Dying Commitment (Lucky Thirteen) (3 page)

I stood up, a sad smile coming to my face. “I never said he wasn’t. But this time, he won’t catch me off guard. Tell your guy to meet me tomorrow morning at the airport. See you in two weeks, Stephen.”

His eyes followed me all the way out of his office. I was hyper aware of his gaze, scrutinizing, analyzing. I wasn’t sure what he thought of me at that point. He couldn’t possibly know how I felt about Jack, and about what he did to me. My scars dug into my chest like knives as I walked out of Lucky Thirteen’s facilities. The ghost of the bullets’ impact with my body haunted me every night, followed me every day. If I couldn’t stop Jack Allen… well, I didn’t see those ghosts going away.

~*~*~

Dylan

I left the common room just as Cady was walking down the hall. She stopped cold, her eyes wary and wide. “Dylan.” She swallowed, and looked like she was having trouble doing so. Her skin was shiny, glistening with a light sheen of sweat.

“Cady,” I whispered. “We need to talk.”

“I have to go,” she said, and she sidestepped me entirely and kept on walking. Stunned, I stared after her, wondering what the hell just happened, because that wasn’t the girl who had spent hours in bed with me the night before.

“Urban!” I whirled around in surprise. Master Chief stuck his head out of his office. “In here.” He went back into his office.

This had to be about Cady. The way she acted. The way Master Chief was barking my name. It was the only logical conclusion. I started down the hall, and slipped inside the office. I shut the door behind me and glanced across the room at Master Chief. He motioned to the empty chair in front of him. “Sit.”

I obeyed, my legs folding, and I all but fell into the chair that Cady had probably just vacated.

“Son, I don’t know if you realize it, but we have a problem.”

Was this where he told me off for my situation with Cady? We were both adults, even if she had a couple years on me. Our decisions were our own, but I supposed there was maybe a fraternization policy, maybe. We’d never had to deal with that, but then SEAL teams didn’t typically have fraternization issues.

“Master Chief, I don’t understand.”

“I just granted Cadence Long a two week leave of absence.”

“I see.”

“The problem is, I don’t want her traveling on her own.”

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure what he meant. Where was she going?

“So here’s what’s going to happen. I’m already down a guy with Hardy leaving. This outfit doesn’t get a lot of new recruits, you know, since we don’t exist anymore.” Collins paused. “You’re going with her.”

“What?” I frowned. “Where is she going?” As of last night, she hadn’t said a word about leaving, but secrecy wasn’t exactly a weakness of hers. I’d have had more luck trying to walk into the Federal Reserve with a gun in my hand.

“I didn’t ask, because she said it was a personal matter.”

“Master Chief, with all respect, I’m not a spy. I’m not good with subtle. She’ll be pretty upset if I just show up.”

“She knows I’m sending someone.”

I paused. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. I knew Cady pretty well at this point. She didn’t like having a partner. Wasn’t that just what we’d been talking about the other night? She didn’t work with anyone. She didn’t have relationships. Friendships. None of that. So why would she agree to Master Chief’s request?

“She said for you to meet her at the airport in the morning.”

I nodded, wary suspicion sneaking its way through my system. “Right. Okay.”

“I’m putting her under your supervision, Urban. She’s a loose cannon right now, at least until she finds her target. I’m not sure that her common sense and practicality is working the way it normally is.

“And just what is she looking for?”

Master Chief leaned forward, the subtle play of a smile on his lips. “She’s looking for her killer. Her old partner.”

Then everything clicked. She was leaving to hunt down her old partner? Not only was that incredibly dangerous on her own, but she would be alone. We all knew her story, how she almost died at the hands of someone she considered a friend.

Jack Allen was a traitor, a man who shot his partner for a stack of cash and a CD loaded with government secrets. Rumor had it he was with Giroux Enterprises now, working directly with Alex Giroux, who had taken over the business where his father had left off. And Giroux had Cady’s number. We’d rescued her once from a Giroux safe house nearly three years ago. She had more secrets in her head than the CIA database.

“And you want me to stay with her while she hunts him down.”

Master Chief nodded. “That’s it. Look, son, she has to do this. She can’t help herself, and she won’t be able to move on until she does this.”

“He could kill her.”

“Yes.”

I sighed loudly. “Given my relationship with Cadence, do you think that’s a good idea?”

“You know what’s bad about being in charge? I have to not only think about who I need to send on a mission, but also, I have to think about if I should. Battles is expecting his third kid any day now. Murphy’s getting married in a few weeks. Hardy’s checked out of the Navy and going back home on medical. It’s down to you or Richter, but honestly, Cadence might kill that kid.”

I tried to maintain a serious expression, but that was kind of a little funny. Richter certainly was a kind of an awkward good boy around women. He frequently got on Cady’s nerves.

“I’ll do it, Master Chief.”

“Good, because I really wasn’t giving you a choice.”

I stood up and said good-bye to Master Chief, got a few more details on where Cadence said to meet her and left. I thought about it as I headed out. Cadence was a loner, through and through. She wouldn’t want me there. And that made me sure she had plans that didn’t include me.

“Urban!” I turned as my team leader came up. “What’s going on?”

“Assignment. I have to meet up with Long.” Meet up? That made it sound like some weird date. What was wrong with me?

“Oh, I saw her earlier,” Murphy replied. “Told her to come by the party for Chris tonight. Meet her there.”

I froze. Shit. I’d forgotten about that party.

“You’re coming, right?” Murphy eyed me and must have seen something in my expression. “Oh, come on, Urban. It’s Chris’s send off party. All the guys are going.”

I stopped. Hardy was being discharged on medical, because of his injuries last year. Now that he was pretty much healed, he had some permanent damage and medical had decided he couldn’t stay in anymore. It sucked, and he wasn’t exactly happy about it. But he was also Murphy’s best friend, our teammate, and damn it. I had to go.

