Challenging Love Read online

  Upon entering the house, Damnit trudged toward his bed in the corner of the living room and plopped down. Over the past month, Alex had grown to love Katlin’s ninety-three pound Rottweiler-English Labrador mix is much as she did. At just over a year old, the rescue was still very much a puppy. He’d never had a dog is a child, but now knew the joy of having a pet. Maybe he’d take Damnit with him as he traveled to each Guardian Center while Kat was away on a mission. He’d have to check to see if the executive airline would allow the dog to travel in the cabin with him.

  After a quick shower, regrettably without sex, and a fast change of clothes, they were ready for a night of deception.

  Halfway down the wide staircase Kat’s phone started to play a tinny version of “Ride of the Valkyries.” Dread instantly washed through him. That was the ring tone she’d assigned to her office.

  She glanced at him, grimaced, and answered the call. “Callahan here, my line is secure.” She slowed her steps the remainder of the way down to the main floor where she stopped and held the phone so he could hear.

  “Operations Center confirming your line is secure. The director of operations requests a videoconference in six minutes. Are you able to meet that timeframe?” The man on the other end spoked distinctly, with very little inflection in his voice.

  Kat sighed and slowly shook her head, mouthing the word fuck. “Confirmed. We’ll be ready for video in five minutes. Callahan out.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry.”

  Over the past month, her boss had called at least once a week, often at the most inconvenient time. Thankfully, tonight he hadn’t interrupted them when they were both hot and sweaty…and naked. The man may have an eye in the sky on them, but Alex was positive the house was not bugged. They had checked using state-of-the-art technology as well as good old-fashioned searching.

  Alex shrugged. “Hopefully, this is only going to take a few minutes.” He ran his hand up and down her back and her muscles relaxed a little. “Daniel isn’t going anywhere, except here. What can I help you do to get set up?”

  “We’ve got this.” Kat puckered her lips and a second later, a shrill whistle filled the air. “Ladies, front and center. Incoming video.” She used the commanding voice of Lady Hawk, her alter ego as team leader.

  Lei Lu was the first down the stairs, phone in one hand, sparkly silver sandals that matched her flouncing skirt in the other. She headed to the dining room table, snagging a remote from the buffet, then pointed it toward the large seascape at the far end. The beautiful oil painting pulled out from the wall and flipped over to reveal a huge flat screen. It instantly came on with the Department of Homeland Security logo. Within seconds, the words secure line appeared along the bottom edge.

  In the upper left corner, a box opened with a view of the dining room.

  “Section 7?” Nita sounded surprised as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “What the fuck does Jack-off want now? Video of us running on the beach so he’s sure we’re keeping up our PT?” Her red dress was exceptionally short and extremely low-cut, befitting of the temptress she was pretending to be that night. Her usual girl-next-door face seemed to have been replaced with dramatic eye makeup and lipstick the same color as the barely-there dress.

  Alex had to admit, she looked fucking hot.

  In the upper right of the screen, a countdown ticked away the seconds.

  “I’m about to turn on audio and video to establish the link with the Operations Center so you’d better get all your kissing done now,” Lei Lu announced.

  “Thanks for understanding.” Kat lifted her face to Alex’s, placing a slow kiss on his lips.

  He knew the drill, but she reminded him anyway, “If you’ll grab Griffin when he comes down, I’d appreciate that. The two of you can make yourself comfortable in the living room.” The camera wasn’t wide enough to see anyone in the adjoining room.

  Alex leaned in for a quick peck before he turned and headed toward the stairway where Grace and Griffin were descending hand-in-hand.

  “Audio and video live in…three…two…one.” Lei Lu’s demeanor turned completely professional as a man in his mid-thirties filled the screen. “Black Swan is assembling now and will be ready for the director of operations in sixty-seven seconds. We are showing a secure line on our end.”

  The tech clicked a few keys. “Secure line confirmed.”

  Alex ignored the technical conversation establishing the video and moved to intercept Griffin at the bottom of the steps. He quickly explained the situation and the two men entered the living room through a side door.

