Retribution (SSU Trilogy Book 3) (The Surgical Strike Unit) (26 page)

“What do you say?”

Rafe turned his head and looked at her. The uncertainty in his gaze undid her. She wanted to kill Kaufmann for destroying Rafe’s confidence. After an agonizing moment, Rafe nodded.

“Excellent.” Gabby pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. “Now, put your head back on your hands and let me work.”

A flash of amusement lit his eyes. “Aye, aye, ma’am.”

Once Rafe had turned away, Gabby wasted no time. She pulled his t-shirt from his pants and lifted it up his back, kissing each vicious scar she revealed until his shirt was bunched around his shoulders. She let Rafe finish removing the shirt, while her hands crept around to his front, undid his belt and zipper, and repeated the process with his pants. By the time Rafe was fully nude, tears filled Gabby’s eyes again.

“You’re so strong,” she whispered against a particularly deep scar at the back of his left thigh. “Every single one of these marks is proof that you’re a survivor.”

“Can I lower my hands now?” he asked hoarsely.

“Not quite. Turn around, I want to see the front.”

Rafe hesitated, then slowly pivoted. When he started to raise his hands overhead, she stopped him. “No, Rafe. I don’t need you to take such a submissive a pose. Just keep your hands to your sides.”

For a long moment, Rafe stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then he gave her a sensual smile and put his arms up. “I trust you,
querida
.”

Those simple words sent a rush of arousal through her. Trying to ignore Rafe’s erection, Gabby lavished kisses on every single scar on his chest, arms, and legs, taking side trips to worry his nipples between her teeth and run her tongue along the rim of his belly button.

“Gab-by,” he finally groaned, looking at her with heated eyes. “No more. I’m gonna die if I don’t touch you.”

Letting her hand trail over his penis, Gabby took her time standing up. Then her hands went to the clasp of her bra as she started backing toward the bed. “Okay. Come and get me.”

With a shout of triumph, Rafe sprang away from the wall. Gabby found herself on her back on the bed, her panties ripped off and Rafe’s hands all over her. “Damn you,” he muttered before he took her breast in his mouth, “I wanted to go slow. Savor you.” His fingers dipped between her legs. “But you’re so wet and I can’t wait any longer.”

She smiled up at him. “So don’t wait.” Wrapping her hand around him, she guided him to her center, then moaned as he filled her in one perfect stroke. “So good,” she murmured. Her hands clutched at his back, urging him on, but Rafe seemed content to remain still, staring down at her in wonder.

“Home,” he said, then buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Yes.” Feeling the dampness of tears against her skin, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Welcome home, Rafe.”

She smoothed her hands down the muscles of his back. When after several minutes he still hadn’t moved, she sank her fingernails into him. “Rafe Andros, if you’re asleep I swear I’m going to kill you.” Although she doubted he could sleep with his erection still pulsing hard inside her.

Rafe’s muffled laugh vibrated against her throat. “Not asleep.”

“Then move, damn you!”

“Bossy woman,” Rafe grumbled. But when he lifted his head, his eyes danced with amusement.

“So glad you think this is funny,” she snapped, wriggling her hips to ease some of the tension building inside her despite the fact that he still wasn’t moving.

“
Dios
, how I love you.” Rafe planted a hard kiss on her lips, then finally, the man withdrew. He held himself poised outside her entrance, looking down at her with his old devilment, then shifted forward until just the tip of him slipped inside her.

Gabby narrowed her eyes. “Oh, no,” she snarled. “Don’t you dare take this slow. I’ve waited too long for this.”

Rafe raised his brows innocently and pressed inside another inch.

Growling in frustration, Gabby dug her nails into the nape of his neck, bringing his face down so she could take a sharp nip at his chin. “Damn you, Rafe Andros. Will you just fuck me already?”

The infuriating man actually chuckled, earning him a harder bite on his bottom lip. “All right. All right. I give up. Whatever the lady wants.” Rafe pulled all the way out. Then, without any warning, he slammed into her.

“Yes!” Gabby’s head went back and she arched into him as he started a furious rhythm. This is what she wanted. Rafe’s strength pounding into her. Proving he needed her as much as she needed him.

