Page 50 of Whiskey

“Sorry, sir,” one said. “We didn’t know.”

“Now you do,” I grunted and relished how great her body felt against mine. “Dismissed.”

They all scurried off, and Ivy chuckled.

“Good timing.” She patted my arm that was still locked around her. She tilted her head back and looked at me. “They’re gone now.”

“Wolves travel in packs.” I glanced around, making sure everyone saw my claim. She wasn’t theirs. Well, she wasn’t mine either, but still.

“Then don’t go far.” The corners of her mouth tugged, and I slowly let her go but kept her within arm’s reach for the rest of our visit.

Once we got back to Shadows, the wives were into the margaritas. Mark handed me a beer.

“Did you meet Liza?” Savi asked me quietly as I sipped my brew.

“I did.”

“She’s good people. Whenever I go to the camp, we try to get a moment to slip away for a bit. We have a little place we love to go for a drink and a chat.” She tapped her finger on her glass. “How was Ivy’s visit?” Her expression turned mischievous. “I love Camp Green, but it’s hard to get away from Cole. He doesn’t let me get too far from him if he can help it.”

“I can understand that.”

“Mm, so, they got to her?”

“They tried.” She seemed impressed by my answer.

“I like you, Ty.” She smiled then spotted Cole and headed toward him.

I spotted Ivy in the kitchen and locked my gaze with hers. Her lips went up in a smile as I started toward her.

“Beers down!” Cole’s voice boomed throughout the house, and suddenly the entire mood changed. Gone was the lingering party vibe. It was as though the wind had shifted direction. “Suit up. We ship out in one hour.”

My eyes never left hers, and for a full minute I couldn’t break the hold…didn’t want to. She nodded. I shifted gears in my head, stood taller, and left.

Here we go.

* * *

The winds were strong as we swept over the Mexican border and deep into the unknown. The buzz of the chopper seemed to help the guys focus on what awaited us on the ground. Our mission was to locate a group of missing teens who had last been seen three days before in the company of one of the local Cartel runners, Juan. Cole explained that one of the girls taken was connected to a politician in Wyoming. Frank’s informant said he had eyes on them somewhere in Rosarito. Juan was an idiot, according to Mark. He was a guy who loved the idea of being what he saw as a big-time Army informant. He would puff himself up and give the scoop on any of the Cartel guys he encountered. They kept him around because he was harmless for the most part and ran his mouth for nothing more than a bottle of tequila.

I went over and over what was expected of me. I knew exactly what the plan was when we touched down. After being team captain for many years, I knew I had to know every second of the plan and account for any problems that might arise.

Once I felt confident with everything, I closed my eyes to find Ivy waiting in my thoughts. She was so incredibly submissive when I touched her, and it took every bit of me not to lose myself with her at the dock. When she wrapped her legs around my waist, and I felt her heavy breast in my hand, it just about undid me. The sensation of her nipple in my mouth still filled my senses. I was a strong man, but one taste of her and I became someone else. The moment she put on my hoodie with my name printed on the back, it was as though I had claimed her as my own. I never needed a woman in my life. I was content with my choices. I loved my job and would die happy doing it. But since I first met Ivy, something had awakened inside me. Like a primal force I wanted to protect and devour all at once. I could barely handle being in the same room with her, let alone at a camp where all the guys flirted with her. My mind went back to the nervous way she looked when Logan announced we were to ship out. It made me want to get inside her head to see what was happening in there.

I shouldn’t have made plans with Demi, not when I couldn’t keep myself away from Ivy.

I felt a tap on my knee, and my eyes popped open to find Cole signaling that we were ready to go in three minutes. I gave him a thumbs up and moved to stand behind Mark. At the signal, one by one, we descended the ropes and slipped quietly into the night.

We followed a street called Justicia that ran north of Rosarito then moved southwest into the city. We moved quietly on our feet along the narrow alleyways. As we went, we had to weave through the sea of trash that waited to be dealt with in the morning. I scanned the buildings, windows, rooftops, anywhere a sniper could hide. The Taliban and the Cartel had the same motive—to kill those who weren’t their own. I’d lived with that mentality for years, and it had trained me well.

We came to a building where we believed they were being held. Mark checked the door, while Mike and John scanned the perimeter. Keith stayed tight at the door, and Cole communicated with Frank, who had our informant on the other line.

“Clear,” both Mike and John confirmed over the radio.

One by one, each of us scanned the rooftops one last time before we stepped inside. We stopped just long enough to let our eyes adjust to the dim light. Instantly, my gut twisted, and my head slipped into survival mode.

Something was off.

It was a general store, with rows of canned food. Refrigerators against the back wall held milk and eggs. The place was empty, and I could hear water as it dripped from somewhere. Nothing else could be heard.

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