  “So, what’s going on?” Griffin asked. “Is it over? Are the women safe?” He hesitated a moment then held Alex’s gaze. “Are we?”

  When photographs of Alex and Katlin, and Grace and Griffin were circulated among mercenaries with a fifty thousand dollar contract, dead or alive, USSOCOM had ordered all the Ladies of Black Swan and Alex and Griffin into hiding.

  “I don’t think this is over yet.” Alex sat on the edge of the couch and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands. “General Lyon would’ve called us and we would all be on that videoconference. I think Jack is just checking up on Kat and her team. He hates his authority over the women to be usurped, but since they are all still active duty military, he really can’t control their assignments.”

  “Stand by for Jack Ashworth, Director of Operations, U.S. Department Homeland Security.” The tech could be heard loud and clear in the adjacent room.

  Although it was a severe angle, both Alex and Griffin could see the screen.

  Perfectly dressed in a double-breasted navy blue suit, crisp white shirt, and the standard red and blue striped tie, Jack Ashworth looked powerful behind the large mahogany desk. Alex glanced at his button-down shirt and khakis. Completely appropriate for a late supper and drinks afterward at the resort next door, but he couldn’t stop the burn in the pit of his stomach.

  He grew up on the wrong side of D.C., the son of a Metro driver. How could he compete with the silver spoon lifestyle of the man who filled the screen? Kat was so far out of his league. With friends who were real princes and princesses and prime ministers who knew her by name, she should be moving in the same circles as Jack.

  Alex glanced up at the woman who held his heart. Her warm smile was all the answer he needed. She loved him. And Christ, he loved her. He didn’t want to imagine his life without her in it. When she glanced back at the screen, her face completely changed to a masked professionalism but the tightness around her eyes let him know she wasn’t happy about the situation.

  “Ladies, you needn’t dress up for this conference call.” Feigning surprise, he added, “Or did I interrupt special plans for this evening?”

  “What do you want, Jack?” Kat sounded restrained, almost terse. “You called this meeting, and we’re all here.”

  “Katlin,” Jack smile was real, and personal. “You look gorgeous, tonight. But then again, you’re beautiful in anything.”

  Griffin shot Alex a glance then leaned close and whispered, “That’s verging on sexual harassment in the workplace.”

  “That’s nothing compared to what this asshole has said to her.” Alex grinned. “She’ll add a copy of tonight’s video to the growing file.”

  Jack’s obsession with Kat was a major point of contention between the two of them. Alex wanted her to move forward as quickly as possible, reporting this inappropriate behavior to the highest authority who would listen. But they both knew Washington politics. The man was well connected through his job and his family.

  “Jack, has there been a change in the status of Khalid Junyard?” Katlin pressed her boss about the reason they were in hiding. “Were the Navy SEALs or the Army’s Delta Force successful in taking him out?”

  Alex wanted the answer to that question, too. This month with Kat had been wonderful. He loved crawling in next to her at night and waking up with her snuggled against his body. For the first time in his life, being with a woma
n like this felt right. But Jack’s comment on Kat’s appearance rubbed him raw.

  In front of their eyes, Jack morphed from a lovesick puppy into one of the most influential men inside the D.C. Beltway. His back stiffened, and his shoulders squared. “The DNA results have not yet confirmed that the real Khalid Junyard has been eliminated, but I can tell you all the special operations teams will be back on U.S. soil within twelve hours.”

  “Hallelujah!” Nita threw her arms up into the air. She returned Katlin’s gaze but didn’t exactly apologize. “You have an absolutely beautiful place here, but I have to tell you, I don’t need to see one more gorgeous sunset, snorkel with the turtles, or take an afternoon nap lulled to sleep by the lapping of the Caribbean Sea. I truly love it here, but I’ve got to confess, after a month in paradise, I’m ready to go back to work.”

