Undefeated Love (Black Swan Book 8), page 2
When all five females disappeared into the hangar, the significant others of her team members joined him next to his vehicle.
“Is she ready to do this?” Daniel Callahan, Katlin’s brother, who was married to her teammate, Nita, asked the question that Alex had worried about since Kat had told him she was leaving on a mission.
Alex shrugged. “I sure as hell hope so.” Both her neurologist and her psychologist had cleared her for full duty. That didn’t keep Alex from worrying about her. He’d worried about her when she was perfectly healthy. “I just wish she still wasn’t having stomach problems. It seems to be extremely sensitive.”
“Maybe getting back out in the field is exactly what she needs,” suggested Marcus, Tori’s fiancé who worked for the Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Department.
Griffin, Alex’s best friend and Grace’s fiancé, chuckled. “Coach always got us back on the field the minute the medics cleared us. He said we had to get back on the horse.”
“I can guarantee you that Lei Lu is thrilled to have her back in command,” Henry “Shakespeare” added. “She’s done enough research on TBIs to rival any practicing neurologist since they brought Katlin back from the Middle East unconscious.”
“Our women will take care of her.” Griffin slapped Alex on the shoulder. “Would you mind dropping me off at Reagan National Airport? I’m booked on the redeye to Miami.”
“Sure. Hop in.”
Griffin glanced at the other men before he moved. “Grace is going to ask all your women to be bridesmaids. I know if the tables were turned, I’d hate to see Grace spend the day with some other guy. So, what I’m fumbling around here trying to ask is if you will be my groomsmen?” He looked directly at Alex at that point. “She’s going to ask Katlin to be her maid of honor, so would you be my best man?”
It’d been a long time since Alex had been in a wedding. “It would be my honor to stand next to you as you married Grace.” Those two were perfect for each other.
The other men echoed his sentiments as they shook hands with Griffin.
“Thanks, men. I really appreciate it. The wedding isn’t for a few months yet. We’re going to have it in my grandparents’ garden down in Georgia. General Standish has guaranteed the Ladies time off.” He grinned. “Looks like you’ll get some time with your women as well.”
Whenever Katlin decided to finally marry him, he’d intended to ask Griffin to be his best man. Since he and Katlin had been engaged first, Alex had always figured they’d be married first. That hadn’t happened. Nita and Daniel had married soon after they returned from Costa Rica with his two children. Now, Griffin and Grace were getting married in a few months. Maybe when Katlin returned from this mission, he’d suggest they set a date.
At the sound of jet engines revving, they all looked toward the runway. Within a minute, the sleek black plane they referred to as the Black Swan screamed down the runway and lifted, disappearing into the night sky.
An hour later, Alex was in the SUV by himself, except for Damnit who’d decided to stretch out and take up the entire back seat. Even that felt strange. Katlin often talked to the dog as though he were a person. Sometimes, those two carried on what he thought of as complete conversations. Damnit seem to be able to read her every mood and react appropriately. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the dog was her trained service pet.
The quiet of the car was almost deafening as he drove to Guardian Security D.C. Center. It felt weird. He and Katlin had spent almost every day and night together for the past several months. Reaching over and grabbing her hand, kissing her, turning to ask her a question or for her opinion had become their norm. For the first time in months, he’d be sleeping alone.
He’d concentrate on work. That was never-ending.
Before she’d been released to go back to work, Katlin hadn’t been allowed to go to Denver because of the extreme elevation and possible effect on her TBI. That’s where he’d start this next round of visits.
As he drove into the underground parking garage, his phone rang. Normally a call at this hour of the night was never good news but he glanced at the caller ID on his dash display.
It was Jael Jimina Martinez, his childhood friend. Better known to the world as JJ. It was only ten o’clock in Los Angeles, if that’s where she was. Technically, she lived in L.A. but as one of the hottest rising stars in Hollywood, she could be anywhere in the world shooting her next movie.
“Jae, are you alright?” Alex never called her by her stage name unless they were in public together. His oldest friend rarely called just to talk. Over the past year, she had a stalker he’d helped find and put in prison, then he and his men had acted as fight scene trainers and coordinators for her last movie, which was still in editing.
“I’m just fine, love.”
Alex thought she sounded a little drunk. He pulled into a parking space but let the engine run so he didn’t lose the call. “In that case, what can I do for you?”
“You can do all kinds of things for me, to me, and I’ll gladly recip…recipro…cate.”
Yep. She was drunk.
“Where are you, Jae? Do I need to send a car to get you and take you home safely?” It wouldn’t be the first time he’d called one of his other offices and had his men personally rescue her and take her home.
“I’m at a club. We’re celebrating. I got another movie deal. I get to play a kick ass and take names hard-ass woman again.” Her voice changed to that of a little girl. “Can you please come work with me again? This time from the beginning so we don’t have to reshoot any scenes.”
She was gone and the director from the last movie was on the line. “Wolf. I really want you on this movie with me. You got more out of her than I could. We’re willing to double your hourly rate if you can start right away. We’re going to release these movies six months apart. Ride that action wave.”
“Make a killing at the box office while viewers are begging for more of JJ and more action.” Alex knew what they were doing.
