Page 22 of Skull

When Walker and Eva entered, he tossed them each a couple bars. “Thanks, Severus,” Eva said. Walker just glanced at him and nodded.

Hmm, no sassy comment, no sultry smile, no sensuous gleam in her eyes. He didn’t need to be a genius to know something had changed, and it had everything to do with that look she had given him after the game. Well, he was the one who was holding back her forward momentum, but now he couldn’t help but feel a bit…disjointed.

Knowing how tough and obstinate she was, it was hard to believe that he had spooked her…scared her off. How?

She had been so hell-bent on making sure he knew what she wanted from him, what he’d been hard pressed to refuse, but wanted with every cell of his body. She wanted him. That hadn’t changed. But for the first time he realized that he had controlled that situation with an iron hand without taking into consideration her and her feelings about the whole thing. Part of it was the ambush, and he had buckled under her assault. But the other part, the part that was beginning to surface right now, was that he always felt the need to express his strength and power in the things he did and avoid appearing weak in any way.

In his defense, she’d jumped the gun on how a relationship started, and what fear was she trying to avoid? He knew anger, he loved anger. It was a controlled anger and useful in what he did for a living, propelled him into action. He found it also useful in pushing back against the emotions he considered would undermine his ability to operate. Emotions like fear, sadness, and insecurity. He always wanted to project power and be action-oriented. It’s what his dad drilled into him, especially when he’d been shot.

A rush of all those emotions swamped him, remembering that his dad was in the hospital undergoing surgery, and Skull had been so preoccupied with Hazard, Leigh, and Walker, it had gotten pushed to the back of his mind…well, not exactly the back. He had to wonder if that was his way of remaining tough. Yet here he was thinking about this woman who had come after him with no hold barred, and he’d been…controlling.

His teammates understood him because they were exactly like him. The trust he had with them was born out of operating and facing danger with them. Some of that trust was about standing up to them, going head-to-head, almost as if conflict between them only made them stronger. That was what happened with Type A personalities.

The same with having a built-in radar for spotting unjust and unfair situations. His dad was his hero, and he righted wrongs on a daily basis. He had to consider if this reaction was also part of his need to express his own power in the world, mostly because he couldn’t help being strong, and because real injustices pissed him off.

Damn, maybe he needed to chill the hell out. Consider adopting a more relaxed mindset and understanding that Walker was forceful because she went after what she wanted, and somehow, he had put her off, and that bothered him because he couldn’t help if he’d been the architect of his own injustice with her.

He should have been gratified that he’d finally managed to crack that resolve of hers, but instead his gut twisted with uncertainty, something that he wouldn’t have allowed himself before his encounter with her. She made him think about who he was, and how he reacted to her. So, what had sent this brave, seemingly unbreakable woman to flee from him? There was a small amount of relief there, but not enough to douse his interest in finding out what was going on with her.

The memory of the way she had devoured him made fire pool in his belly and lower, his confusion mixing with an undeniable need to possess her in every way a man could take a woman. The craving for her grew stronger, a ravenous heat and hunger he was hard-pressed to keep at bay.

Despite how she aggravated him, he wanted to get his hands on her, taste her everywhere with his tongue until she begged him for release. Then he wanted to fuck her until she screamed with the pleasure of it, and he finally gave himself over to the hot, pulsing release he’d denied himself.

Yeah, he ought to be overjoyed at this accomplishment. Unfortunately, the victory left a bitter taste in his mouth and generated another unwanted emotion…frustration.

Anna entered the room with Iceman. Both of them looked haggard, and Skull got a shot of guilt realizing they were working around the clock to get them any kind of advantage, and they were whiling away the time playing water polo as he lusted after Walker.

“Thanks to the efforts of our Shadowguard, we know what gang is supporting the cartel,Las Espadas Fantasma, the Phantom Blades,” Anna said, putting up a picture of a forearm showing an evil-looking dagger. “This is their gang tat, and their leader, Baltasar “Blade” Vega, courtesy of the National Colombian Police.” She put up another picture of a middle-aged man with some graying in his dark hair, a scar running down his left cheek. “He’s our target.” She put up another photo next to Blade’s and the dagger winked out to be replaced with a building. “This is one of their processing plants in the heart of Lealtad, a cartel-controlled slum. They even have their own local police force. Everyone is on the payroll. Even the NCP don’t want to brave it again. They attempted to raid it several months ago without success, losing several officers. They aren’t eager to return.”