  “Me, too,” Tori agreed. “I never thought I’d say this, but I could use a good firefight right about now. I wish they had let us hunt down that damn Muslim extremist.”

  “In case you forgot,” Katlin reminded them, “we did hunt down Khalid Junyard. We just took out one of his many stand ins.” She stared at the screen accusingly. “Once again, we had bad intel.”

  Jack bristled. “Our intelligence is the best available. We check and double check before we send you out on any mission.”

  Quietly, Griffin scoffed. “Political doublespeak never changes.”

  “Neither does bad intelligence,” Alex admitted.

  “Sir, is there anything else you need to tell us tonight?” Katlin’s attempt to redirect the conversation was obvious.

  The corners of Alex’s mouth kicked up. His woman was good at business and keeping people focused. She was a good leader.

  “You might want to start packing your bags.” Jack leaned in closer to the camera. “Once you’re back here, vacation time is over, ladies. You’ll have a few days of training then you’re headed out on your next mission. I hope you haven’t let any of your skill levels drop.”

  “No, sir. We’ve maintained our usual training.” Katlin crossed her arms over her ample breasts. “We’ll look forward to hearing from General Lyon tomorrow, or as soon as there is confirmation on the DNA.”

  “Damn, she’s a real ballbuster.” Griffin’s shoulders jerked from holding in a laugh.

  “She can be,” Alex agreed.

  At the mention of the senior military officer who controlled the Ladies of Black Swan, Jack sneered. “That will be all. Operations out.”

  The screen went black.

  Katlin’s warning gaze swept the room before it landed on Lei Lu.

  “Operations Center, Black Swan is out,” the petite Asian woman said as her fingers flew over the keys and the Black Swan logo appeared on the screen.

  All the women smiled but said nothing.

  A few more clicks, and Lei Lu announced, “We’re clear.”

  “That logo is fucking cool,” Nita declared.

  Chapter 3

  “This is an awesome table.” Alex’s gaze swept the busy bar, stopping on Grace and Griffin who sat across from him and Kat. “We can see everything and everyone with the added benefit of being next to the patio doors and beach access. It’s almost as though it was designed for covert ops.”

  Katlin set down her glass of wine. “It was. When Daniel and Uncle Tom decided to build the resort they knew they were going to be here on occasion, most likely meeting others in the shadow world. There are more hidden cameras around the entire resort than the most secure casino in the world.”

  “You never told me Daniel and your Uncle Tom own this place,” Grace accused.

  “I don’t think the subject ever came up.” Kat took another sip of wine.

  “If this place is so secure, then why the hell didn’t we come over here before?” Griffin dipped a cube of cheesecake into the bowl of warm chocolate. Before he popped it into his mouth, he added, “The food here is awesome.”

  Grace dragged a fresh plantain chunk through the chocolate then rolled it in the graham cracker crumbs. “We’ve been here dozens of times and you never bothered to tell me that your family owns this, too.”

  “I don’t own any part of this place,” Kat clarified. The corners of her mouth curved up. “Uncle Francis and I own the property on the other side of the compound. We decided years ago to leave it pristine.”

  Some of the best memories of Alex’s life were of that beach and the woman beside him. He glanced around at the well-appointed room. The local decor was obviously there for the tourists who frequented the resort, but the beautiful handcrafted wood rivaled the most upscale bars in any major city in the United States. Katlin’s brother and uncle had done an excellent job in melding American expectations with local culture.

  “Well, that explains why we were instructed to put the tab on the room.” Alex leaned over and nuzzled Kat’s neck. In a low voice that only she could hear, he asked, “Will this key unlock a room upstairs? I don’t think you know what that perfume and that dress has done to me all night. I want to take you upstairs and strip you out of it then bury myself deep inside your body until neither of us can move. How do you feel about sleeping in a different bed tonight?”

  Her light giggle drove all the blood in his body to his cock. He'd been half-hard for hours and now sported a full-on erection.

