Page 6 of Nightstalker

Z set a tumbler full of amber liquid down in front of me. I knew it was Knob Creek; it was from Z’s personal stash. He kept the good shit for clients; expensive bottles of Lagavulin 21 Scotch and KORS vodka. Z always joked that he could not shed his poor “redneck” tastes and stomach drinking something that was the equivalent to a private’s monthly salary. I slowly lifted the glass to my lips and savored the burn as I emptied the glass in one gulp. With all the strength I could muster I tried to fortify myself against the onslaught of painful memories. I looked at my team; Eric, Drew, Leo, Jaxon, Colin and now Lincoln Parker, AKA Mr. DDG, and what I saw on their faces made me want to rage and throw shit. Pity! Fucking pity.

I am God damn Jasmin Smith, I do not do pity! Pity is for the weak minded, the meek. Bitches who want to play damsel in distress and have someone swoop in and save the day. Fuck that shit!

Chapter Four

Lincoln

Fuck, Jasmin was killing me. She was trying to put on a strong front but the look of fear in her beautiful hazel eyes was stirring every protective instinct I had.

She was every bit as beautiful as I remembered. Damn, this woman was seriously sexy. I was having a hard time willing my dick to stay soft. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and take her to my new office. We could christen my new desk. Shit, I’d be happy just slamming that tight as hell body up against the office wall as I fucked that fear right out of her beautiful eyes. Somehow I knew this female would kick me in my balls if I tried to pull any of my normal alpha male bullshit, but damn I wanted to fuck her. And, at the same time, protect her from all the memories that made her eyes look so sad.

“So, Red Wing, why don’t you tell us what you were doing at The Black Dolphin?” Drew had obviously assigned himself Jasmin’s protector. Fuck that, Jasmin did not need protection from me.

I shot a look at Zane silently asking him for permission, at the nod of his head I began. “I was on assignment with the CIA in the gulf following a lead on some of the women that were in transport when I was pulled off the case and sent to The Dolphin. Two CIA agents had been captured and were transported to the prison.”

I stopped to look at Eric, he was about to get thrown under the bus and I was going to be the driver that rolled over him. He did not look happy about his past being brought before the team. “My assignment was twofold; go in deep cover as a guard to help the agent already in place weed out the DEA agent’s contact and assist in the escape of the captured agents. My handler was getting mixed intel that the other agent’s cover was about to get burned.”

“Bullshit!” Eric was getting ready for a battle; the poor bastard still could not let it go. Not that I blamed him. He got fucked.

“Really, Red Wolf, than why don’t you tell me what I was doing there if not to assist.” Screw this asshole, I saved his fucking life and this was the shit he wanted to shovel.

All eyes in the room laser focused on Eric. Jasmin looked pissed. Actually, she looked more than pissed. She was exasperated, her brow pinched in angry concentration.

“What in the mother fuck is he talking about? Z? Eric? What the hell?” Jasmin stood up again and started to pace, obviously trying to puzzle out what I was talking about and how this applied to her.

Eric looked at Jasmin, then down at the table. “I was undercover in the prison, close to finding the contact’s name when I got word we had two Americans coming into the vault. I made the call to Mr. Blue…” Eric stopped and took a deep breath, “I fucked up, a guard heard me speaking in English.” Eric rubbed the back of his neck, struggling to get the rest out. I doubted he had ever shared this story with the team.

I watched Jasmin pace the floor and touch the scar on her upper right arm. I wondered if she even realized she was doing it. With each pass she made I became more and more hypnotized by the sway of her hips. Her ass encased in that denim looked like it was begging for me to rip it off her. She was so fucking hot. Like Zena the warrior princess, long dark brown hair; it reminded me of a perfectly aged whiskey. Her feminine little body had curves in all the right places and that gun strapped to her hip… God damn, it does not get any sexier than Jasmin Smith.

“FUUUCK,” Eric roared snapping my attention back to him.

“Man, you do not have to continue, Eric,” Jaxon spoke up.

“We can do this later…” Colin started, but before he could finish what he was going to say, Zane stopped him with a hand.

“Eric, you have to know you did everything you could. Even after your cover was blown,” Zane’s voice had softened; I had never heard LT speak to anyone in that tone.

By the looks on their faces, the rest of the team must have felt the same way. They looked just as surprised as I was.

“Eric. Man, you have to know we all have your back, brother. We know you did all you could for Jasmin and LT,” Leo said.

A soft whimpering sound caught my attention. Jasmin had her hand over her mouth and pure terror on her face. Drew jumped out of his seat and made his way to her side, wrapping an arm around her. Mother fucker, the sight of Drew’s arm around her made me want to break the fucker off. She shrugged his arm off and walked back to the table.

She was back to being angry, “Someone better start explaining and fast. I am losing patience. I only have bits and pieces of memories after we were captured. What the fuck does Eric have to do with me and Zane?” Jasmin’s eyes darted around the room in censure.

“Fuck. Fuck. Christ.” Those were all the words Zane had, apparently. His vocabulary was reduced to curse words.

Eric started again, “Jasmin, as soon as I got word they were bringing Americans to the prison I called it in to my handler. But by the time I knew, shit, you and Zane were only three hours out. The vault was already being prepared for your arrival. I got in a hurry and spoke English in a non-secured area. I only had a few minutes. I had to get back up there fast and I fucked up. I have no excuse. It was careless. It is my fault you and Zane…” Eric was cut off by a glass shattering against the wall.

“Not one God damned thing that happened to either Jas or I is your fucking fault!” Zane exploded. His face red and his hands balled into tight fists.

Jasmin didn’t react to Zane’s outburst. She zeroed in on Eric. She looked stunned, “You were there?”

“Yes working undercover with the CIA. Once my cover was blown I was taken to the vault and dealt with,” Eric answered hanging his head low, his eyes on the table.

“Don’t do that! Don’t you hide your face from me. Tell me what you know! Tell me why I can’t remember!” Jasmin pushed Eric for more answers.

“Fuck, Jas. By the time you and Zane arrived they had already had two or three goes at me trying to break me and find out who I worked for. I was so fucking out of it I didn’t know where I was.” Eric tried to placate her.