I can try to convince myself that it didn't matter, but the truth is, more and more in the last few hours, especially after what happened with Quinn, I've been feeling...off. As if he could read my mind Davey looked at me with a grin. "So, Quinn has a girl, does that mean you're next?" "Okay kid that's enough of this." I got up to leave his ass to the waves. "Oh come on Dev, you guys always do everything together. I don't see why this should be any different. Besides, I heard the women talking back home and your goose is as good as cooked." "What, what did they say?" At least his mind was no longer on Lyon's kid therefore taking his ass out of the line of fire. "Well, after they got through talking about weddings and babies." He rolled his eyes. "They decided that you and Quinn needed to settle down. Then once they saw Quinn with his girl, they figured it was a done deal and you were the only one left." "How did they see Quinn with Kelly?"
I missed her, and I was scared. I finally got why my brothers act so crazy when it comes to their women. Mancini's little island is well guarded true, but nothing beats being there myself to protect her. I smiled at the memory of our last moments together. After lunch we'd each returned to our cottages under the pretense of resting up before heading out tonight. I only had one moment of discomfort when Dev waved us off as he hung back with the kids. It's weird but I felt a little off about him being the only one without a girl. Lo had caught my look since we were trailing the women who all had their heads together up ahead about something. Hopefully it had to do with weddings this time. "He's going to be fine Quinn, I know it. If he doesn't find someone on his own, I'm pretty sure that gaggle would take care of it. Damn, one day around Lyon and I'm beginning to sound like him." "Yeah, you might wanna watch that. I don't think Gaby would appreciate you
Now she was alone with a man she'd only met a few short hours ago. A man who had fucked her within the first few minutes of meeting her, then brought her here away from everything she knew. A man who had all plans on keeping her. When looked at through the eyes of someone who wasn't under the influence of that ESP shit or whatever it is, this shit really is fucked. I know each of my brothers except Ty, had claimed their women within days of knowing them. Zak had done the same with Vanessa before they had their little time out. But it seems to be a trend with us. Or maybe that's just the way it is with all couples? How can you not claim your woman when you know in your gut that she's yours on sight? Maybe the cavemen had it right after all. Shit sure seems simpler. Whatever the case, it felt right having her here with me. I can't imagine having to leave her behind and coming here. It's only been a little more than half a day and already I feel like she
Now I'm on a plane heading away from her for the only reason that could've gotten me out of her bed. To make sure her future was safe. To put an end to whatever this is and make sure that no one else ever gets near her again. We still had a lot to talk about, a lot we needed to learn about each other. I feel like I already know her, like she's lived inside me my whole life, but I can't wait to know more. I listened to the others joking around to lighten the mood and closed my eyes, just thinking about her and the amazing day and a half I just had. My life was changed I know, for the rest of my life she was going to be there. The thought that she was mine, that I was now responsible for her wellbeing was uppermost in my mind. I was all the way in from the beginning when it came to destroying this asshole Khalil and whoever else he had working with him. But that shit has taken on new meaning. I'm pretty sure from Thorpe's cryptic words, that the asshole
"I just went into his file. When he hacked in he left a trail. It was good, but I know we have people on the job who could've spotted that as easily as I did. If he's as good as he seems, why did he let them catch him?" I let them mull that over. "I think someone knew or had eyes on him. They may not have known that he was part of this Anonymous group, but I think he went digging and someone had a bead on him or was watching him for whatever reason." "Kinda like while he was watching them they were watching him?" Ty looked confused. "Or they knew who his dad was and was watching him. Whatever the reason, I don't like it. He was just there a few days ago. I don't like it." "Khalil!" Con offered. "Yeah, and whoever he has on the inside. My money's on the general. The kid's good but I don't know if he's that good. But that's not the problem. The question still remains, why did he want in?" That was the one piece of the puzzle I couldn't quite put
We were already here; there was no time to learn anything new. It's not like we've never gone in with less information than we had now. But this shit had too many tentacles, and too many unknowns for us to slip up. If Kelly hadn't overheard those men we wouldn't have known to look here and we might've been too late. I don't think any of us would've thought his life was in danger, since it was only females being targeted. We've only had this info for less than twenty-four hours and there was no time to dig deeper than we already had. My gut told me we were missing something but there was no way we were leaving this kid out in the cold. "We're going in. We'll figure shit out after we get the kid outta there." I answered Mancini just as we turned the corner and the house came into view up ahead. The place was almost completely dark with nothing but the stars and the sliver of moon for light. The house was set apart from its neighbors by
