways, but his protest that he hadn’t had time to come to terms with the reality of what a trinity marriage would actually entail had struck a chord. He and Mina had grown up being raised by trinities. He, too, was decidedly heterosexual, but he’d always known he might be married to a man, so he’d worked to expand his own horizons and had dedicated some serious time to practicing ménage sex.

  As the plane began its descent into a small private airport outside of Rome, Rich wondered exactly what they were going to do once they got to the romantic getaway part of this trip. Technically, they were considered married in the eyes of the Trinity Masters, and Langston had clearly never had a ménage. Even if Juliette did set the trinity aside, Langston needed experience when it came to…

  Shit. Rich pushed that thought away.

  No sex. No sex.

  The plane touched down, and they taxied for nearly ten minutes before they came to a stop.

  The flight attendant opened the door as they stood and stretched. It was late afternoon in Italy, though his body was telling him it was the very early or maybe the middle of the night. He hadn’t slept much, and given the looks on Mina’s and Langston’s faces, neither had they.

  Without a word to either of them, Langston grabbed his jacket and backpack and headed for the door.

  “Was I too hard on him?” Mina asked softly. “I know I can be aggressive.”

  “You’re perfect,” Rich assured her.

  “You don’t have to lie to me just because we’re married now.”

  Rich’s chest tightened. Did she consider them married? “I’m not lying, and when this all falls apart, what I’ll regret the most is not being married to you anymore.”

  “You think our marriage won’t be confirmed?” Mina glanced over her shoulder at him as he held her coat.

  “The minute we left the binding ceremony I figured this was doomed, and nothing that’s happened since has changed my opinion.”

  “I think you’re right, but what about—”

  Rich put his hands on her shoulders. “One thing at a time, darlin’.”

  They walked to the door of the plane and then down the air stairs. Langston was waiting at the bottom next to a muscular man wearing a white dress shirt and too-tight jeans. What was it about Europeans that they didn’t know how a pair of jeans should fit?

  When they reached him, Langston turned to them. “Mina Edwards. Rich Blake. This is Milo Moretti. He was on Guam with me.”

  “Benvenuti a Italia.” Milo shook his hand, then kissed the back of Mina’s fingers. Rich expected her to shake him off, but she didn’t.

  Wait, was she blushing?

  He glared at the Italian, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Langston was doing the same.

  “Lieto di vederla,” Mina said.

  “You speak Italian!” Milo’s smile was wide.

  “Just a few phrases.”

  “Beautiful and intelligent.” Milo bent over her hand once again.

  “Knock it off, Milo. Where’s this bomb?” Langston grumped.

  Milo took his time kissing Mina’s knuckles a second time before releasing her hand and turning to Langston. “You think saying ‘bomb’ in an airport is a smart thing to do?”

  Langston rolled his eyes. “Sorry. But let’s get this done.”

  “Is there still time today?” Mina glanced up, where the sun was well past its zenith.

  “Yes, we will go there now. And then…” Milo smiled. “We have arranged something special for you. You will be spending the night in one of my family’s country houses. It is not so grand, but it is beautiful, surrounded by hills. Trees.”

  “Thanks, man,” Langston said.

  “A honeymoon in Italy is what such a beautiful trinity deserves.” This time, Milo’s gaze slid over him. Rich nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment, and looking at the sexy Italian man brought Rich’s thoughts right back around to sex with his doomed trinity.

  Maybe sex wasn’t such a bad idea. Langston, the poor idiot, could certainly use some ménage experience so he didn’t fuck up whatever trinity he eventually ended up in.

  And then I get to have sex with Mina.

  Milo led them to a large sedan. Langston claimed the front passenger seat, so Rich slid in back with Mina.

  They drove for forty minutes before stopping in an industrial area. There were several small warehouses, and based on the logos of the businesses around them, he would have bet money these were shipping companies, maybe some light manufacturing, and at least one truck mechanic.

  Milo navigated carefully down a narrow, scrupulously clean alley between two white warehouses. They emerged into a small parking lot, beyond which was another long, squat building. Unlike the others, this one was surrounded by a wall, and there was a gate that barred the car from going any farther. On the far side of the warehouse, he could see the tops of the trees, meaning this building backed up to a wooded area.

