Lethal Echo by Cara Carnes

10

The treasure hunt ended at Kamren’s farm, which shouldn’t have surprised Bree. TJ and DJ dragged Luke and Hillary around to every animal—who they’d named. Bree had slipped into the house to cuddle the latest addition to the Mason brood.

“He’s adorable.” She leaned down and inhaled Daniel’s baby scent. Exhaustion darkened the area beneath Kamren’s eyes. “How are you?”

“Good. Dallas has been great about dividing up the middle-of-the-night duties. He’s so much better at this than me,” Kamren admitted. “I panic every time he cries.”

Momma Mason chuckled. “You’ll get the hang of it. I was like that with Marshall and Nolan both. By the time Riley arrived, I was an old hand at trusting my instincts. Yours are stronger than anyone I know.” She patted Kamren’s hand where they sat together on the sofa. “Trust your gut, dear. It’ll never steer you wrong.”

“And of course Dallas is good at the middle-of-the-night thing. He’s a commando,” Bree added. “They sleep with one eye open all the time.”

Her gaze swept the farmhouse, which had undergone a huge makeover since the first time she and Riley had broken in through the window to educate Kamren on all-things-Dallas. Pictures of their kids adorned the walls. Artwork they’d done decorated the area near the dining room. She could almost feel the love resonating from the interior.

“I never thought I’d be this happy,” Kamren said. “Some days I feel guilty for that.”

“Why?” Grams asked.

“My sister’s still in that mental institution. I’ve refused to visit with her. Now she’s started asking for Riley to go.” Bree glanced out the window. Riley was chasing the boys around. Luke clutched a rabbit to his chest. “Dallas tells me not to think about Rachelle, but she’s my blood. My family.”

“This is your family,” Bree said. “We are your family. She lost the right to be a part of your life. Blood doesn’t define that, not in the ways that matter.”

“She’s right,” Grams said. “Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is nothing. I don’t know what happened, but I see the love you have here. It fills this house and shines on the faces of your little ones. Don’t lose sight of what matters. That’s those boys.”

Kamren offered a shaky smile. Bree admired the woman for overcoming everything with more grit and strength than she’d seen from most anyone—and that was saying a lot because all her friends had it in spades. “Thank you for doing this treasure hunt, by the way. Luke loves your farm.”

“He’s welcome anytime. In fact, TJ wanted a sleepover with him and Mike.”

Mike was Rhea’s eldest son. Bree really wanted to spend some alone time with Rhea so she could get her best friend’s pulse on how she was doing with the insta-family. Maybe tonight while they were working.

“How’s Mike adapting?” Momma Mason asked. “He’s such an intense little thing. I just want to hug him close and make whatever worries he has go away.”

“We all do,” Kamren said. “I thought TJ was intense when he showed up here, a little man trapped in a boy’s body. The weight of the world on his shoulders. Whatever Mike went through before he got here is still buried in him. Fallon and Rhea are good with him, though. They’ll get in. It’ll just take time.”

“I suspect he’ll open up to TJ before anyone,” Momma Mason said. “Your boy latched on to Mike quick.”

“He likely sees himself in him,” Bree said.

“Dallas has talked with him about it and made sure he knows he can trust us with whatever they talk about,” Kamren replied. “I just hope Mike starts relaxing.”

Bree couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be for Mike and his two younger siblings. Their mom had been killed. Then they’d been carted off to Rhea and Fallon because she’d made virtual strangers their new parents in a will she’d written out on a piece of paper. The strangeness of the situation might seem improbable to most, but the woman had known about the work Rhea did with Zoey and Jade, her trusted friend, on the underground network.

“Dallas was going to stay and watch the boys tonight,” Kamren said.

“Nonsense. They’re all coming home with me,” Momma Mason replied. “I’m looking forward to being surrounded by my grandbabies.”

“I’d love to help out, if you don’t mind.” Grams smiled as she looked out. “I haven’t seen Luke and Hillary this happy in ages. Or Lars.”

