Shattered Pieces (Undercover Elite Book 1) (7 page)

Cash

I leave the room, feeling good about the excitement I witnessed in her eyes when I told her about the job. Her knowledge of Spanish from growing up in Puerto Rico will definitely come in handy for the upcoming assignment we have. She’ll be in her element and that’s important for what we’ll be doing.

I chuckle to myself as I think about the way I’m going to kick her ass in the ring today. She won’t be getting any mercy from me because she won’t be getting it from any of our enemies. My enemies are now hers and they are ruthless.

I look up to see her entering the room, strapping on her gloves and velcroing in her hands.

I crook my finger in her direction. She bends down to traverse the ropes and immediately starts circling me. I laugh when I see the intensity in her eyes and she swings at me, connecting with my chin. I throw a punch and she ducks, easily dodging me. When she throws a kick in my direction, I grab her foot and lead her around the ring on one leg. She’s infuriated but can’t do a damn thing about it.

When she throws another punch at me, I grab both of her wrists and pull her against my body. I bite into the sweet spot on her neck and growl, “You don’t want to be loved but I’m going to love you like nobody’s business. Every time I pin you to the wall, you’ll be helpless while I run my hands up and down every bit of sweet, lean muscle on your body. You’ll want me… and I’ll fucking oblige.”

“Fuck you, Cash!”

I toss her back against the ropes and watch as she scrambles to get her footing. Our fight goes on for another forty-five minutes before I send her off to shower and start her Spanish classes via computer.

I guess I lied to myself when I said I wouldn’t pull punches. I have no intention of letting her out of my sight anyway, here or overseas, so she’ll be safe—always safe with me. I make my way over to the phone after I send her off to shower. It’s been ringing off and on throughout our workout and I need to see what’s so important that it can’t wait.

I pick up my phone and look down at the screen to see that it’s one of my team members of
Undercover Elite.

“What’s up, Cash? You training that hot ass chick you’ve been stalking?”

“I’ll never let her near you, Hunter, you fucking man-whore.”

“Hey Dude, I practice safe sex. Shouldn’t that count for something?"

“Yeah, it counts for your dick not rotting off even though you stick it in a different chick every night. Johnnie Bayne is mine; she’s off limits to the likes of you.”

“You ready for this upcoming job?”

“I’m getting there and I’m getting her ready as well.”

“Alright… I sent you the itineraries this morning.”

“Great, I’ll be looking for them and we’ll see you when we get to Central America.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to meeting this chick who has turned you into a creepy stalker.”

“Fuck you, Hunter.”

“I’ll let you save that for your new partner.”

It’s the typical banter amongst team members but I let him know, even if it’s in a roundabout way, that he needs to stay the fuck away from my partner and my woman. He knows I mean what I say. He also knows I have never fallen for a woman before, certainly not this hard.

Johnnie

I quickly make my way upstairs and through the shower so I can begin my studies. I want Cash to know I’m dedicated to my training. This is the first time I can remember being so excited about something. I am going to make sure he knows I’m taking my new job seriously.

Suddenly, I think about my old job and make a note to ask him if he will call and let my boss know I won’t be returning. I’ve always been responsible when it comes to the jobs I’ve held down and I don’t like the thought of leaving my boss hanging, even if he is a jerk.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the new laptop that now sits on my bedroom desk. Cash must have had someone set it up while we were working out.

I jump up, excited to explore what it can do. I’m sure it’s a lot because it’s top of the line. I boot it up and pop in the disc that had been left on the desk with it. I study for the next two hours and then nap before it’s time for dinner.

For the next week before we leave, this would be my schedule and, much to my surprise, I have never been happier.

Cash

I watch as she enters the dining hall, wearing the red gown I laid out for her. Though I normally would escort her to dinner myself, I got stuck on a conference call going over the last minute details for our upcoming job. I stand to take her hand and kiss it as she sits next to me.

“You had a very full day,” I say as I fill her wine glass, “and you did very well, young lady. I’m impressed. Your schedule will be much of the same until we leave next week. Are you nervous?”

“No, I’ll be in my element—the only white girl for miles.”

I chuckle as I listen to her. She never ceases to entertain me with her wit. She may not be capable of falling in love with me, but she damn sure has me head over heels in
something
with her.

We spend the rest of the evening eating dinner and then she falls asleep in my arms as soon as her head hits the pillow. It has probably been years since she had to wake up at six am. Following a rigorous workout routine and then studying college courses daily has got to be wearing on her; I’m sure she is tired.

Johnnie

For the next week, I study and work out. My mornings begin by 6:30am and I stay busy until the time I fall into bed, exhausted from the day. Many times, I go to sleep in Cash’s arms or awaken in the morning to find him in my bed because he has joined me sometime during the night.

He seems to be more focused on my training and not so much on his obsession with bonding me to him. I find myself looking forward to going overseas and though I have many questions about our first job, he isn’t giving me any answers yet. His reply to any questions up to this point has been, “just focus on your training.”

