Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

B eckham

I hadn't asked.

Her nonchalant tone and the happily said statement had stuck with me during our thirty-minute backwoods drive to the smallest airport in the freaking world. Yeah, I was cranky, more so than normal but nothing had gone according to plan and I was finished with being treated like some puppet or rag doll.

She was humming to herself as if she held additional secrets. Jeff threw me the third look of the drive, amusement in his eyes where mine held anger.

He'd even gone so far as to ask if I believed she could be orchestrating the shooting. I'd reminded him to get his head out of his ass. Even the world's best game player couldn't have predicted my reaction to the shootings.

"Are we headed to your parents' place in Manchester?" Jeff asked.

I shook my head. "Directly to my house in Rye. I have a feeling time will be needed to sort this out."

"Understood. I'll make certain you have a full brigade surrounding the house for your arrival."

It felt like forever since I'd been at my place on the shore. I also had a wing in my parents' estate where I sometimes stayed when handling business. It depended on the time and my willingness to drive given the lateness of the house. I didn't enjoy being surrounded by guards at my house and rarely called on my men to guard the waterfront property. There'd just been no need in the last ten years.

"Wow," Kenya mused. "Isn't that like the wealthiest town in America? Oh, wait. Don't all you Kennedys own a house there?"

"Only those resting in the dark shade of the family tree." I egged on her arrogant tone for sheer fun. All that got me was a roll of her eyes.

"One big happy family."

"Yeah, real happy."

"Two minutes out," Camden said gruffly. All five of us remained on edge. She might want to try to fake the way she was feeling but she oozed anxiety. The very special gal had skills that even the majority of my trained soldiers didn't have. While Camden had been in charge of getting every newly hired man ready to accept their positions, ensuring they knew how to use a weapon, I wouldn't consider any of them highly trained at this point.

However, I'd heard enough of his stories about his time spent in the Marines to know the training she'd received likely even blew his away. She was the cream of the crop, one of the most dangerous people in the country.

And she was all mine.

The thought had driven into my mind somewhere during the last short stretch of time. Maybe I was overreacting to my surprise over never being surprised or the fact she acted as if it was no big deal. Or maybe I'd simply always had an affinity for very strong women. Whatever the case, as Camden rolled through the gate toward our awaiting jet, my cock remained pushed against the ugly sweatpants I'd chosen to wear.

At least given the number of weapons she'd kept on her premises, it could give us a fighting chance should the fuckers return. I almost laughed at my own thought. If anyone knew we'd almost been bested now three times by some unknown opponent, my reputation for being a true savage would take a direct hit. It wasn't something I would allow to happen.

Sure, between the four of us, we'd killed somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty men sporting brands on their skin, but that didn't make me happy. I wasn't the sort to keep track of how many people I'd killed.

"How many killing sprees do you go on a year?" Kenya's question came so far out of the blue that James coughed on the air he was breathing in response.

As soon as Camden jerked her car to a stop in a protected area of the surrounding grounds, my men piled out. I was fairly certain they were sick of our bantering method of communication. So was I at this point. I leaned over until our faces were less than an inch apart. "As many as necessary. You see, my little fighter, there are plenty of very bad people out there in this big world. That's something you need to keep in mind."

She wasn't going to back down under any circumstances, but as with her behavior from before, she couldn't hide one hundred percent of her true feelings around me. Perhaps I was toxic to her DNA or simply the only person who'd been able to rile her cool fa?ade.

"You don't scare me," she said before blowing a swath of hot air across my lips and jaw.

I almost kissed her but stopped just short of doing so, whispering my response instead. "I assure you that you should be. You will learn crossing me isn't in your best interest."

"Sounds like another threat."

"It's a promise. And I always keep them."

Jeff threw open the door, remaining where he was until she climbed out. I pushed from the backseat on my own, the cramped quarters making my limbs stiffer than normal. I scanned the perimeter, still feeling unnerved even though the plane was only a couple hundred yards away, the pilot ready to take off. The captain was a man I'd trusted for as long as I could remember, but I couldn't help but wonder if our basic itinerary had been leaked to whoever was behind this shit show the trip had turned into.

Camden and Jeff had the assorted bags, already heading to the steps leading inside the private jet. I pulled out my weapon, ensuring the safety was removed before I grabbed her arm. Jeff was prepared as well, flanking one side and escorting us.

"What about my car?" she huffed, managing to pull her arm free. I would need to teach the woman some manners and lessons in protocol, but right now wasn't the place or the time.

"Your car will be safe. I'll ensure my men check on it when they arrive."

"Your men. Are you capable of doing anything yourself?"

