CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Noah and Tanner sat over their plan of attack for a couple of hours. How to get in and how to get out. Faulkner had an estate that was nearly attack proof. It would be gutsy to go after a general and just the two of them too. However, two of their kind was like 20 normal men.
Yet, they had no choice but to kill this man. Their lives would never be safe as long as he lived. Ridge would never be safe. This alone was enough reason to take the fucker out.
Tanner had told him of the trail he’d followed. From the suicide bomber that set himself off that fateful day, all the way to the source of the bomb, then a payment to the bomber’s family. Before he could go further, he’d been captured and got loose after a month. Following his escape, he went to pick up his secret cash. They all had access to immediate funds for getting out of tough spots, bribing officials, paying for access to get through customs and out of different backwater countries. Using it to buy his way to the top of the chain, Tanner found Faulkner was the man who’d ordered it. He had sabotaged their team. Two men dead. Two good men.
Noah didn’t doubt Tanner’s findings. He was as good as Noah was, trained the same way. No, there was no mistake. Tanner told him of the chain of discovery and it all made sense.
Tanner stood up and stretched his body. “Okay, I’m going to get some rest. It was quite the trip up this dammed mountain. Then in the morning, we’ll get our weapons and explosives ready, check the copter over, load it up and be ready.
Noah nodded.
“So where did my kid sister go?”
Noah shrugged. “Said she was taking a nap?” He hid his smile, because in fact knew she was sleeping soundly. He’d worn her out last night, though he certainly wasn’t going to tell this man that.
Tanner shook his head. “God dammed stubborn…” He sighed.
“Can I ask you something?” Noah met his eyes. He paused as he realized brother and sister had the same eyes. Maybe that was what seemed familiar about her when he first caught sight of her on the mountain.
Tanner nodded.
“Was she involved with anyone?”
Tanner stared at him. “Helluva time to ask that, Harris.”
Noah shrugged.
“But why do you care? At this point, I mean? It’s not like you to settle for one woman.”
Noah looked away.
A long silent minute passed.
“Wow, seriously?”
Noah tuned to look him in the eyes. “Seriously.”
“Well, I’ll be fucked!” Tanner laughed. “I can’t believe it.”
“Your sister isn’t like other…women.”
Tanner’s laughter halted. “No she isn’t. Of course, I would think that, but you—”
“It’s partly why I need to do this mission. I want to…live a real life with her.”
“Well, fuck. I’d better go outside and see if the sun just fucking turned pink!”
“Shut the fuck up,” Noah grumbled. “And you never answered my question.”
Tanner’s expression changed to one of panic. “Shit.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry man. But before we deployed…Umm.”
Noah stood up. “What?”
“She was engaged.”
Noah felt like he just got gut punched and the earth beneath him just shifted. “The hell you say!”
Tanner shook his head. “Look it was six months ago. And I hadn’t seen her since then.”
“What…” Noah paused, as he couldn’t believe he was going to ask this. Jealousy ate him up so quick, he felt enraged with it. “What was the guy like?”
Tanner cocked his head at him. “A lawyer type, good looking. Drives a Benz, wear suits. Looks like a GQ man who just stepped off the pages of a mag.”
“You’re not helping any.”
“Sorry man.”
Noah let out a breath. “Then where the fuck is he? Why did he let her come up this dammed mountain by herself?”
Tanner gave him a half smile. “Have you met my sister?”
Noah paused. “Yeah. When she gets an idea in her head.”
“Exactly. And no one could’ve stopped her.”
“So what is his name?”
“Why man? What difference does it make now?”
“Just fucking tell me!”
Tanner raised his hands. “Not if you’re gonna go after him.”
Noah shook his head. “NO! Shit. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Adam Groves. Thirty-two years old. No criminal record. Graduated Harvard. Never married. Good rep. Works for Fellman and Groves, Attorneys At Law. He makes 6 figures a year. Has about 4 million in the bank. All legit savings. Then another 6 mil in stocks—“
Noah’s eyes widened. “Wait. Wait. You ran a dossie on him?”
“Fuck yeah! Gonna date and marry my kid sister, and I’m going to know what kind of underwear the man sports.”
Noah laughed. “Well, good luck finding me. I’m a ghost as you well know.”
Tanner raised a brow.
“Tanner, you know you cannot find anything real on me.”
The man stepped close to him. “Doesn’t matter. We are friends and teammates, but if you hurt her. I will take you down.”
Noah knew he meant it and he respected this too. “I want to keep her. Make her happy. Not hurt her, ever.”
“I’m still not sure if you’re serious. I mean Playboy Harris?” he scoffed.
“Believe whatever you want, man.” Noah went over to the bar his mind on this GQ fiancé.
“Apparently, she didn’t love the guy or she wouldn’t have gotten with you.”
“It’s my fault. I mean I took up with her not knowing her past. I told her it happens, people wanting someone else suddenly.”
“Nah, man. Not my sister. She barely dated and when she did finally get serious, it was with this guy. She wasn’t loose. Not like that.”
Noah poured a whiskey and gave no response. All he could see was her with some other guy. Damn, he’d never felt jealous before. He hadn’t cared enough and competition meant nothing to him.
“Okay, man. See ya in about eight.” Tanner went down the hall.
Was I a slut? He remembered her asking. He knew she wasn’t. But what about this guy? Did she love him? He felt his stomach clench. Did they get married while Tanner was gone? He tipped back his drink in one gulp. Then set it down on the bar. No wedding ring and not even a ring shade on her finger to show there’d ever been one. This news threw him, for sure. What the fuck had he been thinking? Getting involved with a woman who had an unknown past?
He paused. He would’ve anyway. From minute one, he had to have her. Yes, he resisted but he knew he was doomed the first time she opened those big blue eyes and told him he was beautiful.
He poured another drink and finished it off quick. He got up from the stool. He needed to see if she remembered this guy. After all, when he questioned her about Tanner, she then remembered him.
Making his way down the hall, he quietly opened the door. He stepped in and locked it behind him. He didn’t want Tanner in here, though he doubted that would happen.
Striding over to the bed, he gazed down at her.
The blankets were tangled around her. The shirt she slept in was his. He gazed at her long legs sticking out from the sheet. Creamy skin from head to toe, and the most lickable tasty skin he’d ever tasted. Her chestnut curls spanned out over the pillow.
Fuck it, she’s mine. In my bed, wearing my shirt. I claimed her. GQ asshole be dammed.