Page 57 of Her Wicked Hero

“I fucked up, and she ran away to Turkey. Ended up being kidnapped and tortured. Then the bastards followed her home to Tennessee, held her sisters hostage, Evie had to kill one of them with a baseball bat. Just when we think it’s over, another two of her sisters and her two-year-old niece are almost killed with a bomb.” The words were delivered smoothly, but Zed could feel the rage beneath the surface. Aiden O’Malley would never forget or forgive his part in those events.

Zed nodded. He got it. He looked around the table. “Okay, Dalton, let’s hear your info first, then Dex, I want to hear what you and Virginia’s boy wonder have come up with.”

Aiden pulled his plate back in front of him.

He watched as Wyatt walked Marcia over to his jeep. Even in sneakers, she had a soft seductive sway to her walk. Zed wasn’t the only man checking her out, and he wasn’t surprised. When she saw him, her hand lifted, and she walked faster across the gravel parking lot.

Wyatt gave him a quick nod as soon as he knew Zed was within touching distance of Marcia.

“Marcia, it was fun, we’ll have to do it again sometime,” Wyatt smiled at her.

“Absolutely,” she smiled at him.

Zed watched as the young SEAL walked away.

Marcia turned to him. “Hello, handsome,” she said as he held open the passenger door. After he started the vehicle she turned to him. “You know, you don’t have to always do that.”

“Do what?”

“Open the passenger door.”

“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to.” Zed looked, pulled onto the highway, then glanced over at Marcia. She was biting her lower lip.

“Did you have a good time with Wyatt?”

“He’s really good, and he’s a great teacher.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Zed smiled.

She started to fiddle with the air conditioning, but ultimately, she didn’t make any changes. She was nervous. Zed reached over and took her hand and placed it on his thigh, covering it with his. She relaxed back into her seat and started to brush her thumb against his denim covered leg. She was going to kill him, and she wasn’t even aware of it.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I tried to get ahold of Nurul. I couldn’t. Do you think you could ask Dex or Kane to help? I’m trying to set up some money to her.”

“Sure Honey, of course, why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“I knew you were busy trying to take over the world. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“It’s not a bother. Never think that.” She looked over and gave a soft smile.

“Thanks. Okay, tell me what did you do today?”

“I met with four of the men from Black Dawn.”

“Do you like them?”

He shot her a quick glance. “Of course I do, why do you ask?”

“Well,” she said softly. “Maybe that’s the wrong question. Your normal team in Virginia is Night Storm, you’ve been with them for five years, right?”

Zed nodded.

“I just wondered if you like and trust these guys the same way you trust your usual team.”

“I’ve been on two missions with this team now. They are first-rate.”

He could see her frowning out of the corner of his eye. “What?”