Page 17 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

“I’ll keep everyone posted.” Greystone shifted to Dakota. “Thanks for lettin’ me run with this.”

“Greystone, the mission is yours,” Dakota said.

“Gimme a day for Caroline and me to get dialed in.” Greystone pushed out of his chair.

Hawk extended his hand. “Good to have you onboard. You gotta take me flying sometime.”

Greystone shook his hand. “Ditto. ”

Everyone filtered out of the conference room leaving him alone with Caroline. He slid his gaze to her, hitched a brow. “Ready to get started, Bella?”

“You’re a Santini,” Caroline said. “And you’re in the Navy. The surprises keep on coming.”

That was nothing compared to the fact that they’d been intimate.

We had sex, for fuck’s sake.

As he stared into her eyes, he knew he had to tell her. Keeping that from her was wrong… on so many levels. But not now and definitely not here.

“Why don’t you use your real name at work?” Caroline asked, plucking him from his thoughts.

“It’s a long story,” he said.

“Gotcha.”

“Over dinner.” The words rumbled out in a slow roll.

“Sure,” she replied. “You owe me for all the times I saved your ass. And we’ve gotta eat at your restaurant.”

“There are others?—”

“I’m good there. Name the day and time.”

“I’d take you tonight, but I can’t.”

“Hot date?” she asked.

“Yeah, with my grandmother. I haven’t seen her since I got back. It’s gonna be a good time or a total shitstorm. Come with. Be my buffer.”

She laughed. “I don’t think so. When did you last see her?”

“I left home at sixteen. I’m thirty-two. It’s been a minute.”

“Wow, you think you know someone.”

“You do know me, Austin. Better than anyone.” He could stare at her all day, but the Day of Destruction was fast approaching and the monsters were winning.

As if she could read his mind, she said, “I’m going to spend the next hour catching myself up on everything BLACK OPS has on the terror cell. ”

“You wanna work in here or in an office?” he asked her.

“Where are you working?”

“Here.”

“Same,” she replied.

He shot her a smile. Having her in his corner made all the difference. She was good for him in so many ways.

Now, we’re gonna rock it out.

CAROLINE

Caroline was rarely off her game, but the information she’d learned about Grey Stone—real name Greystone Santini—had surprised her.

She needed a minute to process… only they didn’t have a minute.

She opened her laptop, logged into ALPHAnet, and hopped over to her assigned case.

As she read through the information about the Day of Destruction, she couldn’t help but wonder how the terrorists would be able to develop and deploy bombs large enough to take out each of these buildings.

As she continued reading what the team had included in the dossier, her mind wandered to the Adonis sitting across the table from her.

He knew they’d hooked up, but he was smooth.

Never gave anything away. Never said anything to remotely hint at their liaison.

Not only did she appreciate his discretion, she appreciated that the minutes were ticking and he hadn’t said a word.

He had no idea she knew it was him, which helped.

She never need say anything and their evening would soon become a distant memory.

Only the memory was still fresh in her mind, lingering like the delightful aroma of a freshly-cut bouquet…

or the scent of a god-like man who left his mark on her skin… and on her body .

“Mmm,” she cooed.

“Find something?” he asked.

She hated—and she loved—that he was so tuned in to her.

Or he had really, really good hearing. Either way, she had to keep herself in check.

But it was hard with him sitting across the table, and her knowing the pleasure he could bring her.

No longer did she have to wonder what he looked like naked or how he felt moving over her…

or in her. She’d experienced him and it had been good.

Better than good. The best.

“Nothing you haven’t already read,” she said, forcing herself back on task.

His stomach growled.

Most times, when they’d sync up, either on the phone or on a video chat, he was eating.

She pushed out of the chair. “C’mon, let’s get you something to eat.”

Ignoring her, he kept his attention laser-focused on whatever he was doing. She left the room, made her way down the hall. In the break room, she filled a plate with lunch leftovers. After heating it, she grabbed silverware and a water, then returned to the conference room.

She set down the items.

He eyed the food, then her. “Thanks.” He dug in. After a minute, he said, “Are you ready?”

She held his gaze for an extra beat while warmth spread through her.

So ready.

“Ready?” she asked. “Ready to take them out? Ready to home-in on our targets? Ready to go dancing?” She shot him a little smile. “What’s your poison, Rambo?”

His smile—albeit brief—was breathtaking. “Talk strategy.”

“Gotcha. It could be any number of things, but I’m going to narrow it down so we don’t get overloaded with options. Let’s assume they have access to the buildings. They could be smuggling in the components and assembling the bombs there.”

He nodded before forking in a mouthful of rice.

“Another option. That network of corrupt government workers—and don’t get me started on their lack of allegiance—is bringing in the supplies and building the bombs for the terror cell.

Or they’re stashing them somewhere for them.

” She stared at him for several seconds.

His penetrating gaze took her off her game, so she pushed out of the chair, started pacing. “What about a drone drop of the bombs?”

“DC air space is heavily protected,” he pushed back. “They’d have to be sophisticated craft capable of carrying large explosives that go undetected by radar.”

“Rule that out?”

“I wouldn’t chase that one.”

“Got it.” She pursed her lips “When I got assigned this job, I was escorted into an underground parking garage at Langley. I didn’t even know it existed.”

“A network of tunnels under the buildings?” he proposed.

“What do you think?”

“Not my first choice,” he replied. “What else you got?”

“The guy from ATF, Jerod De Clerq, was obsessed with blowing things up. Maybe the Haqazzii cell isn’t. A red herring?”

He drained the water, pushed aside the empty plate. “If the bombs are a distraction, what’s their real target?”

“No idea.” She pulled her hair into a bun that she clipped to the top of her head.

