Dusted Star

Chapter Eight

Juan leaned backin his chair, listening as Micah Drake updated him on the information the team had received on Cooper Hicks. They’d known the man was a spook, but the full scope of his immersion in the murky world of the Central Intelligence Agency was slowly being pieced together.Christ, the man isn’t just ass deep in alligators, he’s up to his neck and sinking fast.

“Will they let him go?” Juan directed his question to Cameron Barnes, aformeroperative for the Agency, who wasanything butformer. Cam and his family had recently moved back to Texas and were currently putting the final touches on the major renovation of a large home nearby. It wasn’t uncommon to find the man at Prairie Winds during the darkest hours before dawn—personally, Juan often wonderedif the man was a vampire because it was much less common to see him during the daylight hours.

“Probably, but they’ll do whatever they can to discourage it. He’s too valuable.” Running his hand through his hair in a clear sign of frustration, Cam shook his head and sighed. “Hell, he’s barely taken a break from service since he signed on at eighteen. He has a photographic memory with an IQ that’sone of the highest in the entire damned Agency. He’ll be a walking target for years to come.”

“That sounds like the voice of experience talking. Is this why they reel you in every now and again?” Juan saw the light of amusement in Cam’s eyes at the implication.

“I started Dark Desires a few years before I officially retired, so I had another life established, and that made me somewhat more immuneto the offers that came my way.”

“Somewhat?” This time it was Kent who’d asked the question the rest of them were thinking.

“I’m not going to lie, the monetary propositions from not only Uncle Sam but many of the wealthiest nations in the world were staggering. I could have literally named my price, but there comes a time when money isn’t enough. I had the club I’d established in Houston, andI threw myself headfirst into making it one of the best in the country. I also had a submissive I wasn’t willing to leave for months at a time.” The sly smile on the man’s face said it all; it was common knowledge his love for Dr. Cecelia Barnes was his guiding force.

“The world was a different place when you walked away—a lot less volatile than it is now.” Kyle’s comment hadn’t really been aquestion, but he was certainly trying to steer the conversation. Juan had known Kyle West for years, he didn’t speak randomly, and he didn’t speak unless he had a reason. Kyle’s words always had a purpose.

“I know it appears that way on the surface, and I suppose it’s true in the U. S., but this has been the norm in much of the world for many years. There is more at stake in our nation than theothers because so much of the world’s wealth is centered here.”

“Other nations have decided it’s long past time for them to share in our good fortune.” Juan understood all the political backdoors as well as anyone, but he also knew most of it was created chaos, designed to benefit a few and cost the masses.

“They have been convinced it’s their due, and the fires of that anger have been fannedwith religious rhetoric that isn’t about faith at all. Don’t think for a minute Cooper hasn’t already been offered astronomical amounts of money for his help furthering the globalist agenda. These are not people who take no for an answer and let you walk away without using every resource available to them to change your mind.” Cam was watching his words carefully, and that was almost as terrifyingas where Juan’s imagination was taking him. Deciding it was time to cut to the chase, Juan leveled a look at Cam.

“Do you think the attempt to pull Lakyn off the street was about gaining her brother’s compliance?” If it was true, the game had been notched up a fucking hundred percent. Dealing with trained government operatives with unlimited funding was far different from some prick off the streetwith an overactive libido and lock picking set.

Cam leaned forward and shrugged. “I wish I knew for sure. That’s part of the reason I’m here. I was hoping Cooper had made contact, I want to talk to him as soon as possible—maybe offer a word or two of advice.”A word or two of advice my ass.Cam Barnes wasn’t a fucking career counselor, if he was offering help, it was because he knew the man’slife was on the line.

“I know he opened my last message but skipped all the previous ones.” Kyle’s words had barely been spoken when his phone chimed on the table in front of him. Picking it up, Kyle’s expression turned grim. “Cooper needs an exit. He’s been compromised.” Turning his attention to Micah, he asked, “Who do we know that might be close enough to help?”

Cam, who was already tappingfuriously on his phone, held up a finger. “Wait, I’ve got someone in London, and they’re moving in to intercept now.” What the hell? Juan had been in this meeting since Cam walked in and no one had ever given Cooper’s exact location. Turning to Micah, Juan raised a brow in question. The other man shook his head and muttered several colorful curses before smiling ruefully.

“I’ve learned to noteven ask. I’m not sure any of us want to know how he manages to track everybody on the damned planet. Fucking hell, I feel sorry for his children, and I want to call my parents and thank them for a stalking free childhood.” Cam shot him a steely glare from across the room without his fingers ever slowing.

Juan shook his head as the room exploded into action around him. Wondering how this wouldplay out for Lakyn, he couldn’t help worrying about the woman sleeping peacefully back in their cabin, wrapped in Trac’s arms—the lucky bastard. Within minutes, Cam’s contact had not only intercepted Cooper Hicks but was already transporting the injured agent to a private medical facility on the outskirts of London. As Juan watched everything play out around him, he became more concerned than everLakyn was being used as bait—whether it was to draw Cooper out or force his compliance remained to be seen.

*

Lakyn wasn’t surewhat was going on, but Juan looked like he hadn’t slept at all after their talk last night. She joined both men when they’d used what looked like a souped-up golf cart to go to the main house for breakfast. Walking into the dining room, she immediatelysensed a strange tension filling the air. Kyle West was so deeply engrossed in his phone conversation, he didn’t appear to notice his wife had moved from her seat beside him to sit down next to Lakyn.

“I hope you’ll accept my apology for my behavior when you arrived. Good grief, I was so shocked, I was almost speechless. Dancing donuts, I wish I had been speechless. I’d never in a million yearsintentionally hurt someone I considered a friend.” The sincerity in Tobi’s eyes made Lakyn’s eyes fill with unshed tears.

“Oh damn, please don’t cry, it’s contagious. You cry and I’ll start, then the men will be all crazy trying to figure out what’s happened, and I can tell you from unfortunate experience that never ends well for subs.”

Lakyn couldn’t hold back her giggle,thiswas the womanshe’d been talking to. This version of Tobi West was familiar.

Tobi scanned the room, noting all the men huddled together talking or staring at various electronic devices.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m all for taking advantage of it. The kids are going to spend the day with their grandfathers which means I’m free for the day. It’s not supposed to get hot until later this afternoon,and I was thinking we could go tubing behind the house and gossip.” The glint of mischief in Tobi’s eyes made Lakyn wonder exactly whattubingentailed.

“Tubing?”

“We’ll stay close because the guys will have a stroke if we venture beyond the property bordering Prairie Winds. We may own the adjoining down river property, but it isn’t monitored as closely as the section behind the club. Of course,not monitored as closely is relative since even the wildlife has to request admittance… in triplicate… to anything Prairie Winds related.” Tobi’s eyes flashed with recognition when she looked over Lakyn’s head and suddenly her hushed tone became much clearer.

“My husbands and the rest of the team take security very seriously, so we’ll have to ask them about tubing, but I don’t see why it wouldbe a problem if we tether our tubes to the dock.”

“You are incorrigible, sweetness. Tubing sounds like fun and since we’re going to be tied up with work for several hours, you and Lakyn are welcome to play, under the following conditions.” Lakyn suddenly became aware everyone in the room was watching the exchange. “You’ll wear lifejackets.” When Tobi opened her mouth, Kent shook his head. “No,darling wife, I don’t give a flying fuck about tan lines. I do, however, lay awake at night, worrying about all the ways you might find to get into trouble, and given your love of all things water related, drowning is high on the list.”

“Okay. Lifejackets. Drat.”