Within minutes, a powerful orgasm tore through her. The edges of Gabby’s vision wavered, then her body settled languidly back to earth. Only to find Rafe still hard inside her.

“Not done yet,” he told her. He gathered her in his arms, then sat back on his heels without losing intimate contact. With Rafe’s hands guiding her, his mouth at her breasts, and his dark chocolate eyes filled with love, Gabby soon found herself riding another orgasm. Only this time, Rafe was with her.

As they collapsed together on the bed, Rafe tucked her against him. And for the first time since he’d been captured, Gabby sank into a deep, restful sleep.

Chapter 21

“D
r. Steuart informs me that your intelligence test came back normal, Rafe. Congratulations.”

Rafe nodded at the image of Ryker on the videoconference screen in the underground conference room.

“Gabby and the others agree that except for your inability to remember where Kaufmann’s lab is you’re fit for duty again. Therefore, I’m having you transferred to the training compound in Oregon. Let’s get you back to full fitness so when you do remember the location of the lab you’ll be ready to go.”

Satisfaction and pride filled Rafe. He couldn’t wait to tell Gabby he was back in business. Yet he hated knowing that Kaufmann still had a hold on him. In the last couple of weeks he’d stopped experiencing the blinding headaches that had hit whenever he tried to remember the lab’s location. But a thick fog still separated him and the memories, making it impossible to see clearly.

“Thank you, sir,” Rafe said. “What about—”

The floor heaved, pitching the conference table sideways. Rafe heard the muffled boom of an explosion in the upper section of the house. Another explosion shook the videoconferencing screen off its anchor. Rafe dropped and rolled out of the way as it crashed to the floor and shattered.

Gabby!
Rafe had left her upstairs in her apartment this morning after having convinced her to sleep in for once. If anything happened to her…

Staying close to the floor, Rafe scrambled for the door. Wait. Ryker would need an update and the director could tell him what contingency plans were in place. Rafe dashed over to the phone, but the line was dead.

Wishing he had a gun, Rafe cautiously opened the door into the hallway. According to an earlier conversation he’d had with Ryker, very few of the SSU staff in Oregon or D.C. knew this lab even existed. So who had leaked the lab’s location?

He shook his head and assessed the situation. The corridor appeared structurally sound. A few ceiling tiles had cracks in them, and plaster dust covered some of the carpeting, but Rafe didn’t get the sense the building was about to collapse on him. Still, being three levels underground with explosions above him and not knowing what type of reinforcements the SSU had added to the old building made him edgy.

Halfway to the stairs, another explosion nearly knocked Rafe to the floor. He braced himself against the wall until the shaking stopped. Praying that Gabby was okay, he raced toward the end of the hallway. Just as he reached the stairwell door, a security detail of four men stepped into view.

“Where did they hit?” he demanded, coming to a stop. “What are we up against?”

If the men were surprised to be faced with Rafe, they didn’t show it. “Mortar fire hits on both wings, sir,” the closest man replied. Rafe felt the warm glow of pride at the man’s respect. God, he’d missed this.

“There’s a helicopter on the front lawn,” the man continued. “Two platoons of men are fighting our exterior security team. The attackers are wearing black uniforms with colored stripes at the left shoulder under a gold insignia ”

Everything inside Rafe went cold. Black uniforms. Gold insignia which he’d bet showed a three-headed dog. Colored stripes to indicate what level of stability the subject had reached. Christ. They were under attack by Kaufmann’s men. “Tell—” He choked and had to clear his throat. “Tell whoever’s in charge of security that the men you described are from Kaufmann’s lab. Red stripes mean the men are at the peak of their physical strength and completely under Kaufmann’s mind control. Orange stripes mean a bit less physical strength and speed and less reliable mind control.” Yellow, green and blue subjects were too unstable to be sent on missions.

The man paled, but relayed Rafe’s message via his radio. When he signed off, he explained, “We’re to continue our original mission—checking this level for personnel and evacuating everyone down to the medical facility on Sub-basement 5.”

Rafe nodded absently, trying to rein in his terror as he pictured himself being dragged back to Kaufmann’s lab. Hell, no. He’d die before he let that monster touch him again.

“Dr. Steuart was in Testing Room 1 half an hour ago,” he told them. “I don’t know if she’s still there, or if any of the other rooms are occupied.”

