Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Daphne poked her head into his office. “Diana Corbin’s here to see you, Alex.”
His gut tightened. He hadn’t seen Diana since that night at the Dawg over a week ago, but he’d thought about her. Specifically, he’d thought about the look in her eyes when she’d said she had her own mission.
She’d always been reserved, but that night was different. Maybe it was the adrenaline surge from kicking the ass of a big man who’d crossed her, but there’d been emotion in her voice. He wasn’t accustomed to that coming from her.
Made him think about her a lot lately. Not only the emotion, but the absolute turn on it’d been to realize she’d taken down a man twice her size and hadn’t broken a sweat.
He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t availed himself of the charms of his own hand a few times since. Always while thinking of her, wondering how much heat lay beneath that layer of ice. Wondering what made her tick, and why she was such a contrast beneath the surface.
“You mean she didn’t follow you down the hall like she usually does?” he asked, dragging his mind from thoughts of a white-hot Diana in the nude. Wearing a gun.
Jesus.
“Nope, not this time,” Daphne said, oblivious. “She’s waiting in the conference room. Didn’t even argue with me about it.”
“Wonders never cease, I suppose.”
Daphne gave him an exaggerated smile as she stepped into his office, her chest puffing with pride. “You mean like how I pulled off that brunch after a disastrous beginning and made a buttload of cashola in the process?”
Ghost snorted. “Yeah, like that. Didn’t I already congratulate you on the save? Pretty sure I’ve mentioned it every day this week.”
Daphne batted her eyelashes. Too funny, this woman. Kane was a lucky man, though he already knew it. “You have, but a girl never tires of hearing how indispensable she is.”
“I feel like you’re setting me up for an even bigger favor at some point soon.” Ghost got to his feet and came around the desk. “What does Kane see in you anyway? You’re a giant pain in the ass.”
Daphne laughed. “First things first—I did all of you a favor with that event. And second, maybe he likes a little butt play. You ever think of that?”
“Jesus. I’m sorry I asked.”
“Butt play?” Kane had magically appeared in the door. He looked confused and Ghost had to hold back a guffaw. That’s what happened when you walked in on a conversation you weren’t a part of. Though Daphne had probably known he was close by when she said it.
“Honey buns.” Daphne whirled around and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I was just telling Alex here how much you loooove you some butt play. You like a little pain in your ass, right?”
Kane sputtered. “What the fuck, Daph? I do not want pain in my ass. I don’t want anything in my ass.”
“Relax.” Ghost laughed because damn, why not? “I said she was a pain in the ass and I didn’t know what you saw in her. She said you liked butt play.”
Daphne snorted. “You guys are so much fun. It’s ridiculously easy to wind you up.”
Kane growled. “Daphne, swear to God I’m gonna spank your ass one of these days.”
“Promises, promises, Grandpa.”
Ghost held up a hand. “I don’t even want to know what kind of crazy shit you people get up to, but don’t do it here. Take it back to your house if you’re getting kinky. I’m going to find out what Diana wants.”
The sound of muffled gunfire came from the range as he strolled through the building.
The door to the conference room was open and Diana stood at one end, looking out the window that had a view of the field and two farmhouses beyond.
The old Johnson farm belonged to Ghost and his men on paper, but it didn’t really.
The money for it came from the US Government, and they were going to want it back when this was over.
He’d miss the place, but he tried not to think about all the things that would happen when the mission was done. Mostly because it wasn’t finished yet. The timeline might be rapidly shrinking, but success wasn’t a guarantee until Athena was live and doing the important job it’d been assigned to do.
Diana turned when he tapped on the door frame to warn her he’d arrived. She moved away from the window, and he got his first good look at her without the light turning her into a dark shadow against the glass.
His tongue felt thick in his mouth as he took her in. She wasn’t wearing one of her FBI uniforms, aka her plain pantsuits, today. He’d seen her in jeans when she’d been off duty, but he’d never seen her like this.
In a loose white t-shirt and black leggings.
