Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
R onan grabbed the crate as soon as he ensured Fleur was in the truck. “Where are they?”
“You’ll see them soon. They’re coming up on your six,” Dude said as they worked to pull the MK-153 SMAW and two rounds out of the box. They’d fitted the crate with six rockets, three dual-mode, and three anti-armor rockets.
“Dual?” Wolf asked as Ronan pulled out the reusable SMAW launcher.
“Dude, any armor in that incoming convoy?”
“Negative. Ragtag. Trucks, a van, and looks like a Jeep.”
“Dual,” Ronan said and assembled the launcher when Wolf handed him the missile .
“You told them not to show their faces.” Wolf shook his head. “Stupid.”
“Might not be Al’s people.” Ronan walked ten paces behind the truck and knelt. He flipped the cover off the optical sight and aligned the optics. “There they are,” Ronan said, aligning his sights with the incoming vehicles.
“Warning shot?” Wolf asked.
“Unfortunately.” Ronan couldn’t care less if the bastards ate lead, but that wasn’t the correct way to do business. Check that. He cared, just not for the fuckers who tried to profit off innocent lives. He braced and pulled the trigger.
The igniter's sound lasted a fraction of a second before the propellant shot the explosive out of the tube and into the air toward the incoming danger.
The explosion cratered the road, and a plume of dirt obscured the vehicles. “They’re scattering, boss.” Dude chuckled. “Waiting to see if they’ll regroup and go after you again.”
Ronan stood up and nodded at Wolf, who handed him another charge. It took a minute to change the spent rocket for a new encased one, but he was ready and on his knee before Dude said, “They’re thinking about it. ”
“We can see them.” Ronan watched the vehicles through the scope of the weapon.
“Two are circling, and yeah, they’re idiots. They’re trying to flank you to your west.” Wolf grabbed the other reusable SMAW launcher, the last dual-mode rocket, and an anti-armor rocket at Dude's warning. He sprinted west and up a slight embankment. “Ready.”
“Your vehicles are moving, Skipper.”
“I see them.”
“Taking them out this time?” Wolf asked rather sarcastically.
“Damn straight.” Ronan had done his due diligence and warned the fuckers. “Two-hundred fifty meters. I don’t want them close enough to take a shot at our cargo.”
“Copy,” Wolf replied.
“Are any vehicles not coming?” Ronan asked, waiting as the vehicles on the road behind them raced toward them.
“One,” Dude answered.
“Only smart motherfucker in the group,” Wolf said what Ronan was thinking. “I have my targets. They’re coming in linear. I’ll hit between them and hopefully take out both. ”
“Do what you have to do.” Ronan knew Wolf could handle two vehicles.
“Target in range,” Ronan said as he waited. Another hundred meters … and there. He pulled the trigger and concentrated down range as the missile exploded the first vehicle. The one behind the first veered and then rolled. Ronan stood up and watched for any signs of movement.
“And we have a winner. The Jeep is inbound, Skipper.” Ronan put down the spent SMAW and returned to his vehicle to extract his M-4. The sound of an explosion made him look up for a nanosecond as Wolf launched his missile. “Two for the price of one?” Dude chuckled.
“Nope,” Wolf replied. “The other truck is still moving.”
“He’s tucking his tail,” Dude countered. “Skipper, the Jeep is slowing down. Looks like there are two survivors. The Jeep is picking them up.”
Ronan walked over to assume his prior position. “Yeah, they’re leaving,” Dude confirmed. “You’re clear.”
“Got it.”
He tapped the side of the personnel carrier. “Fleur, let’s go.”
“Coming.” She opened the tarp in the back and dropped down before she looked toward the smoldering vehicles. “Not what they expected.” She looked up at him. “We couldn’t fight back.”
“We aren’t fighting back; we’re taking the fight to them, and they damn well better not forget it.” He put the launcher into the crate and waited for Wolf to toss him his. The extra missile was carefully placed into the crate before it was secured. “Let’s go.”
