Chapter Five
For two days Miracle didn’t speak of what they’d done. She’d spread herself open to this man, had him kiss her in the most intimate place possible, and she didn’t feel the least bit guilty. In fact, she couldn’t wait for him to do it again.
Also in those days, Beast took it upon himself to train her. Half the time she had no idea if he was preparing her to defend herself should he not be around or the zombie apocalypse.
“When you hit, you want to do as much damage as possible,” Beast said. “You want to incapacitate your attacker so you can get away.”
“I get the idea.” Miracle mumbled, pulling her sore body off the mat.
“Again.”
“Beast, I’m not a soldier!” Miracle snapped. “My body isn’t used to this and I’m in pain! Okay? If the kidnappers come, let them because I can’t do this anymore.”
She turned and began storming away but Beast caught her arm and pulled her into his chest. He caressed her back, kissed her head and murmured something in French.
“I just want you to be safe, Fleur.”
“I get it. But I’m tired—Beast. I’m just so tired.”
He stopped the drills and Miracle found her body relaxing. She worked beside him, researching her paper while working on figuring out the real identity of this man who seemed to have weirdos killing for him. On the third day, a beautiful African American woman dressed in all black let herself into the apartment.
“Hello,” the newcomer said.
Miracle blinked at her, surprised.
“You remember Sabine,” Beast said.
“They call me Barbie.” Sabine grinned widely. “I’m the pretty one of the bunch.”
It was like meeting Sabine all over again. Miracle liked her instantly—well after she realized Beast and this Aphrodite weren’t an item. Turned out, Barbie wasn’t just a regular cop as Miracle had thought. In fact, she was a part of Beast’s team and was just like one of the guys. She had that ready smirk, that look that said she was up to something and it was going to be epic. Tex had that look, so had her brother and Beast. Soon they were joined by Zero, Mouth, and a new guy she’d never seen before called Pitbull. After twenty minutes, Miracle had laughed more than she had all year. Mouth was aptly named. He was a fast talking, bullshit spewing loveable blond. Pitbull was quiet, the one who seemed to always be planning something. He was contemplative yet had some pretty sweet one line zingers. Zero, Japanese descent, was always blushing over something Mouth came up with. Miracle adored Zero. Then there was Barbie who seemed to be the one keeping this rag-tag bunch from becoming cavemen.
In that time the group swore Miracle to secrecy then told her they were a specialised team called CIRO that was a part of the Grenzschutzgruppe 9.
“Um...what?” Miracle asked.
“Short version, GSG 9,” Barbie explained. “Why the hell do you have to make things so complicated, huh, Pitbull?”
The large man crinkled his nose at her and Miracle smiled. The one they called Pitbull was a big guy, muscular and she remembered wondering where he found clothes for all that bulk.
“What does CIRO mean?” Miracle shoved a piece of ham into her mouth.
“Central Intelligence Recon Operators.” Mouth told her. “We’re smaller and do mostly reconnaissance.”
“Don’t let that make you nervous,” Zero said. “We are quite deadly. We train with the rest of the GSG 9.”
“I’m not worried.” Miracle was surprised at how truthful that was. “Tex trusts you. And his trust is never misplaced.”
“He is kinda cool, isn’t he?” Barbie giggled.
“Oh boy.” The males of the group groaned in unison.
But soon, the mirth was over and they got down to business. They included her in everything, which surprised her but she wasn’t going to complain.
“We don’t know if he’s still alive,” Miracle explained. “So far, Tex and I haven’t been able to find him or anyone who will claim to even know the guy. So, right now we’re going by a few people who are still protecting him and I don’t even know why.”
“I don’t like it,” Pitbull said, letting his weight fall into the sofa. The piece of furniture complained under his massive framed.
“Me either,” Beast said. “Mouth, what did you find out from our friend?”
“He says some guy called him up and gave him this job,” Mouth said. “He sells his services to the highest bidder. We gave Tex access to the phone, hoping he’ll be able to get something off it. We also handed the suspect over to the rest of the GSG 9. If you’re right, Miracle, then he can help us catch a war criminal.”
“So I really did dig into something I shouldn’t have,” Miracle said.
“It’s not that you shouldn’t have. Sooner or later these assholes were going to go after someone,” Beast explained. “It just so happened to be you.”
“This is ridiculous!” Miracle frowned.
“I agree,” Barbie said. “But, the horse is already out of the barn so now we just have to round the sucker up. Let’s just pray Tex found something on that phone that can point us in the right direction. In the mean time, we’re going to need copies of all your research that has anything to do with this guy.”
Miracle quickly saved a copy of her research onto a USB stick and handed it to Barbie.
“Okay. I’ll get this to Tex,” Barbie said.