She was also wearing a pair of sneakers, which he was pretty sure he’d thought she didn’t own, and her hair wasn’t tightly controlled for a change.
It was perched on top of her head in a messy knot, strands of silky blond dangling around her face.
Like she’d been interrupted while working out and came racing over here without changing.
“To what do I owe the pleasure today?” His voice was a growl, but he couldn’t seem to help it. She’d been in his head too much lately. He didn’t like it. Didn’t like seeing her face or imagining her body beneath the tailored pantsuits every time he closed his eyes.
Her eyes flashed with anger. “Pleasure? I’m pissed, asshole.”
His gaze narrowed. It wasn’t just her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, and so was the exposed skin of her clavicle. Her shoulder appeared as her t-shirt slipped down. He saw her bra strap, the hint of lace. He was riveted. Took him a moment to drag his gaze back to hers.
“What about?”
“Like you don’t know,” she grated.
He held out his hands, palms up. “I don’t. What the fuck are you talking about?”
She closed the distance between them until he could smell her. Lavender. Roses. A hint of sweat.
Fucking intoxicating.
She stuck a finger in his face. “You did this. Somehow, you did it.”
He shook his head, torn between fascination at her passion and bewilderment. “You have to tell me what it is I did. Spell it out, Diana, because I’m at a loss here.”
She whirled from him with a growl. Put distance between them. Popped her hands on her hips, tilted her head back and yelled a few choice words.
He was utterly fascinated. And alarmed. He moved to close the door.
Kane, Daphne, Blaze, and Chance tumbled from the hall at the back, probably because of the yelling.
They crashed to a stop when they saw him.
Ghost shook his head and closed the door.
Then he turned back to the enraged woman standing on the other side of the table.
“Okay, Agent. Tell me in clear terms what the fuck I did to piss you off so much.”
“Don called me.”
“Don?” It took him a second, mostly because he was so fascinated by her anger. The fire of it. The way she was lit from the inside and ready to spark into a roaring flame. Just like his fantasies, only those featured less anger and more passion.
“Oh, yeah,” he drawled when he understood. “Uncle Don, your good family friend. And that’s my problem why?”
Her jaw clenched. “I’ve been told to leave the subject of the Dashevsky Group, the weapons, the militia—and most especially the project—alone and concentrate my efforts on other things more in line with my position and rank in the organization.”
“I see.”
“I bet you do.”
She could have bit a railroad spike in two.
It was arousing as fuck to see her so pissed.
And it bothered him, too. Because she was passionate about her work, and she was being told she wasn’t on the case anymore.
He knew how that could feel, but before he could think of something suitable to say, she kept going.
“I was told to leave the investigation to you and—” She waved her hand in the general direction of the range. “Your people.”
And now it was coming clear. The reason she was here. The reason she was angry. “You think I got you removed from the case.”
“Didn’t you? Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Not this time, no.”
She popped her arms over her chest. “I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you like, sweetheart, but it wasn’t me.”
Her eyes narrowed at the endearment. Maybe he shouldn’t have done it, but her reactions were quickly becoming an addiction.
“Well, sweetheart,” she shot back. “Who else could it be?”
“I don’t fucking know, but if I got you removed from this mission—again—I wouldn’t care if you knew it was me. What are you gonna do? Drop me with a knee to the balls as you sweep my legs out from under me?”
“I’d love to,” she growled.
He stepped around the table until there was nothing between them but a few feet of space. “So do it. Come and drop me. If you can.”
Her nostrils flared and he could tell she was considering it. In the end, he knew she wouldn’t. Her shoulders deflated, her spine curving inward in defeat.
She continued to glare, though. “I really, really hate you. All that nice guy stuff when it suits you, cooperating with me, taking information I gave you to do your job—demanding I fix things for Daphne so she could stay here with Kane. Argh!” She spun away and threw her arms out before facing him again, hands on hips.
“I did that to be nice, because it was clear they had feelings for each other and I didn’t want to see them torn apart.
I wanted to help you, all of you, because I know you’re doing an impossible job.
