Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries Book 11) (16 page)

“You are not dealing with a cartel.” This would be the problem he had to put up with. Keeping Mia out of trouble would be a full-time job. He let his hand rest on her thigh. “I’ll handle it.”

Was it too soon to coax her back in the bedroom? He’d cleaned up pretty well. They still had a few hours before they landed. He might enjoy violating the pilot before they had to deal with whoever would try to kill them next.

Making love to Mia might let him stop thinking about the trouble his brother was in, might give him peace for a few minutes.

Hutch was staring at him. “This doesn’t make sense. What’s the story you’re chasing after, Mia?”

“I’m meeting with a source who has information on voter fraud in the last election,” she lied without batting an eye.

Fain shook his head. “As your bodyguard, I have to warn you that this is ill advised. Until we can figure out who those people were and who sent them, we need to get back to the States. No story is worth your life. I’m pulling the plug on this. I’ll call your brother the minute we land.”

Hutch sighed. “I hate to say this, but I’m with Asshat.”

Fain rolled his eyes. “Nice to know. We also have the added problem of needing to get this guy to a hospital. They’ll want to know how he got a bullet in his thigh.”

“He doesn’t have one anymore,” Mia pointed out.

Hutch stared at Case. “Do you honestly not care that Michael could get an infection? I know she cleaned it and stuff, but he needs to see a real doctor.”

“It’s not that bad,” Michael said, sobering a bit. “I won’t be able to run for a few days, but I can walk. I’m not the problem here. Fain is right. There is zero chance that the Case Taggart I know calls a cartel in to clean up for him and lets the woman he’s involved with walk around with a target on her back. What the fuck is going on, Case?”

Mia sat up straight and after brushing his cheek with her lips, she stood up. “This story is very important to me. I’ve talked to Case about it. I’m going through with it whether or not the rest of you come with me. Mr. Fain, you can call my brothers, but I’m an adult and if you do, you’re fired. I will ensure Mr. Malone gets the care he needs once we reach Cartagena. You and Mr. Fain can join him at the hospital. I hope Case will come with me, but I don’t need an escort.”

Oh, she so fucking needed an escort. “I’ll be with you and you know it, but maybe it would be for the best if we sent Michael home with Hutch and Fain.”

Hutch stood up. “Sounds good to me, man. You know how foreign food upsets my stomach.” He was smiling, saying all the right things. He left his computer behind, but Case watched him slip his phone into his pocket. “I’m going to the bathroom, then I’m taking a nap. Wake me up when we need to change planes.”

There was no way he was taking a nap. He’d worked with Hutch long enough to know exactly what he’d do.

Case reached out and grabbed Hutch. “Don’t you dare call Ian.”

Michael managed to pull himself up. “If he doesn’t I will. Something’s fishy here and you’re keeping us in the dark. I want to know what’s going on and I want to know now.”

Damn it. He’d meant to avoid this. He wished he could kill the pilot again.

“I have something on him, okay?” Mia put her hands on her hips. Her eyes went steely. “I’ve got something on Case and I’m using it to make him help me. He’s embarrassed so you don’t have to bring Ian into this. And as long as Case there goes along with my plan, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

She was sweet, but he could tell her it wasn’t going to work. “Don’t bother. They know me too well.”

“He would already have you locked up,” Hutch said with a grim smile. “He’s chasing your tail, hon. He can be led around by his dick but he wouldn’t give in to blackmail. Try again.”

“Is this about Hope McDonald?” Michael asked quietly.

“The senator’s daughter?” Fain asked, his gaze sharpening. “You think she killed your brother.”

They’d covered so much of that up. “Theo died while performing his bodyguard duties.”

“Bullshit. Theo Taggart died around the same time as the senator. Everyone in the business knows the senator had Tennessee Smith burned. There is zero chance that Ian Taggart would hire out his brother to protect the man who ruined his friend. Rumor has it the senator was dirty as hell and connected to a group of businessmen who call themselves The Collective.” The words came out of Fain’s mouth like accusatory bullets. “McKay-Taggart isn’t the only group with connections. They’re just the group that doesn’t play well with others.”

So Fain’s boss had his ear to the ground. Case wouldn’t be telling him anything he didn’t know. “Theo was still killed on a job.”

