Code Name: Ghost (A Warrior's Challenge 1) (23 page)

“Kayla, get down.” the Commander barked,
trying to pull her away.

“Get ready to pull the guys in,” she said,
pushing his hands away. She swung the wheel sharply at the end of
the pier and saw the team’s heads bobbing in the water. El
Serpiente’s men were already halfway down the dock and they opened
fire toward the sound of the vessel. Angry shouts in Spanish
pierced the air. Within a second, all of the team was inside the
boat, and she turned the wheel headed for the entrance to the
marina, giving more power to the outboards.

Looking behind her, the men sat silently,
keeping low. The channel opened up toward the entrance as they
traveled through the long marina. The sound of at least two other
vessels reached her ears. She peered through the darkness. To
starboard, a jet boat came out of the darkness, moonlight
brightening the white hull. On her port side another two fast craft
headed straight for them. They were converging, but that wasn’t
their only problem. Two charter vessels with loud music and strings
of lights covering the aft deck where tourists partied crossed
ahead of her. At the exit of the small bay, an enormous rock
jutting thirty feet from the sea created a natural inbound and
outbound lane.

Carefully, she gave the outboards more power
and the cigarette boat cut through the water, picking up speed.

“Kayla?” Thane’s voice questioned the
scenario taking shape before them.

The four vessels were converging and she had
a bead on the outbound lane. “We’re gonna make it,” she said with
certainty. Her heart beat so hard in her chest she could barely
breathe, and her legs shook. The CPAs,
closest points of
approach
, were close. Very close.

“Mace,” Thane shouted.

“Fuck, I don’t know,” he yelled. “Kayla, are
you sure?”

They were going to miss—not by much, but the
jet boats were going to get close enough to shoot at them close
range. Whether they could make it between the two opposing charter
vessels, cutting them off from their pursuers well…she was
ninety-nine percent sure they’d lose a coat of paint. She hammered
down on the throttle. “Stay low.”

“Kayla, we can’t make it,” the Commander
yelled at her.

“We can make it. Get down.”

Trimmed up, they traveled above the waves.
Time slowed. Each second that passed, she recalculated the
distance. Oh God, it was going to be close. The warm wind tore at
her hair and filled her throat with more oxygen, and she needed it.
El Serpiente’s vessels started firing on them. Bullets hit the side
of the boat, piercing the hull. Thane wrapped his arms around her,
protecting her with his body.

“Jesus Christ, hold her straight, Kayla,”
Mace yelled beside her as he peered over the windshield.

Two hundred feet, a hundred feet, fifty
feet.

“Shit,” the Commander growled and clenched
her as they cut a thin line between the jet boats converging on
either side of them. Bullets cut through the air, one smacking
through their windshield. Only feet made the difference between
freedom and a horrific collision, but there was no way the other
vessels could miss each other. A sickening sound met her ears from
the high speed impact.

She didn’t look back, but she felt the blast
of heat as the vessels exploded. The gap was closing between the
charter boats, and their horns started honking madly. Two more fast
craft appeared out of the darkness, the Serpientes firing on
them.

She couldn’t stop, they were committed. Two
more seconds and the large bow of the charter boat loomed on their
port side. They shot past, barely clearing it. She coaxed the wheel
to port only a few millimeters to give her the edge.

“Holy shit!” someone yelled from behind
her.

Two seconds, mere feet, she held her breath
as they whistled across the bow of the second charter vessel, its
horn blaring loudly.

Maintaining their speed, she altered course
for the exit to the bay and they sped through the narrow
opening.

The Commander released her and she rose,
resting one knee on the seat behind her. With open water, she
turned northwards. The charter vessels had stopped and blocked the
exits. She had no idea if there were shoals that could turn a quick
escape into a quick mayday, but she prayed navigational buoys in
Mexico were the same as the rest of North America.

“Commander,” Caleb yelled over the wind.
“You’ve been hit.”

Her heart cracked with fear. “What?” she
turned to see him, but the men had already sat the Commander down,
circling him.

She heard the tear of cloth as Caleb ripped
Thane’s shirt open. “Fuck, are you lucky,” he said. He tore a strip
from the Commander’s shirt, and wound it around his arm.

“Is everyone all right?” Thane called
out.