“If you’re waiting on me, you’re backing up,” Wolf said, jogging to the carrier. His man pulled the tarp back and jumped up on the hitch. “Everyone okay in here?”
Ronan didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he fired up the Jeep and put it into gear.
“Do you think they’ll come back?”
Ronan shook his head. “No.” Not without a lot more firepower. He wanted to fucking kiss his brother for including two crates of SMAWs in their Guardian-issued supplies. “If they try again, it will be on the way back.”
“Well, that’s not good.” Fleur’s eyes were huge. “We’re going to be more spread out and a bigger target.”
Ronan chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. They were trying to pick low-hanging fruit. They were used to anything coming out of the camp to be defenseless. They know now that isn’t the case.”
Fleur was quiet for a moment. “Do you ever wonder if what you did was right?”
He glanced at her. “You mean taking out those trucks?”
“Things like that, yeah.”
She looked at him, and even from behind his shaded lenses, he could tell she needed an honest answer, that the question was important to her. He lifted a shoulder. “Not anymore. When I first started, I questioned everything. I was learning. Now, I know that each of my team is exceptional, and they don’t make mistakes, especially when putting lives in danger. We fired a warning shot. That should have been enough to stop people who didn’t have ill intent. These guys split up and tried to flank us as two vehicles came at full speed at us. So, no, I don’t worry anymore.”
She nodded. “That makes sense. But why do you think they attacked us? It wasn’t like we had anything.”
Ronan glanced at her. “I wondered the same thing. I assumed we would be hit on the way back if attacked since supplies, fuel, and six new transport vehicles would be a reason to come after us.” He’d also had Adil put out the word not to attack them anymore. They’d played every card they had, but still, the bastards had tried to hit them. Why?
“What’s Al-Tanf Garrison like?”
“Sandy.” He laughed. “Seriously, the security walls are made of sand. Massive bunkers of sand. Some huts serve as barracks, and others, the larger ones, operate as facilities for those working there.Oh, there’s a hamburger fast food joint there. The one with the golden arches.”
“Shut the hell up!” She swung sideways in her seat. “Are you teasing me, or is a Mickey D’s there?”
“It’s a wood building about ten feet long and five feet wide. It has a variegated tin roof and a menu with pictures and everything across the front. You walk up two steps, place your order, and pay then collect it at the next window. Of course, it has like five things, and it’s expensive as hell, but yeah, there is one. It might still be open when we get there.”
“Oh, man, I hope it is. I need to buy some to bring back to Shelly. We’ve been so hungry for a burger and fries.”
“It would be kind of old by the time you get back to camp.” He made a face at her. The thought of a day-old burger wasn’t high on his list of things he’d want to eat.
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. If she came, and there was a Mickey’s, and she didn’t buy me a burger and fries, I would cry real tears. I’ll bring it back for her.”
“I’ll see if we can find a cooler.”
Leaning over, Fleur kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
He glanced at her and then in the rearview mirror. The smile on Wolf’s face was about three feet wide. Whatever. He put his hand out, and she took it. Folding it into his, he wondered how he’d found such a person in the middle of a war zone.
Three hours later, they pulled into Al-Tanf Garrison. Ronan left Wolf to find the drivers' bunks. He then took Fleur to the logistics warehouse and checked on the equipment and supplies that were supposed to be waiting for them.
“We have everything,” a staff sergeant told him. “The trucks will be fueled in the morning. I have the manifest for the equipment and supplies.” He handed it to Ronan. “We’ll load it together so you can ensure you’ve got what was requested.”
“Perfect. What time?” He handed the clipboard back. “I have the list from my organization.” Not that he didn’t trust, but trust and verify was a way of life if you wanted to stay alive.
“I’m here at zero-five hundred. Any time after that.” The man put his clipboard back on the wall.
“I’ll see you then.” Ronan shook the man’s hand and escorted Fleur out of the building and to the right.
“I can smell it!” She hopped excitedly. They turned the corner, and she did a little dance. “Thank you!”