Two of the men ran toward the testing room, while another started opening doors to check for injured staff.

One man hung back long enough to ask, “Do you need assistance, sir?”

Rafe shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m good.” Leaving them to their work, he ran up the stairs. Gabby’s room was on the second floor of the staff wing, but he had three flights to go just to reach ground level. He pulled on the railing, giving himself extra speed as he took the stairs two at a time.

Automatic weapon fire sounded from the floor above him. Cursing, Rafe pushed himself to move faster. Whoever was up there, whether SSU security or attackers, gunfire meant only one thing. More danger for Gabby.

Dios
, please let him reach her in time. He’d kill anyone who tried to return Gabby to Kaufmann.

At the top of the stairs he lowered himself to the floor and eased open the door so he wouldn’t present a large target. The hallway was empty, but he heard booted footsteps heading his way from the front of the building. Staying low, he slipped out of the stairwell.

“There he is!”

The shout came from his right. Rafe rolled left, then sprang to his feet and bolted toward the nearby intersection of two hallways. As he made the turn, a dart embedded itself in the frame of a painting inches from his head. The familiar twang of the tip sent shivers down Rafe’s spine. Kaufmann had used tranq darts on him too many times not to recognize the dart.

He was not a fucking animal to be tranq’d and tagged. The uncontrollable fury that he’d worked so hard to bank rose up. His whole body shuddered with the effort to tamp down his rage. He stumbled. But his fear for Gabby beat against his skull, urging him forward. Telling him that fighting the men behind him wasn’t worth his time. His priority was to save Gabby.

Even though he’d retained some of his enhanced strength and speed, the men chasing Rafe quickly gained ground. A quick glance behind him showed they had red stripes on their uniforms. Figured.

But he had one advantage they wouldn’t expect. Thanks to the drugs Gabby had given him, he was able to anticipate where they’d shoot their darts next. He successfully zigged and zagged, narrowly avoiding being hit, until he reached the next staircase.

He grabbed the banister and vaulted over it. Two steps up and he was temporarily hidden by the wall. He used his advantage to fly up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him, knowing he wouldn’t have the advantage for long.

But all he needed was to get to the top of the stairs. He jumped up the last four stairs and landed in the common area. On most days, at least one staff member could be found lounging in one of the comfortable, overstuffed chairs or cozy sofas flanked by a set of coffee tables. Today the space was empty.

Rafe grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it down the stairs, knocking his pursuers on their asses. It wouldn’t slow them down for long, but he’d use every second to his advantage. He shoved a sofa across the opening to the stairs, then took a quick look around. Smoke drifted down the corridor to his left, from the direction of Gabby’s room.

No!

Rafe burst into a run.

“Get your hands off me!” Gabby’s enraged shout came from the end of the hallway where the smoke was thickest. Rafe increased his speed.

Through the smoke he saw two men drag Gabby out of her room. She had on a t-shirt and shorts and her hair was unbound. She dug in her heels and pulled back, trying to slow the men down. One of them lashed out with his fist and clipped her on the jaw. She collapsed into his arms.

Rafe bellowed in fury and charged. The man who’d hit Gabby threw her over his shoulder and ran towards the far stairs. The other man turned and charged toward Rafe with lowered head. His oversized muscles and the blank look in his eyes were clear markers that he was one of Kaufmann’s men.

Rafe sized him up, saw his opening, and ducked to the side just as the man reached him. Rafe swung around, plucked the man’s pistol off his hip, and in one smooth move slammed it into the back of the man’s neck.

The man went to his knees, but he wasn’t unconscious. Rafe didn’t care. He pounded down the corridor where Gabby and her kidnapper had disappeared. The stairwell door banged shut when Rafe was halfway there. Even as he leapt down the stairs, he knew he was too late.

He reached the lawn in time to see Kaufmann’s man toss Gabby into a waiting helicopter. Rafe ran toward it, but he was too far away to even fire a single shot before the helicopter took off and banked sharply in the opposite direction.

“No-oo! Gabby!” Rafe dropped to his knees, howling his rage and grief to the sky.

Kerberos Headquarters

Outskirts of Washington, D.C.

“W
hat’s this?” Mark asked as he followed Jamieson into a military-style control room.