Acres, Natalie - Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts [Cowboy Boots 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (14 page)

“What’d they find?”

“Well, they didn’t pick up what they wanted most. We made sure of that. Oh, and tell your boy he won’t find the images he needs. We wiped ’em clean.”

“What about Juraz’s men?”

“You’ll see them. I left a disc in your room. It’s on your bedside table.”

“And Abby?”

“I haven’t decided how I’ll handle her yet,” Kit replied. “Suffice it to say, she’s still trying to process how Judson and I could be working together. Poor little thing isn’t sure what she’ll do with the two of us.”

Brantley clutched the phone and waited for the dig that was certain to come.

“After your boy got her all worked up earlier today, maybe she’s ready to play. What’d you think?”

“Put her on the phone.”

“Hell, Brantley. She’s fine.”

“I want to talk to her.”

“No can do,” Kit sang. “Now listen. Donovan and the Underground authority put you in charge. You get your shit together, and we’ll return her safely. Until then, she’s out of sight and out of mind. You get me?”

“We need her here.”

“Last I heard, you were trying to pull her off the mission.”

“We changed our mind.”

“We?”

“Never mind.”

“Oh no,” Kit drawled. “
We
didn’t do anything. Sloane Remington changed your mind for you because he didn’t want his own sex kitten giving up her cream to Juraz. You didn’t do shit. In fact, you were trying to hand the decision-making process over to Ace, hoping he’d make the call for you. Grow some balls, Brantley. If you don’t, this mission will blow up in your face.”

“I’ve got this,” Brantley assured him.

“Not yet you don’t,” Kit said. “But when you do, give me a buzz. You know how to reach me.”

“Hang on there a minute,” Brantley said. “You’re still under my command. The shadows are supposed to take orders from the commanding leader like everyone else.”

“Then command,” Kit taunted him.

“I want Abby back here now.”

“Can’t do it until she’s safe,” Kit said. “Anything else?”

Brantley cleared his throat. “What orders did Juraz’s men have?”

“The only one a man wants to hear when he’s looking at something this pretty,” Kit said.

“Which was?”

“Retrieve.”

Chapter Thirteen

“I think it’s time you told me about those shadows,” Ace said, catching Brantley before he reentered the open den they’d made into their main command center.

Brantley pointed toward the stairs. “Meet me in the kitchen. I need to fetch a disc and give it to Fowler.”

“All right,” Ace agreed, brooding. As he walked down to the main level, his heart was troubled, burdened. He should’ve taken it upon himself to be there for Abby. He knew what she was facing. He’d seen the fear in her eyes, and he’d done nothing.

What kind of man acknowledged he possessed strong feelings for a woman but didn’t go out of his way to protect her? He kicked out a wooden chair scooted under the long, country-style kitchen table.

Taking a seat, he buried his face in his hands. Numerous images rolled through his head. The first day they’d met, the first time he’d seen her in a swimsuit—quite possibly the finest hour of his life—and the last time they’d been on a stakeout. Good God, he was instantly rigid thinking about that moment.

He could almost smell her arousal then. He still remembered the way her body melded to his as he looped his arm around her waist in that small, dark closet. He’d stressed the importance of staying together, of remaining as still as humanly possible.

Those blue eyes had been his damning when she’d looked over his shoulder and said, “What ’cha got in those pants, Ace? A sniper rifle?”

He mashed down on his cock in an effort to resituate his dick. Damn her for getting him aroused by past memories. No. Damn him for not doing something to feed the hunger, sate his growing appetite. Maybe if he owned a pair of balls, she wouldn’t be in hiding now.

She’d be there with them where she belonged.

Brantley joined him. He stood at the window overlooking the back lawn.

Ace watched him, curious to know what was on his mind. Brantley was a good operative, a force to be reckoned with, but he wasn’t living up to his potential as a leader yet. He wasn’t interested in the logistics, only carrying out the orders. Ace would need to push him, stand behind him and support him until he believed in his abilities to lead this group.

“Is Fowler squared away?”

“Yes.” Brantley moved right into briefing him. “There are two super-teams in the Underground Unit. We aren’t dubbed super-squads because of our advanced training. While we have more weapons at our disposal and we’re considered superior to other operatives because of the way we’re conditioned, there’s another reason as well. We have more manpower—shadows.”

“How many?” Ace asked, rubbing his chin.

“Our team has two—and you know them.”

“Who?”

“Judson Dalton and Kit Reeves.”

“Son of a bitch!” Ace screamed, slamming his fist against the wooden surface. “When were you going to tell me?”

“Ace, you weren’t supposed to know.”

“Did you mention them to the others?” Ace asked, pointing toward the ceiling.

“Yeah, just now. They’re as concerned as you are. Security was in place to prevent a breach. About the time Kit called to gloat about wiping the system clean, Fowler found the program needed to trigger the backup log. Kit and Judson were shown dragging Abby away.”

“Ha! I bet that was something to watch.”

“She put up a fight,” Brantley said proudly. “She didn’t want to go with them.”

“I imagine not.” A beat later, he said, “Abby’s fucked three men in her lifetime. How’d we end up with two of them watching our hides?”

Brantley looked puzzled. “How do you know about Abby’s past? Did she tell you?”

“No. I did some legwork, a little personal research.”

“You pried.”

“Whatever. I had the right to know.”

“Not really,” Brantley said.

“The hell I didn’t. I’m the one who covers her ass ninety percent of the time. I wanted to be sure I never had to worry about an ex-lover showing up to screw things up for us in the middle of a mission.”

