Agent E2: Aidan (Superhero Romance) (The D.I.R.E. Agency) (11 page)

Shoving him away, Cass took a deep breath. “Take me back.”

Aidan shook his head slowly. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Cass felt her panties drop to the pavement. Lifting her with one arm, he placed her back on the seat to face him.

“Stop this, Aidan. I don’t want this.”

Clutching the back of her head, he kissed her with blatant intent. His tongue plundered her mouth, his other hand back at work inside of her. She groaned into his mouth.

He whispered against her lips. “Doesn’t feel like that to me.”

Laying her back against the seat, his finger teased her, playing in her moistness. She bucked against him, wanting more.

His finger entered her. They groaned together.

“Aidan please…”

“How many, Cass?”

He lifted her dress to her waist. Cool air washed over her bare flesh before his hot mouth covered her. Cass nearly shot off the seat.

“What are you doing?”

He stilled her with his hands. His tongue found her nub, lapping and suckling her, over and over. He breathed through his nostrils, her hands in his hair.

“Oh, Aidan…”

Cass could feel herself being slowly drawn, pulled toward some kind of abyss, the tingles in her body, the frantic beating of her heart, urging her forward.

“Aidan, I can’t… help me.”

His warm breath washed over her. “Just let go, Cass.”

His mouth found her again, bathing her in wicked pleasure. She never wanted it to end, yet her instincts told her that whatever waited on the other side would be worth it.

“Let go of what?” She moaned aloud.

In seconds, stars burst behind her eyelids, shooting her through a wave of blinding, unadulterated euphoria. She cried out just as Aidan’s mouth fell away.

“How many, Cass?”

Floating back down to earth, she whispered his answer.

“I’m a virgin.”

Aidan just might explode. Cassandra’s climax had nearly taken him over the edge with her.

Her last statement kept him grounded.

“What?”

Gently, he pulled her to a sitting position. He kissed her on the mouth.

“So that’s what a climax feels like.” With a lazy smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Can we try it again?”

Holy shit, she was serious. “How can you be a virgin, Cass?” He pulled her arms from around his neck and held her hands.

Letting out a deep sigh, she pulled away. “I’m the daughter of Robert Naylor, Aidan. How many men do you know that are brave enough to take on his wrath?”

He dropped her hands. “I’m not scared of him.”

“Well, you’re one of two.” She pointed at her panties lying on the pavement. “Can you hand those to me?”

Frowning, Aidan picked them up. “What do you mean, one of two?”

“Riordan St. James,” she said, her voice hard.

Lifting her hips, she pulled them up her legs. “He came to work for my father. We started seeing each other. I told Father I loved him. The next day, Riordan disappeared.” She lowered the hem of her dress. “I haven’t seen him since.”

“You were in love with him but never slept with him?”

“I never got the chance.”

Aidan stared at her with a cocked brow.

She planted her hands on her hips. “Not all men go straight for the gusto, Aidan.”

“You make me sound like some womanizer.”

She cocked a brow. “Well, if the shoe fits…”

He gritted his teeth. She acted like he slept with every woman he met.

“That’s why this…” She pointed at his chest, then back at hers. “This can’t happen.”

Can’t happen? That made Aidan more determined than ever to make it happen. He pulled on his gloves.

“Cass, you said yourself that you’ve wasted your life trying to please him. It’s time to start living for you. I’ll help you. Even if that doesn’t include me.” It would kill him, but he’d do it.

She shook her head. “I won’t take that risk. If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.” Turning in the seat, she buckled the seatbelt. “I’ve had to live with Riordan’s disappearance every day for the last three years. Don’t ask me to live with yours, too.”

#####

Aidan threw Cass to the hospital floor as a bullet sailed past them. Her heart galloped out of control, her elbow hitting the floor with a crack. The elevator door shut behind them.

Naylor agents surrounded them in a half circle, Dar in the center. “Hold your fire.”

Aidan held his gloved hands in front of him, short bolts of electricity arcing from his fingertips.

“Cass, stay down.” Aidan barked the order.

Cass shut her eyes and winced. Jaydan Rose had come through.

“What the hell are you doing with my sister, freak?” Though Dar’s voice sounded calm, anger punctuated each word.

“None of your business, Naylor.”

“These guns make it my business.”

“Do I look intimidated to you?”

Rising, Cass knew she had to stop this before one of them got hurt.

“Cass, I told you to stay down.”

