Page 70 of Brooks

“Come to any conclusions?”

“A few.”

“Any of those conclusions gonna piss me off?” he asked then leaned in close. “Your death stare doesn’t work on me, Doll.”

Smug bastard.

“I know it doesn’t. You have yet to vanish in a puff of smoke.”

His face lit with humor. His hazel eyes danced with mirth. And finally his head tipped to the side and his laughter filled the SUV. Damn, he was hot. Looked even better when he was smiling.

“You’re funny.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

He was back to invading my space and whispered, “I don’t know about the smoke part, but when we’re together, you set me on fire.”

The eye roll was instinctive and immediate. “You should stop talking.”

“Why? You like my mouth.” His words were spoken against my skin and when his tongue came out and touched my skin I was reminded how right he was. I did like his mouth.

“You like my fingers, too.”

Okay. He had me there.

“But I think there are other parts on me you like more.”

What could I say? He was right.

“I think you may need a reminder.”

I didn’t argue when he told me I needed the reminder even though he was wrong. I didn’t need one, but I wasn’t so stupid I’d turn down the offer. The times we’d been together were forever woven into my memories. Even if he walked away tomorrow, I’d never forget. Not a single second of it. Not his mouth, not his fingers, not other parts of him. But what I would remember the most was, how he’d given me back something huge. A piece of myself I’d forgotten I possessed—courage. He’d reminded me I was strong and brave. I was smart and good at my job. He’d made me feel sexy, he didn’t care about my scars, he embraced them. I was grateful for that, too. But nothing could trump him giving me back my self-worth.

With a masculine chuckle, he righted himself but kept his arm around me. I tried my best to curb the lust he’d built and went back to thinking about our day.

After one last briefing with Zane where he’d confirmed we were mission go, we headed to the meeting location Matek Nazari had been sent to. The smug bastard had been sitting in the outside dining area of one of his favorite restaurants. Kyle had taken the shot. I’d also learned that he was the best of the bunch with a long gun. Though all the guys had bickered, he was only better by less than a fourth of an inch. Which in some cases was the difference between a hit or a miss. Kyle hadn’t missed, it was clean and precise, and Matek Nazari was dead.

I should’ve felt some relief that the man was no longer alive and able to send hitmen after me, but I wasn’t. While extinguishing the scumbags of the planet was a necessary evil, I’d never rejoiced in it. Though, once Al Issa was in the ground, I may feel differently. I wanted him dead for personal reasons. They were biblical actually; an eye for an eye. No, he hadn’t physically killed me, but a part of me had died while his men carved me up.

Kyle’s voice giving Declan directions to the house we’d be staying in pulled me from my thoughts of death and retribution.

“Are you fuckin’ sure about this?” Thad asked from the third row of seats where he and Max were sitting behind me.

“You handling nav, or am I? That’s right, I am. I got the GPS out, asshole.” Kyle’s outburst was dripping with sarcasm.

Good to know. Everyone was as cranky as I was from the world’s most boring road trip across the barren, sandy, desert. There weren’t even trees to look at. Nothing.

We passed a sign warning us there were only five kilometers until the Kuwaiti border crossing and Kyle spoke again, “Slow down, the dirt road is coming up in five hundred feet. Turn right.”

Declan found the road and slowed even more now that we were back onto a gravel road. Maybe I should back up to the part of the day where travel routes were discussed, and clarify. There was indeed a faster route from Al Qatif to the Raqa’i Port. One that was full of paved interstates and places to stop and eat. However, the team, much to my chagrin, chose the scenic desert route minus the scenery. This was bumpy. It also added two hours to the already five-hour drive. Seven hours sitting in a car had made me crabby, too.

I don’t think I’d ever been so happy to see a single level, tan colored, L-shaped… hut? Maybe it could be called that. I wasn’t sure what defined a structure as a hut versus a house, but looking at the building, I was leaning toward hut. Nothing about it screamed safe, however my ass was so numb and I had to pee again so I wasn’t going to suggest we call Zane Lewis and tell him the accommodations he’d provided sucked.

“We’re here,” Kyle unnecessarily announced.

Brooks shook his head and smiled. “Ready?”

“God, yes.”