She ran up the steps to the first window and backed away at the flurry of Arabic spat in her direction. Ronan was behind her in an instant. “What’s the problem?” he demanded.
“I won’t serve her,” the man flung back in English.
Ronan cocked his head and looked over his shoulder at Fleur. “Then you’ll serve me. I want four of everything.” He figured the other drivers would want some, too.
The man glared at Fleur. “She is disrespecting you and me, showing her hair and body.”
Ronan crossed his arms over his chest. “Keep your eyes to yourself, and there will be no disrespect. She’s American, and she’s welcome on this base, and she’s dressed appropriately.”
“But not in this country,” the man seethed.
Ronan paid for the food and corrected the man when he made a mistake in making change. That earned him another scathing look. Ronan kept his eyes on the worker as he made the food. He didn’t want to find a wad of spit in one of the burgers.
Fleur came up behind him. “Thank you. I’d forgotten for a minute where I was.”
“You’re on a US base. You didn’t forget. He did. And I’ll make sure his supervisors know.” Not that anything would be done. He took the four bags of food, and they walked down the stairs. The man’s muttered threat toward Fleur was loud enough for him to hear. Ronan turned around and, in perfect Arabic, said, “Enjoy your last day working on base.”
The man bared his teeth in response. “Here, take this.” He handed the bags to Fleur and hit his comms. “Dude, I have a project for you.” He explained what had just happened and asked Dude to handle the situation. Dude would know what he meant by that request. Ronan rarely asked his operator to handle this type of work, but when he did, the man never disappointed.
“You got it, Skipper,” Dude replied, and Ronan could hear the keyboard clacking as Dude started the process.
They found the other drivers, who nearly attacked them for a burger. He tossed a bag to Wolf, and after everyone, including himself, had devoured a hamburger and fries, they split up again. He took Fleur to billeting with him, and they scored a private hut. As they passed by the Jeep, he grabbed their bags, and they made their way to their billets for the night.
He opened the door, and she sighed as she walked in. “Air conditioning. Oh, look! A fridge!” She walked straight to the small dorm-sized fridge and put the leftover burgers in it before she spun around and stopped. “A shower!” Fleur flew to the bathroom, which was tiny, and then spun around to him. She picked up a small black object, and her eyes grew wide. “A blow dryer!” She squealed and then laughed that rich, vibrant laugh of hers. “If I’m sleeping, don’t wake me up.”
He walked over to her and pulled her against him. “I’m afraid you might not get too much sleep tonight.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. “Maybe we should go to bed early. You know, get a jump on that sleep. ”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. But we should shower first.” He glanced at the size of the shower. “Unfortunately, that would be an individual task. I might squeeze in there, but both of us. Doubtful.”
She glanced over her shoulder and sighed. “That is unfortunate.” She turned back to him. “Maybe we could shower later.”
“Are you sure? We’re both covered in dust.” He started walking her toward the bed.
“What’s a little dust going to hurt?” She sighed when he lowered to her lips, and that fucking sexy sigh broke any thought about being a gentleman. Showers be damned.
He took her kiss and then consumed her. His hands traveled up her back to her face, and he cupped her head, turning her a bit so he could taste her. The cataclysmic explosion of chemistry between them ignited faster than the shoulder-fired missiles that morning. The feel of her tight body against him, her taste and smell as he moved his hand around the back of her head, pulsed through his body. Every cell cried out for more. More of Fleur. He found the bottom of her t-shirt and lifted it. She raised her hands over her head, and he broke the kiss long enough to tug the cotton off. Lace covered her breasts. He kissed his way down her neck, cupping her full breasts in his hands, rolling her erect nipples with his fingers. She shivered and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down—as if he was going anywhere else.
Her hands pulled at his uniform shirt. He didn’t bother to unbutton the fucker. Breaking away from her, he pulled it off, yanking the rolled sleeves off from where they were tight against his biceps. “All of it,” she said as she grabbed his belt buckle and pushed his t-shirt up. He grabbed her hands and lifted them over her head. “Slower, I want to experience all of you first.”
