Elite Metal-ARE-epub (29 page)

“I love you,” she breathed out.

Fuck
.

His cock jerked against the mattress. Not the words he thought he wanted to hear, but somehow she knew exactly what he needed her to say.

He licked her clit and got comfortable. She’d come three times before he came again if he had something to say about it. Her pleasure? More important than his. It just was.

Another “is” he couldn’t control, and somehow didn’t want to fight.

As he licked Cammie’s pussy and slid two fingers inside her he wondered what life had in store for them.

And for once, he couldn’t wait to find out.

* * * * *

An hour or so later, Chrome crawled back in bed with her after he’d cleaned her up. He’d gotten her sufficiently dirty again, after getting her off several more times. She needed sleep before he took her again and he couldn’t imagine a better way to rest. Her kids were safe down the hall and Korovin’s ashes were being scattered to Kingdom come.

He wondered how long it would be before Red Wolf figured out what happened. Didn’t matter. They find him and take care of him for good this time.

One order of business still needed to be handled and he decided to do it while Cammie was almost asleep. She’d still know. She’d still hear him, but somehow it was easier to talk about in the dark.

“Cammie?”

“Yes?” Her jaw cracked when she yawned. “Gimme just a tiny nap and I’ll be ready again. Promise. Mmmm…” She added and he really wanted to know what that was about.

But he didn’t want to lose his nerve.

Now or never and all that.

“You asked me something and I’m ready to answer it.”

She rubbed her cheek on his chest. “What question?”

“My name…” He trailed off not really knowing if he needed to explain further.

Several seconds were very quiet and then, “You don’t have to tell me.”

“I know. But I want you to know. I need you to. I want you to know all of me. Even the parts I thought were long dead.”

She got up on her elbow and stared down at him. And waited.

“It was Aaron. My name…is Aaron.”

She didn’t respond. Didn’t say anything at first. She just stared at him as if some puzzle piece was fitting into place for her. “It’s very nice to meet you.” She kissed him, throwing a leg over one of his to hold him close. Her tongue swept inside his mouth and she spoke against his lips. “I’m so glad you told me.”

After one more kiss she lay back down beside him. Snuggling him close she added, “Good night, Aaron. I love you.”

The adage that says there’s power in a name?

They were right. They completely knew what they were talking about when they made that a thing.

Power in a name, his name, it had been a long time since he’d given anyone control over him. But in that moment she controlled his heart.

And he couldn’t think of a better way to start his new life. His new identity with her and the group. His family.

He drifted off, holding her close. Knowing for the first time his life truly had meaning. That he had a purpose and something and several someones to live for and breathe for and protect…

Epic.

Epilogue

The next day, he had lunch with his…family.

Fuck.

Hottest word he’d heard in…ever.

The kids were still a bit scared and they clung to Cammie as if they were wallpaper, but the added affection and reassurance they needed didn’t seem to be a bad thing for her either.

They’d eaten and played. Then Cammie had handed him a book and told him to sit on the couch. So of course he had. The twins piled on him like piranha on meat.

They sat with him, transfixed as he bumbled his way through some rhyming book about a bear in the woods.

“Again,” they both yelled when he was done.

He looked up at Cammie for permission. She stood in the doorway, brushing something wet off her cheeks. “Of course.”

“You okay, baby girl?” He’d asked as the kids snuggled into him.

“I’ve never been more right.” And then she smiled and his heart melted.

He hugged the kids and wondered how in the fuck he’d gotten so lucky.

They had a long way to go, but somehow he just knew they’d make it work.

Now, he stood in the interrogation room. But this time he stood side by side with Steele. Poppy and Alayna stood with them.

Five men and one woman, were taped to chairs in front of them. Bags covered each of their faces.

The rest of the two surviving teams had been brought in. The ghosts who stood behind each of them succeeding in their extractions before Red Wolf could get to them. All but Silver. That was one bad apple he wouldn’t agree to deal with. Not after Chrome learned what he pulled when he left.

As Chrome stared at the waking jarheads, his shoulder blade ached where he’d gotten his Elite Metal ink. He crossed his arms loving how the skin pulled which reminded him of his new team. Their new missions. The soreness would fade, but the ink? That he’d wear forever. And proudly.

“How did you find me?” He whispered it low so his brothers and sisters across the room couldn’t hear him.

Steele looked at him. “In Colorado or yesterday?”

“Yesterday.”

“Your chips.”

“Chips?”

“One in Cammie’s phone to geo-locate your general position, and then I lit up the one in your arm to find— Fuck. Dude.”

Yeah. Chrome punched him in the arm. Hard.

“If you’d done what you were supposed to do we wouldn’t have needed to. Besides, it was Poppy’s idea.”

Chrome turned the other way and Poppy smiled. “I read your file. Knew you’d try to save everyone on your own. Brave. Stupid, but brave.”

“You should have told me,” Chrome grumbled under his breath to Steele.

“Not on your life. You would have dug it out.”

“True.”

Steele smirked. “My Apologies…Sarge.”

Chrome ground his teeth. “You better sleep with one eye open.”

“No need.” Steele nodded toward Alayna who took in everything with what he was considering her trademark stare. “I sleep next to that every night.”

“And don’t you forget it, lover.”

Steele bent and kissed her.

Their easy affection reminded him of the date he had with Cammie later in the woods.

Fuck.

Yeah.

“And our stuff. How the hell did it get here?”

“Special ghost delivery,” Steele offered up.

Chrome turned to Poppy again. She finger-waved and added, “Your accounts have been moved too.”

“What accounts?”

