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2024-10-29 19:42:56Claire rolled over and opened her eyes the next morning, for a moment confused by the rumpled state of the other side of the bed. Then it hit her all over again. Grief and shock that Robby was gone, the reality that it was really happening. She curled into a ball and focused on taking slow, deep breaths until the worst of the pain eased enough to allow her lungs to expand.
A clinking sound came from the kitchen. She burrowed deeper beneath her quilt and blinked back the sheen of tears, placing her hand on the indent Marshall’s head had left in the other pillow. Twice she’d woken during the night and both times he’d tucked her back against his body without a word and stroked her hair until she fell asleep again.How was she supposed to keep her distance from him now? During their entire relationship she’d never seen this gentle caretaker side of him. With his daughter, sure, but that was different. With Claire he’d always been strong and take-charge, had a
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Marshall didn’t say anything, but he seemed a bit taken aback by her rant.“Seriously,” she went on, wanting him to validate her. “You went through multiple combat tours and other stuff, and I know you saw and did awful things. Every vet comes home with shit to deal with, I get that.” She could see examples of it right now, two of his soldiers’ names lost in combat inked into the designs on the backs of his forearms beneath the sprinkling of reddish hair there. Yet he’d found the will to deal with it all on his own, where Robby had not no matter how she or her father and everyone involved with his case had pushed him.She didn’t understand why her brother had to wind up a statistic. “You came through the other side and transitioned back into civilian life. It’s not like I blame him for being depressed and disillusioned, especially after his back injury, but I’m so fucking angry at him for quitting.” That was the crux of it. He’d given up and his last act
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 91
Come on, did these people never leave their damn house on the weekend?Paulo fumed silently as he drove past for the second time that day and saw two SUVs still in the driveway. And now the damn lawn was already cut, too, which totally blew his cover and plans to hell. He hit the gas and continued down the street, searching for another option. Nothing came to mind, except for a direct assault on the house and he’d prefer not to die in this operation. His dedication didn’t extend all the way to suicide to ensure the target was eliminated. What the hell was he supposed to do now?Halfway down the block, his cell rang. A burner phone he’d picked up the day before at the local mall. He knew who it was without looking, contemplated not answering, but knew he’d be in even greater danger if he ignored it. Pulling over, he tamped down the fear and frustration twining through him and answered. “Hello?”“We’ve had no word from you in two days. Is ther
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 92
Aliyah took it without arguing and relayed the information when Alex picked up. Bob took a deep breath and drove to the funeral home, knowing that by the time they got there, Aliyah’s boss and half the CIA’s counter-terrorist people would already be working on this. And he also knew that as soon as the funeral was over, the entire team would be pulling an all-nighter except for Claire and maybe Marshall. And if Bob was in his place, he wouldn’t let Claire out of his sight for a single second until they figured out if this bastard was the threat they’d been trying to neutralize.******* By nine o’clock that night, Marshall could tell Claire was done with pretty much everything. She was done with everything surrounding Robby’s funeral, finished with her relatives, and hell, definitely finished with people in general. No surprise to him, because it had been a long, emotionally exhausting day for her.The service had go
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 93
Claire was so lost in the dizzying fog of rage engulfing her that it took a moment to realize he’d let her wrists go and for those soft words to penetrate. When they did and his meaning hit home, the breath halted in her throat. Fight him? As in, really fight him? It was ridiculous. He outweighed her by at least seventy pounds of solid muscle and had trained most of his life in hand to hand combat. She didn’t want to fight him, she just wanted… God, she didn’t know what she wanted. She couldn’t fucking think with him this close.His eyes were so blue, so intense. “Do it,” he taunted, more forcefully this time. She could practically feel the leashed energy humming in his big frame, every muscle coiled and ready, making her body respond in turn.Her compressed lungs expanded in a sudden gasp and she drew in a painful breath of air. The pain came rushing back. It hurt. All of it. The funeral, the fallout with what was left of her family, the Taliban cell’s t
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The impassioned demand launched her. Pleasure rocketed through her, winding tight until it snapped free in a glorious burst of heat and sensation. The orgasm rushed through her in wracking spasms and she was barely aware of her shattered cries echoing off the walls around them.When it was over she went limp beneath him, her thighs trembling from the effort of keeping her weight balanced on her knees. Eventually she became aware that she was crying softly, one side of her wet face still pressed against the rug. Marshall was completely still, locked deep inside her, huge and hot, his breathing labored. She pressed back toward him in a plea for him to finish, but he gripped both her hips and slowly withdrew with a pained hiss erupting from between his teeth.Fighting to open her teary eyes, Claire risked a look at him over her shoulder. The light spilling through the kitchen doorway bathed the right side of him in a warm glow. He still wore his dr
