Absolving His Sins: Trident Security Book 7 Read online

  He was about to tell her that yes, indeed, she was coming with him, whether she liked it or not, but paused, listening to the comm set in his ear as Ian’s voice came over the airwaves. “We’ve got company, dude. Three guys packing, and it looks like they’re on a mission. Getting on elevator. You’ve got less than thirty. Meet you out back.”

  Time to go. He tapped his comm set once to let the other man know the message was received. Grabbing his gun from where it sat within reach on the bed, Carter leaped up and strode past a gaping Jordyn on the way to the door. “If you don’t want to go with me, love, then fine. You can deal with the hit squad on their way up here right now with orders to kill you.”

  “What?” she hissed, following him out the door leaving behind the few things she had left in the room. He knew everything she needed was somewhere on her body or in the duffel bag—everything else could be replaced.

  He glanced over his shoulder, but kept moving at a fast, yet silent, pace down the hall. “Changed your mind?”

  Her growled, unintelligible response caused the corners of his mouth to tick up in a smile.

  They were almost at one end of the hall when the elevator dinged at the other end of the long expanse, and the doors began to open. Shit! Two steps away from the closed door to the stairs and they were spotted. Ignoring the shouts to stop, he burst through the door with Jordyn on his heels as gunfire exploded behind them. Splinters flew from the door jamb, narrowly missing them, and Carter pushed Jordyn in front of him as they ran down the stairs. They were two levels down, with one more to go, when the gunmen slammed the door above them open. More shouts and gunfire echoed through the stairwell. Stupid fucks. Not that he minded, but these guys were idiots. He and Jordyn were skirting the walls on their way down, staying out of sight, so those jackasses were just shooting for the hell of it. Hm. Somebody didn’t want to pay for an experienced hit squad or didn’t care how much attention they attracted in the process.

  The two spies hit the ground floor, and Jordyn ripped open the door leading to a hallway. She was about to go left, when Carter grabbed her arm and pulled her to the right. “This way, love. Our chariot awaits.”

  He hurried through a set of swinging doors, into the laundry room, where the workers barely looked at them, and out onto the loading dock. Jumping off the dock, he still had Jordyn by the arm. A black SUV with smoked out windows screamed to a stop in front of them. The rear passenger door flew open, and Carter pushed Jordyn into the back seat, jumping in behind her. The vehicle took off again before the door was even shut. The whole episode from the room to there had taken less than two minutes, and neither of them had fired a shot.

  Leaving the hit squad far behind, Ian made three quick turns on the streets of Kano. When he slowed down to a normal speed for the day’s traffic, which was still close to neck-breaking, Jordyn put the duffel by her feet, shifted to face Carter, and glared at him. “Okay, Tristan, tell me who the hell they were and why they’re after me.”

  “How’d you know my name?”

  Carter hooted loudly as Jordyn glanced at the man in the front passenger seat who was staring back at her with narrowed, wary eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “You said ‘Tristan.’ That’s my name.”

  “And it’s not mine,” Carter added, still chuckling. “Sorry, McCabe. Every time the beautiful Jordyn sees me, she tries to guess my given first name. In seven years, she still hasn’t gotten it—not that I’d ever admit it if she did.”

  A car pulled out in front of Ian and he jerked the steering wheel sharply to avoid a collision. The sudden movement sent Jordyn flying across the seat into Carter’s arms and practically in his lap. He grinned at his female counterpart. “Well, hello, love. And here I thought you didn’t miss me.”

  Damn, her body felt amazing pressed against his, but it didn’t last for long as she struggled to sit upright, her hand barely missing his groin, before shifting over to the other side of the vehicle again. If looks could kill, he’d be on his way to the morgue by now.

  She growled at him again, but this time, he understood what she said. “I didn’t miss you, asshole.”

  “Jackass.”

  Jordyn’s head whipped toward the front seat, and she glared daggers at the back of the driver’s head. And, yup, Ian should be on his way to the autopsy suite as well. “Fuck you!”

