Team 52 Box Set: Books 1-3

by Anna Hackett

  “Stop that,” he growled.

  Then, because he couldn’t stop himself from touching her, he cupped her face. Again, the damage to her smooth skin made him so angry. Kinsey was always bright smiles and a pretty face. She had a hell of a smile that could blind any man or woman. She didn’t deserve the bruises, cuts, and swelling. He stroked one bruise gently.

  “We’ll find out who they are,” he said. “This is no one’s fault but those mother…assholes. I’m sorry they ever laid a hand on you.”

  “Smith—”

  “From now on, you’ll be safe. I promise.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  Minutes later, a Black Hawk helicopter swooped in to land. Smith kept Kinsey close as they boarded. Once all of Team 52 were seated, the helo took off.

  Kinsey leaned into Smith’s side. He slid an arm around her. Damned if she didn’t fit perfectly against him. When he looked down, he realized that she’d fallen asleep. He knew she needed the rest.

  Then he looked up.

  Axel and Blair were grinning at him. Lachlan’s lips were tipped in a smile, and Callie was studiously looking out the window, but she was smiling, too.

  “Shut up,” Smith muttered.

  Blair leaned forward. “Dude, there is no way in hell we aren’t going to get some mileage out of this.”

  He grunted. The team had roasted both Lachlan and Seth when the men had fallen hard for their women on previous missions.

  But this wasn’t that. Kinsey was a part of the team, and theirs to protect. He was just looking out for her. Smith wasn’t going there with her…ever.

  He knew not everyone was better in pairs. He preferred his own company. When he’d been young and dumb, he’d let his high school girlfriend lead him around by his cock. He should never have let Lila convince him to get married. As soon as she had his ring on her finger, she’d gone about making his life a goddamn misery—spending his money, staying out all night, snorting shit up her nose, going off on drunken rants, and sometimes, she’d gotten violent.

  Nope, Smith prized his solitude. Most relationships went south once the shine wore off, and he wasn’t willing to go there again.

  Blair leaned back in her seat, putting her arms behind her head. “The bigger they are—”

  “The harder they hit annoying teammates,” Smith finished.

  Blair laughed, and he felt the amusement of the others, but when he looked back down at Kinsey, he couldn’t dredge up much annoyance.

  When they landed at Area 52, Kinsey didn’t stir. Not wanting to disturb her, Smith lifted her into his arms.

  She felt so tiny. She barely weighed a thing. When he leaped off the Blackhawk, she still didn’t wake up. Instead, she snuggled deeper into his arms, trusting him to take care of her.

  That was a trust Smith would do his best not to betray.

  Chapter Five

  Kinsey stepped out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror. She winced. It did not look pretty. She had bruises everywhere, although the spectacular colors on her face were the worst of it.

  She dried off and dressed quickly. She kept quarters at Area 52 for the times she came out for training, or to help on certain missions. She grabbed some cargo pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt from the closet.

  She felt cold, even after a long, hot shower. She pulled her clothes on, breathing in the clean scent of detergent and softener. You appreciated the small things, after being held captive for days.

  But she still couldn’t seem to get warm.

  Callie had worked hard, treating her injuries. The medic had used some fancy machine that Ty had invented, and done some sort of laser treatment on Kinsey’s bruising. She’d promised that it would increase the rate of healing, and she’d see some fading within a few hours. Callie had also given Kinsey some painkillers, so right now, she wasn’t in any pain.

  What she needed was to get back to work. To keep busy, and find out who the hell those bastards were who used her to threaten the team.

  When she opened the door of her quarters, she halted. Smith was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall.

  When he spotted her, he straightened. “Feeling better?”

  Suddenly, the impact of the last few days all crashed in on her. “No.”

  His gaze sharpened on her face. Without thinking, Kinsey made a beeline for him. She didn’t care that he’d think she was weak or needy. She needed a hug.

  She slammed into his chest. Gosh, he was so big and warm. So strong.

  She started shaking, and his arms closed around her. “Hey, you’re safe.”

