Hard Core (Onyx Group) Read online

  Reality hit her as she took the tags off her handbag. She had nothing to put inside. No credit cards, no driver’s license, no cash. No phone.

  Who would she call even if she had one?

  Sinking down on the bed, she stared at the empty wallet in her hands. That familiar, lonely, empty feeling came over her. Along with it, the ache in her chest. No matter how much she rubbed it, it wouldn’t go away. Sometimes it spread, encompassing her entire body, but for now it sat in the middle of her chest like a lead weight.

  Just how long was she going to let Gavin do this to her? How long would she let him win? If she wanted to start her life, she had to get him out of the picture.

  She needed her freedom.

  And she knew how to get it.

  * * * *

  Slade poured olive oil into a saucepan and let it heat. Mercer sprawled on the couch watching the news. Alana hadn’t emerged from his bedroom in hours. Probably doing the girl thing and trying on all her new clothes. Imagining her in the new lacy undergarments she’d added to the pile today was a whole new form of torture.

  Adding sliced shallots, he absently let them cook and soften, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Baby red potatoes roasted in the oven, the scent of rosemary filling the kitchen. The dish was one he’d picked up in France. Of all cuisines, he enjoyed French cooking the best. Liked the subtle flavors and bold wines.

  Adding a cup of water to the pan, he let the mixture simmer until it reduced. He enjoyed cooking. It reduced stress. Took his mind off things he’d rather not think about. Like how much he’d enjoyed seeing a spark back in Alana’s eyes today while she shopped. With so much tragedy in her life, she deserved a reprieve. Needed it. No one could live with violence and darkness every minute of the day. God knew, he was an expert in that area.

  “Uh-oh,” Mercer murmured from the sofa.

  Slade glanced over his shoulder to see Alana, wearing casual slacks and silk blouse that fit her slender frame like a glove, striding toward him with purpose. She had pulled her hair back in a chic ponytail and applied gloss to her lips. He knew it helped her feel more in control. Confidence looked good on her. His stomach lurched. This was the first step in separating herself from him.

  “We need to talk,” she said. “What is that smell? It’s heavenly.”

  He stirred fresh parsley into the pan, turned off the heat and finished the mixture with a hand blender. “Dinner,” he answered, pureeing it and returning it to the saucepan, where he stirred in fresh lemon juice and seasoned with freshly ground salt and pepper.

  “I…you cook?”

  “It appears so.”

  “I never would have--never mind. I have an idea.”

  He put the saucepan on a back burner and poured olive oil into two large skillets to heat. “Go on.”

  “I need your full attention.”

  “You have it.” Picking up a halibut filet with a fork, he placed it in one pan and then another. He placed two more in the other pan.

  “Cristian.”

  He glanced over his shoulder to see her looking at him with a serious expression he hadn’t seen on her before.

  “Give me six minutes and we can eat. After dinner you can tell me your idea.”

  She nodded. “Fair enough. I’m starving. Can I set the table?”

  He told her where to find the tableware and finished searing the steaks. When they were finished, he poured the parsley sauce over them, put the baby potatoes in a bowl and grabbed the Bordeaux out of the wine rack. He didn’t like the seriousness in Alana’s expression and knew he wouldn’t like her idea. Something in his gut told him it wasn’t going to be agreeable.

  Until then, he would treat her to a fine meal and pretend he wasn’t interested in her reaction. He didn’t show his more human side often, and it made him damned uncomfortable. He shouldn’t care if Alana saw who he was outside a mercenary. But, dammit, he did. And as he sat down at the table, formally laid out with imported china, he knew Alana had dug herself deep into his life. And when this was over, he would never be the same.

  God help him, he couldn’t do this again. Mariette had left a hole in his heart and he wasn’t looking for another.

