You Only Love Twice (41 page)

It took all Jesse had not to roll his eyes. Even in a
situation like this, his boss was sarcastic. “I think the extraction team is
all here.”

“That’s what I meant. We can get you out in a heartbeat.
This is insane. No one does this willingly.”

“Oh and Charlotte had to drag you down the aisle?” After
all, Tag was trying to save him from his wedding.

The big guy shrugged in his tux. “We eloped so it was all
sex and a British Elvis impersonator. None of this fancy shit. That’s the way
to go. I got married in a T-shirt and jeans.”

Alex McKay shook his head and passed Jesse a drink. Rum and
Coke. He couldn’t stand that Scotch stuff. “Don’t believe him. I’ve seen the
pictures. He was wearing a nice pair of slacks and she even got him into a tie.
And Ian, I heard Charlotte tell Eve that she thinks you two should have a
recommitment ceremony after the babies are born.”

Ian went a little pale. It was good to know one little
sonogram could shake his boss. Charlotte Taggart was pregnant with twins. Big
Tag didn’t half ass anything. “She’s high if she thinks she’s getting me in a
monkey suit.”

Sean looked up from his phone. “Dude, you’re in a monkey
suit now.”

“Yeah, but Murdoch here’s paying me.”

“No, I’m not.” He was enjoying the camaraderie of his
brothers. Just the night before they’d arranged a bachelor party for him. Poker
and piña coladas. It had been perfect.

“See, that’s what you think, but there’s always a price,”
Tag replied.

The door opened and Simon walked in. Naturally his tux was
perfect and custom made. No rentals for the Brit. “Theo and Case are here. They
send their regards from the rest of the team.”

Ten’s team had reported to Langley, even Hutch, who had
showed up a day late and claimed to have absolutely no knowledge of where their
former boss was. Hutch claimed Ten had ditched him in Oman. Theo had told him
and Phoebe that Ten wanted them to remain at the Agency. He hadn’t wanted a
single one to sacrifice for him.

They were all on another team now. Only Ten had been
disavowed. What Ten didn’t know was that every single one of them were still
his men. They would fight for him when the time was right.

Where the hell was Tennessee Smith? He knew Phoebe was
hoping he’d somehow hear about their wedding and show up, but that was a
miracle that likely wasn’t going to happen.

Simon put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s time.”

Tag sighed and turned to Jesse as the rest of the men filed
out. “You know Phoebe tries to kick my ass every time I call you a dumbass.”

His almost-wife was a little protective. “I’ll talk to her
about it.”

Tag nodded. “Good because I’m not changing my management
style just because my accountant is a delicate princess. I like her, you know.
And I’m proud of you, Murdoch. I made the right call.”

Tag walked out to join the rest of the groomsmen, leaving
him alone with his best man.

He’d grown up alone. His childhood had consisted of trying
to placate a nasty old man. Alone had been his state of being, but now he was
surrounded by family. Everywhere he looked there was someone he cared about,
some kid he was going to get to watch grow up. The world had become a precious
place.

“Are you ready?” Simon asked.

“I was born ready for this.”

He followed Simon out and took his place, surrounded by
brothers but with the knowledge that two were missing. Ten and the brother he’d
known so briefly, the only other man who knew what it meant to love Phoebe. He
wasn’t here, but Jesse could feel his presence. Jamie Grant’s memory would
always have a place in their home.

The music began and there she was. She wore a white dress
and carried a bouquet of flowers, but all he could really see was her beautiful
face.

“Hi,” she said with a glorious smile when she reached him.

“Hello, baby.” He took her hand.

They turned to the pastor and there among their family,
Jesse and Phoebe began their forever.

Later that night…

Ian Taggart reached out and placed his hands on his wife’s
belly. Smooth and round and one of the little fuckers kicked him firmly.
“Charlie, that’s not a foot. It’s a horn. We’re having a demon. I know it.”

He couldn’t help it. He loved to tease her. It was his
greatest joy in life.

She rolled her pretty eyes and sighed. “They’re your girls
so they’re probably slightly demonic. Are you all right?”

He took a deep breath. He’d faced down a lot of shit in his
time and nothing scared him quite as much as the feel of that baby kicking
against his hand. The problem was there wasn’t just one set of feet in there.
“I think the doctor was high and it’s just a really big boy.”

“With four legs?”

“Maybe that’s just his boy parts. Maybe he has two.”

“You’re insane, but I love you.”

He tugged on her hand, bringing her onto his lap. This was
his favorite part of the day. He would pull her on his lap and just sit and
watch the night while he cuddled his wife. Now he cuddled his children, too. It
wouldn’t be long before they were squirmy little things, so he relished the
peace of holding them all in his arms for the moment. His girls.

“It was a beautiful wedding.” Charlie leaned into him,
nuzzling his neck.

“There was a Harry Potter cake, Charlie. And mai tais. Those
two were made for each other.”

“I just wish Ten could have been there.”

He stilled because there were still some secrets he couldn’t
tell his wife. Not yet. “If the bastard had shown up, I would have slapped him
with the bill for Sanctum.”

She sat up and grinned. “I know that having the club blow up
was horrible, but the new Sanctum is going to be so beautiful.”

He agree with her on that point because this time around,
he’d built his personal heaven with one person in mind—her. Every piece of
furniture and equipment had been chosen with her comfort and pleasure in mind.
Every tiny detail selected to delight her. She was his queen and she would have
her personal castle. A perverted castle, complete with a human hamster wheel.
“It’s fuck all expensive.”

He noticed something out of the corner of his eye and
realized the time had come. Someone was on his land and they’d managed to get
around his security system. There was only person he knew who could manage
that. He needed to get Charlie to safety until he figured out what was going on
with his guest.

