Shifted Perceptions (Alpha Division) (10 page)

Chapter 1
9

My position
, hidden within the foliage of the tree thirty feet off the ground, was not comfortable. But in spite of a damn branch poking me in my ass, I was giddy as hell. I had my baby nestled in my arms. Her cool, hard body felt good in my hands, as I snuggled closer, eyeing my target through her scope.

If felt exquisite to have my rifle back in my hands, where it belonged. Saying that being a sniper was my strong suit was an understatement. I’d been called the best in the country. Not sure if it was true, but hey, I’d take it. It’s what I was used for in most missions and though it had only been a couple of days, I’d already missed it.

The warehouse was about seventy five yards from my position, far enough away to keep me hidden, and not at all a problem for my shot. The helicopter had landed in a clearing not far away, letting the boys out, where then the pilot would wait for his orders. The rest of the team was coming in on the ground, surrounding the building before making their way inside.

I waited in the tree. If anyone made a run for it, I’d shoot. Luckily
, or maybe not so luckily, I hadn’t decided, Stone’s car wasn’t  there. He was home, safely tucked into bed, dreaming about his boss’ big schemes. He was safe. For now.

As soon as my boys made an appearance, my gaze focused solely on Paul. The whole team dressed in the same black fatigues, though Paul was the one I couldn’t take my eyes off of. The light breeze ruffled his dark hair, his head moving side to side, as he swept the area, his gun pointed down yet ready. The men moved swiftly toward the warehouse, but just as they reached the door, Paul turned. The moonlight bathed his face, as he searched the trees for me and when his eyes finally connected with mine, his lips lifted into a sensual smile. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, then laughed softly when he winked, before disappearing into the warehouse.

The instant the boys entered the building, the sounds of shots fired was immediately followed by a few growls. I stayed in my tree, watching over them as they got our man.

The sound of crunching gravel alerted me and I groaned
, guessing I’d been too quick about Stone’s whereabouts. Through the scope I watched, as his Mustang slowly came to a stop. He got out and stilled at the noise coming from inside the warehouse.

“Yeah, buddy, that’s not for you. Turn around and run,” I whispered, but he didn’t listen to my silent request. He began to jog to the door and I shot a round at his feet. The dust flew up
, as he came to a halt and looked around for where the shot came from.

More shots fired inside had Stone walking forward, but I pulled the trigger, hitting the ground in front of him once again. He
stopped and turned to look directly at me, or so it seemed. I knew he couldn’t see me. It was pitch black out and I was too far away to be seen by a human, hidden in the dense foliage, but the way his gaze seemed to connect with mine through the scope was disturbing.

I sighted the rifle. One pull and I’d make a perfect little hole in the middle of his forehead. He didn’t move and my finger twitched. Seconds went by as sweat trickled down my
spine and my breathing grew rougher. Why didn’t he just leave?

Hours later, or so it felt, Stone turned and got back in his ca
r. I didn’t let him out of my sight until he was no longer visible, then I let out a sigh and shook my head. What was that? Why didn’t I just shoot the bastard?
Because you need him.
A voice inside my head reminded me. Once Red was out, I needed Stone to find out who owns the organization.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Terry.
I shook my head again and got back in the game.

A man came running out. Not one of ours, I thought and pulled the trigger. He went down just as the
whomp whomp whomp
of the helicopter blades filled the night. The chopper landed next to the building and my boys rushed out, carrying a beaten Red in their arms.

I didn’t relax until they’d loaded him on and flew out. And when the last sounds of the chopper faded into the night, I smiled in relief.
Easy peasy
. Just wished I could have taken a shot at more than one bad guy. Oh well, I shrugged. Next time.

Chapter 20

The next day, I found myself in Stone's office. He sat at his desk, papers flying everywhere, as he searched frantically for something. I watched for a minute, then tapped on the open door to gain his attention.

“What the hell do you want?” he
barked, before looking up. I raised an eyebrow and he motioned me in. “Sorry about that. It’s been one hell of a day,” he apologized. “So, what can I do for you?”

I shut the door behind me and sat in the chair across from him. “Nothing I can think of right now, but you’re the one who wanted to see me.”

“Oh, that’s right,” his brows furrowed. “Wait, you actually came with my men? Are they alive?”

I chuckled, “You wound me! Would I hurt anyone? Little old me?”
I pouted playfully.

“Abso-fucking-
lutely.” His voice was so serious, I burst out laughing and he joined in.

