Page 48 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

LOVE, FRUSTRATION, AND DEAD ENDS

GREYSTONE

G reystone could not get enough of his woman.

“Mirror now,” he replied. “Next time, your fantastic breasts.”

She climbed on the bed, got on all fours. He got on his knees behind her. Instead of entering her, he caressed her beautiful back, appreciating her soft skin, the strength in her shoulders, but when he studied her reflection in the mirror, he blurted, “This is more than fucking.”

She craned around. “Love.” Then, with a playful tone, she added, “Get in me, Big Daddy.”

His throbbing cock needed to be satisfied, so he fisted his shaft, and said, “Here I go, baby. Nice and slow.” He pressed the head to her opening. She was tight. “Relax, Bella.”

She breathed in, released the breath slowly. He eased inside, the flood of pleasure rolling through him, as he worked his way inside her.

“So good,” he growled .

“We look sexy.” In the mirror, Caroline’s heavy-lidded eyes were drilling into him. “Take me, Grey.”

He started moving, her moans urging him on while she rocked against him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Beautiful, sexy, brilliant and a very dirty girl. The one woman he’d trusted with his life had become his lover, then his love.

Life happens fast, even faster when you know.

He thrust slowly, in and out, while her moans turned gritty, then she released a long, throaty cry.

“I’m gonna come,” she cried out, staring at his reflection. As her insides tightened around him, they peered into each other’s eyes while she moaned and shook through her orgasm.

The look of lust on her beautiful face, paired with her tight pussy, sent him careening over the edge, and he roared through his release.

When they stilled, she gave him a little smile. “We got it goin’ on, don’t we?”

“You’re as good as it gets.” Needing to hold her, he slowly withdrew.

After lying on his back, she snuggled close, and he wrapped her in his arms.

“Thank you for the earrings,” she murmured. “They’re beautiful.” She lifted her face, kissed his cheek. “Very loving. I noticed the initials on the box. What’s HR?”

“Harry Winston.”

“You did not.”

He cracked a smile. “Good? No good?”

“The best.” She threw her thigh over his. “This is serious, isn’t it?”

“Hell, yeah. I want to introduce you to Evelyn and Sean.”

“I met them on the video chat.”

“Dinner.”

“Oh, like a normal couple.” After a beat, she said, “We’re hunting the world’s most violent criminals. We’re not normal. ”

“Loving you is the most normal thing I’ve ever done.”

“Same.” She ran soft fingers over his chest. “Why don’t you use Santini at the Agency or with BLACK OPS?”

“We should work,” he replied.

“How did you meet the Bakers?”

Silence.

He wasn’t used to talking about himself.

Rather than move off him, she said, “I’m in love with a man I don’t know much about.” She poked him in the ribs. “C’mon, talk.”

He hated bringing up his past, but he’d become the man he was because of it. “It’s confidential.”

She pushed onto her elbow, gazed down at him. “Understood.”

“I saw my Uncle Enzo murder my dad.”

She gasped. “How old were you?”

“Sixteen. He died in my arms. Enzo threatened me to kill me and my brothers if I went to the cops, so I ran.”

“That’s intense.”

“My dad had accused Enzo of trafficking young women and told him he needed to step down. He and my dad ran the family business together.”

She nodded.

“I called the FBI and worked with Special Agent Sean Baker. I told him everything, including the threats Enzo made. Because it was my word against his, Sean and his team decided to build a case on the trafficking and racketeering, but not the murder.”

“Where did you live?”

“I was on the streets, but Sean ended up buying me lunch one day. That night, he brought me home, introduced me to Evelyn. She was an attorney. They suggested I stop using the name Santini, enrolled me in school, told everyone I was their nephew, and they kinda adopted me.” He smiled.

“They were the most normal, loving people I’d ever met.

They didn’t have kids, so they gave me a lot of attention. I played sports in high school?—”

“Which?”

“Football, lacrosse, basketball, and hockey. I missed my brothers, but I knew I couldn’t go back. I ended up testifying against Enzo anonymously—by video, with my identity hidden—but I’m confident he knew it was me.”

“What happened to him?”

“Prison, but he’s out, and tryin’ to take back the restaurant.”

“Tell me about how you ended up in the Navy.” She straddled him, and he paused to check her out.

“You’re a total hottie, Caroline Austin.”

“Thank you.” She shot him a little smile. “Navy?”

“I wanted to follow Sean’s career—Navy SEAL, Naval aviator, FBI. Sean and Evelyn suggested college first. I got my degree in three years, joined the Navy right after graduation.”

“You overachiever, you.”

“They paid for my education. I wanted to make them proud, show them how grateful I was for their support.”

“Is Sean still with the FBI?”

“Deputy Director, like Carrera.”