She helped him out by sitting up and stretching. “I’m going
to take a shower and get out of this dress. You want to join me?”

More than anything. There was nothing he wanted more than to
get in a shower and worship his reason for living. He stood and crowded her as
much as he could with her big belly between them. He leaned over and brushed
his lips against hers. “In a little while. I need to call Sean about something.
I’ll meet you in bed and rub your feet and go over all the ways I’m going to torture
your sweet ass when you’re able to play again.”

Her hands came up, sinking into his hair. His Charlie never
shrank from a challenge. “You better come up with something good, Taggart.”

She walked away, the sway of her hips calling to him.

He stepped inside, grabbed the Scotch and two glasses, and
then walked back out. He heard the shower turn on and settled down into one of
the Adirondack chairs that sat on his big porch. He looked out into the trees
that surrounded his house. “You can come out now. We’re alone. Did you enjoy
the wedding?”

“It was beautiful. I wish I could have come to the
reception.” Tennessee Smith came out of the woods like a wraith melting away
from the camouflage and finding his form. He was dressed in black with a ball
cap on his head and a backpack over one shoulder. And his face had exploded.

“Dude, you look homeless, and what’s all that shit on your
face?”

Ten stopped and stared for a moment. “You know, I’m gone for
months in a hostile place with everyone in the Agency looking to drag my ass in
and your first words are about my beard?”

“Is that what that’s supposed to be? Because it looks like a
fucking poodle died on your face.” He poured the man a Scotch because he really
looked like he’d been through hell.

Ten shook his head and then laughed. “Fuck you, Tag.” He
dropped the backpack and then stepped up, taking the glass Ian offered. “Damn
but it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too. You could have written. Maybe a
call letting us know you’re all right.”

Ten shook his head and settled into the other chair. “Too
dangerous. It’s why I forced Hutch to come home. I was in Saudi and then Iraq.”

“And now you’re home.”

“I am. Has there been any blowback from killing al Fareed?”

Tag shook his head. “No. The asshole you questioned couldn’t
remember a thing and the whole incident was written up as a street crime.
Albertson was fired from the senator’s team. What the hell did you do to cover
up the op at al Fareed’s compound?”

“I talked to his brother,” Ten said. “Ibrahim al Fareed is
as far from Hani as a person can get. He’s why Hutch and I didn’t get caught.
He’d been suspicious of his brother for a long time. He was happy to cover it
up. He doesn’t want the stain on the family name. He’s an ally.”

It was good Ten had found someone to help him. And
definitely good to know the senator wasn’t coming after them anytime soon. It
had been a peaceful couple of months. Tag was ready to kick a little ass. “Tell
me you’re here for a reason, brother.”

Ten nodded, his mouth a grim line. “I’ve found it. I’ve
found a way to get to Hank McDonald.”

The man who had used his influence to burn Ten. The man who
had sold Jamie Grant out. McDonald was the reason Jesse’s unit had been
murdered and he’d been tortured for months on end. Yeah, he wanted a piece of
that. That pie was going to be filled with all kinds of revengey goodness.
“Tell me.”

“According to my intel, he keeps all his records and files
on a private system offshore. The bastard owns a compound in the Grand Caymans,
and my sources say that’s where all the evidence will be.”

Ian was fairly certain he didn’t want to know how Ten had
gotten that information. Ten looked older and infinitely harder, as though the
last few months had taken all the party boy out of him and left nothing but the
predator. “All right. How do you get on the island?”

Ten’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “He has a daughter.
Once a year he throws her a no-holds-barred party there. I’m going to get an
invitation to that party.”

“Nice. How are you going to do that?” His brain was already
working. They would need to plant a few operatives in that house, maybe around
the island, too. He wasn’t going to allow Ten to go in alone.

“By seducing her and becoming her boyfriend. There’s one
problem with that.”

Tag saw the obvious problem. “Yes, that shit on your face.
Unless she’s into Grizzly Adams, you’re going to shave.”

Ten’s green eyes rolled. “Not that, asshole. She’s in the
lifestyle.”

Now it was Ian’s turn to grin. Oh, this was going to be so
much fun. He slapped Ten on the shoulder. “Then it’s time to Dom you up, buddy.
And I know just the place to do it.”

But the man had to shave. After all, Sanctum had its
standards.

* * * *

Tennessee Smith and the rest of the McKay-Taggart crew will
return in
Master No
coming August 4th, 2015.

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A MASTERS AND MERCENARIES NOVELLA

Masters and Mercenaries 8.5

By Lexi Blake

Coming May 12, 2015

A man who gave up on love

Mitch Bradford is an intimidating man. In his professional
life, he has a reputation for demolishing his opponents in the courtroom. At
the exclusive BDSM club Sanctum, he prefers disciplining pretty submissives
with no strings attached. In his line of work, there’s no time for a healthy
relationship. After a few failed attempts, he knows he’s not good for any
woman—especially not his best friend’s sister.

A woman who always gets what she wants

Laurel Daley knows what she wants, and her sights are set on
Mitch. He’s smart and sexy, and it doesn’t matter that he’s a few years older
and has a couple of bitter ex-wives. Watching him in action at work and at
play, she knows he just needs a little polish to make some woman the perfect
lover. She intends to be that woman, but first she has to show him how good it
could be.

A killer lurking in the shadows

Assigned to work together on an important case, Mitch and
Laurel are confronted with the perfect opportunity to explore their mutual
desire. Night after night of being close breaks down Mitch’s defenses. The more
he sees of Laurel, the more he knows he wants her. Unfortunately, someone else
has their eyes on Laurel and they have murder in mind.