Hot Shot (A Hostile Operations Team Novel)(#5) (14 page)

“This is a tricky one,” Mendez said as walked up to the screen. Then he turned back to them. “On many levels.”

He sank into his usual seat and let his hard gaze slide over them. It lingered on Jack, and that wasn’t something he liked very much. In all the years with HOT, he’d never actually been the object of Mendez’s scrutiny. He did his job, he kept his mouth shut, and he stayed out of trouble.

Clearly, that era was over.

“Not asking how the kid is yours, Hawk,” Mendez finally said. “Though I figure I already know.”

“Yes, sir,” Jack said, keeping his gaze on the colonel’s face. There was no denying what everyone knew. And no denying when it had happened either. They all remembered those three days when he’d been isolated with Gina and waiting for the team to extract him.

Mendez’s gaze slipped on by and Jack’s breath slowly left his body. The colonel had been known to make lesser men cry. Jack didn’t think it was possible with him, and yet he really didn’t want to find out.

“This mission isn’t completely regulation, but we’re going anyway. Turns out Stavros Metaxas has been a busy man lately. He’s entered into negotiations with the opposition forces in Qu’rim.”

Jack could see Lucky stiffen out of the corner of his eye. She’d done a lot to stop the violence in Qu’rim, but unfortunately it had taken on a life of its own. The Freedom Force was effectively dismantled, but there were always other groups waiting to take its place.

The Qu’rimi Opposition had been infiltrated long ago by militants. They were severely weakened after Al Ahmad’s defeat, but they weren’t dead yet. An influx of weapons would only prolong the violence.

Jack’s blood began to hum. If Metaxas was negotiating with the Qu’rimis, he was a target. And Jack was the one who’d get to pull the trigger.
 

But Mendez’s gaze swung back to him. “Brandy’s taking point on this one.”

Jack’s anger surged. His spotter was a good sniper, one of the best—but he was better.
The
best. And this bastard was his. “Sir, I respectfully disagree.”

“You don’t get to disagree, Hawk. You’re emotionally compromised and we don’t have an order to kill. I need to know that my sniper will obey orders.”

He thought of the last time he’d taken out a Metaxas. He’d done the job—and then he’d done more than he was supposed to. But Gina was alive because of that choice, and he didn’t regret it.

“All right.”

Mendez raised an eyebrow. “All right?”

“All right, sir,” Jack amended.

The colonel’s eyes flashed. “I shouldn’t let you go on this mission at all.”

Jack’s gut clenched hard. But he didn’t open his mouth. Mendez was testing him. Looking for a fight. Looking for weakness.

He wouldn’t show it.

Finally, Mendez nodded. “I’m not that cruel. But I expect you to follow orders and do the job properly.”

He stood then and everyone followed suit, snapping to attention until the colonel walked out.

The guys all looked at each other, their expressions grim. “You heard the man,” Matt said. “Let’s bug out.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

GINA SAT IN ONE of the plush leather club chairs on her plane and scrolled through her phone, looking at pictures of Eli. Jack was nearby, chin on his fist as he brooded. They hadn’t spoken in about an hour now. It was hell being near him like this and not knowing what to say.
 

It was almost like being back in the cave together, except there hadn’t been any bad blood between them then and conversation had flowed freely. She’d been scared, but he’d kept her mind off it and she’d talked about so many things. Not everything, but almost.

Now she had no idea what to say to this man. The father of her child. The soldier who made her belly clench and her sex ache with one hot look. What was wrong with her? She had no time for this kind of thing. No time for speculation and memories of the heat they’d shared.

But he was Eli’s father, and it was inevitable she would remember how that had happened. Especially since they were returning to the island where they’d made Eli.

Her heart squeezed at the thought of going back into the lion’s den. She didn’t want to go, and yet she had no choice. Stavros had told her she would never see Eli again if she didn’t come. So she was on her way and terrified about what awaited her.

But she was determined too. She wasn’t letting Stavros have her baby. She would do whatever it took to get him back.

The rest of the team was on another plane, traveling a similar route. Jack would stay in contact with them, but she and Jack were essentially on their own. She’d thought they would travel together as they had to Las Vegas, but Jack had explained it was better to go separately. It was always possible Stavros would have her watched when she landed at the airport, and if she emerged from the same plane as Jack’s team did, Stavros might know it. That was a risk they couldn’t take.
 

Gina closed her eyes and imagined having Eli back safe and unharmed.
 

Jack blew out a breath and her eyes snapped open. He’d seemed agitated from the moment she’d met him on the tarmac at the airport, and it hadn’t changed much since.

“Penny for your thoughts,” she said and then wanted to bite her tongue because it was so lame.

Jack slanted a dark look at her. “It’s nothing.”

Gina sighed. “Then stop looking like someone peed in your cornflakes. You’re making the flight attendants nervous.”

She didn’t know that he was, but it was something to say. Besides, neither of the attendants had been back here in half an hour. They knew not to disturb Gina unless she buzzed them. She liked her quiet time for reflection when traveling. Not that it happened often, considering she usually traveled with a retinue. Except for the flight staff, they’d all been left home this time.

Thank God.
 

Barry was off to Hawaii with a new lover, none the wiser that he’d been the object of Jack’s suspicion for a few hours. Gina had no engagements for a couple of weeks, so it had been easy to leave the posse behind—even her usual security firm’s men because now she had Jack and his team.
 

“I’m not making them nervous.”

“Then where are they?”

He moved his hand. A moment later one of the attendants appeared, smiling broadly, and Gina knew he’d pressed the button to summon her. This girl had red hair and pink lipstick and she sashayed her way toward Jack.

“What may I get you, sir?”

Her voice was bright and cheery and Gina wanted to snap at her. Except that wasn’t fair and she would do nothing of the sort.