She stood behind Aidan. “Please, no more shooting.”

“They fired at me, Cass. They could’ve killed you.”

Dar said, “Your agents are dead, Monroe. So is that prick you had locked in the room down the hall.”

Aidan cursed under his breath. Did that include Mitchell?

“Cassandra,” Dar said. “Get over here.”

“Don’t do it, Cass.” Aidan shook his head.

After what they’d shared in the parking lot, she wanted to stay. Her heart told her it belonged to Aidan.

Since when did she have the luxury of listening to it?

“I have to stop this, Aidan.”

“You told me you were tired of living their way. You knew this choice would come.”

“What?” Dar’s glare implied his question came more as a shock than a dare.

“Not like this, Aidan. Not at the risk of getting you killed.”

Dar’s eyes bounced back and forth between them.

“You have to trust me, Cass.” Though tough, Aidan’s voice held a note of hurt.

God, she didn’t want to hurt him.

“I do, Aidan, but-“ Her voice caught. “I also know what my father is capable of.” 

“Cassandra.” The bluster had left Dar’s voice. “Get over here.”

Cass moved to pass Aidan.

His gaze remained glued to Dar. “You don’t have to be afraid, Cass. I’ll protect you.”

“This isn’t about me, Aidan. It’s about protecting you.”

“I don’t need protection, dammit.” He softened his voice. “I need you.”

Cass caught her breath. He told her that
now
, when she had to leave?

“And I need to know that you’ll live.”

Stepping around him, Cass lifted her chin and faced her brother and the team of agents. Aidan’s gloves went silent. She hoped one day he’d understand that she did it out of love.

Love?

Way to go, Cassandra. You fell for a sure thing - a sure thing your father will kill you – and him.

Aidan’s gloves appeared in her peripheral vision on both sides of her head. The Naylor agents cocked their guns. Aidan’s body sizzled and zapped wildly, the copper veins on his gloves glowing bright.

“Anything happens to her, Naylor, I’ll light you up like the fourth of July.”

An errant bolt of electricity shot from Aidan’s gloves. The overhead lights shattered, spilling shards of glass on top of the Naylor agents.

Gunfire rang out. Cassandra dropped to the floor and covered her head. She heard electricity crackle and zap over her head, felt it pull at her clothes and hair.

The current hovered above her as Aidan straddled her with his feet. It mushroomed around her in a semi-circle, its strength pulling her off the floor. The zaps, the cries of anguish, the gunshots all jumbled together in a chaotic symphony. A body hit the floor with a thud. She covered her head tighter.

Her heart pounded against the cold tile. The hallway sat in utter silence, save the buzz of the broken overhead light. Raising her head, she gulped at the sight of the hallway littered with Naylor agents. Aidan stood above her, his gloved hand pointed at Dar.

Cass jumped to her feet. “Aidan, no.”

He wouldn’t look at her. “The only reason he’s alive is because of you, Cass. Don’t give me another reason to get pissed off.” He nodded toward Dar. “Get over there with him.”

With slow movements, Cass went to stand beside her brother. She saw Aidan glance down at his armband.

Tristan teleported into the hall, gun drawn. Looking around, he lowered it to his side. “Looks like I missed the party.”

Aidan’s eyes never left her. “I had it covered.”

“Obviously.” Tristan checked his armband. “Mitchell’s down the hall.”

“Let’s go.” Aidan nodded toward an adjacent corridor. “Your father’s room. We’re going to get this straight once and for all.”

Stepping over a body, Cass led the way down the hall, Dar at her back. She felt as dead as the agents lying behind them.

If Dar held any hope before, Cass knew it died back in that hallway. Once again, D.I.R.E. proved Naylor had no answer for their super-powered agents.

Entering her father’s room, she saw Mitchell Jacobs standing on the far side, against the windows. Her father sat up in bed, his face flush with anger, his aqua eyes bright with blazing fire.

Mitchell and her father in the same room? She didn’t know if she was ready for this.

“Where the hell did you think I could go in this condition, d’Artagnan?” Robert roared. “What the hell were you thinking, calling in a team now?”

Cass surprised herself by speaking up. “He didn’t call it. I did.”

Dar laid his hand on her arm. “Cass…”

Robert’s wide-eyed gaze shot to her. “
You
? No wonder we’re in this freaking predicament. What the hell do you know about setting up a rescue?”

