Authors: Allie K. Adams
At Any Cost (25 page)
JT huffed, but wouldn't back down. "Funny name for a girl."
He growled and looked at her. "Raven. Her name was Raven,
damn
you."
JT knew better than to be offended. The man was hurting, and he was going to lash out in any way he could to push her away. "Like the bird? Not her real name, obviously."
"No. A nickname. After her dark hair." His eyes shifted up to her hair.
JT touched her hair. No wonder he glared at her hair all the time. It must remind him of the
Raven
woman. Her heart painfully skipped as the realization crashed down on her. Did
she
remind him of her? Was that why he had sex with her? More than once?
Reality hit so hard she physically swayed. Her blood pounded, her entire body grew hot with humiliation.
Fool
, she belittled herself. He didn't see her when they were together, which would explain the hostility. How could he do something like this to her? She opened herself to him, to allow him to touch her deeper than any other man.
And for what? So he could take out some vendetta against the brunettes of the world? JT closed her eyes, let out a long breath, cursed herself for being such a hapless idiot. Her heart shattered, along with her devotion to Dan Weber. She felt the tears swell, but she'd be damned to shed a single one over him.
His hand on her cheek made her jump. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He brushed her cheek with his thumb and JT felt something wet.
Oh no. Oh
God
no! Her breath came in swift gasps, but she pulled back the remaining tears. With a deep breath, she swallowed down her emotions and forced a sense of calm.
Dan sat down next to her, his eyes never leaving hers. He kissed her cheek, removing another tear. Where'd that one come from? "I'm sorry. Christ, JT. I'm so sorry."
"For what?"
"For being such a selfish ass. It didn't dawn on me how this must make you feel."
"Don't worry about me." JT waved him off, trying to dismiss the fact she could no longer feel anything. The shock of her realization left her numb. She jumped out of the bed and looked at the spandex. No way. She'd slip back over to her room and find her jeans. Grabbing her bra and the turtleneck, she dressed above the waist. Looking around the room, she tried to spy her panties.
She knew she had panties on when they started.
"But I do."
JT parted her lips slightly as she looked back at him. Those eyes, those damned handsome eyes searched hers, made her feel so much more than she should. It warmed her broken heart. How could this man tell her he only wanted something physical and expect her to live with the decision when he looked at her like that?
Her emotions were in a whirlwind. She didn't know whether she was coming or going. All thanks to Dan Weber.
"Two years ago my partner, Steve Gessler, and I were on a break from NASSD. We were down in the Keys living it up. HQ promised to leave us alone for a few weeks after cleaning up a mess they made in
"Exactly what you need. Keep talking, Tough Guy."
He looked at her. Was that gratefulness in his eyes? Nah. She must have read them wrong. Regardless, the surly man was finally opening up to her. She wasn't about to question it. "We'd only been there a week. After an all night drinking binge, Gessler passed out. I poured him into his room and went back to mine."
"There she was. Raven had followed us down there and was lying in my bed, waiting for me. I still don't know how she found us. At the time, I didn't care. She was there. I'll save you the details of what happened next."
"Right. Thanks." JT had to look away. The thought of another woman in bed with Dan made her stomach clench. The thought of that woman betraying Dan made her fists clench.
"I knew Gessler didn't like her, but in his condition he would have never known she was ever there. I had every intention of sending her back home in the morning, before Gessler woke up.
"We were lying there, half-asleep." He stared straight forward, his eyes hazing over at the memory. "She had a sudden burst of energy and climbed on top of me. I laughed when she held up the knife. I actually
laughed
."
The memory strained his face and forced him into silence. He drew in several breaths before continuing. "I realized what was happening a split-second before she buried the knife into my chest. I shifted, and the knife missed my heart by about an inch. It still punctured a lung and sliced my insides up pretty good." His hand covered his chest.
JT's throat tightened. "Go on."
"I must have yelled. I don't really remember." He eyes went out of focus, and his expression changed. He was in so much pain. JT almost told him to stop, that the memory must be too painful for him to remember. But before she could find her voice, he continued.
"Gessler was there in a flash, which surprised the hell out of me. The guy couldn't even walk when I put him to bed, he was so drunk.
"He threw open the door. Raven jumped off the bed and screamed as she charged him. All the alcohol in his system slowed his reflexes. Before he realized what was happening, Raven reached up and sliced his throat. And then she just stood there, blood all over her naked body. Some was mine, most of it was Steve's." He swallowed down a noise JT took as anguish. "She just stood there like she was waiting for something. Or some
body
."