There was another shift in the room as everyone went on alert and all eyes turned in the direction of the footsteps. "Track, dad, what's going on?" Shit, that voice sent chills down my spine. It was one of those distinct voices that do shit to your insides and I wondered if the others felt it too. Not good! It's just a voice Devon for fuck sake chill. But I knew, even before I laid eyes on her, I knew that something was going to change for me in the next few seconds. Maybe Quinn's woo-hoo shit was rubbing off. I flicked my eyes up and over towards the stairs and she was just there. Her eyes flew open in surprise and there was a hint of fear in them when she saw us. I sensed more than saw her body tense up and had the strong urge to go to her. She stared back at me and the lightest of smiles crossed her lips before she looked at her family. Her eyes went around the room before coming back to me. I felt the attraction in my gut even as I told myself it
There was still one glaring question hanging in the air. How come she didn't show up on the radar. "And you are?" I reached out my hand for hers and she finally focused on me up close and personal. My gut went into a spin and I nose dived right into the abyss. She was fucking gorgeous. The tears in her eyes made them shine like some otherworldly creature. There was a look in them that made my heart melt in my chest. Sadness, fear, confusion. I drew her towards me before I could help myself. "Ariel!" She said her name like a whisper on the wind and I heard chiming bells and waterfalls. "Ariel!" I didn't realize I'd said it out loud until I heard it come back to me on a whisper. Behind me the others were putting her name into one of our little toys to look her up. I only heard Mancini say one thing, "nothing", which was all the answer I needed. She wasn't in anyone's database. I looked back at the others again as my mind tried to process. I don't think
*** "Stop being so nervous, everything is going to be fine." We were about an hour out from the wedding on the beach and she was the one reassuring me. I don't know why, but now that we were down to crunch time I have this fear that some shit is gonna go wrong. Maybe because I know that she's the best thing that ever happened to me. Or maybe it's because I still don't think I deserve her. Whatever it is, I have this feeling that some shit's gonna go wrong. "Come 'ere." I wrapped my arms around her and felt myself settle. "I love you, I'm not nervous about marrying you, I just don't want anything to go wrong on our big day." I hope Ty the fuck isn't lurking around somewhere listening to this or he'd ride my ass for sure. "Nothing's gonna go wrong, now go be with your brothers while I finish getting dressed." Dani and Gaby had been pounding at our cottage door for the last half an hour trying to get me to release her. The women were getting dress
"Lyon your daughter is fucking adorable." "Dude what the fuck, she's sixteen." I glared at Mancini the fuck ready to take him out. "Not the teen you ass, the little one." That shit made me snort like Kat does. "Oh yeah?" She's been working her con on her new uncles. To a man they melt whenever she bats those lashes of hers at them. She knows better than to try that shit with me. That ship sailed when the little shit was three and I caught her making her own damn glue to fuck with her big sister's hair. "What's she doing that makes her so adorable this time?" I hadn't seen her in a little bit, figured she was with her mom and the other women. Thank fuck. We were here to relax after all and that one don't know the meaning of the word. "She's reading to Zakira, very hush-hush. Must be some story the way the two of them have their heads together whispering." I flew out of my chair two seconds later. "Lyon what the fuck?" Tyler and the others looke
Three weeks later we were back on the island, which looked like a completely different place. Cierra had shown up a few days early to get the place set up. There were flowers everywhere leading from the lawn down to the beach and a canopy that looked like it would hold a couple hundred people easy. We hadn't been let in on any of the plans. After all the threats the women had made about making us help them plan. In the end it was decided that as men we didn't know the first thing about it and were left to our own devices. We'd used the time to take care of our business and make sure that the people we'd left in charge had done a good job, which they had. The CO and his boys had been busy in that time and once the news broke about the trafficking ring and all those who were involved, everything was total chaos. As Mancini had predicted, there were a lot of people with their heads on the chopping block, including the fuck up who couldn't hide behind his