“You didn’t send Phineas and Ferb, so yes, they’re still breathing.”
I didn’t add that I had to come whether I wanted to or not. He’d threatened me just the day before, but he already knew that.

He laughed again and said,
“Damn, I needed that.”

“So, bad day, huh?”

“You wouldn’t believe how bad.” He shook his head. “Someone broke into the warehouse last night.”

“Man!” I feigned surprise and
a little outrage. “Anything stolen?”

Those gray eyes of Stones stared at me a heartbeat too long
, as I kept my face blank of anything but curiosity. Finally, he nodded. “Yeah. That guy I was questioning yesterday is gone.”

“Really?”

“And the boss is pissed,” he sighed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

“It was just one guy, right? I mean what does he even matter?” I held up my hand when he glared at me. “I know you said he was a traitor, but what can you do?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “But we think he hurt someone. A woman named Emma. She was a sweet girl...”

“Is that why you were beating on him?”

Surprisingly, his long frustrated sigh sounded full of regret. “Truthfully, what you walked in on was the first time I’d touched him.” He shook his head, “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but I feel like you need to know. I didn’t even know they had him like that, but my boss was breathing down my neck and I needed answers. Now, I only have more questions.

“But there’s too much other shit needing to get done to worry about it right now,” he continued. “So, you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” I grinned, but I wondered who this Emma chick was and what happened to her.

His laughter cut off, as the door opened and in walked the bitch that had stuck me with a needle the day before. I sat calmly, giving her nothing as she smiled at me, the white bandage covering her left cheek stretching taught. The sight of the bandage and remembering how it got there, filled me with pride. Internally, I was coming up with ways she would suffer even more from my hands. Suddenly a smile lit my face in pure evil anticipation. The blonde’s own smile dimmed, as she eyed my expression.
Better run, bitch.

“What can I do for you, Cassandra?” Stone asked and her smile was back on
, as she made puppy eyes at him.
Gag!

“
You’re needed in the fighter’s quarters. A disagreement,” she shrugged.

Stone sighed and stood from his desk. I stood as well, but he waved me back down. “I’ll be right back, Foxy. Please stay. I needed to talk to you about something.”

“I’ll be here.”

The blonde made like she was going to follow Stone out, but I stood and called her back. “Um, Cassandra? Can I talk to you?” My tone was sweet
, as I made sure Stone was out of earshot. She turned and curled her lips in disgust, but I ignored it, until I heard Stone speaking to someone in the other room.

Grabbing the blonde by her neck, I swung her around and slammed her against the concrete wall. Her eyes were wide and stunned,
though full of hate, as I snarled quietly. “You drugged me,” I growled.

“Orders from Stone
,” she responded, her voice raspy from the pressure I was putting on her throat.

“I don’t give a shit who gave you the orders. Keep away from me, or I’ll do more than
scar your pretty face.”

The blonde had the audacity to raise her eyebrows mockingly and
I growled. “Stop growling at me,” she snapped. “What the hell are you going to do? Kill me?” She chuckled, until my grip tightened. She cut off with a choke.

“You don’t want to know what I’ll do.” She grabbed my wrist, digging her nails into my skin, but
I barely registered the pain. “You do know I’m a shifter right?” I asked, sniffing at the skin of her neck. “You smell afraid. I like it.”

“Please,” she rasped, “You’re a fox, not a wolf. You can’t eat me.”

I laughed lightly. “So, you think foxes aren’t carnivores? Think again, little rabbit.”

“I’m not a rabbit.”

“To me you are. A scared little bunny. I love bunnies.” I licked her neck and chuckled when she stiffened. Then I sucked on her earlobe, dragging my teeth down the flesh until I tasted blood. I moaned for good measure when she whimpered.

I heard Stone finishing up his conversation
, so I pulled back and smiled. “Better run along, little rabbit, before I decide to go hunting.”

I let go of her neck and stepped
away. She coughed and rubbed her throat, as she glared at me. “You think you’re such a bad ass, winning fights and pushing me around, but if you keep messing with Stone, I’m going find you when you least expect me. Then I’ll be the one on the hunt.”

I laughed
, shaking my head at how ridiculous she sounded. Ignoring her little snarls, I slid into my chair just as Stone walked in. Blondie slipped out the door, as he watched, his eyes on the small trickle of blood dripping from her ear.

“What’s going on here?” h
e asked.

“Damn earring got caught,” I replied. “That’s exactly why I don’t wear them. I’ve got enough holes in my head, thank you very much.

His shoulders relaxed, as he sat back down behind his desk. “You women are strange.”

“No stranger than men.”