JT frowned. Donovan had told her Peck killed his partner. Unless Peck was there, had a part in it. "Peck?"
Dan nodded. "Peck and Raven were together on the hit. I was their target. I drifted in and out of consciousness. I just happened to be conscious enough to watch Gessler fire off two shots, both hitting Raven. Peck returned fire, pumping six into him. Gessler may have been able to survive the slice to his throat, but not the gunshots. He was dead on the first shot, but that bastard Peck just kept firing. That's his trademark. The first shot kills, the rest thrills. That's what he used to say."
JT wanted to touch him, to comfort him, but he was in a trance. He needed to get this out. It was probably the first time he'd ever told the story since it happened. She couldn't imagine the Hell he went through that night. Losing the woman he loved. His best friend, killed by the woman he loved. JT shuddered.
"Did Raven die?"
"I don't know. I blacked out after that, woke up in the hospital two days later. Whenever Peck pops up, he's alone. My guess is she died, which explains Peck's personal vendetta against NASSD, and against me."
"Against you?"
"He's killing off everybody I ever cared about. Our old unit. My friends." His face hardened. "And he isn't done. As long as there are members of my team left, he won't stop. Not until he finishes with me." He turned to her. "Once we take out Mercado, I'm going after him."
"I'm going with you."
"No!" Dan shouted at her. "This, I take care of alone."
JT went to him, rested her hands on his shoulders and looked up into his eyes. "No, Dan. I won't let you take this on alone. You need a partner. You need backup. You need
me
."
He searched her eyes. "You'd be risking your career. NASSD doesn't exactly approve of my plan."
"Good thing I have a hard time with authority. Their words, not mine. Now kiss me."
He did, sealing their pact.
Dan couldn't go down to the bar and retrieve his clothes, not dressed like a spy. He'd just have to call down to the bar and hope Snyder answered.
A knock on the door stopped him mid-stride to the phone.
"Who's that?" JT asked after walking back into the room through the door adjoining his with hers, now wearing her jeans. Her not wearing anything on her lower half during their talk proved very convenient. After he spilled his heart to her, he spilled his life into her. Several times. Thank God NASSD agents were always prepared, and always protected. He didn't need little NASSD agents running around after this all ended.
She pulled her hair behind her and tied it in a knot. She then grabbed a pen off the desk and shoved it through the middle of the knot to hold it in place. Dan shouldn't have noticed it as much as he did. But he did. Even after making love more times than he could count, he still pondered at the thought of having her again.
"I don't know. Get back into the other room." As she did, Dan grabbed his pistol and moved toward the door. He peeked through the peephole and cursed, uncocked his gun. Throwing open the door, Dan pulled Snyder inside and looked out in the hall before slamming the door.
"Good morning," he sang and threw Dan's clothes at him. "Figured you could use these. Dry and everything. I'm guessing NASSD didn't deliver the clothes, right?"
Dan gave him a glare and set the gun back onto the table, started toward the bathroom to change. "Anything new to report?" When he didn't answer, Dan looked back over his shoulder.
Snyder smiled that damned charming smile as he spied JT walk back into the room. With her form-fitting t-shirt and jeans, she looked delectable. Noticing how Snyder traced her frame with his gaze, Dan tensed. No man had the right to look at her like that except him.
"I liked the spandex better," Snyder commented, the irritating flirt. "They fit you like a second skin."
JT's face grew to a bright crimson. "Yes, well. I like my first skin better, thank you."
"You and me, both." Snyder flashed his goddamn teeth. In turn, JT flashed her eyes at him.
Dan hid his smile. Any minute now JT would walk over and bust the guy's nose for talking to her like that.
Just as predicted, she started toward him, that look in her eyes. She was going to split his lip, break his nose, and probably knock him unconscious. Dan jumped between them, stopping JT with his hands on her shoulders. As much as he'd love to see Snyder go down for so much as thinking about JT's skin, they needed him, and needed him conscious.
Dan stared her down. "How about you order us all some food? I'm going to get back into some normal clothes."
Her eyes softened as she looked up at him. "Oh, darn. No more Spiderman?"
"Spiderman's outfit is red and blue," Snyder offered. JT's eyes started to narrow. Dan shook his head to have her let it go. She nodded once, but he could tell she had no intention of letting it go.