Aidan pointed his gloved hand at Robert. “You’d better back off, Naylor, or I’ll blow a hole through that freaking heart I saved. One more body isn’t going to stress the morgue at this point.”

Although she knew he hated her now, Cass found strength in Aidan’s defense. “Exactly, Father. What
do
I know? You’ve left me in the dark all of my life.”

“The field is no place for you. You’re soft.”

Her gaze met Aidan’s encouraging glance across the room. Cass lifted her chin.

“Yet, who was the one left standing to
do
the rescue?”

Robert glared at her. If she were in the room alone, that outburst would’ve never happened.

Nonetheless, it felt damned good to say it.

Mitchell stepped forward. “D.I.R.E. has taken over Naylor Headquarters at Grand Lake.”

Robert Naylor’s roar crescendoed before it boomed like last night’s thunder. “I will kill you Mitchell Jacobs, if it’s the last thing I do.”

Mitchell’s voice remained calm, as though her father hadn’t spoken. “Tomorrow, we’ll move Cassandra and Dar to D.I.R.E. HQ. Robert, you’ll transport to our medical facilities the following day.”

“I’d rather die.”

“That can be arranged,” Aidan said. “In seconds.”

Robert pointed at Dar. “If you hadn’t tried to shoot Kate, none of this would’ve happened. I blame you for all of this.”

“So what the hell’s new?”

Robert squinted his eyes at Dar. “Look here, you son of a bitch-“

“
Enough
.” Mitchell’s cry rattled the empty dishes on her father’s food tray.

“Aidan, you’ll fly with Cassandra and Dar after the funeral. Tristan, I expect you as soon as possible after Rachel settles in at home.”

“She’s coming with me.”

Robert glared at him. “You stay away from my daughter, Jacobs.” 

Tristan laughed. “Go to hell, Naylor.”

“After Mitchell,” Robert said, his tone snide.

“You threw me in hell a long time ago, Bobby.” Mitchell walked to the door and motioned for two agents to escort Cass and Dar. “Welcome to my world.”

Aidan put the D.I.R.E. SUV in park as they sat outside the wrought iron gate of Ben Adam’s ranch.

Make that Rachel’s ranch.

Rustic pipe fencing framed the perimeter of the property, the half mile drive up to the limestone and rock house lined with oil barrels. The black barrels held a variety of flowering cacti, bottlebrush, skyflowers and blackfoot daisies. At least two hundred barrels lined the drive alone.

Aidan leaned both arms on the steering wheel. “Ben said it’s in the barrels. Hensen was right, there has to be hundreds, if not thousands of them out here.”

“I’ll get the gate.” Tristan climbed out of the SUV, leaving Aidan alone with Rachel.

Thank God she’d decided to sit in the front seat. Each glance in the rear view mirror reminded Aidan of Cassandra coming apart for him last night.

“I can’t believe this is all yours.” Aidan gave her a small smile.

She dabbed at her cheek with a worn tissue. “I’d rather have Ben back.”

Aidan hugged her close.

Rachel stiffened. “Sorry. I still expect a shock when you touch me.”

Tristan climbed back in the truck. “Dammit, Monroe, are you making her cry again?” He leaned over and kissed her.

She hugged Tristan close. “You are such a wuss, Jacobs.”

Aidan laughed aloud. Only Rachel could get away with telling the world’s greatest super-agent he was a wuss.

Tristan leaned over to stare at Aidan. “Keep laughing, Monroe. We all know you saved Naylor because Cassandra was crying… Major wussage.”

Clamping down his jaw, Aidan started forward in the SUV, taking his time up the paved road. He didn’t want to think about her any longer. She’d made a choice yesterday and it wasn’t him.

“Where do you want to go first?”

Rachel said, “After the funeral, Brody said he’d meet us at the house. He’s anxious to show Tristan the gun collection that Ben left him.”

Aidan put the truck into park in the circular drive.

“Why did Ben live in assisted living when he had a place like this?”

Tristan gazed up at the two–story monstrosity in front of them. He helped Rachel out of the car.

“He said it was too big. He got lost in it.” Rachel smiled. “I think he was just lonely.”

Did lonely mean the same thing as being alone? Aidan had felt lonely since Cass went to Dar last night in the hallway. Although he’d spent the morning with Rachel and Tristan, he felt like a third wheel, an intruder on their life.

However, Rachel had insisted he come with them to the ranch. His sister seemed scared, as though everyone could disappear at any moment. After what had happened last night at the hospital, Rachel knew she’d lost any hope of growing close to her sister now.