  “I know, it’s just…” Her throat tightened, cutting off her words.

  Smith scooped her up in his arms. He strode into her room, kicked the door shut behind him, and sat down on her bunk. He pulled her into his lap.

  Oh. How many times had she dreamed of being right here? She pressed into him. “You must think I’m weak—”

  “You just suffered a traumatic kidnapping, Kinsey. You were beaten. Give yourself a break.” One of his big hands stroked her back. “Take your time.”

  She had no idea how long they sat there, but slowly the warmth of him seeped into her. She released a sigh. “I bet you’ve never been afraid.”

  “You’d be wrong. Been afraid loads of times. As a SEAL, in training, on missions.”

  She glanced up at him, wishing she could stroke that dark beard of his. “How did you cope?”

  “I learned to channel it. Use it to help me get the job done. And after a rough mission, I learned not to bottle shit up. I learned to talk it out.”

  She gave a startled laugh. “You? Talk?”

  He gave her the faintest smile. “I talk sometimes. With my team.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, then fiddled with the strands for a moment, rubbing them between his fingers.

  “Smith?”

  “Your hair looks like spun gold.”

  Kinsey felt a flush of pleasure.

  “You need to call your family?” he asked.

  Her belly curdled. “No.”

  His fingers tightened on her. “No?”

  “We’re not close. Well, I am with my sister, but I’ll call her when I get back to Las Vegas. She’s working nights this week, so she wouldn’t expect to hear from me until the weekend. She’s a blackjack dealer at Caesar’s Palace.” Okay, maybe she was babbling a bit now.

  Smith tilted his head, his gaze narrowed. “And your parents?”

  “I haven’t seen them for seven years. Not since I moved to Vegas.” Not since she’d hightailed it out of Sugarview.

  His brows drew together. “You came to Vegas alone?”

  “Yes. I wanted to be a showgirl.” She wrinkled her nose. “Then I found out I was two inches too short.”

  “Your parents let you move to Las Vegas alone?”

  “They didn’t have a choice. I was twenty by then.” She’d finished high school and then spent two years working her butt off as a waitress and squirreling away every dollar she made into her Las Vegas Showgirl fund. “I couldn’t wait to leave.” She looked down at the floor. “Um, home wasn’t…great.”

  “How was it not great?”

  His tone had darkened and her heart thumped. “It doesn’t matter. The past is the past.” She smiled at him and watched his gaze drop to her lips. “Last thing my mama told me was that I wasn’t smart enough to do anything important.”

  “Your mama sounds like a bitch.”

  Kinsey laughed. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

  A wave of tiredness hit her, and she dropped her head to his shoulder. She didn’t want to let him go, but she knew she had to. The longer she snuggled into him the more she liked it.

  “I felt afraid today,” he said suddenly.

  She blinked up at him.

  “And yesterday. And the day you were taken.”

  Her lips parted. “You did?”

  “When I knew they had you…I’ve never felt fear like that.”

  Kinsey�
�s mouth dropped open and she stared at him. Her pulse was dancing like crazy.

  Then, Smith leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

  The kiss was slow and gentle. So good.

  As his lips moved over hers, his tongue sliding against hers, all kinds of sensations ignited inside Kinsey. She was kissing Smith. Oh God, she was kissing Smith and he was kissing her back. And it was better than she’d ever imagined.

  She leaned closer, deepening the kiss. A small, husky sound broke free from her lips.

  Then Smith jolted. He froze, stiller than she’d ever seen anyone go. Abruptly, he stood, dropping her onto her feet.

  “I’m sorry, Kinsey. I should never have done that.”

  He looked horrified. God. Humiliation rushed over her. The man didn’t want her. He’d made that clear before when, after one too many cocktails, she’d made a pass at him when the team was out one time.

  “Sure. Just heat-of-the-moment relief, right?” She forced the words out of a parched throat.

  He stared at her for a beat. “We’d better go and meet with the others.”

  An awkward silence fell. Well, that was that.

