The Defender Page 10

  Reyna nodded at Lev to let him know that she’d expected it.

  “You have an impressive history,” Callie said.

  “Thanks,” Reyna replied. “I know none of you have any reason to trust me, b—”

  “Lev trusts you,” Callie interrupted. “That means we will, as well. Until you give us a reason not to.”

  The warning was loud and clear. “Understood.”

  “Great. Let’s move on,” Callie stated. “Where are y’all?”

  “In the Baltic,” Reyna explained.

  Then Lev said, “As soon as Reyna told me there was only one way out, I knew the Saints would be waiting for us.”

  “Yep. They sure will be,” Callie agreed.

  “I came up with a plan, and Reyna agreed. We’re headed to Sweden, where we’ll cross into Norway.”

  Callie said, “Ahhh. I see. And you’re going to get another boat then?”

  Reyna met Lev’s gaze and nodded. It was the easiest thing to do. It wouldn’t be simple to steal a boat, but it would keep Lev’s friends away from the Saints for at least that much longer.

  “That’s one option,” Lev said. “I wondered if Mia would be up for making a trip, though.”

  “You know she would,” Callie replied.

  “There’s just the matter of a plane.”

  Callie snorted. “Yep. That small matter.”

  “Sergei can help with that. I’ll call him. I should check in with him anyway.”

  Reyna closed her eyes as she recalled the things she had done to those who had stood against the Saints. She didn’t want that happening to Lev or any of his friends, and if anyone came for them, that’s exactly what would happen.

  “We’ll find a boat in Norway,” Reyna said as she opened her eyes and looked at the sea. She ignored the penetrating look Lev leveled at her.

  Callie hesitated before she said, “Umm, it’s going to be dangerous either way.”

  “Sending Mia here is the most dangerous,” Reyna said.

  Lev quickly added, “And letting the Saints catch up to us isn’t?”

  Reyna sighed and looked at Lev. “I know what the Saints do to people like Mia. I don’t care how tough a person is, everyone has a breaking point. They’ll do unspeakably horrible things to Mia and anyone who comes with her.”

  “You make it sound as if she’ll get caught,” Lev said.

  Reyna shrugged. “There’s a good chance she will. They’ll be on the lookout for any private planes leaving the States and headed this way. Even if she doesn’t call in her flight plan, they’ll pick her up on radar and track her. When she lands, they’ll grab her and us.”

  “She’s right, Lev,” Callie said. “But even so, I know Mia would come for you. She and Cullen both owe you.”

  Lev blew out a long breath, his face tight. “No. Don’t say anything to Mia. Reyna’s right. We’ll be fine.”

  Callie issued a loud, sarcastic snort. “How about we stop with the bullshit. We all know the Saints are coming. It doesn’t matter if we’re together or on opposite sides of the world. We’re fighting. That’s what matters. And we have each other’s backs.”

  Reyna couldn’t help but smile. Callie was right. It was easy to forget that Lev wasn’t on his own. And—for now, at least—neither was Reyna. She was so used to doing things for herself by herself that she had to stop and remind herself that she didn’t have to do it all anymore.

  “I don’t keep secrets from the group.” Callie mumbled something incoherent. “Okay, so I only keep small things from them. Like eating Owen’s lemon cake. That thing was just too damn good. My point is that I’m going to fill the others in. I won’t tell them that you thought about asking Mia to fly, but don’t be surprised if she comes up with it on her own.”

  The tension was gone from Lev’s face. He was calm once more. “Cullen won’t let her do it.”

  “She’s a combat pilot. She doesn’t need Cullen’s permission to do anything,” Callie stated, a hard edge to her voice.

  Reyna couldn’t wait to meet both Callie and Mia. They sounded amazing. But first, she and Lev had to get to Sweden, then across it into Norway.

  “Also,” Callie said hesitantly. “There’s a little matter of Maks.”

  “Maks?” Reyna asked Lev with a frown.

  It was Callie who answered. “He’s ex-Delta Force. He served on Wyatt’s team but left to join the CIA. The Saints tried to recruit him, but he disappeared. Which was answer enough for them.”

  Reyna nodded as she listened. “He’s exactly the type of person the Saints would want. I’m surprised he got away without them forcing him to make a decision.”

  “You don’t know Maks,” Lev said dryly.

  Callie laughed over the line. “Lev’s right. Maks is...well, let’s just say he told us he was going out. I put a tracker on him, and Wyatt put one in his pack, but Maks found both. The last I had him was in Turkey.”

  “He’s a ghost,” Lev said.

  Reyna whistled softly as she looked back at the water. “That’s an impressive skill.”

  “He might be near y’all,” Callie said. “I could try to get ahold of him.”

  Lev shook his head, even though Callie couldn’t see it. “If Maks left, it’s because he has something he needs to do. Let him see it through.”

  “Lev,” Callie began.

  “I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to this mission,” he cut her off. “I knew the risks. So did Reyna when she decided to infiltrate the Saints. We’ve gotten this far. We’ll figure something out. I’ll be in touch when I can.”

  “Be safe,” Callie said before the line went dead.

  Lev then called Sergei. The call was quick, only a few words exchanged between the two before Lev tossed the phone out the window into the water.