“Just our asses on the line, odds stacked against us, a dangerous situation. That’s all right up our alley,” Preacher said.

“I’ll go into a hundred slums for Hazard,” Boomer said. “Hoo-yah.”

“Hoo-yah,” sounded throughout the room with Skull joining in.

“Before you go, Hummingbird brought to my attention a photo that was seized in the raid on Astrid Cristo’s home.” The photos of Vega and the building disappeared, replaced with a photo of what looked like a graduation party. Astrid was there along with Nacho. In the background was Jose Molina. Along with the team, he couldn’t help both cringing and getting angry at the fact that Molina knew Nacho and apparently his daughter as well and had kept that information to himself. Could the young woman be Pincho?

“I had the photo aged ten years, and this is the woman we believe is Nacho’s daughter, Lucia Siachoque Alzate.” The other blank screen was now filled with a face that was easily recognizable. There was no mistaking the family resemblance as Lucia favored her father. She was their target. “Now you have a visual.”

“She’s in our crosshairs,” Iceman said, then sighed. “We have one other thing to tell you. We’re getting pushback from the Justice Department regarding the release of Alzate.”

“What the fuck? The cartel has one of the Justice Department’s attorneys. Leigh risked everything to get Alzate. What is the holdup?” GQ bit out. “When Celeste, Luna, and Rose were missing, we pulled out all the stops. How is this any different? They have our teammate, our brother.” GQ’s eyes flashed and he rose half out of his seat. Kodiak set his hand against his shoulder, and he sat back down, his jaw clenching.

Iceman’s face transformed into one of grim determination, the memory of the loss of his wife keen. “They are torn, but they are reluctant to release Alzate, saying it sets a precedent. JSOC is on the warpath, but Justice is still resisting.” Iceman set his hands on his hips. “We need to find them and the war between the government agencies will be moot. We have less than five days left.”

“Then we’ll find them. We won’t stop until we do, and we’ll recover them alive by any means.” All heads swiveled toward Walker, and his attraction to her, as well as his respect, deepened. From her words, she proved that even though she wasn’t a SEAL, she understood the bonds that were forged between them. Her innate warrior spirit, in that moment, aligned with theirs on a level that they could all understand and embrace. For all intents and purposes, the two Shadowguard became part of their team in the truest sense of the word. There was no doubt that Eva agreed with Walker. Her reaction and conviction made his desire for her deepen as well, made him want to be a better man for her, to understand her tendencies, her fears, and the armor she built up to fight it all. The only thing he’d ever cared enough to give all of himself to was the Teams, now he considered what it would be like to give himself over to this…thing between them. A shiver went down his spine, and his heart skipped a beat.

Love. He’d seen his parents, and his teammates succumb to it, but had never really given it much thought.

It would be stupid to think that he could live his life and fulfill his destiny without the cooperation of others. That had been driven home to him during BUD/S. He was beginning to think that his destiny wasn’t just in his hands alone. In fact, he was interdependent with his brothers, with the CIA, and the Shadowguard. He might have thought he was independent, but that was just one example of the illusions that may have been preventing him from giving his all, and trying to control how she reacted to what was between them was part of that stupid illusion.

He wanted to explore all of this with her, but now she was the one on the run. Digging deep for something he didn’t often employ—patience—would alleviate some of the tension she was feeling. But that was for another time.

Now, they were going after these people with guns blazing. Come hell or high water, Hazard and Leigh were coming home with them.

His boss nodded toward the Shadowguard, their acceptance into the Team’s fold complete. “Get jocked up. We’re going to hit it in thirty,” Iceman ordered.

And Walker, in her inimitable way, said, “Well, I don’t have anything on me that will fill a jock, but we’ll be ready in thirty.”

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