Bree bit her lip and ignored the opportunity to mention they could have this long-term. Grams needed to find her own way to the potential here. “I’d better go find Ram. We have to go back to the compound and meet with the others.”

“How did I miss you and him being a thing?” Kamren asked.

“We aren’t,” Bree argued.

“You so are. Tell me.” Kamren leaned back on the sofa.

“It’s not a pretty story, not the start of it at least,” Bree whispered. “They were on a mission with Marshall the second day I was at The Arsenal. Things went sideways. I helped them out. I heard all the whispers about them, how they always had one another’s backs and saw how the other operatives admired them.”

“Doesn’t hurt they’re so handsome,” Grams commented.

So true. Bree carried on with the story. “They were the ones who helped get Zoey out. I was at the hospital and had just overheard Zoey sharing some stuff with Mary. I wanted a way to help her and was so lost in the anger and pain I was feeling. Then I sort of slammed into Ram in the corridor. He’d…” She swallowed and glanced up at Kamren. “He’d rounded up her hair from the bathroom floor and put it in a black bag.”

“Damn,” Kamren whispered. “That’s where you came up with the idea for the wigs.”

Bree nodded. “Things kind of evolved from there. I sassed him about abbreviating the short name Ramon to Ram. I mean, seriously. It’s one syllable.”

Momma Mason and Grams both chuckled. Grams probably didn’t understand how important nicknames were to the commandos. Bree hadn’t at first. Now she got it. They were an identity, one strengthened by what they’d endured. Survived. More importantly, they were a bond—one stronger than whatever they’d combatted.

“Anyway, it evolved from there. I respected him and the others for the way they got onto Gage’s team. They recognized themselves in him, that’s what Ram shared with me one day.”

“I didn’t realize you two were chatting,” Kamren said. “He’s a good man.”

He was a great man. Bree nodded. “We had small conversations here and there when we’d run into one another.” Heat crept up her face. “I may have made sure those happened fairly frequently.”

“I would have, too, dear,” Grams commented.

“Things have been pretty intense around the compound. Then I had my…” She bit back the rest. “Well, you know.”

“I don’t, actually,” Grams said, “but I’m reading between the lines.”

Damn. She never missed much. “There hasn’t been time to explore the attraction.”

“There won’t ever be time,” Momma Mason said. “You kids live life full throttle. I heard Dom and Nolan say that one day, and it’s true. Love won’t ever follow the usual path for any of you.”

Love. Bree suspected it’d be easy to fall in love with Ram, but Momma Mason was right. The lifestyle they led didn’t lend itself to traditional romance. Every second counted, which was why commandos didn’t screw around. When they saw something they wanted, they went for it.

And Ram wanted her.

Her pulse quickened at the thought.

The door opened. Dallas entered, followed by Ram. Kamren chuckled when Ram headed right toward Bree and ran a hand down her hair. It’d finally started growing out enough for her to style.

“Hey,” she said into the silence.

“Hey. I know we’ve got to get back, but there’s something I want to do first.”

“I bet,” Dallas drawled. Kamren slapped his chest. “Go. The kids are cool with ours. We’ll get everyone back to the compound.”

Bree stood. “I’ll see you later, Grams.”

“Have a good time, dear.”

What did Ram want to do? Anticipation beaded along her skin as he escorted her out of the farmhouse and around to where a new detached garage was. “What are we doing?”

“Running away. At least for a little while.” He motioned toward an ATV. “Have you ever been on one?”

“No.” But she so wanted to. She’d seen the commandos race around the compound on them. Excitement rolled through her. “This is so cool.”

Ram settled a hand at her waist and drew her closer until their bodies almost touched. “I know we’ve got a lot of fires burning, but someone else can tend them for a little while. Come have some fun with me.”

“What kind of fun?” She licked her lips.

“Fuck, you’re killing me, sweetheart. That kind of fun would take a lot longer than we have,” Ram said. “This’ll be the dirty, thrilling kind.”