But you hate me. You’ve said it from the first, and you’ve never wanted to work with me.
Only for what you could get out of me, not because you trusted me or respected me or thought I could be a good partner for what you’re doing. ”
“Diana—”
“No,” she grated. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes flashed, and her messy bun was listing to one side.
“Don’t make excuses. Don’t lie to me and tell me you appreciated my help, or that you don’t actually hate me.
None of you like me. I can see it every time I’m here.
Or when I see you at the Dawg, or the Independence Day festival. The way you look at me—”
She shook her head. All he could do was watch her, stunned and, yeah, probably a little bit ashamed too. Because he’d openly talked of disliking her, his men didn’t like her either. None of them were friendly to her. He’d never encouraged it, but he hadn’t actively discouraged it either.
Asshole.
Yeah, he had been. And he wasn’t proud of himself right now. Not when she seemed hurt by it. He’d have sworn she didn’t have feelings, but he knew better. Everybody had them. Sometimes they just buried them beneath a mountain of pain that made them seem numb on the outside.
He should know.
“Fuck,” she muttered, slicing a hand beneath her eyes, wiping away the tears that’d glistened there only a moment before.
Making him feel even worse than he already did.
Pond scum was a higher form of life than he was.
Pond scum wouldn’t make this woman cry for no good reason other than she irritated him.
“Diana.” His voice was rough.
She shook her head. “It’s okay, colonel.
Alex. I’m used to it. You don’t have to apologize for not liking me.
It’s my problem, not yours. I’m not likable.
I get it. I was born with a silver spoon and all the advantages, and most people don’t like that.
Especially in a job like this where they think I don’t care, that I’m just playing around, and I can leave as soon as it’s not fun anymore.
Slumming down in the trenches.” She blew out a breath.
“But doing this to me? Taking this case away from me? You have no idea what you’ve cost me. ”
He could handle it when she growled and accused and hated. He was helpless against her despair.
“I didn’t do it. I swear to you on my oath as an officer in the United States Army that I didn’t get you taken off the case. If I had, I damn sure wouldn’t hide it.”
She frowned at him for a long while before deflating even further. He had the strongest urge to wrap her in his arms. “I think I believe you. But it doesn’t matter. You’re still happy I’m out of your way.”
He huffed a breath, thinking of what to say. But he would tell the truth because she deserved that much.
“Not gonna lie and say I’m not glad you won’t be poking around in my business.
You’re right about that. I’ve got a job to do, and I don’t need the distraction of you and your investigation getting in the way.
There’s too much at stake here. Not just for the world, but for my men too.
Our lives are on the line, and though I know you’re competent and determined, you aren’t an operator.
You have no idea the trouble you cause me just by demanding to be included.
I can’t spend time I don’t have thinking about what you’re going to do, worrying how it’s gonna affect us here.
So, yeah, I’m happy. But I’m not happy you’re upset. ”
She scoffed. “You don’t care how I feel about it.
You’re probably having a party inside, can’t wait to tell your guys.
All of you swaggering into the Dawg later, laughing about me getting thrown off the investigation.
” She drew herself up, her spine straightening, eyes flashing with determination and fury.
“Go ahead and laugh. Have your fun. I’m out for now, but I’m never out for good. ”
She breezed past him on her way to the door. It was everything he could do not to reach for her.
When she got to the door, she turned to look at him.
“I’ve read your file—the real one—and I know you’re one of the good guys.
So trust me when I tell you that Viktor Dashevsky wants the project.
What’s going on with the militia is tied to that.
If he gets control… Well, it won’t be good, I promise you that. ”
His belly tightened. “I don’t intend to let that happen.”
“I know. I could help you, but I have a feeling you won’t accept my participation, especially since I’d be going against the orders I was given. But if you change your mind, you know where I live.”
There was nothing he could say. Because she was right, he wasn’t going to let her into his mission. What he was doing now was too dangerous. He hadn’t involved his team and he wasn’t involving her.
Because if it came crashing down, he intended to be the only casualty.