“And your mom works for the prez.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Power couple.”

“They’re killin’ it.”

“ You’re killin’ it. You fly F-18s, right?”

He stroked her silky thighs. “Yes, ma’am. I fly jets.”

She grinned at him. “My boyfriend’s a pilot.”

“I love flying.”

“How’d you get to Langley?”

“Special assignment.”

“And?”

“That’s it. ”

“Open honesty. That’s the secret to my parents’ successful marriage.”

“I got invited because of my reputation.”

“Total badass. I love that.”

He sat up, pulled her onto his lap. “Your turn.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Why a case officer?”

“I wanted to work at the CIA, but I wasn’t ready to be a spy.”

“You were a great handler,” he said. “Once I worked with you, I refused workin’ with anyone else.”

“Thank you. I loved it, but it was more stressful to me than being an intelligence officer.”

He nodded. “I get that.”

“At one point, I was working with thirteen IOs at the same time. Different time zones, different personalities, different cases. I was stressed to the max. Your lives were in my hands. You relied on me for intel, to provide you with solid leads, to get your asses out in an emergency. I was a mess. Once I dropped back to no more than eight, things got better.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be your mentor,” he said.

She ran her fingers through his hair He loved how comfortable she was being naked around him, how they were just hangin’ together. He stroked her warm back, held her hand.

She stared at their entwined fingers before returning her gaze to his. “I took it personally until I learned they’d sent you somewhere. I searched, but couldn’t find you.” She shot him a relieved smile. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Same.” He glanced at the time. It was three in the morning. “We gotta sleep for a few hours.”

“Not until you tell me about your meeting with the President.”

“He needs us to find the bombs before this turns this into a national crisis.”

“No shit,” she grumbled. “Who else was there? ”

“Evelyn.”

“The Trinity?”

“I went in alone.

“I’m sure they didn’t like that.”

“They’ll get over it.”

“I love that you’re not afraid.”

“My fear sent me runnin’,” he said. “Not anymore.”

She kissed him, set her phone alarm for six, pulled up the linens, and snuggled close.

THREE SHORT HOURS LATER, he woke to her nestled in his arms. He kissed her, pushed out of bed. The clock was ticking, the pressure mounting, and the killers were building their bombs in preparation for a day that could never, ever come.

Greystone hated leaving her, but he needed to swing by his house and change. After doing that, he headed back out. On his way to the Black Site, his phone rang.

He answered. “Hey, babe.”

“Change of plans,” Caroline said. “Can you meet me at the Bureau?”

“What’s goin’ on?”

“I’ll tell you when I see you.” She hung up.

Twenty minutes later, they’d made it through FBI security and were standing in the lobby.

“Do you remember what floor the out-of-order men’s room is on?” she asked.

“No.” He called his cousin, Carrera.

“Santini,” Carrera answered.

“It’s Greystone.”

“What the hell happened yesterday?”

“With what?”

“You didn’t wait for us.”

Greystone needed to keep the vibe chill. “I got two weeks to lock this down or we gotta bring in the canines. If that happens, our group loses control. I briefed the President, Carrera, that’s it.”

“Understood,” Carrera replied.

“Caroline and I are in the building, and we need your help.”

“C’mon up.”

On the executive floor, Carrera exited his office.

“Brief him,” Greystone said to her. “I’m gonna see if Sean Baker’s in.”

As Caroline and Carrera made their way toward his office, Greystone checked in with the receptionist. “Is Deputy Director Baker available?”

“What’s your name?”

“Grey Stone.”

She called Sean’s office, but he didn’t answer. “He’s here, but he’s in a meeting. You can wait.”

“I’ll text him. Thanks.”

“Can I get you a coffee?” she asked. “We have tea, soft drinks.”

“I’m good.”

“Can I get your number?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I can text you when Deputy Director Baker comes back.”

“It’s okay.”

“Do you want my number? Maybe coffee sometime?” She smiled sweetly at him.

“I’m seein’ someone.”

Feels damn good to say that.

After entering his cousin’s office, he homed in on Caroline. She’d curled her long hair, the twisted tendrils framing her pretty face. Her dark pantsuit made her blonde hair pop.

Her eyes softened as she held his gaze. She took his breath away for all the right reasons.

“Grey, check this out,” she said .

He sat in the guest chair beside her. She and Carrera had been viewing video footage. They’d found the restroom, located on the fifth floor in the middle of a hallway.

“We need to get in there,” Caroline said.

“And we need access to that camera,” Grey added.

The trio rode down the elevator, exited on the fifth floor. Caroline strode ahead of them, stopping in front of the men’s room. A sign had been taped to the door.

Out Of Order

Sorry for the Inconvenience

Caroline tried the handle. “Locked.”