"You tell me," I said, grinning as I forced her to keep up with my long strides.

We were halfway to the plane when I heard a single sound, screeching tires indicating an approach at a high rate of speed.

"Get her on the goddamn plane," I bellowed, immediately turning around and pointing my Glock toward the surrounding fence.

"What's going on?" she insisted on asking.

"Come on, sweetheart," Camden roared. "The fun continues."

She refused to move, pulling something from her goddamn purse. When she pulled a small set of binoculars against her eyes, I lifted a single eyebrow. The bastards weren't close enough to shoot but the close calls were getting out of hand. "Four vehicles. Loaded with men."

"Get her the fuck out of here. Now! Tell the fucking pilot we're leaving and it's going to get dicey."

"Get on the plane," Camden reiterated.

I threw her a hard look when she didn't respond right away but for the three seconds we locked eyes, I sensed the pig-headed attitude was finally fading, terror replacing it. She sped toward the plane, the girl able to run faster than most men.

What the fuck couldn't she do?

At the moment the bastards swung in through the gates, one of the oversized SUVs knocking down one section of fence, Camden returned, tossing me one of two 9mm SR3s that had been locked down in her bag. It was considered one of the smallest rifles in operation, used by both military and crime syndicates alike given its portability.

They were as powerful as they were destructive. They were also not the kind of weapons I would have ever believed the lovely innkeeper would have kept for protection. Yes, I would enjoy the art of interrogation with her later.

As they approached, we would either be successful or very dead in a short period of time given we weren't under the cloak of night, nor did we have anything to hide behind. In cases like this, Pops had taught me to head off an attack at the pass.

While I didn't need to tell Camden how to do his job, this was an unusual set of circumstances. "Hold it. Hold… it," I hissed until they were in the correct position. "Now!" I'd waited until the four vehicles fanned out, undoubtedly attempting to cut off the already short runway the pilot had for takeoff. I heard the roar of the plane's engines in the background and concentrated. We had one chance in hell.

As we sprayed from one side of the small field to the other, I noticed several of the workers who'd been ignoring us altogether suddenly dove to take cover.

The loud sounds pinging off the structured hulls of the SUVs permeated the air, Camden throwing back a primal howl as I'd heard him do twice before.

I continued firing, praying to God the ammunition lasted long enough to finally get us the hell out of here.

Both Jeff and James popped out, a moment of slow motion enveloping the situation.

"Stay close to the plane," I yelled, hopeful they'd hear me over the barrage of gunfire.

As two of the vehicles veered off, one crashing into a tree, the other rolling to a stop after breaking through another section of fence, I pulled back. As the seconds of silence ticked by, the other two drivers likely still alive even with both SUVs bullet ridden, I took a deep breath.

It wasn't over until it was over.

And it obviously wasn't over.

"Drop!" Camden's roll was followed by the man taking his own advice, dropping military style and rolling away from his original position before firing once again.

I was obviously out of practice, the single bullet tearing through my shoulder pummeling me backward. I was shocked at the force given their position, but that told me they were also using specialized weapons.

Every attack had been perfectly coordinated. I scrambled to keep my footing, noticing Camden was running toward them, the heavy round of gunfire shattering what was left of both windshields.

"Get to the plane, now. I'll cover you." Ignoring the pain, I walked forward slowly, popping off round after round. Finally, Camden grabbed my sleeve and together we raced for the plane, both Jeff and James covering our actions.

Once we were all inside, Jeff managed to pull the stairs in, closing and securing the door while Camden barked orders to the pilot to get us the hell out of here. As soon as the jet started to roll, another wave of rage rushed into me.

"What the goddamn fuck?" I shouted. "How the hell did they know?" None of my men were quick to answer. I spun around as the jet lurched, the pilot attempting to pick up speed.

Camden gave me a side eye before sliding into one of the seats, staring out the window.

"What if they have another goddamn rocket launcher?" James asked, his voice unusually meek.

"Then we're fucking toast," Jeff answered.

"You better start praying, boys," Camden snarled between clenched teeth. He turned his head and he didn't need to say it.

No one would dare take the bet on our survival rate. What troubled me as much as everything else was why wait until now to try to finish the job? It was the kind of unanswered question that would nag at me for days to come.

I had to give the pilot credit. As I shifted into a seat only one in front of where Kenya had been positioned, I heard her labored breathing. I stared out the window at the bank of dense trees.

"We're not going to make it," James snapped.

"Yeah, we will." Maybe I was being hopeful. But as the plane cleared the tree line, I took a single breath.

"Missile fired," Camden said, now with zero inflection in his tone.