Bree suspected the kind of fun she was thinking about would be plenty dirty and thrilling. She didn’t voice those thoughts, but Ram mumbled another curse. He was totally thinking about hot, sweaty, mind-blowing sex, too.

“Okay, Trouble. Let’s get our fun on.” He handed her a helmet.

She donned it and watched as he straddled the ATV. Her gaze remained on his powerful thighs. He groaned. Opting to ignore the sexual tension building between them, she climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She splayed her hands out and admired the flex of muscle beneath her palms.

Damn.

* * *

Ram deserved a medal for maintaining his focus on the narrow path, which darted through overgrown shrubs and up and over artificially built inclines. Bree squealed her delight as the ATV took to the air, then slammed back onto the path. Each time she tightened her grip, blood surged to his dick.

It’d been too long since he’d been with a woman. Add in the constant compulsion to get closer to Bree, and his lizard brain was fully activated. Much more of this, and he’d be nothing more than a walking hard-on with legs. He snickered at the visual that thought created as he spotted the trickling stream Dallas had mentioned.

He slowed the ATV near the bank and silently thanked the man for coordinating everything.

Get her out of her head, man. Even an hour will do.

It was easy to forget there was more to their lives than the missions. Saving people’s lives was important work, but it could leave operatives with no reason to live. If they didn’t suckle on the joys life offered, they’d emaciate themselves. Then they’d be useless.

It was one of the reasons he, Doug, and Pierce had started their tradition after fucked-up missions. Knowing that downtime was at the end made the bad times survivable.

“This is beautiful.” Bree got off the ATV. Her wide grin matched her expressive, wide eyes. “That was fun! So fun! I can’t wait to tell Rhea.”

“I’ll take you skydiving. There’s a crew in Nomad that offers private jump time,” Ram said.

“Seriously?”

He smirked. “Seriously.” He motioned toward a blanket set out by the bank. “Dallas did this, said he got the idea from something they did for Jesse and Ellie.”

“Oh yeah. The tree.” Bree’s attention shifted to the river. She wandered that direction. “This is gorgeous. I didn’t realize it was here. No wonder Kamren loves this property so much.”

“This wasn’t actually part of her original land,” Ram said. “Dallas’s brothers acquired it as their wedding gift.”

“That’s cool. How did I not know that?”

“They didn’t tell anyone. I only know because Doug, Pierce, and I helped pull out the fence that separated the new plot from Kamren’s place.” Ram shrugged as he sat beside Bree on the blanket. “I should’ve brought some waters or something to snack on.”

“I’m still stuffed from Bubba’s.” She patted her stomach. Ram’s lizard-brain took in the motion, then moved down her legs. “This is perfect. It’s so quiet. That’s what I loved about the mountain. The silence. It’s almost a presence within itself because it isn’t quiet, you know. There are the birds and the insects going about their day. When I was a kid, I used to pretend they were talking to me, welcoming me into their little sanctuary.”

“You like the country.”

“I do.” She cocked her head. “You seem surprised.”

“I thought you were a big city girl. There aren’t many labs in the country.”

“True, but that’s why I loved The Arsenal before I ever arrived.” She grinned. “I heard private paramilitary compound on a ranch and was fully on board with relocating. I think I gave Rhea whiplash with how fast I packed our stuff.”

Ram chuckled. “You lived together?”

“Yeah. We had a two-bedroom apartment not too far from a private lab we rented time from. It was a small one that needed the money to do their research, so they never asked questions or even bothered us.” She hesitated a moment, then added, “We didn’t always live together, but we both had a few difficult contracts while we were apart. We both decided it was safest to work and live together as much as possible. Addy sort of demanded it at that point because she’d appointed herself our protector.”

“I’m glad you’ve had Addy looking out for you. She’s a great operative,” he said.

“And an even better friend. Rhea and I didn’t have many of those, except for her, Mary, and Vi.”

She’d spent more time isolated from everyone than he’d realized. “Was it hard? Working so isolated?”