“I don’t know how,” Tony jeered loudly, “but
I think I shit my pants for the first time since I was two.”

The men chuckled. Mace threw an arm around
her. “Nice driving, Snow White. Why don’t you let me get us back to
the base?”

She nodded and they switched places.
Swinging her leg across the seat, she squeezed in front of the
Commander. “Is it bad, Caleb?”

“Nah, it’s just a flesh wound. I’ll stitch
it up when we get back.”

Blood soaked the makeshift bandage, and
streamed down his arm. The Commander clasped his hands around her
bare ass and pulled her to straddle his lap. With his good hand, he
palmed her head and came down on her lips with savage heat.
Whistles erupted around them.

“When I’m right, I’m right,” Cobbs said,
chuckling.

The roar of her heart drowned out everything
as the Commander’s warm body pressed against hers and his tongue
invaded her mouth, finding every sensual spot and savoring them.
The wind and him encompassed her. Fiercely, she hugged him back,
but she also felt the hard bulge growing against her sex, and the
moisture seeped from between her legs with a terrible yearning.

Drawing away, his steely gaze scorched her.
“I feel your heat, Kayla,” he whispered in her ear.

Imperceptible to anyone else but her, he
lifted his hips, pressing himself against her, and her stomach
pitched with yearning. “You’re hurt because you protected me,” she
said, trying a diversion for both their sakes.

“We’re alive because of you, Kayla.” He
gently brushed her lips with his. “And I’d never let anyone hurt
you.”

“Did I earn my stripes tonight?” she asked.
Sure, he cared about her. Captain Redding would have torn his ass
to shreds if something had happened to her.

Tony crouched down beside them. “Oh, most
definitely.” He cocked his head and a big grin slipped onto his
lips. “Petty Officer Snow White.”

Chuckling, she grabbed his shoulder.
“Thanks, Tinman.”

Suddenly a wave of tiredness struck her. The
excitement and adrenaline receded as the lights in the distance
told her they would be in American waters soon. She offered Thane a
tired smile.

“Come here,” he ordered gently, and pulled
her against his chest. She nestled her head into the crook of his
neck, ignoring the horrible sting between her shoulder blades.
Blood trickled from the Commander’s wound all the way down to his
palm and through his fingers. With two gentle strokes, he made a
cross with his own blood on her breast. “Just once more, and I
promise I’ll—”

She cut off his words with a deep kiss, and
it lasted until she heard Fox say, “You didn’t kiss me like that
when you promoted me to Master Chief.”

The Commander’s lips tightened with a laugh,
as did hers.

Mace turned on the VHF radio and
communicated with Base Command. Just in case, two gunboats were
tasked to intercept them, but flying over the waves at forty knots,
it was unlikely anyone was behind them. She made to wiggle off the
Commander’s lap, but he stopped her, and she gave him a warning
look.

He raised a brow at her. “I’ll behave, Petty
Officer Banks. Although—I could use something to take my mind off
this arm.”

“I request immunity,” she stated, leaning
back.

An enormous grin tightened his strong jaw.
“Sorry, Snow White, request denied,” and his mouth found hers
again. If there was such a thing as a marathon kiss, Thane was
making their last one a blue ribbon event.

* * * *

“Where are you going?” she demanded, seeing
all the commotion around her in the boatshed when they arrived back
at the base.

“Out to catch a bad guy before he slips down
his rat hole again.”

“Commander, won’t they expect that?”

She didn’t sound worried, but she looked it.
“Kayla,”—he said gently—“this is what we do, remember?” He slid his
hands down her arms, her skin cool and soft. After being in the
water, beautiful crazy curls surrounded her face and although he’d
promised himself he’d never touch them again, he broke his promise
and almost moaned feeling her silky wisps entwined in his
fingers.

Glancing over her head, he saw the men
gearing up. All of them were darting looks their way. No—not them,
but at Kayla’s ass which her thong didn’t cover one shred of.
For fuck’s sakes.
“Mace,” he barked, seeing him changing his
shirt. “Bring over those pants in your locker.”

Mace turned and a ripple of amusement
crossed his brow. “Sure, Commander.”

He turned his attention to Cobbs and got a
huge, cheek-busting grin.