“So, you can start next week?” the director asked hopefully.
Alex immediately started rearranging his schedule. He could stop in Denver on his way to L.A. Work with the writers and Jae then hand her over to his local men to work on the scenes while he moved on to San Francisco.
“Late next week. Send me the script.” That would give him a head start on what scenes needed to be reworked. It was obvious screenwriters had never been in a fight and weren’t former military.
“Thank you!” Jae screamed into the phone. “It’s no wonder I love you.” In a sultry voice she added, “I can’t wait to work with you again.”
“Jae, promise me you won’t drive home, and you’ll ride home with someone who isn’t drunk,” he insisted.
“Silly. I’m here with the producers and the director. They all have limousines.” He heard her name called in the background. “Bye, love. I got to run.”
When the line went dead, he turned off the vehicle and went to his apartment on the top floor of the Guardian D.C. Center, Damnit on his heels. As he stepped in, the lingering smell of Kat made him smile. She’d showered just before she left. He was sure the bed would smell like the sex they’d had an hour before they had to leave.
As he thought about his upcoming job with Jae and the new movie, he felt guilty that he was glad Katlin was away on a mission. The last time he’d worked with Jae, he came home every night and slept next to Katlin, at least for a few hours. The commute from the studio to his Guardian Center in Los Angeles traffic, even in the early hours of the morning, was still a living hell. When they had an early morning call, the reverse drive was even worse.
The producers would have gladly given him his own trailer right on the set, making it so much easier to get a good night’s sleep. It would also give him someplace private to work on Guardian business in between his work on the movie. Hopefully they’d shoot all the action scenes at the same time so he and his men could finish in just a few weeks.
He would definitely make sure an on-set trailer was written into this new contract.
CHAPTER 3
Three Weeks Later
Katlin sprayed the small bathroom on board Black Swan, rinsed and gargled with mouthwash before stepping into the cabin of their plane. She fucking hated to get sick. She’d rather die than throw up, but it seemed like every day since they’d left on this mission, at least once a day, her stomach would revolt and empty.
Katlin was over it.
She’d been able to keep most food down over the past three weeks while they hunted their target and eliminated the kingpin in the human trafficking ring. He was a real dirtbag. The fact that he had dual citizenship didn’t mean shit to her team.
But Katlin was disappointed in herself and her performance. Sometimes it was nearly impossible for her to stay awake during her guard rotation, but she managed by sleeping whenever she could. She knew she wasn’t holding up her part of the team. The others had often relieved her early so she could return to base camp and sleep.
She hated being the weakest link. She was fucking tired of feeling so fucking tired. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt great. She was over this…whatever it was.
Not unusual for your stage of recovery from a traumatic brain injury, her neurologist had claimed. Katlin had never been normal in her life and certainly didn’t want to start now.
“Feel better?” Nita, the team’s medic, asked for the umpteenth time since they left on this mission.
“I can fly the last leg if you need me.” Katlin prayed they would say no. She’d flown the first leg as they headed back toward the U.S. from Brazil. Being able to see the horizon made it easier but once the sun went down, they had to depend on their gauges and dials. That made her stomach roll. Since all five women were able to pilot and copilot their sleek jet, everyone took turns in the front two seats.
“We’ve got you covered. Grab a seat.” Nita was using her doctor’s voice and not the kind one filled with patience. She took Katlin’s blood pressure and checked her oxygen level. “After you eat some crackers and drink ginger ale, I want you to lie down until we get home. I’m going to hook you up to some oxygen. When we land, I’m calling Dr. Tobias. Luckily, your sickness didn’t put us in danger…this time.”
Oh, fuck. Nita was going to ground her. Katlin had waited patiently for months to get back to her team and their missions, but now that she was active again, she wasn’t at her best. Nita was right. If Katlin had gotten sick during a crucial part of the mission, she could’ve gotten them all killed. As it was, the other women were more tired because they’d been making up for her inabilities. Tired on an op was dangerous.
“We’ve been given two weeks’ leave. I plan to sleep on the beach and eat at all my favorite restaurants in Miami.” Katlin forced a smile.
Nita smiled too. “The kids have never been to our beach condo. I can’t wait for them to play in the Atlantic Ocean. And to see Daniel. Have you heard from Alex? Will he be able to join us in Miami?”
“No. He’s out in Los Angeles working on another movie. They’re paying Guardian an insane amount of money to work with the actors on the fight scenes. He might be finished before we leave again.” That particular news hadn’t thrilled Katlin when she’d called Alex to tell him they were on their way home.
Since they had a few weeks off, her team had decided to go to Miami. Katlin owned a condo on Miami Beach with bedrooms for each of her teammates. In truth, she owned the whole building and this time made sure several of the rental condos were available for her friends. Over the past two years, each had found the love of their life. All their men were flying to meet her teammates…except Alex. And Griffin. As manager of Guardian Miami Center, he lived in that building.
“With Alex not there, it might be better for you anyway. Maybe you’ll catch up on your sleep.” Nita went quiet and listened to Katlin’s heart.