“In a way, yes. I always wanted the camaraderie I’d seen in other facilities I contracted with. You know, the group of work friends you went to lunch with or ventured out to happy hour with after work. Sure, I had Rhea, but it’s different when there’s a big group.”

“Different dynamic. You have that now, though. You and the girls have your girls’ night.”

“Sure.” Her voice lowered. “It’s changed, though. We all have lives apart from one another, which is great. I’ve just never been good with change.”

“You’ll always be an important part of their lives, even if the dynamic shifts a bit. You know that, right?” He caressed her cheek. “And you’ll always have me. Doug and Pierce, too.”

“Your man cave is cool. Thanks for letting me crash it. I…” She hesitated a moment. “I wouldn’t mind doing that again.”

“You’re welcome there anytime. In fact, whenever you need that time, just let us know and we’ll be there.” And they would. He would.

“Have you three thought about asking to move in there?”

He shook his head. “Command worked hard to overhaul the residence building into apartments since more than a few operatives expressed their desire for a larger, more inclusive environment. One where some of the team members could live together like a normal apartment. We don’t want to rock the boat and ask for a freaking house apart from everyone else.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’ve rocked it enough.” He grinned. “When we showed up at The Arsenal, we let everyone know we weren’t interested in being split up. We’ve turned down promotions to team leaders or seconds so many times I doubt they’ll ask again.”

“Is that why one of you isn’t second in command on Gage’s team?”

“Yeah.” He stared out at the stream. “When we’re on a mission, we’re a hive mind. One soldier in three bodies. We won’t fuck with that dynamic by having one of us above the others. It’d never work.”

She stroked his arm. “That’s cool. The way you three are together. I’m glad you signed on to Gage’s team. The way you did it? It was awesome.”

“He’s a damned good leader.” Ram was proud to be on his team. “What we have at The Arsenal is what I’d always wanted. I never thought I’d have it, growing up the way I did.”

“It doesn’t sound that different from what Addy went through.”

It was far different. He hadn’t been subjected to daily torture from a young age in a freaking internment camp. Addy had survived a harrowing ordeal no one should endure, much less someone her age. The things she’d gone through were horrible.

“Mine was primarily psychological, more like a cult mindset. Physical punishment and conditioning only happened occasionally.”

“Don’t minimize what you went through,” she whispered. She tightened her grip on his arm. “I don’t know what you experienced, but it’s shaped you into who you are. And you’re pretty awesome.”

He leaned closer and cupped her face. “I am, huh?”

“Yeah.” She feathered her lips across his in a kiss. “So, random question.”

“Fire away.”

“You, Pierce, and Doug are known as the Triple Threat. Why don’t you have individual ones? Most commandos have one, but the Masons don’t. Seems weird to me.”

“Been thinking about that a lot?”

“Maybe.” She caressed his jaw. “What’s up with the names?”

“A couple of things. First, the Masons did have nicknames while they served. Not everyone keeps them when they leave. You’d have to ask them, but I suspect their time in the military wasn’t as important as who they are here. Family comes first with them. Always. Keeping the names they went by while apart from one another would separate them from who they really are. Brothers.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” she whispered. “And the Triple Threat?”

“It’s not much different. Mine wasn’t very original. I was always Ram,” he admitted. “Pierce? That is his nickname. Doug? Well, that’s an inside joke he’d have to explain, but it’s a nickname he adopted as his real one. Who we are together became bigger than who we were individually. When we’re on a mission, we become one.

“Everyone who’s worked with us noticed and respected the bond we’d forged because not many teams have it. So, we became the Triple Threat. If you fight one of us, you battle the other two. We’re a packaged deal, both on a mission and in real life. We’re brothers in every way except by blood.”

“Wow. That’s cool. You do have nicknames. They’re just common and everyone assumes they’re your real names.”

“Basically. Blending into any environment was one of our skillsets.” He grinned. “Does that answer earn me another kiss?”

“Definitely.” She kissed him.

A groan escaped him as he took over. He’d wanted to taste her for months. She tasted of mint and sugar. The kiss deepened as she sank into his arms and followed his lead.