“True. So, I wanted to ask, do you have any experience waitressing?” He sat back, crossing his leg. The desk was between us, but I could still see the way the move brought attention to his package. Just like the day before, my eyes fell on the bulge.

“Sure,” I nodded, my gaze not budging. “Why?”

He shifted in his seat and I grinned when his pants began to tighten. “We’re short at the bar and I thought you might like the job,” he said, clearing his throat.

I’m not sure what made me do it. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping from the incident with blondie
, or maybe it was what she said, about keeping away from him. Or maybe it was just pure attraction, but I found myself getting up from my chair and walking to the desk. My eyes connected back with his, pleased to see the slate gray orbs darken with desire.

“So?” he asked. “Will you work tonight? See how it goes?”

My palms fell on the desk, then my knees, as I crawled towards him, knocking papers off in my path. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes following the line of my throat to the cleavage I was generously showing off.

“Yeah, I’ll work tonight,” I said softly. “What time do I need to be there?”

“In a couple of hours.”

“Plenty of time, then,” I purred, reaching out and grasping his tie. He came easily
, as I pulled him toward me, bringing our lips closer. “You look sexy in a suit. Not sure what you need a suit for, working in a warehouse...”

“It’s professional.”

“Hmm, well, I like it. Of course, you looked hot in those sweats you wore the first day I met you.”

“I did?”

“Uh huh.” I licked my lips, getting a small taste of his breath. “Mmm,” I moaned just before Stone slammed his lips to mine. I let him take the lead with the kiss, opening my mouth, allowing him to thrust his tongue inside me. He was delicious and could kiss like a fiend, but I was the one controlling this.

Just as his hands reached for me, I pushed him back.
His chest heaved, as I denied him, his expression one of bewilderment. I grinned slyly, then climbed onto his lap, grinding myself against the hard rod beneath me.

“I want this quick, fast and hard,” I whispered into his ear, nibbling on the tender skin before trailing kisses down his throat.

“Your wish,” he groaned, pushing me off of him so he could unzip his pants. I watched his long, thick cock pop into view, as I chucked my cargo pants and tank top. My panties went next and then I was back on his lap, sliding my wet slit across his length.

His hands gripped my hips, pulling them in and out, grinding harder and faster
. I grabbed hold of his suit jacket, pulling it down, trapping his arms at his sides. Buttons went flying, as I ripped open his shirt, pinching his nipples as my nails raked down his chest. He liked it. I could tell by the way the way the veins in his neck bulged, as his head fell backwards with a groan.

Then, without
warning, I grabbed hold of his shoulders, lifted my hips and slammed down, burying his cock deep inside me, as I took possession of his lips.

The wet slap of flesh against flesh echo
ed throughout the room along with our moans of pleasure. It was everything I’d asked for and more. Gripping his head, I fisted his short hair in my fingers and pulled his mouth away from mine, only to bring it down to my breast, pushing my nipple in his face. He complied with my demand, sucking the tight peak into the warm recesses of his mouth. His tongue flicking and swirling had my hips moving faster and harder, as he thrust up to meet me every time.

The deep pressure built quickly and I threw my head back, digging my nails into his shoulders
, as I began to cry out. His teeth bit down hard on my nipple and I lost it, screaming his name, as my body stiffened. Stone continued to plunge inside me, wringing out my pleasure while seeking his own. Finally, when he did release, I squeezed my muscles around him, chuckling, as he groaned with heightened pleasure.

Leaning over, I licked the sweat from his pulsing neck and lifted off of him. We both let out moans of over sensitivity, which ended in sated laughter
, as I retrieved my clothes from the floor. Stone tucked himself away and zipped up, as he watched me dress.

“What?”
I asked, not liking the questioning look in his eyes.

“Nothing. Just curious as to what that was all about.”

I raised an eyebrow, as I finished buttoning my pants. “Are you asking what I think you’re asking, because, honey, I don’t think that was your first ride at the rodeo,” I drawled.

“No,” he chuckled, “I know what that was, but why? Seemed a bit sudden is all.”

“Well, just needed a little motivation before going to work. Think I’m ready to serve?” I teased.

“Oh
, hell yeah,” he grinned. “But keep the serving to the drinks.”

“You betcha,” I winked
, before sauntering out of his office. His deep laughter followed me and I smiled. I had him eating out of the palm of my hand, or, I considered as my smile dimmed, maybe it was the other way around? I stopped in my tracks.
Nah!
I thought, shaking my head, as I began walking again.
No way had he gotten to me.