“Slower later.” She leaned forward, her lace-covered breasts pressed against his chest. “I’ve waited. We’ve waited. Slow is for later.” She licked his neck and then sucked the skin into her mouth. Holy fuck. His cock was on board with her words.
He let her hands go, and she grabbed his belt, opening it and then unfastening the buttons of his uniform pants. Her hand grabbed his cock, and the fucker jumped, the sensation damn near the perfect storm. But he wasn’t going to come. Not until he was in her. She pushed down his pants and dropped to her knees. “Oh, fuck.” He slammed his eyes shut and then opened them just as quickly. He wanted to see her suck him, and damn, the visual of her lips sliding off his cock was the sexiest thing he’d seen in ages. She swirled her tongue around his cockhead and then looked up. A smile spread across her lips before she fucking deepthroated him. His hips moved forward before he caught himself, and she gagged but didn’t back off. She grabbed the back of his thighs and invited him to fuck her throat. He held her head as he moved his hips in and out of her mouth, giving her a chance to breathe, but she moved forward, pushing his cock into her throat. He dropped his head back and thrust, once, twice, God, three times before he withdrew and let her breathe. Fuck, he’d died and gone to heaven. She grabbed his cock with her hand and worked it as she sucked and licked. He had to stop her, or he’d cum down her throat. “Babe, you have to stop.” He moved away from her, but she groaned and followed him. “Cum in my mouth.” She looked up at him. “Let me suck you when you lose it. I want it.” She sucked his cock back into her mouth and then scraped the bottom of his cock with her teeth. Not enough to hurt, but enough to send him into a blowjob coma.
Fucking hell.
She was beyond fantastic. The perfect combination of spit, teeth, suction, and throat to drive him fucking insane. He was so close. Her fingers trailed over his balls and then grabbed them. She sucked him to the back of her throat and pulled gently on his balls. Explosions of red and white burst behind his closed eyes as the pool of cum in his balls ripped through his cock, and he exploded. He heard her gag and tried to pull out of her mouth, but she held his thighs tight. Wave after wave of him shot down her throat. She finally let him go, and he pulled back and widened his stance so he didn’t fucking face-plant. All the blood in his body was at the wrong part of his body, and yeah, he was dizzy. He grabbed her shoulders, bending a bit as he opened his eyes.
Jesus, the sight in front of him. Fleur’s mouth was swollen and red. A dribble of cum trailed down her chin. He managed to drop to his knees and kiss her. He swept the inside of her mouth with his tongue, tasting himself against her delicate flavor. She surrendered to his kiss, and son of a bitch, after such an aggressive blowjob, her submission was hotter than hell. He broke the kiss and stared down at her. “That was the hottest thing anyone has ever done to me.”
She smiled and licked her lips, and his eyes were transfixed on that talented tongue .
“Minx,” he growled as she bit her bottom lip, rolling it before her tongue peeked out again.
She laughed. “Shower time.”
“No way in hell.” He would make her scream his name. Everyone in camp would know she was his and his alone. Claiming her was his goal, not a fucking shower. He wanted inside her, and he wanted her to lose her mind. Being the best she’d ever had was the number one thing on his mind because, fuck him six ways to Sunday, she’d given him the best head he’d ever had. He lowered for a kiss, but she touched his lips with her fingertips. “Consider the logistics.”
What? “Logistics?” He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
She leaned to the side and looked at his feet. “We’re wearing combat boots.” She laughed. “We shower, and then I want you to fuck me until I’m boneless. Then, when we recover, I want to ride your massive cock. It choked me so good.”
“Jesus, your mouth.” He dropped for another kiss. He’d never had a woman tell him what she wanted. It was a massive turn-on. She pulled away. “Showers, then we don’t leave that bed until zero five hundred hours.”
“Save my sanity and shower fast.” He let her go, watched her grab her small bag, and go into the bathroom.
As she shut the door, a thought crossed his mind. One he didn’t want to swat away because it was the absolute truth.
She’s the one .