“He was working for Ten Smith. Does this job have something to do with Smith?” Fain asked.

“No.” He didn’t like Fain asking about Tennessee Smith. His old boss kept a low profile. “Ten has no idea what’s going on.”

“I doubt that,” Michael said. “The real question I have is does Big Tag know what we’re doing?”

“He knows exactly where I am.” Case didn’t have to lie about that. He’d told Ian exactly where he was going.

“Then you won’t mind me calling in to let him know what happened to Michael. It’s what we’re supposed to do when a team member is injured. We call back to base,” Hutch said all too reasonably.

When had Hutch gotten so slavish to the rules? “We’re handling it. Erin just had her baby. Everyone’s trying to take care of her and TJ. I’ll put Michael on a plane back and you can join him.”

Mia moved in behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We won’t be more than a few days behind you. No one has to be worried. I’m going to talk to someone, get some intel, and Case and I will fly back. We’ll keep a low profile and everything will be fine.”

“Intel about what?” Fain was ruthless.

“None of your business,” Case replied.

“How about mine?” Michael asked. “I’ve already taken a bullet for this operation but I’m not allowed to know what intel we’re going after? I thought we abandoned the whole following-orders-blindly thing when we left the Agency.”

Michael had been his partner for a very long time. Outside of his brothers, Michael was one of the only humans on earth who could actively make Case feel guilty. They had left behind the lies when they’d quit the Agency, and Case had been the one to convince Michael to come with him. Case sat silent.

“I’m calling Tag,” Hutch said stubbornly.

“Don’t.” He was rapidly losing control.

Hutch’s face was red, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at Case. “No, you don’t get to order me to stand down when it comes to this. I realize that I’m considered the geek of the group and no one thinks I’m good for anything but looking shit up on the Internet. But I know how this should work. I did my time in the Army and there is a chain of command for a reason. I didn’t trust my instincts that night. Erin didn’t either. I will not do that ever again. Not even for you, Case. Fuck, really not for you because I refuse to lose another friend.”

It was so easy to forget how volatile Hutch could be, how deep those seemingly still waters could run. He hadn’t talked much about it, but Hutch had been there the night Theo died. He’d watched as Theo took his last breath and he’d seen the aftermath of Nick losing Des and Erin losing Theo.

Hutch had been the one who followed Theo’s orders, including not calling into home base when everything had gone to hell. The minute Ten had been taken, Theo should have called in and let Ian take over. Theo had been sure he could save Ten and the op.

Theo had been wrong.

Hutch was his man. Case ran this group and he wasn’t being the leader he needed to be. Case stood up and put his hands on Hutch’s shoulders. He had to make a decision whether the secret was more important than his mission and his men.

He owed Ian, but he owed his group, too. Ian had brought in Alex and Li to back him up. Hutch and Michael were Case’s closest advisors.

“You are not going to lose me.” He looked over at Fain. Sometimes life threw him curve balls and sometimes those freaking curve balls ended up being necessary.

He couldn’t risk going in alone. Not if someone was after Mia. Michael was out of commission. He needed Fain.

“If you turn out to be untrustworthy, I need you to understand that I will skin you alive and turn you into a rug for my office and I will let my dogs piss on you. I don’t have dogs right now, but I’m going to get some if you betray me. Am I understood?”

“I get you.” Fain was so earnest Case was worried he might break into song. “And I want in. I take my job seriously. I know I work for someone your brother doesn’t like, but they weren’t freaking hiring at McKay-Taggart. Do you know how long it’s been since I had a team I could count on? I’m not going to let you down. Now tell me we’re going after The Collective. I lost a friend in Africa during a skirmish that I believe was caused not by the locals but by The Collective over diamond mining.”

“A mercenary?”

“No. He was my brother and he was on a black ops team. So tell me I get to have some part in taking those fuckers down.”

“We’re not going after The Collective. Not directly,” he admitted. “We’re going after my brother.”

Hutch’s mouth dropped open. “What? Theo’s dead…fuck. She saved him. McDonald saved him and she took him and that’s why we never found his body.”

“Are you kidding me?” Michael asked. “He’s been with her all this time. What has she done to him? Does Ian know?”