  “Raincheck, please.” She closed the distance between their faces and gently laid her lips on his. All too soon, she leaned back. “I haven’t seen Daniel in months. It drives me nuts that he’s only thirty feet away at the bar flirting with Nita, and I can’t even acknowledge his existence. We’ve been here a whole fucking month, and he hasn’t been able to get away until tonight. I’m pretty sure our time here is down to hours rather than days or weeks.” Then she gifted him with that beautiful smile of hers. “We’ll have tonight, in our bed.”

  Our bed. Alex really liked the way that sounded. He’d grown to think of the large suite as theirs even though it had been the one Katlin had occupied since childhood.

  At the loud male voice booming from the far end of the bar, Katlin sat up straight, her hand dropping to her purse. Alex’s hand automatically went to his hip. Tonight he carried his gun in the small of his back covered by the light suit jacket.

  Ruckus laughter broke out from those surrounding the big Brit who stood a little too close to Tori. Alex didn’t miss the slight nod of Kat’s tallest teammate nor the way his woman instantly relaxed. His gaze flicked to Nita and Daniel who had their heads so close together they practically touched.

  Ten minutes later, Kat announced, “That’s our signal.” She pulled the straps of her purse up to her shoulder.

  Grace grinned and scooted around the circular bench seat. “We need to work on Nita’s American sign language. I had to watch her hands twice to figure out what she was saying.”

  As planned, the two couples left as though they were going to their hotel rooms. At the lobby they took the elevator all the way to the top then back down to the third floor where they got out and headed to the stairs. Kat cracked the door and listened for fifteen full seconds before slipping off her sandals and quietly starting down. They exited the building by a side door and circled around to meet Nita and Daniel in the small copse of woods between the resort and the Callahan compound.

  Kat’s smile got bigger and bigger the closer she came to her brother. Five feet away she took a giant step and leaped into his arms. They hugged and rocked for a long moment.

  Daniel finally set her on the ground. “You get prettier every time I see you.”

  “I missed you, too.” She stepped back next to Alex and took his hand. “You remember Alejandro Lobo?” She introduced Alex using his given name, the one her brother would remember. “We went to high school together back in Miami.”

  Daniel stared long and hard at him. Alex stared right back. At first he wasn’t sure if it was a shadow shifting or if Daniel’s cheek twitched, but a slash of white gleamed in the darkness.

  “I never put i
t together before.” Daniel glanced at his sister. “Yes, I remember your friend Alejandro Lobo from Miami.” He shifted his gaze to Alex. “I also remember a Marine Captain Lobo who commanded a very successful mission in Guatemala.”

  Alex racked his brain and studied the man’s face.

  “We never ran into each other, but I was there,” Daniel reassured him.

  Then it dawned on Alex. “You were the CIA contact.”

  Daniel threw an arm around his little sister. “You found yourself a smart one.” He looked down at her and his eyes softened, as did his voice. “He’s a good man. So much better than that fucker you married.” He kissed his sister on the top of the head. “Come on. I’m starved. None of the bitches in the camp know how to cook anywhere near as well as Rosita.”

  Alex let Kat and her brother lead the way back to compound, arms wrapped around each other at the waist. He fell back to walk with Griffin and Grace, giving the siblings time and space.

  “Are Lei Lu and Tori going to be okay back there by themselves?” Alex had grown to like all the women on Kat’s team, as well as respect them. He was well aware that they were armed, and could probably take any man in that bar in a fair fight, but bar fights were never fair.

  “I expect we’ll see them within the next fifteen to thirty minutes,” Grace offered. “They didn’t seem particularly interested in any single man, but were having a good time enjoying the company of men once again. I know they felt cooped up, like all of us.” She looked up and smiled at Griffin. “Katlin and I have been very fortunate to have you two around to…keep us busy. Being single with couples around you is hard.”

  Alex looked back over his shoulder at the resort, hoping the other two women would be safe. If they didn’t show up in thirty minutes, he and Griffin would go back to the bar for a nightcap.

  Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement deep in the shadows. He stopped and stared for heartbeat. Then two. Nothing moved.