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 95
Claire woke slowly from a deep and dreamless sleep. Her body was sluggish and heavy, the covers warm around her. She became aware of pressure against her spine and hips then a large male hand stroking down her side. Sighing, she snuggled back into Marshall with a tiny smile on her lips. Even half asleep, just like always his touch set her nerve endings humming. Her breasts tightened and a heavy throb started between her legs.The caress of his fingertips stayed slow and easy, spreading tingles in their wake, keeping her drifting in that lovely place between sleep and wakefulness. Enjoying it too much to wake up just yet, she kept her eyes closed and let herself slide into the sensation.Gentle brushes against the curve of her breast dragged a sigh from her. She shifted and arched her back to give him better access. A moment later a puff of cool air washed over her as he pulled the quilt back. The touch of his lips against her breast sent a wave of heated
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 96
Marshall’s heart tripped then went into double time when he heard Claire’s footsteps coming downstairs. It’d been almost three hours since she’d destroyed him with her sexy as hell mouth and fallen right back to sleep on him. He’d been careful not to wake her when he’d dragged himself from her warmth for a shower and spent the rest of the time alone rehearsing what he wanted to say, because he knew he’d only get one shot at it.He was more in love with her than ever, and if she still didn’t feel the same way he needed to know. His guts were in knots about what her reaction would be.She appeared in the kitchen doorway with a tender smile for him and the sight of it took his breath away. Even without make up and wearing plain old jeans and a T-shirt she was so unbelievably sexy he wanted to peel her clothes off and bend her over the kitchen island. But there was more to a relationship than sex, even if it was the best he’d ever had, and the explosive attra
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 97
She was afraid, he realized. Afraid that he’d wind up a drunk like her father or killing himself one day like Robby just had. He shook his head slowly. “I’m not them,” he said simply, his voice rough. “And you know it.”Something ignited in her eyes. Anger, yes, but also conviction. “You’re exactly like them. You’re trained to think and react the same way they were. I’ve lived my whole life around SF soldiers, so don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. You’ve dealt with everything you’ve been through unbelievably well so far, but I know how you guys think. And I know you wouldn’t hesitate to give up your life for one of your teammates during an operation, just like I know you wouldn’t hesitate to take a dangerous job if Pam or one of the others asked you to. It’s part of who you are and nothing can change that.” She stopped and took a breath, folded her arms across her breasts.“But?” he heard himself croak. There had to be a but in there somew
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CHAPTER 181
Evelyn came awake slowly. Painfully. A sharp ache pulsed inside her head and made her wince as she tried to open her eyes. What? She was facedown over an animal, no saddle. The animal’s spine dug into her hips and stomach.Her hands were bound. The lack of blood flow and frigid temps meant they were like ice blocks on the ends of her arms. Dammit, what if she had frostbite and was too far gone to even know it? She wriggled her fingers, and the returning blood made her gasp. She kept moving, tried to wriggle her legs but they were also bound. The struggle shifted her center of gravity until she was in danger of toppling upside-down beneath the animal and being trampled. Hell. Who’d done this to her? What did they want?The smell of musty fur was overpowering, making her throat heave as her stomach rebelled.“I’m going to be sick.” The contents of her stomach splashed against the gray talus that the horse was working hard to cross. D
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CHAPTER 180
They’d followed the spoor for two hours but ground sign was disappearing as dust swirled in the wind. Duke was torn. Did he keep following the unknown originator of these tracks or go back to base camp and regroup. Base camp was calling his name but he wasn’t sure whether that was because Evelyn had destroyed his objectivity or because it was the smartest thing to do.Hell, right now he was going in circles.“Let’s mark this GPS position and head back,” he said to Sri luc quietly. The sound of horses hooves drumming against solid earth made him glance in the direction of the biologists’ camp. The student—Ivan—came flying into view, coat open and flapping in time to the rhythm of the horse.“What the feck?” They’d all rendezvoused at the snare where the tracks had been spotted, but he’d sent Ivan and the local man back to camp on horseback an hour ago. He hadn’t liked the idea of Evelyn being alone, although she’d managed without hi
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CHAPTER 179
He split them into three groups.“Can’t I go with the doc?” Lucas moaned. He might have the reputation of being the ladies’ man of the Mountain Troop, but after what Duke had been thinking five minutes earlier while trying not to kiss Evelyn Cox’s lips, legs, and everything in between, maybe he was a frickin’ ladies’ man too.He wanted her and he’d let his eyes tell her exactly how much he wanted her.What was he thinking? There was a time and a place for that sort of thing and this wasn’t it.“No.” He kept his voice light. None of them were here to get laid. “You’re with Sri luc. Jordan you go with the Great Dane. I’m with the doc.” He gave them a firm smile that told them this wasn’t up for debate. “We’ll get the biologists to give us a demo how to tranq and release the Polar bears before we head out. I want hourly radio checks.” He nodded to the men. “It might be a couple of days until the other guys get here. I’m