Today is the day he chooses to fill me in on my itinerary, as well as the details of the job we will be doing. I look up from the bed, where I’m busy studying Spanish, when I hear the beep of the door alerting me to his entrance.

I follow him with my eyes as he makes his way over to me. Once again, he is dressed in a suit and the serious look on his face lets me know that he is here to talk business. I know that what we’re going to be doing is dangerous and I concentrate on listening to what he has to say. The country we’re going to is riddled with not only guerillas intent on forcing their political agendas, but also gangs in the midst of drug wars securing territory for their trade. Mexico and El Salvador are particularly dangerous right now and Guatemala is seated right between them.

Cash sits in the chair and eyes me as he stretches his long legs out, interlocking his fingers behind his neck in a relaxed pose. “I’m pleased to see that you’ve been studying not only the language for the area we will be going, but the geography as well.”

“How do you know that?”

“Do you actually believe I would allow you access to a computer without monitoring your history on it? You’re still a prisoner here, love.”

“You’re going to have to trust me at some point.”

“I believe this job will reveal if I can trust you or not. I hope you don’t disappoint me.”

“I stopped wanting to escape when you revealed your purpose for having me here.”

“Good, because you no longer have your own residence. Your home is here.”

“Well, Cash, thanks for making that decision for me,” I sarcastically reply. He ignores me, intent on discussing our trip.

“We leave tomorrow and I won’t always be with you but I’ll still be with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going to break up a black market baby ring. You’ll be staying at the house of the doctor who is involved with setting up young mothers to steal their newborns. You’ll be there under the guise of enrolling in language classes for the next six weeks. I’ll provide you with a top of the line phone with unlimited internet access and international calls.”

“Why won’t you be with me?”

“I will be with you. It will just be covertly. I have no intention of ever leaving you. I’m not your mother.”

To my surprise, a single tear makes its way down my cheek. Whether I like it or not, her abandonment still hurts me. He continues talking, ignoring my show of emotion.

“You need to be seen as vulnerable and being a woman, alone in a foreign country, makes you appear that way. The doctor needs to feel free to continue selling babies. If he views you as a mere visitor in his home, just a student taking classes, he won’t see you as a threat. Offering lodging to students has been his cover for the black market baby sales so you will be that student and he will conduct business as usual.”

“Why would he use language classes as a cover?”

“Much of his business is marketing babies to Americans and he needs a connection with the states. Blonde haired, hazel-eyed women aren’t common in Antigua Guatemala, but because he has students coming in from the states, it doesn’t raise suspicion. Don’t be deceived. This doctor will appear to be a meek, mild-mannered man, but it’s the connections he has to the cartel that make him dangerous. These people don’t think anything of putting a bullet in someone’s head. It’s common to see shootouts in broad daylight in full view of the public. Lives are bought and sold in this part of the world. We leave tomorrow morning and starting from the time we get to the airport and board the plane, we’ll be separated. I’ll be on the same plane as you, but it’s imperative that we maintain our distance. In other words, you don’t know me. Once we arrive in Guatemala, you’ll catch a bus to Antigua. At that point, you’ll be in a small pueblo and you’ll need to go to the local tienda and get directions to the doctor’s home. Though you won’t see me, I’ll always be close. If I need to contact you, I’ll text. Delete any of my texts as soon as you read them. One more thing… trust no one.” His face goes cold as he eyes me intently when he continues to speak, “and if I can’t trust you… I’ll kill you.”

How can this man go from cold to hot and back again so quickly? I don’t understand him at all and how does he expect me to keep up while he takes me with him on this emotional journey? He speaks as if answering my question. “My job is extremely dangerous and I can’t afford to have anyone close to my team, much less working with us, that I can’t trust.”

“How long will we be gone?”

“I can’t tell you that. The first thing you’re going to learn with me is to expect the unexpected.”

I look up to see a man coming in that I have never seen before. Cash speaks as the gentleman makes his way over. “I’m placing a chip in you.”

“Why? I ask, looking at the device in the man’s hand.

Cash’s expression tells me he has more than one reason for doing so. “Well, we wouldn’t want to lose you, would we?”

I don’t argue as I feel the sting signifying that the tracking device has been successfully inserted in my shoulder because I am actually looking forward to working undercover with Cash. The whole idea of working with
Undercover Elite
is exciting to me. I also think it’s pretty cool that I have been chosen as the only female to be on the team. If the only way I’ll be allowed to follow through with this first job is by wearing a tracking device, then so be it. I have no intentions of trying to run anyway. The sooner he is assured of my loyalty, the sooner I will be accepted as part of the team. The last thing I want is to be treated any differently just because I’m a woman and I certainly don’t need these guys thinking I’m going to run off on some emotional whim. I am actually looking forward to not only getting started with
Undercover Elite
, but meeting the rest of the team as well
.