  Minutes ticked by without Lev saying anything. Reyna finally couldn’t take it anymore. She said, “I’m sorry. I want to go home, too. I’m just worried the Saints would grab Mia.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for. You were right. Cullen would’ve flown with Mia. It would be a big coup for the Saints to get a Loughman. That can’t happen. Besides, they’re better together.”

  “You make it sound like you aren’t one of them.”

  Lev shrugged. “In many ways, I’m not. I didn’t want to be a part of this, but I am now. And glad of it. But I’m not blood. That family is...tight.”

  “We’ll make it back,” Reyna promised.

  Finally, he turned his gaze to her. “I know.”

  She didn’t mention that he no longer looked seasick. It was better that his mind was on other things than a nauseated stomach.

  “Where are you headed exactly?” Lev asked as he looked down at a coastal map of Sweden.

  “The closest port.” She pointed to the bottom tip of Sweden.

  Lev twisted his lips. “I’m not keen on remaining out on the water any longer than I have to, but does that put us too close to the Kattegat strait?”

  “Closer than I’d like. I figured we needed off the water quickly. Are you suggesting we go farther north?”

  “I am,” he said. “What do you think?”

  “I think any distance we put between us and them is a win. Only so much time will pass before they realize we aren’t coming. Then Lorraine will look at different locations we could go. She’ll come to Sweden.”

  Lev smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Unless she begins to second-guess herself and wonder if we continued over land instead of coming to the sea.”

  “Now that would be nice. Most likely, Lorraine will split her team and send half in either direction. She is nothing if not persistent. She’s never failed. She hand-picks each member of her team.”

  “So, you know how she thinks.”

  Reyna shrugged. “She’s thorough. The fact that we got away will leave a rather nasty taste in her mouth. She’ll come at us with everything she has now. We’re going to have to be even more careful.”

  “I’m not wo
rried. Are you?”

  Reyna flashed Lev a smile, surprised when the truth filled her. “Not at all.”

  “We have each other. Like we told Callie, we’ve gotten this far. We’ll keep going until we can’t go anymore.”

  “Sounds like my kind of plan.”

  The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned. “I’m glad you didn’t shoot me at the theatre.”

  “I thought about it.”

  “I know. I saw your finger on the trigger. What stopped you?”

  She couldn’t tell him the truth, that there was something in his eyes that had called to her. Instead, she said, “I followed my gut.”

  16

  Getting to the coast of Sweden was thankfully uneventful. Lev’s stomach had settled considerably with the ginger gum, along with taking his mind off being on the water. He remained next to the open window to stave off the worst of the nausea.

  Even though the air coming off the water was chilly, and he saw Reyna shiver a couple of times, she never once complained. They each kept a lookout for any vessels that appeared to be following them or coming too close.

  When they finally sailed into the marina just south of Simpevarp, it was nearing dusk. Lev made his way out onto the deck of the boat and looked around. Reyna navigated the water and boat traffic expertly to pull them up to a dock.

  Lev jumped over the side, landing on the deck to tie off the boat. Reyna was standing beside him with both of their packs when he finished securing the last line. She flashed him a smile, and he was glad to see her wearing the hat again.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  He stood and let his gaze scan the area. “Let’s put some distance between us and the marina.”

  “Agreed.”

  They casually set out at an easy pace. He spotted the first camera quickly.

  “We’re being watched,” he told her.

  She adjusted her backpack and tucked her chin. “I’ve spotted four already.”

  “We won’t be taking a car here.”

  “We need to stretch our legs anyway.”

  They shared a grin as they left the marina and entered the parking area. In minutes, they were near a busy street. Several taxis drove past, but neither of them flagged one down.

  Lev spotted a large house near the shore. It suddenly gave him an idea. “We can’t chance a hotel.”

  “I know,” she replied as she turned her head to him. “But you need to sleep.”

  He’d planned to rest on the boat, but he knew if he lay down, things would’ve been worse for him with the seasickness. “True, and I’m not keen on sleeping on the ground again.”

  “You sound as if you have a plan?”

  He tilted his head toward the house.

  Reyna’s eyes widened. “You want to break into someone’s house?”

  “It’s just for a few hours. Think about a shower, hot food, and a bed.”

  “I hope you aren’t expecting me to cook.”

  He laughed. “I can handle the food.”

  “Really?” she asked, her brows shooting up in her forehead.

  “You don’t think I can?” he teased.

  “I’m beginning to believe there isn’t anything you can’t do.”

  That made him smile and feel something...warm deep inside. The place very near where his heart used to be. “Come on. There seems to be several nice houses.”

  “Why those? They’ll have alarm systems we’ll need to bypass. Let’s choose something less difficult.”

  “It won’t hurt to look.”

  “I don’t know about this,” she said, but she still followed him.

  They kept out of sight of cars as they made their way to the row of houses. There was one that didn’t appear to be occupied. Lev took the left side as Reyna moved to the right to investigate and see if it looked like anyone was home. They met at the back of the house.

  “There’re no dishes in the sink,” she said. “Either those living here are really neat, or they’re gone.”