“Makes sense I guess,” Brantley admitted. “Does Abby realize you know about her intimate past?”

“Nope, but I wouldn’t mind telling her.”

“You do that. And when you do, make sure I’m around. I’d like to watch her ream you a new one.”

Ace laughed at that. He might tell her just to see the sparks fly.

“So Judson and Kit are keeping Abby company, why?”

“While we were enjoying our surroundings and taking it easy, Juraz’s men came in with the intention of kidnapping Abby. Casey was right. Abby sent Juraz away.

“The footage Fowler recorded will show Juraz didn’t seem disturbed by the fact Abby asked him to leave. However, after he left the property, several of his guys arrived. Their orders were to retrieve Abby.”

“He wants her out at his place for the grand opening?”

Brantley stared straight ahead. “I believe he has more in the works for Abby. While she makes a beautiful arm ornament, I’m afraid he’s more interested in how she’ll look strapped to his bed.”

“All right, so Kit and Judson have Abby. If you’re the command leader, you should make your demands. Tell them to bring her back.”

“Kit assured me he will just as soon as I have a plan in place.”

“Then take a seat,” Ace said, pointing to the chair across from him. “We need to get this worked out as quickly as possible.”

“She’s safe, Ace.”

“Maybe from Juraz. I’m more worried about Kit and Judson.”

“Nothing like a little jealousy to get the ball rolling, huh?”

“Shut up, Brantley, and listen to me. I know you’re the man for this job. Thing is, you don’t want the responsibility. You don’t believe you can lead this team. Personally, I don’t believe there’s a better man for the position.”

Brantley frowned. “I’m perfectly capable of running this mission.”

“I believe that, but I want you to prove it. Get Abby back here. Otherwise, she’ll end up in bed with the two Doms I don’t want touching my woman.”

“Doms?”

“Hell yeah, they’re Doms.”

“Does Abby know?”

“Check this out…they both apparently discovered the lifestyle after they broke it off with Abby.”

“They broke up with her?”

Ace slowly nodded. His gaze met Brantley’s. “Now do you understand why I’m worried?”

“Did they part amicably?”

“Tell me why you don’t know about that for yourself? If you’re replacing Conrad, you should be well-informed about your shadows and their previous relationships with one of your operatives.”

“Maybe I would’ve been if Abby’s father hadn’t been the leading command when she became involved with these two.”

“Wait a second.” Ace slapped his hand against the flat surface of the table. “Now I get it. This is all starting to make sense.”

“What?”

“Conrad didn’t want his daughter involved with a fellow operative. Kit disappeared from her life first. He didn’t even make it to field training. She became involved with Judson, and what happens?”

“He supposedly couldn’t get through the solo test.”

“Exactly,” Ace said, tapping his bottom lip with his fingers. “And Judson was a hell of a fighter.”

“According to Donovan, Kit is just plain mean.”

“The only thing I discovered about him was that he was crazy about Abby. She was in love with him, you know.”

Brantley’s color washed away. “No, I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, buddy,” Ace said. “And Judson was the rebound man.”

“And now they have her right where they probably wanted her all along.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“If you’re willing to help put together a plan of action, I think we need to do that now,” Brantley said, retrieving his cell. “I want her back here where she belongs.”

Chapter Fourteen

“If you scream or spit when I release this cloth, I’ll slide something nice and meaty between your lips. Are we clear?” Kit asked, patting the top of her head to taunt her. Oh, how he’d missed caressing her, holding her, and yes…fucking her hot, tight lips. “And I hope you give me a good reason to slide on in there.”

Abby’s nostrils flared. Poor thing. She had no idea what she was up against.

Kit reached behind her head and released the gag. He took a step back. “Now then. How’s that?”

“Let me go!” she screamed, her head shaking.

Kit looked at Judson. “We may have to silence her after all.”

“If you put that little weenie anywhere near my lips, I swear I’ll bite it off!”

Judson laughed. Kit unzipped. “Ah, doll. It has been a long time. Maybe I should whip it out and remind you of shape and size.”

“Fuck you, Kit.”

He rolled his tongue over his lip. “I sure would like for you to do just that.”

She grunted then turned her head toward Judson. “What are you doing here? Last I heard, you couldn’t pass the solo assessment.”

“I passed other tests,” he said.

“Like staying away from me?” she asked, a bitter edge in her voice.

A look of heart-wrenching sadness washed over Judson’s face. “We all do what we’re told for the sake of the job, right, Abby?”

“You know nothing about me.”

“I know you’re hurting. I know the bloodlust you have for Juraz has been more than you could bear. I believe if Brantley had offered to take you off this case—which is precisely what he should’ve done—you would’ve jumped at the chance.”

Her eyes watered. “Like I said—”

“He understands you better than you think,” Kit interrupted her. “I do as well. Who do you think covers your fine ass when your other fellows aren’t around?”

“It sure isn’t you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, doll.”

“Untie my hands. We can have a pissing contest later.”

“I like her secured. Don’t you, Judson?”

“I feel safer.”

Abby was a black belt in martial arts. While Judson and Kit could contain her, if necessary, Kit wasn’t in the mood to use force. Plus, he didn’t feel like getting his ass kicked.

“Can I have a drink?”

“Water all right?” Judson asked.

“I need something stiff,” she said, her implication loaded once she stared at Kit’s cock.

“I got that for you, doll. You just tell me when you’re ready to go again.”

“It’s been five years,” she reminded him. “Let’s have a little foreplay first, okay?”

“Whatever you say,” Kit muttered.

“Untie me. I’ll work at your arousal first.”