Dan stepped aside and went into the bathroom before he heard JT's response. He could only help Snyder so much. If the guy kept opening his mouth and insulting her like that, JT would make it difficult for him to open his mouth at all.
He hurried into his clothes, fully prepared to sweep whatever was left of Snyder up off the floor. When he opened the door, they were sitting and talking with each other. Hell, he even had her laughing.
The bastard.
Dan went and sat down between them on the couch. "What have you got for us?"
Snyder finally peeled his eyes away from JT to look at Dan. "We've got serious issues, dude."
Dan and JT exchanged glances. No looks, no personal feelings. Agent to agent. Dan leaned forward. "Talk."
"Our little visit to Mercado's compound last night upped his paranoia. He's doubled his guards and now has a twenty-four hour watch on the fences. And all ports. According to the tequila-drinking trio, once they found those guards' bodies, Mercado freaked."
"Shit." Dan shook his head. "We'll never get back in there now." He glanced at JT. She returned his look. They were going to have to send her in.
"His men are downstairs right now, drowning their worries. Mercado keeps promising something big, but they tell me they don't know what it is. Not even with a fifth of
Cuervo
in their system."
Dan glanced at his watch. "At nine in the morning?"
"Tequila runs like water down here,
mi amigo
." Snyder looked over at JT. "Weber wasn't too hard on you, was he?"
JT's eyes widened. She stole a glance at Dan before looking back at Snyder.
He smiled, flashing a perfect set of teeth. "Last night? Running for your life? Ring a bell?"
Dan grunted, relieved that was all he meant. Another comment like that and
he'd
break Snyder's nose. "Get used to it. Turner has made running for her life a daily occurrence. Anything else?"
Snyder nodded. "Pedro contacted me. He's trying to reach you."
"Since when?"
"Since about an hour ago."
Dan glanced over at the satcom. "Why didn't he just use the uplink? It came from him, so he knows the frequency."
"He said he tried. Three times." Snyder eyed them both, and Dan knew exactly what the man was thinking. "Must not have heard it, huh?"
Saved by a knock on the door. "That was quick," Dan commented.
" I offered them extra if they made it here in fifteen minutes or less." JT stood. She opened the door and started talking with the man holding the giant silver tray, stumbling through what little Spanish she knew.
Snyder leaned over to Dan. "Way to go, Weber. She's way hotter than Donovan's wife."
"She's a federal agent." His mood veered sharply toward anger. Snyder was very close to losing the ability to speak, because Dan was this close to ripping out his tongue if he said another word about JT.
Snyder pulled back. "Sorry, man. No disrespect. I didn't know you and her were involved."
"We aren't."
"Sure." He wiggled his brows and Dan gave him the finger.
JT rejoined them, setting the tray on the table in front of them. "Can you believe our sandwiches only came to a hundred pesos? That's good, right? He said he wasn't making lunch, since it is only nine in the morning. But after I offered him one of the 500 peso notes, he seemed eager to please." She grabbed the biggest one and took a bite. Both Snyder and Dan looked at her. "What?"
"You just gave that man a fifty dollar tip. That's enough to live on for a week down here." Dan pointed out.
She didn't stop chewing. In fact, the news didn't seem to faze her in the least. "Oh. Well, he makes good sandwiches." She took another bite.
Dan didn't even want to know how fast they'd go through their money if JT kept tipping everyone like that. He decided to get back to the mission. "What did Pedro need?"
Snyder took a bite and swallowed. "He said he worked night and day for you,
señor
." He did a pathetic attempt at Pedro's accent. "He's got your stuff."
So soon? Dan really liked it when people were eager to please. "I'll head over there after we're done here."
JT picked at her sandwich bread. "Who's Pedro?"
"The Gadget Master," Snyder commented and took another bite of his sandwich. "He's the one you have to thank for all those nifty doo-hickies we get to use."
"Is that all?" Dan asked after finishing his sandwich. He grabbed a bottle of water and took a long swig to wash it down.
"I was hoping you could come up with a plan to get us back in there now that every inch of the place will be crawling with hired guns." Snyder grabbed another water bottle and took a drink. "Unless we tunnel our way in underground, we're screwed."
Underground
. Pedro's brother. "I'll come up with something."
"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" JT asked.
Dan rested his eyes on her. "You wait for me this time."