  Fighting back the prick of tears, Kinsey hurried out of the room. She was excruciatingly aware of him striding beside her, but she couldn’t look at him. She was suddenly cold again and she wrapped her arms around herself.

  When they stepped into the computer room, she saw that everyone was there. Blair hurried over and bumped her shoulder against Kinsey’s.

  “You look better already. Your cheeks are flushed.”

  Kinsey managed a smile. “I’m feeling much better.”

  Computer genius extraordinaire Brooks came over, his slightly-too-long hair falling over his forehead, and his glasses framing dark-blue eyes. His shirt made her want to laugh. It said “the Force is strong with this one” with an arrow pointed upward.

  Brooks patted her shoulder. “Shit, Kinse, you scared us.”

  “I’m okay.”

  “You find out who these assholes are yet?” Smith said.

  Brooks turned, his face changing. He looked pissed. “No. I’m running all kinds of searches in conjunction with the levitation technology. Haven’t found anything yet.”

  “That’s what they wanted?” Kinsey asked.

  Brooks nodded. “An ancient Tibetan levitation instrument.”

  Wow. It still amazed Kinsey every day that there were ancient artifacts with such power on Earth.

  “What about the men from the cabin?” Smith looked at Lachlan. “You questioned them?”

  Lachlan drew in a breath. “They were gone when the team arrived to retrieve them.”

  Smith cursed.

  “Whoever they are, they’re going to get a rude surprise when they realize the artifact they took doesn’t work,” Blair said.

  “Do you think…” Kinsey cleared her throat. “Do you think once they know, they’ll try to snatch me again?”

  “Possibly,” Brooks said. “We just don’t know anything yet.”

  “We’ll step up security,” Smith promised. “They won’t get near you again.”

  “Brooks is going to rig the Bunker with increased cameras and alarm systems,” Lachlan added.

  “And your place, too,” Smith said.

  “My place?” She frowned at him.

  “Your apartment. Do you have an alarm system?”

  She shook her head.

  Smith crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll take a look at your security when we get back to Las Vegas. Ensure your place is secure.”

  Well, he might not want to kiss her, but she had no doubt he wanted to help keep her safe.

  “Thanks.”

  Smith pulled the black SUV to a stop in front of the small block of apartments. He eyed the building, not liking what he was seeing. They were a step up from crappy…barely.

  “I know it’s not much,” Kinsey said from the passenger seat. “But the rent is cheap, and it’s close to the airport.” She smiled. “Short commute.”

  Damn, the woman could find a silver lining in everything. He eyed the way her smile brightened her face. He was fucking glad the bruises on her face looked better—the treatment Callie had used had made them fade substantially—because every time he saw them, he wanted to punch someone.

  “This was my first place when I moved to Las Vegas,” she continued. “I never found any reason to move out, even once I could afford to. Besides, it’s much better than where I grew up.” She opened her door and slid out.

  The more hints he got of Kinsey’s past, the less he liked it. Smith got out of the SUV, and once she joined him, they walked up the crumbling path. The garden beds close to the building were full of overgrown plants. He also noted several lights were burned out. Place wasn’t safe.

  She led him up a set of external stairs to the second floor.

  She stopped in front of her door and paused to stare at a vase filled with wilted red roses beside her door.

  Smith scowled at the flowers. “What’s that?”

  “Um, nothing.” She scooped up the flowers and pulled her keys out.

  Two apartments down, a door swung open, and a middle-aged man wearing a ratty bathrobe popped his head out. “Hey, Kinsey.”

  Instantly, Smith didn’t like the way the man looked at her.

  “Hi, Roger.” Kinsey’s voice told Smith she didn’t much like Roger either.

  “Shit, what happened to your face?” Roger asked, morbid curiosity in his tone.

  “Had an accident,” Kinsey said, voice flat.

  Roger lifted his chin. “Bummer.” His gaze skimmed down her body. “Haven’t seen you round much lately.”

  Kinsey opened her door. “I’ve been busy.”

  Smith stepped forward, and that’s when Roger noticed him. The man automatically stepped back.