Jack’s gaze drifted over the girl, lingering on her chest for a moment, and Gina’s face heated. “I’d like a soda, Stephanie. Thanks.”

Stephanie
. He’d been looking at her name, not her chest. Or maybe he’d been looking at both.

“Yes, sir.” Stephanie turned toward Gina. “And you, ma’am? Can I get you anything?”

The
ma’am
made her feel old, though it was simple politeness. “Sparkling water with lime.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Stephanie disappeared again, her rump swaying invitingly in her dark blue skirt.
 

“She’s cute,” Jack said.

Gina lifted an eyebrow and tried to look disinterested. “Is she? I hadn’t noticed.”

Jack chuckled, and Gina flipped a page in the magazine sitting on the tray in front of her.

Stephanie returned a few moments later with drinks and snacks. Once they were settled, she gave them her bright smile and disappeared again.

Jack grabbed a handful of pretzels. “Didn’t look nervous to me,” he said before popping them into his mouth and chewing.

“She’s a good actress.”

Jack laughed. “No, you’re just a poor liar.”

Gina crossed her arms and glared at him. “Fine, she’s not nervous. None of them are. Clearly, your problem is with me—and I’d appreciate it if you’d get over it so we can get Eli and get home again. After that, you can be pissed at me all you like. But right now you’re making me jumpy and I don’t like it.”

Whoa, where had all that come from?
 

But then Jack opened his mouth, and any embarrassment she might have felt flew out the window.

“You’re right, my problem
is
with you. But it’s not what you think, Gina. I know my job and I’m good at it. What I don’t like about this op is you being here. I’m worried about what Metaxas wants, and I’m worried about keeping you safe.”

Her heart thumped and her breath shortened. He was worried about her? “Oh.”

His eyes flashed. “Yeah,
oh
. I don’t fucking like this, and I don’t trust Metaxas. I argued for leaving you behind, but I was the only one who wanted that. So you’re here, and I’m with you instead of where I ought to be.”

She closed her eyes for a second. She’d known he was pissed about being with her instead of with his team. Of course he was. The dude was fricking Rambo or something. “I didn’t ask for a babysitter.”

“No, but you got one.”

Anger bubbled inside her. “Do you think I like this situation any better than you do? Stavros has my baby and I’m terrified about what he’s going to do once I get there. I won’t need a fucking babysitter then, asshole. I’ll need the man who shot all those bastards the last time and saved my life!”

She shot to her feet and glared down at him. Yeah, she understood why he was pissed at her. She’d kept the truth from him when she shouldn’t have, but now they were here, on their way to Stavros and whatever crazed plan he had, and she didn’t need to deal with Jack’s anger on top of her fear and anxiety about Eli and what awaited her on St. Margarethe.

Jack rose. He towered over her and she hated that. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he growled. “But I’d prefer you weren’t there so I could concentrate on getting Eli back and stop worrying about you.”

Her heart throbbed, but she told herself not to read anything into it. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.”

“The way you did the last time?”

“I ran into you, didn’t I? I’d say I did a pretty good job.”

He took a step closer to her, his nostrils flaring. “And what about in the compound, Gina? What about when you’re at his mercy?”

“I’ll do the best I can. You’ll be there.”

Or so she hoped. They’d decided that she would call Stavros’s bluff when they arrived. He wanted something from her. They didn’t know what that was, but Jack and his team seemed to believe she had a bargaining chip. It wouldn’t get her much, but they believed it would earn her some concessions. For one, they thought she should insist on meeting him in the city. They didn’t believe he would agree to that, but it was the first step in insisting she be allowed one bodyguard.

That bodyguard was Jack. If Stavros refused, then she didn’t know what she would do. But that was a bridge they’d cross when they got to it.

“
Maybe
I’ll be there. But what if I’m not?”

Her stomach churned.

“I’ll do what I have to do to survive.” Her throat ached, but she knew deep down that was the case. She’d do what it took to buy herself time and to keep Eli safe until Jack and his team arrived. No matter what it was, she’d do it.

And Jack seemed to think so too. His jaw tightened. “Will you fuck him, Gina? Give him a taste of that sweet pussy if he asks for it?”

She wanted to gasp in outrage. But she didn’t. Worse, her pussy throbbed with heat. Damn him anyway. Judgmental asshole. She bared her teeth. “I’d fuck the devil himself if it got me what I wanted. Don’t you know that, baby?”

“Yeah, I know it.”

And that was the last straw, no matter that she’d taunted him. They’d spent three days together waiting for rescue and they’d only had sex on the last day. She’d thought he’d seen beneath the glitzy tough-girl veneer, but he hadn’t. He’d said the words so matter-of-factly, like she was the kind of woman who’d achieved everything she had by screwing her way to the top. It was the kind of thing the tabloids liked to say about her, and it made her utterly furious.

She didn’t know what she was doing when she closed the distance between them and swung her fist at his head.

He caught it before it connected and spun her around until her back was to him, her body pressed against his, her ass wedged tight to his groin. His arms wrapped around her and he held her hard against him.

“I hate you,” she spat. “I wish I’d never met you.”

His breath was hot on her neck. “Likewise, babe.” But his cock was growing against her and her stomach twisted tight.

Oh, it wasn’t fair. Gina closed her eyes and tried to will away the arousal sweeping through her body like a flash fire. Why did he affect her this way? Why, when he was such a jerk? He’d been so wonderful and tender the last time, but this time he was an arrogant prick and she hated him.

Except that her body didn’t. Her body recognized his and responded. Her nipples tightened until the lacy fabric of her bra was almost torture.

“Let me go.”

He did as she asked, letting her go so quickly that she stumbled forward and would have fallen had she not caught herself on the chair. She whirled on him, angry and hurt and frustrated.