When she lifted her arms, he glanced at her breasts. He was lightning fast, but he’d snuck a peek. She’d been eye fucking him all afternoon and was thrilled he was finally returning the favor.

“You seem preoccupied,” she said, not being able to pass up an opportunity to give him a hard time. “Do you need a minute?”

His gaze stayed locked on hers, the heat in his eyes searing her. “No.”

She pulled the tourist map off the table. “Are we making this our war room?”

He closed the laptop, slid it into his backpack. “We’ll work in an office.”

Ten minutes later, they’d set up at the complete other end of the hall from Dakota.

“You know,” she said as she tacked up the tourist map, “I don’t even need to ask why were squirreled away down here by ourselves.”

He stopping pinning the terrorist photos on the cork wall and nailed her with a fiery gaze. “Why’s that?”

“You work alone and don’t want anyone breathing down your neck?—”

A rumbling growl rolled from his chest. Maybe he wanted her breathing down his neck.

I can do that. No, no I can’t! Ohmygod, focus.

Turning away to hide her flushed cheeks, she eyed the map. He stood beside her, dwarfing her in size—she was five-seven in heels—and the intense power thundering off him kept her anchored by his side.

She’d never spent this much in-person time with him. Despite the time crunch and the destruction these terrorists were threatening to cause, she was the happiest she’d been in a long, long time.

Working with Grey was as good as it got.

“It’ll take a bit of doing, but I can arrange for us to get into those buildings,” she said. “I want to walk the halls, feel the vibe of each location.”

“I can get us access,” Grey said.

“To all of them? ”

“Yeah.”

“Make it happen.”

Grey sent a text. “It’s in process.”

“That was fast.”

He glanced at the time. “I gotta bolt. I don’t want you workin’ here alone.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “Seriously? I’m the one who bailed your ass out all those times.”

“You, Austin, are a beast, but we’re partners. Plus, this place creeps me out.”

She laughed. “So, what you’re really saying is that you need me to protect you .”

He flashed his phenomenal pearly whites, and she got another delicious adrenaline hit. “Exactly.”

I’m addicted to him.

They packed up, walked down the hallway. With his dirty dishes in hand, Grey stopped in the break room. Instead of leaving them in the sink, he cleaned up after himself.

He’s perfect.

“Are you workin’ here tomorrow?” he asked, while tossing the empty lunch containers.

“Or course.”

“Swing by my place and we’ll drive in together.”

“That’ll work.”

He texted her his address.

In the parking hangar, she asked, “What should I call you?’

He furrowed his brows at her.

“Grey or Greystone?”

“Call me Mr. Santini.”

She laughed. “Yeah, so that’s not happening.”

“How ‘bout sir?”

She smiled. “You’re going in the wrong direction, bud.”

“What do you want to call me? ”

Mine. I want to call you mine.

She walked right up to him. Mere inches away, her breath hitched, then her heart ka-chugged in her chest. She glanced at his mouth— Ohgod, so sexy —peeked at his beautiful chest and imagined running the pads of her fingers over his soft skin, then she flicked her gaze back to his piercing blue eyes.

“I’ll call you Grey, but you’ll always be my Rambo.”

“You’re playing with fire when you stand that close to me, Austin.”

The intensity in his eyes burned through her like a million suns. She stood there, basking in everything Greystone Santini. He ran the back of his finger down her cheek, then turned his attention to her mouth.

A tremble of excitement flitted through her.

“I’ll fight fire with fire,” she whispered.

He dipped down, his minty breath warming her cheeks. “Things are gonna get hot.”

“Bring it on,” she murmured. “I like it hot.”

On a growl, he snaked his arms around her, drew her close, and kissed her. He didn’t ask, she didn’t grant. But when she kissed him back, she released a torrent of energy into him.

No way she could go backwards. She had to forge on and go the distance. They weren’t playing with fire… they were fire.

She tightened her hold, the passion exploding out of her. Her moans were met with his groans. Her panties grew damp with pent-up need.

Then, reality smacked her upside the head.

Today was day one at BLACK OPS. She’d been personally plucked to work this life-altering assignment.

Breaking away, she stood there gasping for air while she glared into his eyes.

They were out of control around each other and she had to rein it in. Someone had to show some damn control.

“There’s security cameras everywhere,” she murmured .

“That was nothing,” he dead-panned. “You shoulda seen how I kissed Addison goodbye.”

She laughed.

He raked his hands through his tousled hair. “If you wanna meet me for dinner or stop by for dessert, I’ll be at the restaurant groveling to my grandmother.”

With a wink that set her heart aflutter, he slid into the SUV, tapped his visor.

The hangar door started to rise. As if under a spell, she stood there staring at him.

Everything about him captivated her. From his wild head of gorgeous hair, to his handsome face and perfectly sculpted body, she was all-in.

He backed out, stopped, and got out. With a smile that made her feel tipsy, he strode back over to her.

“Where’s your SUV?”

She pointed. “That one.”

He curled his large hand around her arm, guided her to the vehicle, and opened the door. “I’ll follow you out. Where do you live?”

“You’re smooth.”

He chuffed out a laugh, and her heart skipped a beat at the joy on his face.

All too quickly, the spark in his eyes faded. “We gotta watch our sixes. I’m thinkin’ of stayin’ at the Black Site. You might want to too.”

Ohmygod.

Being alone with him sent a thrill racing through her.

We’d be going at it like rabbits, every night.

She opened her mouth to ask him if he was insane, then she stilled. She couldn’t admit to having sex with him.

I’m not supposed to know it was him.

“Text me if you’re comin’ to the restaurant.”

She got into the SUV, started the vehicle. He got into his. They waited for the oversized door to close before they drove away. As she headed onto the main road, she glanced in the rearview mirror. He was right behind her, following just a little too closely.

I could get into hella trouble with you, Greystone Santini.