“I’ll be there.”

Murphy grinned and slapped me on the back. “Fan-fucking-tastic.”

“You tell your girl to keep her hands to herself though. She totally groped me last time.”

“She did not. You were drunk and stumbled.”

“Whatevs, yo. She totally touched my dick.”

“You’re such an ass,” Murphy said, and shook his head. “Addison only lets you come around for the jokes.” He left shortly after that, and I headed back to my car. I had an idea of what was going to happen. Cadence didn’t want me with her. She didn’t want anyone. So, if Master Chief told her that she had to have someone there, I was pretty sure that she was going to skip town. It was what I would do, and that meant I needed to find her before that happened.

How did you catch a former spy who didn’t want to be caught?

CHAPTER THREE

Cadence

I hadn’t planned on attending Chris’s send off party. In my mind, I’d already written him off. He’d been off duty for months while he healed, and now that he was almost finished with the multiple surgeries and the close observation by the Lucky Thirteen docs, the bureaucracy had decided he had to go home.

This part was toughest on military men, in my opinion. I’d watched NSA and CIA and FBI agents and they never were as upset by being sent home as military types were. This job wasn’t just a job. It was a lifestyle, and one that they’d gotten used to. Being sent home was devastating for them, and I really didn’t want to see that in Chris Hardy’s eyes.

But there I was, standing in front of Murphy and Addison’s new house. It wasn’t in base housing like Brody and Devyn, but they didn’t have kids to worry about yet. They could afford to blow a little cash on a nice house.

My gun rested against my side, inside my leather jacket. Winter in San Diego wasn’t that cold, but that Arctic wind that blew in from the ocean was a little chilly. Plus, I never went anywhere without my gun, and I was planning on escaping this torturous social situation as soon as I was diplomatically able to. I had a new mission and only two weeks to get it done.

I knocked on the door and waited. I could hear the laughter inside. I wasn’t the first one here. This was a good thing, right? Weren’t people supposed to make strategic entrances to gain attention?

The door whipped open, and Addison stood there. Her face went from confusion to immediate elation and a girlish scream emitted from her mouth. “You came!” She bounced and threw her arms around my neck. “I’m so glad you came!”

Awkwardly, I raised an arm and patted her back. “Yeah. Um… Hi.”

Murphy appeared behind her and I swear, I heard a soft snicker escape him. “Addy, come on. If you hug her any tighter, she’s likely to shoot you in the head.”

Addison laughed and stepped back. “Everyone needs a hug, Murphy. Just because you’re weird, doesn’t mean the rest of the world is like you.” She rolled her eyes and looped her arm with mine. “Come on, Cady. Everyone’s in the living room.”

“Oh, man. Did I miss the awkward Addison-Cady hug already?” I stiffened, recognizing the voice behind me even before I needed to turn. But I did, and Dylan stood on the porch, smirking. I wanted to wipe that damn expression off his newly shaven face. But it still managed to wake up my libido. It’d been a couple of days since I’d called him for sex. Maybe I could delay my trip a couple hours…

No. That was stupid. I needed to go. He’d still be here when I got back anyway. I could maul him then. He was looking really hot tonight, with a form-fitting T-shirt and low-hung jeans.

“Oh, Bambi, you’re just jealous because Addison likes her men with the ability to grow facial hair.” His smirk faded into a scowl. He hated when I called him Bambi. But he was four years younger than me. I felt like I was robbing the cradle sometimes, even though—surprisingly—he was one of the most skilled lovers I’d ever been with. He was an addiction, a taste I couldn’t stop wanting.

Murphy laughed, but Dylan turned and punched him in the chest. “Shut up, fucktard.”

“Hey, it was funny.” Murphy shrugged and pulled Addison into his embrace, so she was flush against his side. “Come on in, you two. Shut the door behind you.” They went further in, leaving Dylan and me alone and standing on their front porch.

It was an odd combination, those two. Addison, with her color-treated platinum blonde hair and her addiction to pinup dresses, and Murphy, with those mysterious icy blue eyes and darker complexion. But on the same hand, it worked for them. They looked like they belonged together. They were lost in each other. A small envious devil poked at my consciousness, telling me that I had that chance and instead, he’d put two bullet holes in my chest.

“So I hear you’re leaving town.” Dylan’s tone was conversational as he shut the front door behind us. He turned to face me. “At least that’s what Master Chief said.”

Dread filled my chest, making my lungs feel like they were lined with lead. “You’re the one he wants to come with.”

Dylan nodded.

“Fuck it all,” I groaned.

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with me the other night.”

“I’m not leaving here so I can have sex with you every night, Bambi.” The scowl on his face reappeared. Good. “I’m leaving because I have something important to do.”

“Your partner.”

“Did he tell you everything?” I snapped.

“Not everything. I was hoping you would.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it here.”

“Fair enough. It is a party, but you are going to talk about it, Cadence. I promise you that. You’re not getting away that easily.”

He strode past me toward the living area. I heard the other members of the team greeting him and suddenly, I felt incredibly alone. He was on to me. He knew me way too well and he knew I was going to skip out. I’d screwed up, again, and let someone get far too close to me.

~*~*~

Dylan

It was weird having a party to say goodbye to someone. It was both somber and happy, because we were glad that Chris Hardy was alive and well, but we were losing a member of the family. No one really knew whether to be happy or sad. And it didn’t hit me until I stepped into the living room and saw him.

It had been a few months since I’d last seen Hardy, since I’d been out of the country. He’d gained a little weight, not much, but enough to notice. I supposed that came from not being able to exercise regularly like he had before. He was walking on his own now, not needing assistance any longer. The thing was, he’d never be one hundred percent again. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel in the same situation.