Katlin yawned. “All I seem to do is sleep.” She amended her statement. “And throw up.” She looked into her friend’s eyes. “Do you think maybe I came back too soon?”
Nita lifted her shoulders then dropped them. “I don’t know. Everything I’ve read on TBIs indicates that you are doing extremely well. Both Dr. Tobias and Dr. Bowden released you for full duty. When we get home, we’ll run a full spectrum of tests.”
Katlin groaned. “Can I please enjoy my two weeks at the beach first? When we get back to D.C., I’ll run over to Walter Reed Military Medical Center and get a complete checkup, if I’m still sick.”
“I’ll agree to that. Mostly because I want to see my kids and my husband.” Nita packed up her medical equipment.
“Nita, I’m so sorry I’ve been sick this whole damn mission. You had other things to worry about. I just complicated everything.” Katlin truly felt terrible, physically and in her heart.
Nita grabbed her knee. “We just want you to feel better and get back to work on this team. We’ve missed you.” She walked down the aisle and dimmed the cabin lights.
Katlin put the large leather chair into zero gravity, pulled the soft warm blanket over top, and instantly fell asleep.
The next thing she knew, Tori was smacking the back of her seat.
“Time to sit up. We’re on approach.” The tall former model gracefully slid into the seat across from her and buckled her seatbelt. Smiling, she announced, “Marcus is already at our condo. We took the one bedroom down on the second floor. I hope he’s naked and in bed when I get there. Who knew sex was so addictive? BOB doesn’t do it as well as my man does,” she said, referring to her battery-operated boyfriend, a.k.a. her dildo.
Katlin had to agree. The real thing was so much better. Nothing compared to making love with Alex. He read her body, knowing exactly what she needed and when. Suddenly, she was even more disappointed that Alex had chosen to stay in Los Angeles than meet her in Miami. Maybe he would surprise her and show up. They could go visit Jenny, his daughter, together and take her out to a special dinner. But no. Alex had committed to this movie so she wouldn’t get her hopes up.
She could still take Jenny out someplace. Before she and Alex got together, as his daughter’s godmother, Katlin would visit Jenny every time she was in Miami. They’d often dress up and go to a musical matinee followed by an adult-style dinner. She took out her phone, searching for Pirates of Penzance, Jenny’s favorite musical.
They hit a slight bump of turbulence on their descent. Not unusual but Katlin grabbed one of the crackers on the table in front of her. She must’ve slept longer than she thought because she was kind of hungry.
“How about I order Chinese on our way home?” she suggested.
“Thanks, but Marcus and I are going out to the Italian restaurant on the mainland that we like so much. I’ve talked about it so many times that he insisted we go there tonight.”
“Okay.” Katlin then forced a smile. “That’s wonderful for the two of you.” She leaned into the aisle and asked Lei Lu if she’d like to join her for Chinese takeout.
“I’m so sorry, but Henry and I have decided to fly to Grand Turk tonight. He wants to check on his dive shop.” Lei Lu grinned. “We’re going to try to dive as much as we can before we have to fly back here. Or we might just meet you in D.C.”
For the first time in years, Katlin felt alone. She was sure both Griffin and Daniel were already in Miami to meet Grace and Nita. She could probably grab her niece and nephew and take them out to eat, giving Nita and Daniel some much-needed private time. Then she reread the text from her brother. They’d planned a quick supper in the condo with the kids, then he was taking Nita out somewhere nice while the nanny put the children to bed.
An hour later, she entered the large five-bedroom condo by herself. After stashing her mission gear in her designated slots next to the door, she stared at the empty shelves. Each woman had to keep her equipment close at hand. Only Katlin’s would sit on those ten shelves until it was time for her to leave. Her footsteps echoed in the large empty rooms on her way to her designated bedroom where she’d sleep alone.
For the first time in possibly forever, Katlin felt lonely. She also felt sorry for herself, which she knew was out of character. She wondered when self-pity had moved in and taken over her emotions.
She refused to think of the warm welcome her teammates were receiving at that exact moment. Each had quickly darted from the Guardian Security cars that had picked them up the minute their Black Swan plane had been tucked away safely in a protected hangar at a Miami airport.
Katlin called for Chinese delivery.
Everybody else was in their own condo.
Paired up.
Having great sex.
Except her.
Shaking her head as if to throw off those mental pictures, she carried her clothes into her bedroom, passing the twelve-person dining table and the U-shaped couch that took up much of the living room. Longingly, she glanced down the other four doors that would remain closed. The last door was the laundry room.
Well, she certainly had laundry to do. Might as well get that started while she waited for her delivery.
She changed into soft comfortable yoga pants, lost the bra, and put on one of Alex’s T-shirts. She’d already started her first load when the doorbell finally rang.
Hope rushed through her. Maybe it was Alex. Maybe he’d left the movie set and flew all the way across the country just to be with her.
Always safety conscious, she peeked through the peephole. She let out a long sigh as she unhooked the chain and flipped the deadbolt. Bowing, she thanked the deliveryman in Chinese and assured him there was a generous tip for him when she’d prepaid for the food. Katlin grabbed the bags and set them in the kitchen before returning to resecure the door.