“I thought you would go through it,” Miracle said.
“No honey. I don’t do the computer stuff. I’m better with a sniper rifle.” Barbie rose and grabbed her coat and keys. “We should go.”
“Yeah.” Pitbull stood. “We have patrol.”
“If you need me,” Beast said. “You call.”
“Ten four, boss.” Mouth gave Beast a mock salute. “It’ll be okay, Miracle. We’re going to end this.”
Miracle smiled at him and accepted a quick hug. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to interrupt your lives like this.”
“Lives?” Barbie chimed in. “Mouth? All you’re doing is being his perfect form of contraceptive.”
“Eww.” Miracle made a face but chuckled. “Thanks for that.”
“You’re welcome!” Barbie beamed.
Mouth groaned.
“Okay, children.” Beast laughed. “Out.”
It took another few minutes for the guys to get out the door. Miracle laughed and shook her head after they left. Suddenly the silence was too much, so she had to do something or she’d go crazy. Instead of sitting around, she headed into the kitchen. She began washing up the dishes the team had used. The walls closed in and she suddenly realized how serious this whole situation had become. From almost being run of the road to an almost kidnapping—all of it was real.
All the time she imagined how scared Liane had been. They’d packed her up and shipped her off to Norfolk to hang out with the rest of Tex’s team. Apparently she was staying with their team member Mozart. Miracle hadn’t met him yet but he was a friend of Tex’s—she would trust him.
“Fleur?”
“I can’t talk right now. I’m busy.”
“Miracle, stop.”
But she merely kept scrubbing the plate she had in her hand. Beast reached around her and took it away, turned off the water and removed the washcloth from her fingers. He then took her shoulders and turned her to him. When they faced each other, Beast took her lips like soldiers storming a beach. Miracle moaned, gripped his hips and melted into his chest. Kissing him again sent the same electricity to jolt through her as before. All the worries she had before, the fear, the anxiety vanished.
But the kiss didn’t last nearly as long as Miracle wanted it to.
“What was—what was that—for?” Miracle panted, her eyes still closed.
“I need you to relax,” Beast said.
“So you kiss me?” Miracle glared at him. “That did nothing to make me calm. It just turned me on!”
He smiled.
Miracle stepped from his arms and stormed from the room. The heavy fall of his footsteps followed her out the room until he caught her and trapped her against a wall in the corridor toward the bedroom.
“I made you wet, Miracle?” Beast asked, dragging a large palm up her thigh. He pushed her hip into the surface of the wall before grinding his hardness into her. “That makes me very happy.”
“But you promised. No sex until afterward.”
“I know.” Beast bowed his head to nip at her shoulder. “I remember. I hate that I made that deal, but I did. In the meantime, let me make you feel good, take your mind off what’s happening for a little while.”
Miracle blinked at him.
“All you have to do is say no...”
“I don’t want to say no.” Miracle lifted her chin.
“Good.”
Miracle wasn’t sure what to expect but she wanted this. Slowly, Beast stripped her naked then stood with his back against the opposite wall to stare at her. The action was so invading, so personal, so overly intimate, her cheeks burned. When she moved her hand to cover her breasts, one look from Beast had here dropping her arms back to her sides. She’d always been critical of her weight, that her body wasn’t perfect. Standing the way she was, with Beast silent and staring sent fear mixed with arousal coursing through her veins
“What are you doing?” Miracle asked.
“Watching you bloom,” Beast said.
Miracle bowed her head as her cheeks flared fire. Even though she had her head down, somehow she knew precisely where he was looking. Heat followed his stare up her thighs, across her hips then up her stomach. When his gaze reached her breasts, Miracle had to look at him. He was chewing on his bottom lip but his eyes dawdled for a mere minute before it was on the move again.
“Turn around,” Beast said. “Arch your back.”
With a soft sigh, she turned and pressed her breasts into the wall. When she glanced over her shoulder, Beast was walking toward her. He pressed a hand to the center of her back while the other stroke over the curve of her ass. He tapped one cheek, then the other, making Miracle sigh.
“Every part of you excites me.” Beast said in her ear. “The way you tremble in my arms, the sound of your breath quickening, feeling your skin pepper with goose-bumps—and knowing all of this is because of me.”
His words floated around her brain, pushing her closer to an orgasm. This was akin to phone sex, listening to the naughty words of the other and getting off on the power of them. Only, Beast was with her and he had his wonderful hands all over her body. One hand making her moan the other, tweaking hr nipples. Miracle moaned and allowed her head to fall to the side and he took that as an invitation to nibble at her neck.
“Say my name,” Beast demanded.
“Beast...”
“My name, Fleur.”
He dragged large finger over her clit and she had no choice.
“Alric!”