The plane soared at an awkward angle and whether or not the whooshing sound was imaginary or maybe wishful thinking, Jeff let out a single word indicating the threat had passed.

"Yes!"

I took a larger breath, my mind now acknowledging the agony in my shoulder. While I had a feeling the bullet went clean through, it would need to be cleaned. As if I cared right now.

"You're bleeding," Kenya said. Even her voice sounded shaken. "You were shot."

"I'll live."

"You almost got yourself killed. Why did you do that?"

As I turned toward her, almost lashing out, I noticed real concern in her beautiful eyes and instantly softened. "I've been through worse."

"Yeah? Well, I haven't. Even in combat we were never that outnumbered." She was obviously more rattled than the attack earlier, constantly flitting her eyes to look out the window. "What is going on?"

The question sounded more rhetorical but the raw fear I sensed pulled at the protective man inside of me. I sat in the seat next to her, trying not to wince while doing so. I could hear a collective sigh from my men as the plane leveled out, finally out of harm's way.

She turned to face me, gingerly touching the side of my face. "Please tell me you have a first aid kit on this plane."

I laughed. "We come full service, ma'am. Hey, Jeff. Grab me the first aid kit and maybe a set of clean clothes."

"You want a drink too?" he asked, doing so in a way I knew he could use one. We were certainly off our game.

"Yeah, but first things first. I think the lady needs one."

"I also need antiseptic of any kind and I do not want to use liquor," she growled. "And clean towels."

"Sure thing." Jeff's eyes popped open wide. None of were used to such a formidable woman in our worlds. "Anything else, my lady?"

I lifted my eyebrow, giving a single shake of my head. While I'd always appreciated his ability at shoving aside the crap we often went through, no one else was in the mood for jokes at this point.

"That will do it for now, Jeff. Camden. Check with the pilot. Make certain the plane didn't receive critical damage. Then arrange for a much larger welcoming party at our final destination."

Camden nodded. "On it."

"They were going after you. But what I want to know is why we're not dead?" When she pressed the tips of her fingers against my bloody shirt, I wrapped my hand around hers, pulling her knuckles to my lips. While she didn't try to pull away, I sensed just how uncomfortable she was.

"How long were you in the Marines?" I asked, trying to get her mind off the horrific attack.

"Long enough to know when an enemy is feinting."

"Touché, and that's a question that needs an immediate answer. It seems someone is determined to find out how we respond when backed into a corner."

"I know you're a big bad dude and all, but games like that are little more than herding cows into their slaughtering bins."

The woman could make me smile like no other. "Excellent point. Which means I need to reverse the score."

"And how do you plan on doing that when you don't know what you're dealing with?"

"Camden was also a Marine. He was one of the good guys for a long time. What I've learned from him has been invaluable. What I've told you about my family's corporation has all been true, but unlike the military, we're often forced to use less than scrupulous methods of getting what we want."

"And you think the United States government didn't invent those tactics? Don't fool yourself. There's a fine line between right and wrong, the gray area now used more often than not. If you find me a one hundred percent honorable man, I'll give you a million bucks."

"I didn't know you were so jaded. How sad. You're far too young and beautiful to be so hardened. Life is just beginning for you."

"Don't let youth fool you, Beckham. Some people live a lifetime by time they're twenty-one."

"Ouch, but very true." As Jeff placed the first aid kit and two drinks onto the table in front of us, he shifted his gaze from one to the other. "Clothes, comin' right up. Unless you want to take a shower."

"Hopefully, our ride home will be short and sweet. The change of clothes is fine for now."

She waited until he'd backed away before gingerly tugging the shirt from the loaned sweatpants. "Try and hold up your arms as much as you can. I'll be gentle."

"I assume you know what you're doing?" I did as she asked, sucking in my breath as another jolt of pain tore through my right side. Damn, the motherfucker had to hit me on the dominant side.

She finally unfroze her face from the combination of being angry and worried, the smile capable of lighting up the moment. "How quickly you forget I have dozens of hidden talents." She was so gentle in removing my shirt, the pain was minimal.

"No, I assure you I'm not forgetting anything. You are… amazing."

"No, I'm just a girl who was attempting to make a better life for herself."

"Why do I have the feeling you're running from the girl you were before?"

She lifted her gaze briefly before easing me forward on the chair, examining the wound. "Don't believe everything you think you know about me. I'm not that complicated."

"And I think you're wrong. You're beautifully complicated in all the best ways."

The hint of a warm pinkish blush drifting up her cheeks was an indication she wasn't used to being complimented. What kind of man didn't shower his lady with words of adoration? I was incensed, another odd feeling passing through me.