“Howdy, folks.”

Brody Tybeck greeted them on the porch. The middle-aged man had run Ben’s ranch for years. He’d cried like a baby at the funeral earlier. His eyes were still red-rimmed, hours later.

Tristan shook his hand before Brody dropped a set of keys into Rachel’s palm. “Here you go, Rachel. A key to everything on this place.”

He turned and led them into the house. “I’ll let y’all look around on your own but Ben asked me to show you the gun collection in particular.”

Ben’s gun collection had its own room off of the downstairs foyer. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, even sub-machine guns were displayed in fine oak cases, each restored to new.

Aidan walked around the room looking at them all.

Brody said, “Tristan, Ben said you were one of the few that could appreciate this room.” Reaching under one of the display cases, Brody pulled out a box of bullets. “He wanted you to see these.”

Aidan went closer to see what he held. Tristan had a box of .38 caliber rounds, dark and tarnished with age. Picking up one of them, he studied it in the sunlight at the window.

“These were made by the Mainland Corporation.” He dropped it in Aidan’s hand. “Tarnished brass.”

Aidan turned over the bullet in his hand. It looked exactly the same as the bullets inside Buckner’s gun – except Buckner’s were shiny and new.

“Where’s this gun?” Rachel looked inside one of the pistol cases, her fingernail tapping the glass top.

Brody shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s been missing for months. We’ve looked all over the place for it. Ben thinks it was stolen. If it was, why wasn’t the glass broken or anything else taken?” Brody gave a sheepish grin. “I just chalked it up to Ben getting senile.”

Aidan frowned. “What kind of gun was it, Brody? Ben used a Governor when he shot the Naylor agent.”

“No, he bought that one new right before he moved into the assisted living center. This was a Colt 1903.”

“Something doesn’t sound right.” Aidan mumbled under his

breath.

“Nope.” Tristan said.

“You folks need anything else?” Brody scratched his

whiskered jaw.

Smiling, Rachel took his hand in hers. “No, I think we’re good here, Brody. And, I don’t want you thinking anyone’s job is in danger. Things are going to remain as is, okay?”

The man’s shoulders slumped slightly as he gave her an appreciative grin. “Thank you, Rachel. I appreciate that.”

With a wave to Aidan and Tristan, Brody left the house.

Tristan held open his arms to Rachel. She crossed the room and hugged him tight. Thoughts of Cass flooded Aidan’s head. He turned away from the tender scene to study more guns.

“You look exhausted.” Tristan’s voice held a note of worry.

She sighed. “I am.”

“You ready to go? Aidan has to leave in a couple of hours, anyway.”

Aidan walked to the front door and stared out. Yeah, won’t that be grand? He and Mitchell would travel to Nevada with Cassandra and Dar. He had hours to just sit and stare at the one woman that meant something to him. The one woman that he couldn’t have.

Rachel said, “Let’s go look at Ben’s cars. I know you want to see them, Tris.”

When he heard them come up behind him, Aidan opened the front door and walked outside. Rounding the side of the house, they made their way to the limestone garage several feet away. Aidan took the keys from Rachel and opened a side door.

Heat blasted him in the face, dust mites floating in the sunlight filtering through the garage door windows. Eight classic cars sat side-by-side at an angle, each pristine in itself. Tristan immediately went to the 1963 red, split window Corvette and climbed in the driver’s seat.

“This is sweet.”

Rachel climbed in the passenger side as Aidan walked around the perimeter.

“Want to take it for a spin?” Rachel said.

Tristan shook his head as he studied the dash. “No, I don’t want to get a scratch on it.”

Squatting down, Aidan noticed a scratch under the keyhole on the trunk. “Too late.”

“What? Where?” Tristan hopped out and came around back.

Aidan pointed at the scrape. “There.”

Grabbing the keys out of the ignition, Tristan returned and

popped open the trunk.

Aidan whistled low. An old pistol lay inside, along with a laptop computer and a single gold coin. “Holy shit.”

“Holy shit, is right.”

Rachel came to stand between them. “That looks like one of Dad’s computers, Aidan.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’d bet my last paycheck it is.”

“So, does that mean Ben was there the night Jim was shot?” Rachel looked at each of them.

Tristan said, “Considering he was a friend of your father’s, and the evidence is hiding in the trunk of his car, I’d say yeah.”