His pulse quickened when she explored down his arms, across his chest. Warmth greeted his fingers when he moved them beneath her shirt and up her side. She shivered when he ran along her ribs.

“Don’t.” She nipped his lower lip. “I’m ticklish.”

He grinned. “Good to know for next time. Tickling wars are a go then.”

“Don’t you dare.” She yanked his shirt up and off. Her heated gaze followed her hands as she touched his chest. “I’ve watched you in the training yard a few times.”

“Oh, yeah?” Knowing she’d done that surged blood to his dick. “What’d you think?”

“Lots of things.” She kissed his chest. “I wanted to lick every inch of you, taste the salt of your sweat on my tongue. Feel your muscles bunch and flex beneath my palms.”

Fuck. He claimed her mouth. If she kept talking like that, they’d be naked and doing everything she’d just said and more. He wasn’t about to let their first time together be on a blanket in the wooded area behind Kam’s farm.

Bree pulled away and tugged her shirt off. The pink lace bra cupped her gorgeous breasts. A groan escaped him as he kissed the swell of her left breast and massaged them.

“More, Ram. Please.” She ran her hands through his hair, holding him against her. One firm tug exposed the beautiful mounds. He licked and nipped the sensitive flesh as he teased her hardened nipples with his thumbs.

He sucked them both and relished the way she trembled. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she dragged them downward. Legs wrapped around him, she writhed upward. A moan escaped her. His cock throbbed.

“Didn’t mean for things to go this far,” he whispered.

“Don’t you dare stop.” She tugged on his hair until their gazes locked. “I want you. Now. Here.”

He kissed her, surrendering to the carnal need riding him hard. She reached between them and undid his jeans. A groan escaped him as she fisted his dick and squeezed. He thrust into her hand as she worked his length.

“You first,” he whispered as he pulled her hands over her head. “Behave, little minx.”

He licked the seam of her lips, as he unbuttoned her shorts and dragged them over her hips. The lacy panties did nothing to hide her arousal. He ran his fingers along the thin material and savored the soft moan she emitted.

“You’re wet for me. So fucking beautiful.” He kissed below her belly button and gently tugged the material down her hips. “I’ve been wanting to taste you since that day at the hospital.”

“Ram.” His name was a plea he felt in his dick. She gripped his hair and writhed upward.

Settling between her legs, he paid homage to her beautiful body. He teased her wet pussy with his fingers as he licked her clit. The soft moans and mewls she emitted became a symphony in his brain. He wanted to feel her come on his mouth. He alternated between tonguing her pussy and fingering the tight channel.

“Ram, I can’t…” She pulled his hair. Her entire body tightened.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart. Let go,” he whispered as he fingered her deeper. He rubbed his thumb across her sensitive clit in a slow, soft motion. “Come for me.”

She reached for him, her intent clear. She wanted him to come as well. Fuck, resisting that temptation was almost impossible, but he wanted this moment to be about her.

Only her.

She writhed against his hand as they kissed. The cries of her release sounded around them. He’d wage wars to capture the softness in her eyes when she looked up at him.

“So beautiful,” he whispered against her mouth.

“Let me…”

“I’m okay,” he assured her.

“Ram.” She reached for him, running her hand into his pants. “That’s not how this is going to work with us. We’re equal opportunity orgasmers.”

“Not sure that’s a word,” he teased. She fisted his hardened length and pumped. “Fuck. I’ll demand Webster make it one.” Need and pleasure coursed through him as they kissed.

The world slipped away as she drove him over the edge. He came hard, crying out her name.

“So perfect,” she whispered as she kissed him. “Better than I ever imagined.”

Fuck yeah. As much as he wanted to draw her into his arms and remain there for the rest of the day, he didn’t want anyone to stumble across them. Folks didn’t respect land perimeters as much as they once had—a fact Dallas had warned him about.

He drew her close and savored having her in his arms, relaxed and sated. For now, he’d hang on to the moment and forget about everything else. Bree was all that mattered.