“Of course. He’s known for a while and you have to understand why he’s kept it quiet.” He wasn’t going to throw his brother under the bus. Ian had made the right call. Case was making the only one he could. The intel was too important. Ian had said the information was on a need-to-know basis. Case needed them to know. “I’ll give you all the information you need, but you have to promise me now that the fact that Theo’s alive doesn’t get back to the rest of the team.”

“Erin would be devastated if she lost him twice,” Michael said.

“Or she would fly in after him and she could die and they would both be gone.” Hutch sank back into his seat. “I saw her that night. If she could have, she would have taken his place. She would have gone with him. Brody carried her out or she would have stayed with Theo. She wouldn’t leave him.”

A lot had changed in the months since Theo’s death. He didn’t think Erin would rush out. Case kept the secret from her for a different reason. “She’s a mom now. I don’t think she would be reckless with her life because of TJ, but I can’t let her feel the pain I feel every single day. I know he’s out there and I can’t help him. If I can spare Erin that pain, I’m going to and I’m asking you to as well.”

“I’m with you,” Michael promised.

Hutch nodded. “I can keep a secret.”

He was tougher than he seemed. “Good. Fain?”

“I don’t know her so I think we’re good,” Fain explained.

“I was talking about your boss.” Guy Ferland had some issues with Big Tag.

“He has zero need to know. He’s actually a dick and when I find another job, I’ll leave. Like I said, I’m really just looking for a team.” Fain looked back at Mia. “What role do you play in this?”

Mia shrugged and walked back into the cabin. She left the door open as she sat back down in the pilot’s seat. “I’m just the girl who got a good lead.”

He’d been wondering about this, too. “So you got a lead on my brother. Who was supposed to be dead. And this Tony person just up and knew you were the person to come to. Even though we don’t have connection on paper, he came to you. About my brother, who is supposed to be dead.”

Michael frowned. “That does seem fishy.”

Not for the same reasons. Michael was going the paranoid route. He knew his partner. Michael was wondering now if this wasn’t some kind of ploy to get them all at some place at some prescribed time where Mia would pull a surprise dick move on them.

He knew this had nothing to do with betrayal and everything to do with the fact that Mia didn’t give up on the things she wanted.

And she wanted him.

“I guess I was lucky,” she said primly.

“I think Mia was looking for any way to get into Case’s panties,” Hutch said enthusiastically. The boy was an optimist.

Mia turned in her chair, her cheeks a perfectly cute shade of pink. “I was intrigued by the story and I looked into it. I knew about The Collective because they approached my brother and Riley and I quickly figured out Hope McDonald was not only The Collective’s personal Dr. Frankenstein, but also the person most likely at fault for Theo’s death. I wanted to find her.”

“For justice.” Yeah, that was a lie, but if she was embarrassed, he would let her get away with it.

“For you,” she said quietly.

Because Mia didn’t prevaricate or hide even when she was embarrassed. He gave her what he hoped was a warm smile of encouragement. “Tell me how all this went down. How do you know this Tony guy?”

Her shoulders straightened again and she was right back to vivacious. “I met him when I was working this story on human trafficking in South America. He was looking for the daughter of some friend of his and I agreed to be bait for the men who had taken her. It was all very Liam Neeson and stuff.”

She was going to give him a heart attack. He could see it. She would be sitting there in a dive bar, probably wearing a dress that showed off her breasts. She would look like a big old blonde, suck-me, fuck-me cupcake, and when the bad guys showed up she’d probably have interview questions for them.

Hello, Mr. Sex Trafficker. Could you explain how you choose the girls you turn into sex slaves?

“Is he okay?” Mia was staring at him but talking to Michael.

“He’s envisioning you in a hellhole brothel and thinking about how he can punish you for putting yourself out there as bait.” Michael knew him well.

“He can’t spank me for that. He didn’t even know me at the time,” she said with a grin. “So I’d done that tiny didn’t-even-get-me-thrown-in-a-brothel favor for Tony. He gave me a number to call him and when I needed a favor, I dialed him up.”

“What exactly did you ask him for?” Case had to move past the idea of her being used as bait. Maybe he would take that discussion up with the mysterious Tony.