Rachel slammed the heel of her hand on the trunk lid. “Dammit, why didn’t he say something?”

“He was probably afraid, baby.” Tristan rubbed her back.

“Or wanted the gold for himself,” Aidan chimed in.

They looked at each other. “
The barrels.
”

#####

Cassandra sat beside d’Artagnan on the D.I.R.E. jet. She had a perfect view of Aidan standing over Mitchell’s shoulder, studying something on a computer screen at a work table. He wore a forest green t-shirt, the sleeves skintight around his muscled biceps. His jeans molded to his backside with mouth-watering perfection, his thick, copper hair mussed from his fingers running through it. She wanted to wrap her arms around his waist from behind and smooth down his messy hair with lazy fingers.

That would be a little hard to do with her feet chained to her seat.

He wouldn’t look her way, wouldn’t give her the time of day. She couldn’t blame him. They’d shared something very beautiful and personal last night, before she turned against him and chose her family. As far as he was concerned, she’d made her choice.

If she had it to do over again, she’d trust him and stand beside him in that hall. Choices were always easier in hindsight.

She sighed aloud.

“Of all the men in the world, you had to pick Aidan Monroe?”

Coming out of her reverie, Cass frowned at her twin. “It’s not like I chose him. It just… happened.”

Dar laid back his head and closed his eyes. “You watch the Love Story channel too much.”

She elbowed him. “Shut up.” Cass turned to look out the window. “It doesn’t matter anyway. He hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you. The guy took out an entire team of Naylor agents to protect you. The prick.”

Calling in that team of agents had been the downfall of Naylor Interests. Her idiotic decisions had ruined everything. She knew her brother had to feel lost.

She turned back to face him, her eyes straying to Aidan’s wide shoulders. “I’m sorry, Dar.”

He blew out a breath. “For what? Trying to save us?” He shook his head. “I can’t believe all of this has been about Kate Monroe.”

“I don’t think it is.”

He turned to stare at her. “Why?”

“Didn’t you hear Mitchell last night? He said Father had thrown him in hell. Father isn’t innocent in all of this, either.”

Dar turned back around with a bitter laugh. “When is he ever innocent?”

A stewardess approach Aidan and Mitchell. Straightening, Aidan smiled at the pretty blonde while she spoke. They all shared a laugh before the woman touched Aidan’s arm just above his armband. Cassandra’s hands fisted on her armrests.

“Go kick her ass, Sis.” Dar chuckled.

More than kick her ass, Cass wanted to claim Aidan for herself by shoving him down in a chair and straddling his lap.

The stewardess wasn’t the problem, it was Aidan.

She pressed the call button on her chair.

Aidan whipped around to stare at her, his mouth turning down at the sides. He sauntered toward them with a deep scowl.

“What?”

Cass gazed up at him, hoping her eyes, her face, her voice told him how much she missed him. “I need to use the restroom.”

He knew, as well as she, that Cass didn’t need to tinkle at all. She just wanted him to acknowledge her existence, acknowledge that he still felt the way he did last night outside of Willie’s.

Squatting down, Aidan cupped her calf as he unlocked the braces at her feet. A tingling sensation trickled up her legs and sprouted throughout her body. She fisted her hands to keep from fingering his hair.

He stood. “Let’s go.”

When Cass stood, she found herself inches away from him. That crisp, light scent of his filled her nose, his green eyes glittering with swelling darkness.

“Aidan…”

He backed up and motioned for her to precede him.

Sighing, she walked to the back of the plane.

She heard Dar say, “You’re a heartless asshole, mutant.”

A zap sounded behind her.

“
Ow
, shit.”

Cass pulled in her lips over her teeth to keep from laughing.

Reaching the bathroom door, she turned to find Aidan right behind her.

“Don’t pull anything.”

She felt like a basketball sat in her throat. “I won’t.”

Opening the door, she bit her bottom lip. “Want to come inside?” She tugged on his hand.

“I’ve done the mile high club, Cass.”

Heat exploded in her face while her heart shattered. She dropped his hand like a hot coal before whipping away from him.

“Cass…”

She slammed the door in his face. Leaning against the lavatory, she covered her face with her hands. She would
not
cry. Knowing he stood just outside gave her the strength to hold them back. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing how much he’d hurt her.

How much she hurt without him.

Why did she beat her head against this wall? They would always be on opposite sides.
Always
. Their situation had years of history and roots to ground it. How could new feelings of love and desire ever overcome it?