  “Sorry, sweetheart, I wasn’t calling you a jackass,” Ian explained as he steered them toward the on-ramp of the highway leading to the airport. Fifteen more minutes and they’d be taxiing down the runway. “It’s a long-standing joke. Carter’s the jackass, and our computer geek, Brody, is the asshole. That leaves my dear brother to be asshat.”

  “So, what does that make you—asswipe?”

  “Ha!” Ian barked as he slapped his hand on the steering wheel. “You were right, man, she does have grit. I think I might like her.”

  Carter eyed Jordyn smugly while she looked like she wanted to slice him six ways to Sunday. It was a good thing he’d been the one to train her, otherwise he might be in trouble. As it was, she’d hated his guts ever since they’d had a romp in the sack. And what a romp it’d been. The woman could kill a man in dozens of ways, yet in bed, she was submissive. Little Ms. Jordyn, assassin extraordinaire, was the hottest woman he’d ever enjoyed pleasuring. Until the next morning when he’d woken to find her gone.

  Chapter 2

  Seven years ago . . .

  Laughing at something inane the ambassador from Bahrain had told the little group surrounding him, Carter tried to stay cool and not go running off to find out what was taking Jordyn so long. She should have been back five minutes ago from the Iraqi ambassador’s office in his embassy in Malaysia. The formal banquet had been the ideal opportunity to get into the man’s safe and find out who his contacts were in the small, Asian nation. ISIS had been spreading their radical wings into every country around the world, and some crooked politicians in those countries valued money and power more than their own people. But once Deimos had the names on the terrorist pipeline running through Malaysia, they’d be able to trace them back to those on the US military’s most wanted list in Iraq and their current hiding places.

  Carter had finagled an invite with his “date,” Jordyn, through his fictitious import/export business with an office in Malaysia. In truth, it was owned and operated by Deimos as a cover for him and two other agents who were on the “Board of Trustees.” Here, he was known as Carter Burke—wealthy businessman—who didn’t mind greasing some palms to get what he wanted.

  Glancing around the ballroom, Carter feigned another sip of his champagne. While there were many attendees dressed in tuxedos like he was, others had donned the traditional formal dress of their individual nations. It was an eclectic mix of well over two hundred people, but the undercover embassy guards were easy for him to spot. All he had to do was look for a wire emerging from someone’s ear or for them to talk into their wrists. They didn’t have the sharpest tools in the shed running security in the embassy.

  Another minute ticked by. Damn it, Jordy. Don’t make me come looking for you. He was just about to do that when a vision in sparkling, red fabric walked back into the ballroom. Carter inwardly sighed in relief.

  Spotting him, Jordyn sashayed across the room as many pairs of lustful, male eyes followed her seductive body. Her hair was pulled into some fancy updo, framing her beautiful face. The rest of her looked poured into the floor-length sheath that accentuated every feminine curve. How she was walking like a runway model in those five-inch heels was beyond him, but she made it seem effortless.

  Upon reaching him, she laid a hand on his forearm. “Carter, darling, I’m not feeling very well. Would you mind terribly if we went back to the hotel?”

  Before he could respond, the Bahrain ambassador spoke, using the last name Jordyn had taken as a cover for this operation. “I’m sorry to hear that, Ms. Dominguez. I’d be happy to send my doctor to your hotel to examine you.”

  The
look on the man’s face said he would be more than happy to watch the examination, too. Taking Jordyn by the arm, Carter smiled at the man. “Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, but I don’t think that’s necessary. Jordyn has been fighting jet lag for the past two days. She’s not used to traveling as much as I am.”

  Nodding, she agreed. “Yes, I’m sure that’s all it is. Thank you very much for your kind offer, though.”

  The man gave them a respectful bow, but the lust in his eyes as he practically drooled over Jordyn was unmistakable. “Very well then. I look forward to meeting you again. Maybe you and Mr. Burke can join me for dinner the next time you are in Malaysia.”

  “That would be very nice. Thank you. Carter and I would love to.”

  Saying their goodnights to the others in the small group who had been watching the exchange, Carter led his “date” toward the lobby of the embassy. Valets were waiting for them outside the main entrance and Carter handed one of them his claim stub. The young, uniformed man ran off to retrieve the vehicle.

