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A flicker of emotion passed over her features and she straightened, looking away. “You are the most frustrating, irritating, persistent, intriguing, complex man.” She clenched her jaw, looking almost sorry she’d said those words. “I guess this is a good time to say good night.”
He gave her a nod. “Good night, Kaiya.”
She slipped into her townhouse, light filling the windows as she flicked a switch in the hall. Once he heard her lock the door, he headed back toward the guys, pulling his shirt out of his jeans to cover his erection. Trying to shake off the buzz of arousal with every step he took, he wondered how he was going to spend the next few weeks around Kaiya without falling into this inexplicable attraction.
Kissing her seemed like a monumental task to avoid, but he was a Navy SEAL, and he could do it, even if those eyes of hers had all but begged him closer.
He contained his soft curse under his breath, but when he got back in the van and met Hazard’s eyes in the rearview, he wanted to shout it into the quiet. Again, the observant bastard.
He would have to manage his blue balls and the excruciating sexual tension with no relief in sight.
4
Hazard watchedhis big buddy on the way back to the barracks on base, his curiosity piqued. There was more to that walk up to her townhouse than a simple courtesy. He looked at the other guys, and their discussion had been rich with “Kodiak has a hard-on for our new liaison,” and “There’s something off about that babe.” She was wound tight, and like Anna said, he was afraid it could slow their investigation if the woman refused to cooperate.
As soon as they exited the van, Anna said, “Ready room.”
Kodiak sighed and they all filed into the room. Anna sat down in one of the chairs and said, “What was going on tonight between you and Kaiya?”
“It’s not about us,” Kodiak said in his even-keeled way. “It’s about something that she’s harboring and wouldn’t give up even if I asked her.” He ran his hands through his dark hair and folded his arms across his chest. “She told me she thought Americans were entitled, know-it-alls, and she thinks we don’t know shit.”
Anna leaned her head back and sighed. “Then I think I will have a word with her supervisor in the?—”
“No, Anna. Please, don’t do that.”
“Why wouldn’t I? We have a lot at stake, and we need local help. We can’t afford for her to derail this op. NSH will carry out their multiple terrorist attacks. Their MO is clear. My mandate is to stop them at all costs. If it means her job up against numerous deaths, then?—”
“With all due respect, let me handle her. Get to the root of the issue. I think she’ll be a valuable asset. I’ve read her file. She has a stellar rate and excellent contacts in that world. Please hold off. If I can’t get through to her, then we go your route.”
Anna studied him then looked at Reck’d. “What do you think?”
“I trust my brother with reservations. We’re riding your coattails on this one, so I defer to the team who has been waging this war with NSH. Your personal losses and current situation with three of our brothers dictate caution. If she has good insider information, maybe we can win her over with our amazing personalities.”
Several guys chuckled.
Hazard was sure about only one thing. Kodiak was going to bat for her because he had a hard-on for her, but Hazard couldn’t fault his calm and easy-going brother. Yet anyone who could push his buttons was someone to watch. He knew Kodiak had some past with his family and it was a source of pain, but he didn’t talk much about the negative aspects everyone had to deal with when it came to family. Hazard understood and because of that, he could cut his brother some slack.
“Well, I guess once again, in for a penny in for a pound. I trust you guys, but that doesn't mean I won’t do what’s necessary if I believe things are going off the rails. She gets a reprieve to prove herself.”
The meeting broke up and they headed toward their separate sleeping arrangements, but before Kodiak could get inside his door, Hazard said, “You sure you know what you’re doing? I see you have a thing for her, brother, and she could be your Achilles Heel. She’s not some wounded animal to nurse back to health. It’s not your job to fix her.”
Kodiak stiffened and rounded on Hazard. “Don’t be so quick to judge. We have no idea what fuels her anger, and why she acts the way she does. As for any attraction, I can handle that, too. Thanks for your concern.”
“Kodiak,” Hazard said, but he turned away and slammed the door in his face. Yeah, his brother was agreeable and receptive up to a point. Even Kodiak had his limits. Hazard just hoped Kodiak’s judgment wasn’t skewed by that huge hard-on.
* * *
For two years,Archie Baker often left the junkyard where he slept to get near the Sydney Opera House so he could hear the music. Before his military service, he’d been a violinist and had hopes of playing at the opera house, so every time he heard the music, the cold, the grime, the shivering, and his empty stomach would just melt away.
Tonight…tonight…he sighed. Tonight, it wasMadame Butterfly, and as the music ebbed and flowed over him, his hands traveled over an invisible violin with an invisible bow, but in his mind, he played like he was first chair.Madame Butterflywas a story of love, heartbreak, betrayal, cultural differences, and death. He’d felt the breath of the grim reaper on his neck enough times to recognize it.
His eyes welled. He knew about death. He’d seen it firsthand, and those images never seemed to fade—blood, gore, helplessness, and pain. He couldn’t think of anything else, except for now as the last aria washed over him,Chi sara chi sara? Captivating and haunting.
Tears streamed down his face as the fireworks that ended each performance lit up the sky with color. It momentarily took away the images as his tight throat loosened, and his chest filled up with the wonder of light. He rose, pulling his threadbare black jacket around him, needing to get back to the hovel he’d built in Jackson’s Junkyard to keep himself as safe as possible so he could sleep.
He had panhandled just enough for bus fare, and his first stop would be a soup kitchen, then a quick walk to what constituted his home base. But when he got on the bus, two men dressed in black were searching the street as the opera house let out its patrons. When they spied him through the window, they increased their speed, but were immediately hampered by the crowd, and they couldn’t catch up to him. He swallowed hard, trying not to be paranoid. He was sure they were staring at him, recognition in their eyes. He didn’t know them, but he knew the type…thugs. He didn’t want anything to do with thugs. So, he got off the bus at a different shelter, ate, and then went off to the junkyard.
He slipped through the break in the chain link fence and searched the area. When he thought it was clear, he started to move. Then he saw them, his heart pounding when they saw him, too. Before they could even get close enough to him, he bolted, passing a guy smoking near the entrance. He hit the guy’s shoulder as the two men shouted. He didn’t stop. The terrifying sensation of the dark breath of death lifted the fine hairs on the back of his neck and chilled all the way down his spine.