  * * * *

  Alana watched Cristian pour dark red wine into her glass. This whole mercenary-cooking-in-the-kitchen thing threw her for a loop. It was the first time he’d allowed her into his private life. To see the man outside of his career. Worse, she was falling for the man. The merc. The cook. The lover. The protector. When he’d kissed her in the elevator and said sweet words she’d never expected to hear from him, she knew. Knew it was all over for her. He’d captured her heart and she wasn’t sure she would ever get it back.

  Mercer sat between them at the gorgeous stone inlay table, his gaze bouncing between her and Cristian. She knew he saw more than mercenary and charge, so she avoided his eyes.

  Stabbing a piece of halibut, she pushed all thoughts from her mind and concentrated on the meal Cristian had prepared. Flavors burst in her mouth and she groaned, looking at Cristian. “This is delicious.”

  “Yeah, Slade, not bad,” Mercer said around a mouthful of potatoes.

  They ate in silence, enjoying the dinner. When they were finished, she helped clear the table and Mercer volunteered to do the dishes. She opted to help, and within minutes they were done.

  Afterward, they settled in the living area. Mercer sprawled on the sofa, Cristian in an armchair and she stood at the windows. Cristian had a nice view of the city. Very romantic.

  She turned to face them and drew in a deep breath. Selling Cristian on her proposal wouldn’t be easy, so she opted for directness. “I want to be the bait that lures Gavin into a trap.”

  Cristian lifted his gaze to hers and Mercer turned down the television, rising to a sitting position to stare at her.

  Tilting her chin, she went on. “We can’t sit around here waiting for Gavin to make his move. We need to go on the offensive. Lure him into a trap so you can…do what you do.”

  Both Mercer’s and Cristian’s brows rose. Cristian wore considerably more of a scowl than Mercer, and she plunged on.

  “I’ve put a lot of thought into this. I can’t stand all this sitting around and waiting for the other shoe to drop. I want Gavin Ross to suffer for what he did to my father. Those innocent people. I want to be the one who draws him out.”

  Cristian’s eyes narrowed. “No.”

  “He’s coming for me anyway, Cristian. Why not be there waiting when he does?”

  “She has a point,” Mercer said.

  “The hell she does,” Cristian snarled.

  “Just hear me out,” Alana said. “I trust you and your team. I know you’ll have my back and that you won’t let anything happen to me. You won’t, will you?”

  “Hell, no.”

  “Then why not? It will be a controlled situation. All the variables covered. It’s the only way to assure we get him.”

  “There is no ‘we.’”

  She glared at him. “You’re being stubborn and overprotective.”

  “And you’re not thinking straight.”

  They faced off across the room, the tension palpable.

  Mercer glanced between them. “We could get her a Kevlar vest, pick a safe location where we can monitor every corner, every way in and out, have her wired. This could work, Slade.”

  Mercer sided with her. Yes.

  Cristian glared at his teammate. But Mercer was immune to Cristian’s scare tactics and stared back.

  “This can’t work. It’s a bad idea.” Cristian shook his head.

  “No, it can.” Alana moved closer to where he sat in front of the fireplace. “We can make it work. But, I need you in.”

  Cristian glanced at Mercer. “You’re in?”

  Mercer nodded and Alana cast him a grateful look.

  “Look, Slade, she’s right. We don’t have the time or resources to sit around and wait for Ross to make his move. We have contracts that need filled. Alana volu
nteered. We can set this up and take him down. It’s really the only way.”

  Contracts. She shuddered at the word. But wasn’t that what she asked Cristian to do? Fulfill his contract? Not for money, but for her. So she could live in peace.

  She stopped, staring at Cristian, seeing him for the first time as a man that could free her. A man willing to kill for her. To protect her. To rescue her from her promise. A man who had risked his heart once and lost. A man who would never give it away again because he thought something bad would happen to that woman if he did.

  A man who would never fully give himself to her.

  As she stared at him, sitting tall and rigid in his chair, surrounded by all the sleek grace and beauty of the room, she knew. She wanted him to give himself to her. Completely. Not just in bed, where he held nothing back, but in life.