I wanted to strangle whoever had pushed down her self-confidence. At least I had an inkling why she pushed so hard in every other aspect of her life.

"It's clean. You were lucky. Too lucky if you ask me." She turned toward the kit, flipping it open then taking a gulp of her drink. Only then did I notice just how much her hands were shaking.

"We'll get through this."

"There is no we , Beckham. I'm here because you're requiring me to and nothing more. I don't think I need to say this, but I will. What happened between us will not happen again. Do you hear me?"

Her jaw was clenched but there were tears in her eyes. Ones of fright. Ones of horror. And ones of exhaustion. But I sensed what was troubling her the most was the odd closeness we felt. "You're here where I can protect you."

"Maybe you can't. What makes you think they won't be waiting around every corner?"

"Because that's not how they operate."

"Oh, and you suddenly know that for certain?"

The woman was exasperating as hell. "No, little fighter. But I will find out everything I need to know to eliminate them from the face of this earth." She smiled after I issued the words as if challenging me. I rubbed her face, the tingling sensations reappearing.

"Were they all branded?"

"I didn't take time to check their bodies, but they were dressed the same." I hadn't bothered to think or care about that.

"In black. It's their uniform."

Narrowing my eyes, I studied her as she blanked out for a few seconds. "Yeah. That's what I gathered. But it seems as if you aren't guessing."

"I was overseas, Beckham, for two tours. What I witnessed weren't low level enemy soldiers living in the squalors of the desert or a jungle, but sophisticated and highly trained men capable of destroying our way of life. Some were similar in that they were kamikaze-style men and women who were ready to die for a cause, but others weren't. They all wore black."

Camden inched closer. "Did your commanding officer provide you with any code names of who they were?"

She lifted her gaze slowly, her bitter laugh haunting. "Even with our clearance, we weren't told much. It was all classified. There were officers who disappeared because they bragged about knowing. Certainly nothing of use. But our message was clear. Kill or be killed. That's what we did. We rolled in and killed them before they hit our units."

"Did you see anything of their equipment, their computers?" Camden at least knew what he was talking about.

"No. Of course not. They were smart enough to destroy everything before we got there, some waiting for their deaths." For a few seconds, she glanced out the plane's window while I studied my soldier's expression.

I'd talk to her more later, but it was obvious the shock was fading and she was unnerved as fuck. She had every right to be.

"Don't think about the past. This has nothing to do with what you went through." Or did it?

"What are you going to do with me?"

"I already told you. Keep you safe."

Every look she gave me was wrapped in contempt. "You mean I'm going to be nothing but your prisoner. Is that how you handle women who thwart your advances?"

The yin and yang of her personality was appealing but annoying. When I wrapped the hand of my uninjured arm around her throat, her only reaction was the flash of her lovely eyes. I leaned in close so only she would hear what I had to say. "Do I need to remind you that you were almost killed twice in the span of a few hours? Do I need to explain one more time that if I'd left you there, you'd already be dead? You might not like the fact you've been removed from your life and while I can understand your unhappiness about that, the choice is no longer up to you. You've become a product of my environment and for now, you belong to me."

It was impossible not to hunger for the woman or long to taste every inch of her luscious body. Even now, with my arm hurting like a son of a bitch, I kept my grip and forced her closer until our lips were almost touching.

"If you're going to snap my neck, just get it over with."

I sucked in my breath, curtailing my frustration. "If I'd wanted to, you wouldn't be here."

"Don't make me hate you," she breathed, slamming her palm against my chest.

"Hate me all you want, sunshine." As I captured her mouth, instantly sweeping my tongue inside, she stiffened, unlike that last time I'd kissed her. Yet there was more than a single shock of current slamming into both of us. The moment of intimacy was fantastic but short lived, the twinge in my shoulder becoming worse.

As soon as I pulled away, she pursed her lips. "Yeah, too late. I do hate you."

Chuckling, I let her go, easing back in my seat. "Who knows, little fighter. Maybe one day you'll thank me."

She grabbed a towel and the bottle of antiseptic. "Yeah, well, don't count on it. Now, I suggest you take a gulp of your drink. I'll need to check for any shrapnel in case a cop killer bullet was used."

"Yes, ma'am."

As my men glanced in my direction, I sensed they believed I'd met my match.

Or as Camden would say, the girl capable of netting or even melting a villain's heart.

I had news for all four of them. The little fighter had met her match.

Even as she began to clean the wound, the discomfort turning to biting anguish, I had a feeling our explosive natures would provide powerful nights of passion.

Whether she agreed or not didn't matter. It would seem I needed her as much as she needed me, and I planned on thoroughly enjoying my captive for as long as the desire continued to burn within me.