  Roger puffed his chest up. “Uh…who’s your friend?”

  Kinsey tucked a strand of her hair back. “This is Smith, he’s my—”

  “Man,” Smith finished, glaring at Roger. He ignored Kinsey’s jerk of surprise.

  Disappointment flashed on Roger’s face. “Ah, right. Well, good night, then.” Roger closed his door.

  Kinsey stepped inside and Smith followed. She flicked on a light.

  She spun to face him. “What was that all about?”

  “I don’t like him.”

  “That makes two of us. But he’s an annoyance who stares at my chest. He’s harmless.”

  Smith begged to differ. But instead of arguing, he turned his attention to her place. It was simple and worn. Small, open-plan living area and kitchen. She’d put her stamp on the place with splashes of color. Colored fabric in blues and pinks was draped over the curtains and over one lamp. There was a sagging couch, covered in a mound of brightly-colored pillows. Hell, it looked like the damn things were breeding.

  There were also candles everywhere. Long ones, squat ones, thin ones, thick ones in glass jars. They were all different colors. He also spotted several more vases of roses crowded on her small kitchen counter. Who the hell was sending her all these flowers?

  “Someone brought my bag back from the Bunker.” She lifted the large handbag, pulling out her cellphone.

  “Blair,” Smith said.

  Automatically, he strode over to the windows. He’d already noted the lock on her door was mediocre at best, but shit, the locks on her windows were crap. He noticed a postage-stamp-sized balcony outside. He scowled. They were one story up, so it’d be an easy climb.

  He swiveled and strode down the short hall.

  “Smith—”

  He ignored her. There was a tired bathroom with garish green tiles, and a snug bedroom. He paused, staring at the bed. It had a pretty white cover, and another pile of out-of-control pillows, this time in soft pastels.

  Feminine. Pretty.

  “Smith?” She stood in the hall watching him, chewing on her bottom lip.

  Looking at her lips only made him remember how good she ta
sted. Desire punched into his gut. She’d felt perfect in his arms, and she’d come alive for him, kissing him back hungrily.

  Fuck. “Security is shit, babe.”

  “Okay.”

  “Tomorrow, I’ll change the locks and install a security system.”

  Her eyes widened. “I don’t think my landlord will—”

  “Nothing to do with your landlord. I’ll do it.”

  She blew out a breath, still chewing that lip. “Thanks.”

  Back in the living area, he stopped by her kitchen table. It was covered in old newspaper that she’d laid out and on top of that, it was filled with…stuff. He frowned, studying the tins, bags, empty pots, glass jars, rows of small bottles that contained oils, and stained utensils. He lifted his gaze.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I make candles in my spare time. I like them and they can get expensive, so I started making my own. They look nice and smell nice.” Another shrug. “I never had pretty things growing up, so now I make sure I have lots of them.”

  A woman like Kinsey deserved pretty things.

  “Who’s sending the flowers?” he asked.

  Her gaze skittered away.

  “Babe?”

  She looked back. “I don’t know. Guess I have a secret admirer. They don’t know me very well because I hate red roses.”

  Smith didn’t like it. Not at all. “Tonight, I’m staying.”

  Her head shot up. “What?”

  “I’m sleeping on the couch.” No one was coming after her again.

  He saw a flash of relief on her face. She’d been afraid to be alone, but in typical Kinsey fashion, she hadn’t said a thing.

  “I’ve got a bag and change of clothes in the SUV.”

  She nodded. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything.”

  “No need to thank me, Kinsey.”

  She cocked a hip. “It’s polite to say thank you, Smith.” Her voice lowered. “You came for me, you helped me, and you’re keeping me safe. No one’s ever done that for me before.” She smiled. “So, thank you.”

  Smith’s hands curled into fists to keep from reaching for her. She couldn’t be this sweet and nice. No one was. He remembered Lila had been all sugary sweetness…until his ring was on her finger. Then she’d been acid. Lila hadn’t been beautiful like Kinsey, but she’d been pretty easy on the eyes. He’d learned young that beauty could hide rot.