Unconditional Love (Journey of Love 1)

The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Paul right now.

I sat on the hood of the jeep and watched the sunset as I wondered what Azurdee was doing. I felt someone slap me on the back and I glanced over to my left and saw Skip standing there smiling.

“You’re deep in thought, Lieutenant. What’s going on? I don’t think you’ve ever been this quiet.”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Probably just tired from all the wedding bullshit.”

Skip laughed and said, “Don’t even be thinking of settling down like that crazy-ass friend of yours. I need your head clear.”

I gave him a weak smile and nodded my head. “Roger that, sir.”

Skip and I always addressed each other properly when on a mission. We never went by first names. Away from this madness and he was probably one of my best friends.

“Damn, I swear the sunsets in Venezuela are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen.”

I nodded my head and the ache in my heart grew ten times worse. What in the hell was wrong with me? I couldn’t get Azurdee out of my head. I hated that I had to leave her and hoped like hell she understood.

Skip gave me a good slap on the back and said, “Come on. Get some sleep. Y’all head out at oh-five-hundred.”

Once I got to my quarters, I pulled up Azurdee’s text message.

I took a deep breath and hit reply.

Me: Just wanted to say I won’t be able to text ya for a few days but know I’m thinking of you. I’ll text you when I’m able to.

Azurdee: Okay. No worries. I’ve decided to head back to Austin tomorrow and check on things at the new restaurant.

I took in a breath.

Me: I’m really sorry I had to leave you like that, Azurdee. I hope you know I had no choice.

Azurdee: I understand, so please don’t worry. I’ll be thinking of you, Lark.

I took a deep breath and decided to just be honest with her…and myself.

Me: I miss you, Azurdee. I just got you and I had to let you go. It’s killing me inside because I want to feel your body next to mine. I want to breathe in your smell and get lost in your kiss.

Azurdee: I miss you too, Lark. I feel the same way. I’ve been trying to shake this feeling all day. I’ve just missed your touch. The sound of your voice and what you feel like inside of me. But just think how nice it will be when you get back!

Me: I’ve got to run. I’ll talk to you in a few days.

Azurdee: Okay. See ya in a few days.

I tossed my phone aside and put my head in my hands. “Fuck!” I called out. The second I read her response back to me I had to stop talking to her. I can’t let this girl affect me like this. I didn’t want to care about Azurdee, but I did. More than I wanted to admit. I cared enough to be exclusive with her and just like that, she was missing me today. Missing my touch and what I felt like inside of her.

Son of a bitch. I needed to forget about her for just a few days. My phone beeped and I was afraid it was Azurdee. I picked it up to see I had a text message from Sherry.

Sherry: You in town? I need to release some stress and I need a good hard fuck right now.

Sherry had been my fuck buddy since before I joined the Marines. Neither one of us wanted a relationship with each other. It was purely sex and a way for both of us to release stress.

I clenched my jaw as I wrote back.

Me: Sorry. Out of town working.

Sherry: Can you Face Time, baby? Come on…I need you.

Me: I can’t. People are around. Go find that guy Mark you’ve been fucking.

Sherry: Lark. I don’t want Mark. I want you. Please baby…I have my dildo right here and I know how you like to watch me use it. I want to hear you get off to me getting off.

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. Now that Azurdee was in the picture, I wasn’t sure how to handle the whole Sherry thing.

Me: Sorry sweetheart. I’ve got to run. Have fun!

I turned off my phone and set it on the side table. I needed to get my head clear. I lay down and slowly began concentrating on my breathing to relax myself. Before I knew it my head was completely clear and I was drifting off to sleep.

We had begun our hike up Pico Bolivar early this morning. I had Jason Philips with me, and a new guy, Ricker. I’ve worked with Jason many times, but never with and Ricker. I stopped and looked back at them. They might be expert riflemen but they sucked at physical endurance.

“Come on ladies, my mother could move up this mountain faster than you pansy asses.”

“Fuck off, Lieutenant,” Sergeant Philips said. I smiled as I made my way up to our check-in point.

I sat down and began glassing the area we were headed. “Sergeant, call in our location,” I said in a low voice.

“Yes sir, calling in our location.”

We sat there for a few minutes so they could both drink and get rested up for the rest of the hike up. I could have kept going but these two pussies needed a break. I let out a deep breath and wished they would give me a Navy SEAL to partner up with. Those bastards are in-shape motherfuckers.

I stood up and grabbed my shit and kicked Sergeant Philips. “Let’s go.”

One of the things I liked about my job was the fact that I could sit for hours in silence and not think about anything but what I was set to do. We’d spent the night up here and that was exactly what I needed to clear my head. I glanced down at my watch. The target should be showing up soon. I looked through my scope at the small village below. Things seemed to be normal and nothing looked out of place. The target was supposed to show up with limited bodyguards and in an open jeep. That made my job a hell of a lot easier. I put my headphones on and hit play on my iPod. I listened to the same song every time, “Gotta Be Tonight” by Lifehouse.

I looked back and gave them the signal to the countdown. Five minutes later, my target was pulling up in a jeep. I settled into position, looked into my scope, and let out the breath I was holding as I squeezed the trigger.

Two minutes later we were humping back out as fast as we could, making our way to the extraction site.

As we made our way down, the new guy, Sergeant Ricker said, “Shit. If my girlfriend ever found out what I did for a living, she’d probably leave me.”

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at him. “What?”

He held up his hands and said, “Oh no sir, I don’t talk to her about what I do. She just knows I’m in the Marines.”

I shook my head and said, “No, why would she leave you?”

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know. To me, killing someone like that douchebag is no big deal, but I’m not sure how she would feel. Ya know?”

“Lieutenant, we have to get a move on to make it to the extraction site on time,” Sergeant Philips said.

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I had as we made our way down the mountain. If Azurdee ever found out what I did, would she leave me? I was so lost in thought I wasn’t paying attention and slipped on a rock and tumbled forward, hitting the side of my face on a rock as I made my way to a stop.

“Fuck, Lieutenant Williams, are you okay?” Ricker asked.

“Shit, Lark, what the fuck?” Jason said.

I wiped the blood away and kept moving. “I’m fine. Let’s just get the fuck out of here. I’m ready to get home.”

As we sat in the helicopter and made our way back to the base, Ricker leaned over and said, “Lieutenant, I just wanted to say I’d never in my life seen anyone shoot so damn accurate at that far of a distance. No wonder they say you’re the best.”

I smiled and nodded my head and closed my eyes, giving him a sign I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. My head was killing me and I knew I was going to end up with a black eye all from a stupid-ass mistake. I couldn’t afford to make mistakes in what I do. I knew Skip would give me hell about this and ask a million questions. To him I was perfect and never made a mistake. Bad enough I was a Marine, but I was a Marine working for the CIA.

/> As I jumped off the helicopter and made my way over to the medic, Skip grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side.

“What in the fuck happened?” he asked, with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. Skip was five years older than me and was a built motherfucker. He stood about two inches shorter than me, with brown hair and blue eyes. The girls went crazy for him.

I pulled my arm from his grip and asked, “What do you mean? I did the job. Target is dead and we extracted with no problems. I’m ready to get the fuck home.”

He looked up to the cut above my eye. He reached for my chin and grabbed it and turned my head as he pointed to my right eye. “This. What the fuck happened to you? You never called in that you were hurt.”

I pulled my head back and took a step away. “Jesus Christ, Skip. It’s just a cut.”

“It’s Agent Martin, Lieutenant Williams.”

I let out a sigh and shook my head. “I tripped and fell. It’s nothing.”