  “Did you have a fun time, love?” he asked Jordyn, keeping up their cover with his arm around her waist.

  She looked up at him and grinned. “Absolutely, but it’s definitely time to leave.”

  In other words, she had what they’d come for. Excellent. It was almost a shame their night was ending so early, though, because he would love to spend more time with her in that incredible dress, or even better, with her out of it. The plunging neckline had given him, and everyone else, a generous view, while the straps holding it up curved over her exposed shoulders.

  Unable to stop himself, he raised his hand and cupped her chin. A flash of surprise in her eyes morphed into something different—something more. Lowering his head, he was about to kiss her when his cover’s white Lamborghini pulled up with a roar. Carter froze, his mouth inches away from Jordyn’s, his blue eyes fixed on her brown ones.

  “This is going to happen tonight, isn’t it?” she whispered. Sexual awareness, want, and need seemed to have taken over her facial features, and he was sure those same things were mirrored in his own expression. They’d been dancing around each other for a while now, and it was time they did something more than just a few steps, twirls, and dips.

  “It’s been coming for a long time, love. I was just waiting for you to give me the green light.”

  “How fast can you get us back to the hotel, Tyrell?” she purred as prettily as the 500 horses under the Lamborghini’s hood did.

  “In this thing? In a heartbeat. And no, it’s not Tyrell.” One of these days, she might say his real name, but she hadn’t yet. Until she did, he still wasn’t sure if he would admit it or not because he really hated it.

  He stood straight, despite wanting to kiss her senseless. They needed to get out of the embassy compound before letting their hormones loose. A valet was holding the passenger door open for Jordyn while the one who’d retrieved the sports car stood at the driver’s door waiting for Carter. After helping her into the low vehicle, he jogged around the back and handed the valet a tip in local currency. Within seconds, they were roaring through the gates and taking a left onto the city streets of Kuala Lumpur.

  The slit of Jordyn’s dress stopped just above her knee, and after shifting gears, Carter reached over and placed his hand on the exposed skin, pushing the fabric up another inch or two. Beneath his hand, he felt a shiver pass through her body, and he cursed when a car pulled out ahead of him, requiring him to remove his hand to downshift. He was as hard as the lever in his hand, and while the $300,000 vehicle was fun as hell to drive, the positioning of the driver’s seat didn’t give him much room for his throbbing cock. He repositioned his hips, trying to get comfortable, but comfort went out the window when Jordyn put her hand on his thigh and squeezed.

  “Payback,” she said with an unexpected giggle and another squeeze.

  Damn! That woman turned him on more than any other had in a very long time. And that was saying a lot because, being in the BDSM lifestyle, he’d had more than his fair share of women from around the world who enjoyed the same kinks he did.

  As he took a left onto the street their hotel was on, something caught his eye—or rather, someone. There was a man standing on the corner, seemingly with nothing better to do than watch the cars go by. Eyeing the white sports car, the guy lifted his hand and spoke something into his wrist. Fuck!

  Instead of continuing down the street, Carter took the first side street and sped up, needing to put as much distance between them and whoever the lookout had contacted. Jordyn’s gaze shifted to him in confusion. “Problem?”

  “Yup,” he answered, keeping an eye on the road ahead, as well as the rear and side view mirrors. “Hope there wasn’t anything back at the hotel you really wanted.”

  She glanced over her shoulder out the tinted back window, searching for a tail. “Damn. I really liked those black Louboutin heels I wore yesterday. Where was he or she?”

  “On the corner, trying to look like he was waiting for a cab.”

  He downshifted and took another right, the car hugging the road like a dream. A black Mercedes was coming fast from the other direction. When Carter passed it, the driver slammed on the brakes and did a 180 in the middle of the street. The wheels spun for purchase, filling the air with smoke, before they caught, sending the vehicle roaring down the street after them. “We’ve got company, love. Hang on.”

  Shifting again, Carter sped up, leading the chase through the city. He needed to lose this asshole and get to where he could really let the horses run. On a highway, he could easily leave the Mercedes in the dust if he didn’t need to worry about pedestrians and other vehicles.