  “Come on, Cristian,” she urged. “Do it for me.”

  That sealed the deal. His lips thinned into a flat line and she knew she won. He would do what she asked. Not because he loved her, but because he was honor-bound to protect her.

  “You know, don’t you?” he asked with deadly softness.

  She nodded slowly, knowing exactly what he was talking about. “That my father made you promise to watch over me? Yes. When you told me he stayed alive for twelve hours, I knew why. That’s the kind of father he was.” Her voice wavered on the last sentence, but she refused the pain that accompanied those words.

  Mercer cursed quietly. A burden like that couldn’t be taken lightly. It was a bond for a lifetime.

  She hated herself for pulling rank like this, but her life had to move on. Hanging in limbo like this would get her nowhere except more apt to rely on Cristian. That didn’t work for her.

  “Alana--” Cristian began, but she lifted a hand to stop him.

  “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Don’t. Just tell me you’ll do this.”

  “I’ll do it,” he growled.

  “Good. You two do what you have to do to make this work. I’m going to take a bath.”

  Heading for Cristian’s bedroom, she said over her shoulder, “I don’t want you stalling, Cristian. This needs to be done.” As in finished. She wanted Gavin Ross out of her life and gone so he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.

  With that, she closed the door. Sealing Gavin Ross’s fate.

  And her own.

  Chapter 21

  Slade stared at the closed bedroom door, wanting to both strangle and admire the stubborn woman who’d just shut him out. He shouldn’t be upset that Alana put distance between them, but it gnawed at him. Distance was exactly what they needed. This would soon be over if his plan worked. Then they would go their separate ways. Alana would start her life over and he would continue his. Keeping in mind his promise to always protect her. No matter where she went or what she did, he would be in the background keeping her safe.

  And she would be, once he was out of the picture. She might not believe it, but there were second chances for people like her. Alana would blaze trails through the medical world and he would be in the shadows watching her claim her destiny.

  A knife twisted in his chest. What the hell was that? Alana was better off without him. He didn’t belong in her world any more than she belonged in his. She would find her place, establish herself once again. When she did, the last thing she needed was a hired gun destroying her reputation. Doctors didn’t marry soldiers of fortune. They married fellow physicians or lawyers or congressmen. Men with similar clout and prestige. Men she could be seen in public with. Not a man who lived in shadows.

  He wanted that life for her. She was destined to do it. She’d gotten a needle into him. That took guts. Alana had it in spades. All the tragedy she’d endured hadn’t stolen her spirit. Dampened it, but she would come out stronger. She was a fighter, and he admired her.

  “She’s got mettle.” Mercer interrupted his thoughts.

  Slade looked away from the closed door. “I don’t like this plan.”

  “I’m open to suggestions if you have another. Gallagher is behind us, but there are jobs waiting. Bodley is still in Azbakastan. Fortier and Sarver are guarding Dave. Ryden has his own to protect. We’re it.”

  “How the hell are we supposed to pull this off with only two of us?”

  “I think between a TE and a Ranger we can manage.”

  TE. Tireur d’elite. The Legion’s version of a sniper. A marksman, to be exact. The term sniper wouldn’t be used within the French Foreign Legion. As long as a guy hit the target, it didn’t matter what he was called. Slade always hit his target.

  “The odds aren’t on our side. Not with Alana’s life on the line.” He wouldn’t risk that.

  “She volunteered.”

  Slade glared at Mercer. “And that makes it right?”

  “No, but it’s all we got. Look, you made a promise, I get that. But, wouldn’t you rather be on the offensive instead of the defensive?”

  “What are you proposing?”

  “Find a location with only one route in and out. Put me on one corner, you in the other. We can’t lose. First sign of Ross and we take him out. Alana doesn’t get hurt.”

  “What about crossfire? Ross won’t come alone.”

  “We’ve got weapons for that.”

  Slade sighed wearily. “I know a good location.”