  “We must leave the car here.” Milo pulled into a parking spot. “I had suggested we find someplace better for you two to wait, but your Grand Master gave my admiral instructions that the three of you were to stay together.”

  “Admiral?” Mina asked.

  Milo merely smiled.

  They got out, leaving everything but Langston’s backpack, which he said he needed, in the car, and then walked to the gate. Milo entered a code. They all looked up at the security camera, and then the gate slid aside, opening just enough for them to walk through before closing again.

  “What is this place?” Mina asked.

  “A research facility.” Milo’s tone made it clear he wasn’t going to say more.

  That wasn’t going to stop Rich. “Is it safe to do munitions research so close to other businesses?”

  “This facility is state-of-the-art,” Milo countered.

  “Bombproof is a misnomer,” Langston added. “You can’t bombproof things. You can make them less explodable.”

  “Less explodable?” For the first time in many hours, Mina smiled at Langston.

  “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. Bombs blow stuff up. Period,” Langston said.

  They’d reached the unmarked, nondescript door at the front of the building. Milo keyed in another code and opened the door, preceding them.

  The hallway beyond was sterile and white, and Rich vowed that if one of the fluorescent lights above flickered even once, he was grabbing Mina and running for it. He wasn’t prone to fear or flights of fancy, but the sterile white hallway was giving him horror-movie vibes.

  Milo led the way down the hall, past at least four unmarked doors. He stopped at one on the right, knocked once, and then opened it.

  Inside was a large room partitioned into sections by huge pieces of thick glass. One area looked like a chemistry classroom, with long counters atop which sat microscopes, while another area looked like the back room of a computer repair store, with electronics, soldering irons, and rolls of cable hanging from one wall.

  Milo called out and a man popped up from behind a long bench. He was white, with medium-brown hair, brown eyes, and black-frame glasses. He was rather nondescript, in Rich’s opinion, and wore a wrinkled dress shirt.

  The man wiped his hands on his pants and made his way over to them, skirting around the clear walls and various benches and tables.

  “Langston Hayden, this is Luca Campisi. He’s our bomb expert.”

  Luca nodded once, smiled briefly. He seemed almost shy, though Rich caught the other man looking over each of them with a decepti
vely perceptive gaze.

  “Mr. Hayden. I am sorry you came all this way. I told them we could have consulted electronically.”

  “Always better to see it in person. Do you have somewhere I can set up?” Langston held up his backpack.

  “I don’t want an unfamiliar tech in my lab.”

  Milo frowned at Luca. “It is not your decision to make. We want Mr. Hayden’s opinion.”

  Rich could tell this was going to devolve into a pissing match. He’d seen his share of posturing and knew the best way to deal with it was for someone to take control.

  “Langston, set up over there, where all the other computer stuff is.” Rich pointed to a desk area. “Where’s the safest area in here for Mina and me?”

  Luca started to protest as Langston walked toward the desk. Rich grabbed him. “Safe,” he demanded.

  Luca grimaced, then pointed to a small office that looked a bit like a control booth. There was a large glass window between the office and the lab that allowed them to still see what was going on. Rich assumed the office was supposed to give them a sense of security or provide a layer of defense between them and whatever might happen in the main part of the lab. It might have done that if Langston hadn’t just said there was no such thing as bombproof. Regardless, he wanted Mina to feel safe.

  Rich nodded. “Thank you. Come on, Mina. We’ll get out of their way. I have no desire to get blown up today.”

  Chapter Seven

  Langston took his computer and one of the two tablets he was carrying out of his bag. A quick glance around told him that he wouldn’t have to try to create a full-size robot out of stuff here, Iron Man style, or use the mini robot he always carried with him.

  He opened the laptop and turned it on, then turned to Milo and Luca. The tech didn’t look happy that he was here, and Langston couldn’t blame him. He wouldn’t have liked someone invading his lab, either.

  “Where’s the device you want me to look at?”

  Luca led him over to an empty corner of the room. Double-thick blast screens created an enclosed space. Sitting in the center of the floor was a shoebox-sized cardboard box. It was still sealed with tape and looked like any package that might show up at someone’s doorstep.