  He glanced at Jordyn. Instead of looking scared or worried, the damn woman had a grin on her face. Like him, she lived for this shit. In her hand was the compact assault rifle that had been hidden in a specially made cubbyhole behind the glove compartment. While he knew there was also a small, concealed gun strapped to her inner thigh, this had more firepower.

  Checking the rearview mirror, he noticed another vehicle fall in behind the Mercedes—a black BMW. “This party’s getting bigger, babe. I say we blow this taco stand.”

  Taking another hard left, he sped up, heading for the on-ramp for what passed as a highway in this country. They had about five more city blocks to go. At least, when they got there, he could open up the Lamborghini and let it do what it was designed to do—fly.

  A tractor trailer pulled out in front of them across the road and stopped in the cross traffic, blocking the intersection. With nowhere to go, Carter settled for the only option they had. “Um, duck.”

  Three things could happen. One—they’d be decapitated. Yeah, not a good thing. Two—they’d sheer the top off and ruin a sweet ride. A slightly better option. Okay, definitely a better option. Or three—they’d glide under the trailer with a hair to spare and lose their tails.

  Taking a deep breath, they both ducked their heads, and, thank God, number three was the winner. Tires squealed behind them followed by a crash. Sweet! Take that, you fucking cockblockers!

  Picking her head up, Jordyn began laughing. “I freaking love these James Bond moments! Breaks up the monotony. Nice driving, Double-O.”

  He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. If someone had told him twenty years ago he’d be mimicking his movie idol, he would’ve thought they were crazy. But here he was, T. Carter, US spy and assassin, driving a car most people could only dream of, with an incredibly hot woman dressed in an evening gown while holding an assault rifle, running from people trying to kill them. It was times like these, he wished he could go knocking on a few doors from his youth. He would love to shove his life in the faces of those who’d either tried to bully him or told him he would never amount to anything. Too bad that wasn’t an option, but damn, it would be so satisfying.

  Their victory was short lived as they picked up two more tails at the next intersection. Fuck, they were trying to box them in. How many more assholes
are out there?

  One was another Mercedes—tan instead of black—and the other was a red Lamborghini. That was the one that was going to be trouble. Carter hit the on-ramp and floored the accelerator. Within seconds, they were cruising at 130 mph. Thankfully, at this time of night, traffic was very light. While the Mercedes fell a little behind, the Lambo was gaining ground as Carter dodged the few vehicles on the road.

  Bullets struck the back of the car, shattering the rear window, causing him to push harder on the accelerator. Without hesitation, Jordyn rolled down her window and rotated in her seat, hiking up her dress in the process. And fuck him! Between the adrenaline, and the sexy as fuck woman’s ass in his face, toned calves, and those “fuck me” heels, his cock twitched, making him groan.

  A car changed lanes in front of him, and he swerved to avoid it, berating himself for getting distracted at 140 mph. Get out of this mess, then get hot and horny, asshole. But, damn her ass looked delectable in the snug, red material, and his hand itched to reach out and give it a squeeze . . . or a nice, swift spank.

  Gunfire from Jordyn’s weapon sent his brain back into fight or flight mode. The driver of the other Lambo slammed on the brakes and then the accelerator again. Carter avoided another car and cursed when he saw what they were headed for. Brake lights appeared in the distance as traffic was backing up. Fucking A! The “let’s fuck with Carter and prevent him from getting laid tonight” gods were out in full force.

  “Gotta slow down a bit, Jordy. Can you get rid of the Lambo before the other assholes catch up?”

  Instead of answering him, she let out another volley of bullets, this time nailing the other sports car’s front tire, which blew then shredded, sending the other expensive sports car into a violent spin. The driver lost control, careened off the highway, and rolled over several times. One down, one more asshole to go.

  Slowing down, Carter swerved left onto the shoulder of the highway, passing the backed up traffic. Unfortunately, it gave the Mercedes the opportunity to catch up to them. Jordyn shifted in her seat, and now he had a great view of her cleavage as she aimed her gun out the missing back window. Hot lead spit out at Carter, and he ducked the flying cartridges as Jordyn eradicated the other vehicle’s windshield along with the driver and passenger. Just like the Lambo, the Mercedes flipped over several times onto the dirt median.