  “Where do you keep your weapons?” Mercer asked.

  It was on. They were going to use Alana for bait.

  As he rose from his chair, he wondered when the uneasy feeling in his gut would go away.

  * * * *

  The bed dipped, waking Alana. Groggily, she turned into Cristian’s arms when they slid around her waist and pulled her against him.

  “I didn’t think you’d come,” she murmured, nuzzling his neck.

  He kissed her, exploring her mouth with the patience and tenderness of a man who had all night.

  When he pulled away to rest his chin on top of her head, she whispered, “You understand why I have to do this, right?”

  “Yes,” he answered quietly against her hair.

  “I knew you would. You would do it too, given the choice.”

  “Yes.”

  “I need my life back,” she said. “I need you to understand that.”

  “I do.”

  “Good, because I trust you to keep me safe.” She tipped her face up for a kiss, needing to be close to him. They made love with passion enough to last a lifetime. And afterward, when she lay in Cristian’s arms, a tear slipped down her cheek. Making love this time felt like goodbye.

  * * * *

  The phone rang and every nerve in Alana’s body went on alert. This was it. The call they had been waiting three days for. Glancing at Cristian, who nodded, she reached for the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Alana, darling. So nice to hear your voice,” Gavin said on the other end.

  “How did you find me?”

  “It took some doing. Your mercenary has hidden you well.”

  “You won’t find me.”

  “I already have, darling. And it’s time for you to keep your promise.”

  “You broke that agreement when you murdered my father.” Just saying the words made her chest ache.

  “Business, darling. We’re not finished. You owe me.”

  Alana gasped. “I owe you? For what?”

  “For costing me a very valuable sale. And for giving you six months to spend with your precious father. You should be a little more grateful.”

  “Grateful? Are you kidding?” she scoffed. “You murdered innocent people.”

  “They were witnesses,” Gavin snapped. “You are trying my patience. I don’t have time to argue with you.”

  “Then leave me alone.”

  He tsked. “Sorry, darling, you are much too valuable for that. I watched you that night,” he said softly, reverently, sending a chill down her spine. “You were going to do it, my sweet. You were going to do exactly what I wanted.”

  Alana shu
ddered, remembering how she had held the scalpel over Dave’s chest, prepared to take his life in exchange for her father’s. “You gave me no choice,” she said hoarsely.

  “True. But you rose to the challenge. You didn’t let me down. I knew I made the right choice. You are an extraordinary woman, Alana.”

  “No, I’m not. Stop it, Gavin. I’m not the woman you want me to be. I never was. You only see what you want to see.”

  “Ah, such is life. Maybe. It makes no difference. We have a pact and I intend to hold you to it.”

  She knew what she was supposed to say and do, but the words stuck in her throat. Without her, the plan wouldn’t work. She forced herself to say, “If you want me, then you do it on my terms.”

  “No. No more deals.”

  “This isn’t a deal. This is you making a promise and keeping it. Do that, and I’m yours.”

  Silence. “What do you want?”

  “You let Dave go and never bother him again. You leave Cristian and his team out of this and I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “I’m not the one who has a contract to fulfill. I didn’t start this. I was happy where I was.”

  “If I get Cristian to drop the contract, will you do it?”

  A lengthy pause. “You think you have the authority to call him off?”

  “I do.”

  “Are you sleeping with him?” An edge to his voice she knew all too well.

  “Yes,” she admitted and held her breath, waiting for him to explode.

  But he didn’t explode. “This works in our favor,” he said quietly. “You have the poor sap wrapped around your delicate little finger, don’t you?”

  “I do.” She glanced at Cristian, who had his eyes narrowed on her. The man would never be wrapped around her finger.

  “I believe you. I fear I am also in that same boat,” he murmured.

  “Then you’ll make a deal with me?”

  “No.”

  “Then I go to the police and news media as soon as I get off the phone.”

  A pause. “I see my pretty young doctor has grown bolder. You would do that to me?”