  “Or they have a maid,” he said.

  She shrugged. “I’m willing to try. A hot shower is sounding pretty nice.”

  “So does a hot meal and a bed. I did find a security system. It should be easy to bypass, though.”

  “Another surprise,” Reyna said with a quick smile.

  She kept a lookout while Lev found the outside electrical box. He used her mini flashlight to find the wires he needed to disable the system but not sever it altogether. Because doing that would alert the fail-safes and set off the alarm.

  He put away the flashlight and returned everything to the way it was. “Ready?”

  “I call dibs on the shower first.”

  He grinned at her excitement. “I’m fairly certain there’s more than one.”

  “Well, expect that I’ll use all the hot water.”

  Lev chuckled as they walked to the back door. Reyna easily picked the lock. They hesitantly stepped inside. Lev searched for the alarm base to see if anything was flashing red. Everything looked good, so he gave her a thumbs up.

  “Do a quick search before we make ourselves comfortable,” she said.

  He nodded and went upstairs as she searched the ground floor. He found five bedrooms. Three were kids’ rooms, one looked like a guest suite, and then there was the master. Lev eyed the large shower before he pivoted and returned to Reyna.

  “I found this,” she said when he walked into the kitchen.

  He looked at the calendar her flashlight had highlighted. There, in bold, neat letters across two weeks was the word VACATION.

  “They won’t be back for another week,” she said and waggled her brows.

  “You’re going to love the master bath. Last door on the right.”

  She started to walk off but hesitated.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  She glanced down at her clothes. “I don’t want to be clean and get back into dirty clothes.”

  “See if there’s anything here you can wear.”

  “I’d rather wash mine.”

  He had to admit, it was a good idea, even as he thought about her walking around the house naked. Lev inwardly shook himself. “We’ll have plenty of time.”

  “Good. Strip.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “Get out of your clothes. I’ll start a load while we both take showers.”

  For a second, Lev couldn’t move. He couldn’t stop thinking about her naked. In the water.

  With his hands on her.

  “You okay?” she asked with a frown.

  He nodded quickly and removed his boots. “Yeah.”

  Lev didn’t say anything else as he removed each item of clothing until he stood naked before her. She held his gaze before she too removed her clothes.

  His gaze raked over her pale form. The gown she’d worn to the theatre had shown her incredible figure, but seeing her bared before him now made his blood heat.

  She was stunningly beautiful. Every muscle toned, but she still had the curves of a woman. Her caramel-colored locks were in disarray from the cap, but he quite liked the tousled look. Her breasts were small and firm. It was the sight of her pink-tipped nipples that hardened beneath his gaze that had the blood rushing to his cock.

  Then his eyes lowered to the juncture of her thighs. His mouth went dry when he saw that she was completely free of hair.

  Reyna gathered the clothes and walked to the washing machine. Once the cycle was set, she moved past him to the stairs. But on the second step, she stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder.

  The silent question in her eyes propelled him forward. He reached her, and they ascended the rest of the steps together. No words were spoken as they made their way into the master bathroom.

  Lev turned on the water while she retrieved towels. It wasn’t long before steam began to fill the room. Reyna was the first beneath the stream, but she quickly reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him in.

  He shut the door behind him. He coul
dn’t take his gaze from Reyna as she leaned her head back and wet her hair. His eyes followed her hands as they ran over her locks. He followed the rivulets of water as they ran down her chest to her nipples and then dropped to the tile.

  Unable to help himself, he reached up and cupped her breast. He learned the weight of it before he ran his thumb over her nipple.

  Reyna gasped and grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his flesh. The pleasure on her face was all he needed to see to keep going.

  He tweaked her other nipple, causing her to moan. Lev was so focused on her that he never saw her hand move until her fingers wrapped around his length. Then it was his turn to moan.

  The feel of her hand moving up and down his shaft was amazing. He kept one hand teasing her sensitive nipples before he slid his other hand down to her sex. He dipped a finger inside her to find her wet to his touch.

  His cock jumped, eager to be inside her. He spun them both so his back was to the water and hers was to his chest and began to slowly run his finger around her clit.

  Her moan of ecstasy was music to his ears. She gripped the sides of his legs, her hips moving in time with his finger. He moved faster and faster until she had to brace her hands against the tile.

  To his surprise, she reached around and once more took hold of his cock. Then she arched her back, maneuvering him so that the head of his arousal brushed against her sex.

  His hips pushed forward of their own accord, and he slid into her. Lev closed his eyes at the feel of her slick heat wrapped around him. It felt so good, he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to move.

  But his body took over once more. He began to thrust, slowly at first, and all the while, he continued to run his finger around her clit.

  Her cries became louder. A heartbeat later, her body tensed as her orgasm ripped through her. Lev drove hard and deep, loving the feel of her clamping around him. He didn’t stop circling her clit until her head fell forward.

  Lev then clasped his hands on her hips and began to plunge inside her. She pressed her hips back, meeting each of his thrusts. It wasn’t long before he, too, started to climax. He pulled out, spilling his seed onto her back.

  They stood together, each breathing heavily beneath the stream of hot water. Lev moved aside and let the spray rinse off Reyna’s back.