“Here, Kayla,” Mace offered, extending his
arm, but Thane snatched them instead.

“What’s this?”

“Sweetheart,” he said, giving the pants to
her. “You’re kind of exposed.” She blushed and hurriedly stepped
into the pants as all the guys watched her bend over. “Thanks,
Mace.”

Mace moved away, reading the
piss-off
look in his eyes.

Kayla rolled up the hems so they wouldn’t
pool around her feet. When she stood up he leaned over, unable to
resist. “I don’t want anyone on the base thinking they can have
you. Except maybe me.” Her eyes widened and he resisted the urge to
kiss her again.

Clay hustled up beside them, throwing on a
jacket and checking his gear. “I called in Team One Bravo,
sir.”

Mace broke open the armory and the men
pulled their weapons.

MacKay from One Bravo arrived a few minutes
later. He was a big guy standing over six- foot-four. He’d do.

“Commander, the rest of the squad is
scrambling. Everyone should be here in under fifteen minutes,”
MacKay reported.

“Good, then you’ve got time. I want you to
take Ms. Banks back to Base Command. I don’t want her walking
alone. Double-time back here and gear up.”

“Yes, sir.” He offered Kayla a nod. “Hey,
Snow White, heard you had some excitement tonight.”

She nodded absently, staring at him instead
of MacKay.

“Looks like your back got torn up pretty
good. Shouldn’t Caleb have a look at that?” Mackay suggested,
brushing her hair away with a finger.

“What?” The Commander snapped his hand
around her arm, turning her, and lifted her hair. “Oh, shit,
Kayla.” The skin on her shoulder blades had been scraped to raw
flesh, and deep cuts marred a gaping line between them. Rivers of
dried blood dropped beneath her shirt.

“It’s nothing,” she said, trying to pull
away.

Caleb dropped the medical kit on the floor
beside them. Reaching to swab his arm, Thane stopped him. “No,
Kayla first.”

“I said its fine.”

He grabbed her around her tiny waist, and
pulled her chest tight to his. “Don’t bloody argue with me all the
time,” he growled, holding her hair up for Caleb to attend the
cuts. The salt water must have stung like hell, but she hadn’t said
a word.

Caleb pulled her shirt up to reveal her
lower back, then stopped. “Kayla?”

She whipped around, yanking her shirt down,
and stepped away from both of them. Her face paled, staring
wide-eyed at Caleb. “I’m fine. Thanks—Stitch.”

Caleb didn’t blink or move, his hands filled
with gauze and disinfectant stalled halfway in the air. They stared
at each other for a suspended moment.

“What’s the problem, Stitch?” he asked.

Caleb’s brow tightened. “Um,” He paused and
bit his lip. “I’m not going to cover them, Kayla. Just keep them
clean.” Caleb turned abruptly and shot him up with a numbing
agent.

“I want you to stay at Base Command until I
get back, Kayla, unless someone takes you home.”

Her eyes darted around the boatshed at all
the activity. With her arms clenched to her sides drawing his
attention to her beautiful, curvy hips filling the camo pants
better than any wet dream he’d ever had, she said, “You have three
hours, Commander, and then I want you home in bed.”

The boatshed went dead silent.

His lips tightened to grind down on a smile
threatening to erupt, and an overwhelming flux of heat rose in his
stomach.

She perched her hands on her hips. “Your
bed, not mine, dumbass.” With a haughty swivel, she joined MacKay
and walked away.

“Hell, almost thought you had a chance
there, Commander,” Mace said, adjusting the belt of ammunition
across his chest.

He glared at Mace. “It was your idea we take
her to Mexico, and she could have been killed.”

Mace flapped his hands. “Oh, sure, blame me
for that. I suppose you’re going to blame me once you screw her and
break her heart,” he said, giving him an angry glance and darting
one at Caleb.

“Stand down, Mace,” he growled, but only
because of guilt. “I wouldn’t do that to Kayla.”

“Bullshit.”

“Hey—” He gripped Mace’s shoulder. “I’ve
looked in her eyes, Mace. I want to spend forever looking in them,
but I can’t give her that. Not with the life I live. I won’t let
anyone hurt her, and that includes me, all right.”

Mace’s expression relaxed and he jerked his
head. “Okay, but stop fucking kissing her.”