No one else spoke and I know my brothers like me were still coming to terms with what we were seeing. I've never experienced shocked joy before but I can't say I didn't like it. "I thought I covered my tracks pretty well, but something went wrong and that's when I tried calling you in. When you were sent into a trap, I knew I had to do something or we'd all be fucked, so I came up with a plan." "I know how the general operates, so when he invited himself here under the guise of friendship I was ready for him. I'd already taken the antidote for his little surprise so when he slipped me the poison I pretended to be dead while he ransacked my place looking for what I had." "So that's why the closed coffin." Connor asked as he too looked over the commander as if not quite believing his own eyes. "I had to do it this way boys. I knew once I was gone that you'd take care of it once you got wind of what was going on. I didn't want you involved, but I couldn't get c
It was a long fucking thirty-six hours but once we landed all my fatigue went away as soon as I saw her waiting for me. The others were there as well, but I only had eyes for her. She ran to meet me as soon as I stepped off the plane and I grabbed her up in my arms. Nothing had ever felt this good. "Is it over?" She had tears in her eyes. I put her back on her feet and dried her face, my heart breaking just a little at all that she'd had to go through. "It's over baby. Don't cry anymore okay, I can't bear it." She held my hand to her chest and nodded as the last fear fell. I pulled her into my chest and kissed her forehead before heading after the others. "Boys I hate to do this to you, but you only have a few hours down time, we have to get back to your compound ASAP." "What the fuck Mancini, why what's going on there?" "You'll see when we get there, get some sleep." He just walked away with his arm around his woman leaving the rest of us look
No one breathed easy as we flew through the night, heading towards the gulf, which is where Mancini informed us Khalil was meeting with the senator. "So that's how he's always evaded us, he uses a decoy." Logan looked around at the rest of us. "Yep, I guess for the criminal element it pays to be paranoid." Con stretched out his legs and closed his eyes. "But how did he know we were coming?" Ty dropped his head back and rubbed his eyes. "I'm not sure he did, but after the move on the general, he must've decided to be extra careful." Mancini filled us in. "How sure are we that he's the one with the senator?" "Track seems pretty sure, like I said, he has eyes on him and they're in a convoy tent. Lots of security so we have to go in hard and fast." It only took us half an hour to land and we hit the ground running. I'm pretty sure my brothers like me, were hoping that this was it. Sure we'd hit and missed before with the Fox, but we all knew
We arrived in full dark the next day and immediately went into high gear. This place is crawling with military intelligence and a host of unsavory characters on a good day, so we had to get in and out in as little time as possible without being seen. Mancini had a station set up in the desert, not sure how he pulled that off, but it looked like any other bivouac we'd ever seen and would cause no undue interest. In the last few hours before we landed once everyone had rested, some better than others, we'd gone through the plans again. Only a few of us were going into the camp where the signals from Khalil's phone were pinging, because it would be too dangerous for us all to go. Had this been a military Op, it wouldn't have mattered, but some might call what we were doing illegal. So while we were going in the others were going to stand guard around the perimeter. It wasn't easy choosing who were gonna go in, but in the end it was Lo, Con and Zak who
I covered her lips, distracting her as I removed her skirt and slid her panties down her thighs. "I love your kisses." I smiled down at her, not believing how happy I was just to be here with her like this even with the danger awaiting me. Maybe that was the lure of a good woman. What have made men fight and die for centuries. I pulled back and looked down at her spread out beneath me, my wanton princess. Her body was an astounding thing of beauty. And I made myself take the time look, to enjoy all that was mine. Though I had no real fear that I wouldn't come back to her, there was no sense in testing fate. I wanted the memory of her like this to carry with me. High firm breasts, flat concaved stomach, and slightly flared hips that cupped her pretty hairless pussy. Shapely thighs that had I taken the time to really look before I would've noticed were well toned and defined. Dancer's legs. I held her eyes with mine as I ran my hand over her heated fle
I caught up to him on one of the paths that lead to the beach where he stood waiting for me. "I know your mind went back there again and I know we've all told you more than once that your uncle was a piece of shit asshole who had no fucking brains." "Yes I think I've heard one or more of you say something along those lines a time or two." "Who do you trust brother?" "My brothers." "So why don't you believe us when it comes to this one thing? Put it away and put it away for good. You deserve the same happiness as everyone else and fuck anyone who says different." "Dani says she's in love with you." "Who Dani?" "No you fuck, Ariel. You know how these women talk, which is good for us that they get along so well, but that also means there are no secrets. It's going to be interesting when we get back home to the compound." "Anyway, she says the girl's in love with you and you'll be a fool to let anyone get in the way of that. I don't