“Bank accounts. All of your money, each of you, and Cammie’s, plus the kids trusts have been moved to non-traceable off-shore holdings. Totally legal and completely hidden.”

“How the hell do you do that?” Chrome asked in general for all she was able to accomplish.

“You gotta have money to make money, Chrome. And thankfully, Warbucks, has it in spades.”

He let that sink in and looked around the space. He thought of all the cool gadgets and shit he couldn’t wait to play with in his new home.

Home.

Best four-letter word he’d ever learned.

A soft hand touched his arm. Cammie.

“The kids are napping and will be down for at least a couple hours. So I thought I’d come and meet your family if that was okay?”

Chrome pulled her close and rubbed her nose with his. “I’d love for you to meet my family. Having you by my side? Perfect.”

“Love you,” she mouthed.

“And I you.” He kissed her and held her close. “You guys ready to get this party started?” He waited for the rest to nod and then gave the signal to the ghosts to rip off the hoods.

Whoosh
.

Each mask came off, one after another, until all six people sat blinking, trying to take in the shit storm they’d just been dropped into. Recognition of the men and women sitting and standing around them didn’t take more than a handful of seconds.

Steele smirked and held Alayna close. “Welcome back to the jungle, ladies. Have you missed us?”

Adamantium laughed and shook his head. “Sons a bitches.” He let his head fall back and closed his eyes, still chuckling. “Bumpasses.”

“I finally had it good,” bitched Cobalt. “Now you’ve gone an ruined it. What the fuck do you want now?”

Sterling and Platinum were their typical stoic selves. Who knew what really went on inside their heads?

Copper, who rolled with everything asked, “So what’s the fucking mission…Sirs?”

“Let’s burn it all down,” Mercury added with malicious glee.

Fuck he’d missed them.

Chrome smiled, hugging Cammie again just because he could.

They had a madman to catch and they finally had the tools and backing to do it. He wouldn’t want to track him down with any other people in the world. Trust and faith were hard commodities to come by and he wasn’t going to take either of them for granted ever again.

Ridding the world of Red Wolf and his minions wasn’t going to be easy and he couldn’t wait to get started.

“Oorah, boys and girls. Oorah.”

Jennifer Kacey

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. She’s the Amazon top seller and award winning author of the Members Only Series and the Surrender Series along with several standalone novels and novellas. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

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Together in Cyn

Jenna’s Consent

Beneath the Pages

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By Anna Alexander

Adamantium’s Roar

By Anna Alexander

Text Copyright Anna Alexander 2015

Developmental Editor – Gwen Hayes / Copy Editor – Ellis Flynn

All Rights Reserved

Discover more titles by Anna Alexander at
http://annaalexander.net/

Dedication

To my family. Always.

Adamantium’s Roar

By Anna Alexander

Adamantium left Beth to what he thought was a better life, only to find she had been living in hell. Now he’ll do anything, break any vow, to claim her as his for all time.

Adamantium feels right at home being back to what he does best with his Elite Metal buddies, especially if it keeps his mind off
her.
  Beth Bradshaw. His best friend’s girl. But when their paths cross again, he discovers Beth is in the hands of a dangerous man. Vow or no vow to his Elite Metal family, Ant will do anything to claim the woman he loves.

Chapter One

Shnick. Thunk. Shnick. Thunk. Shnick. Thunk.
One by one, the thin metal needle pierced the soft, spongy surface with surgeon-like precision.

“You fucking suck, Ant,” Cobalt muttered and slapped a twenty on the sticky tabletop.

Adamantium wasn’t certain what tasted sweeter, success or the healthy swallow of his ice-cold beer. With a wiggle of his eyebrows he asked, “Double or nothing?”

“I don’t know.” Cobalt yanked the tightly grouped trio of darts from the center of the corkboard and balanced their weight in his hands. “Are these loaded? What’s the trick? Magnets or a homing device?”

“Yeah, because I have nothing better to do than sneak into Bone Daddy’s and fuck with their dartboard.”

“If you’re shaking people down for twenty bucks a pop, it’ll be worth the effort.”

“Just admit I’m better than you and all of your sharpshooting skills.” His grin widened. “Again.”

“Skills?” A mist of beer rose in the air as Platinum sputtered around his bottle. “If we’re talking about sharpshooting, I wholeheartedly disagree about Bolt’s prowess with a firearm.”

“Why are you here again?” Bolt asked with an un-amused creasing of his forehead. “You hate being around people.”

Platinum raised a blond brow. “Uh—because I was told to? Team building and all that shit.”

“Right.” Bolt nodded. “That’s why
we’re
here and none of Chrome’s crew are in the vicinity.”

He made a strangled sound. “Believe me, hanging with you two is company enough. I’m hoping the others don’t show.”

Ant chuckled. “Come on, Platinum. You know you missed us. Cried into your big pillow every night because you missed us so much.”

A firmly raised middle finger and a frown was the response. “Thirty minutes. That’s it. In thirty minutes and one second, I’m outta here.”

“What’s stopping you from leaving now?”

“This is me making an effort.” He raised his bottle in salute. “You’re welcome.”

Ant let loose with another peal of laughter. It hadn’t taken long for his former recon crew to fall into their previous dynamics. Bolt’s energy level was all over the place as usual, and Platinum was just as cold and unyielding as Ant remembered. Over the last few months, the only obstacles with his old team getting their groove back on had been in working Chrome’s crew into their routines. The misfits’ reputations had definitely preceded them. If Ant’s team was like the Justice League, then Chrome’s squad was more like Justice League Dark, only scarier. In a fight, Ant would put money on Mercury over Swamp Thing in a heartbeat.