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CHAPTER 178
When she woke she was staring straight into the startling cobalt eyes of Officer Robert Duke. He looked like he’d wait all day for her to wake up.“I must be dreaming,” she croaked.He held out a mug of black tea.“Definitely dreaming.” She sat up, took it, and sipped. The warm liquid eased her dry throat. “Thanks. What time is it?”“0600.” His voice rolled over her. She blinked groggily. There was enough of a burr in his accent to make his voice very sexy and she figured he was laying on the charm this morning.His face was scrubbed and clean-shaven. She found herself studying his features. The vivid eyes shaded by thick brows, the cheeks scraped smooth, the jaw firm and obstinate, his nose too flat to be conventionally handsome. Yet the combination stirred up her insides like hot coals. She fought the urge run her fingers through his short blond hair. He was tall and lean and he looked really, really g
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CHAPTER 177
Evelyn shoved back the yurt flap. Mikado flung up his hands in surprise and gave a nervous laugh. “You’re back. You scared me.”“There’s a lot of that going around.”He smiled at her, brown eyes twinkling. “Ivan was worried when the horse came back without you, but I told him you be okay.”Mikado had more faith in her than she did. He returned to whatever he was doing with the cubs.She strode to the computer and opened her email and read the message. Christ, the Trust really had forbidden her to release the animals. She inhaled deeply and tried to calm the rage that continued to burn inside. They thought she was overreacting and had no proof, and in the next sentence they told her it was too dangerous for her and Ivan to go after a guy with a gun. Ivan came slowly into the tent. She didn’t know if he was scared or angry. He had a right to be both.“Did you reply to this email?” She was vibrating with em
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CHAPTER 176
For fuck’s sake. He spat in the dirt. Great. He’d spent his whole life fighting against scumbag terrorists and what happened? He ended up accused of being exactly the same sort of nutcase by someone he was trying to help. It stung. He wasn’t about to let her know that.“That’s right, love. That’s why they pay me the big bucks, so let’s move it.” He maneuvered her in front of him. “Step where the trooper steps if you want to keep your legs.” He let her walk a few paces ahead and spoke into his comms. “Jordan and Lucas, keep a low profile as we head back to the RV. See if this bastard’s hiding somewhere and decides to follow us.”They both acknowledged with radio clicks and he followed Evelyn through the bush and along the rocky path. The old guy must be damn good or damn lucky to have spotted them near that other collar. He must have night vision equipment to move so swiftly at night too. Or he had insider information.Duke moved cl
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CHAPTER 175
The midday sun beat harshly on this patch of barren rock, melting the inch of snow that had fallen during the morning. The woman beside him had finally stopped wriggling and fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. His team was in position and they’d been on stag duty while he caught a quick nap. Now he was wide awake and refreshed, but so far, nothing yet.What had made Vladimir jores turn his back on his former homeland? What made him defect to fight on the side of people who got their kicks out of brutalizing innocent civilians?Duke understood terrorists better than anyone this side of a suicide vest. He’d grown up with them, would probably have become one himself if not for the tragic death of his sister. That was the family business, right alongside farming. Being immersed in that indoctrinated shit from a young age meant he understood how people born into it found it hard to break free. It was so ingrained, so fecking normal. Talk about brainwashing. H
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CHAPTER 174
How many years had it been since she’d held hands with a guy? A soldier? A shiver brushed over her skin like a ghost from the past.It felt strange. As if she’d been transported back in time. And yet, here she was, relying on the strength of those long, strong, foreign fingers to guide her safely through the night. Adjusting her footing in response to subtle pressure changes, tuning her body to match his. Trusting a man she’d just met. Relying on a man, period.It wasn’t something she did.It wasn’t who she was.She believed in saving things, in using data to make her point, not violence. But data wasn’t going to save her Polar bears from their current predicament. Her fingers tightened involuntarily and he slowed to match her pace. The guy was fit, not even breathing heavily, despite everything they’d been through and how many miles they’d walked. She was fit too, she ran and worked out, but exhaustion was making her
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CHAPTER 173
As Evelyn lay down, her mind kept wavering back to years ago when she was still a child.When her grandfather was still the minister of ammunition, their family had been good friends with the Connery family so they always stood by each other.Her grandfather had hated L.j corporation because they and Connery corporation were rivals.They each made weapons for governments and L.j corporation were beginning to outsell Connery corporation.She remembered the old Mr Connery coming to visit her grandfather and the two of them talking in hushtones about the issues.During that period, a heated rivalry had begun and it all came to its peak one cold night, years ago.she remembered it clearly.Her mind went back through the years, reliving the moment.“Come away from there, Evelyn. Quickly now.”Evelyn knew better than to argue with her mother, but sh
