HOT Valor (Hostile Operations Team - Book 11) Read online

  As if she’d known when they would be done, the woman—Elena, Yuri called her—returned with hot tea. Once they had their tea, she was gone again.

  “So tell me the problem, Viper. I cannot imagine you have come all this way for something small.”

  Johnny held a tea glass in one big hand. “Do you know who killed Anatoly Levkin?”

  Yuri’s eyes sparkled. “I had heard it was you.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  “They say you sent in a team of Special Operators. That you have gone rogue.”

  “I didn’t do it.”

  “And yet you are here. In Russia…” His gaze strayed to her for a second. “…with a lovely Russian woman who is far more than merely decorative.”

  “I’m here to find the truth. And to stop those who want to frame me. I won’t take the fall for something I didn’t do. Not if I can help it.”

  “What do you wish me to do?”

  “I need weapons. And I need to get close to Sergei Turov.”

  Yuri’s eyes widened at that last statement. “Turov is difficult. He has more security surrounding him than the president of Russia. Their firepower is not insignificant.”

  “Yes, but he purchased most of that from you, Yuri.”

  The other man nodded. “This is true. But what do you wish me to do? Deactivate hundreds of weapons with the press of a button? This is not a part of my skill set, I’m afraid.”

  “I just need to get close enough. I need to know what they’re using, and I need to get inside.”

  Yuri blinked. “What you ask is impossible.”

  Johnny leaned forward, his eyes glowing with determination. “Not impossible. Only improbable. Where none dare is my organization’s creed. It’s where we go. It’s what we do. I won’t do anything less than what I ask of them every single day.”

  “But you are one man,” Yuri said. “You are not a team.”

  “And one woman,” Kat interjected. “He’s not alone.”

  Not to mention she knew a little something about Sergei’s habits. Not that she would tell this man.

  Yuri dragged a hand over his nearly bald scalp. “He might as well be. Two against hundreds? It will never work.”

  Johnny arched an eyebrow. “From the man who should have died in Afghanistan? Who lived against all the odds? They left you for dead and yet here you are. You’re telling me something is impossible?”

  Yuri stared for a long moment. Then he sighed heavily. “I will do what I can. But there are no guarantees.”

  Johnny seemed to relax for the first time since they’d walked into this room. “There never are, my friend.”

  Chapter 26

  Yuri had far more information than he’d let on. Mendez was looking at the list of weapons he’d sold to Turov. There was also a blueprint of Turov’s Moscow mansion, which seemed to please Kat to no end. She actually grinned when she looked up and caught his gaze.

  The mafia boss had bought a historic building and was busy turning it into his own personal fortress, complete with electronic gates and high-tech security systems. It would take a team of HOT operators to break inside, as Yuri had said.

  Too bad he only had one HOT operator and one of Black’s Bandits.

  “Do you have a secure channel I can use?” he asked Yuri.

  “Of course.”

  It was risky to make a call, but Mendez had few choices left. He had to make contact with Ghost and the team. Yuri led him into the control room of his underground command center. Kat followed. Mendez almost wished she’d go back to the room so he wouldn’t have to feel her so damn close by. If she wasn’t in the same room, maybe his skin wouldn’t itch with the need to touch hers.

  He was still processing how he felt about what had happened between them. He hadn’t meant to touch her at all. But then he’d found himself looking at the cut on her head, breathing her sweet scent, and looking into eyes that couldn’t hide her turbulent emotions. He’d thought she was upset over the cemetery, but there’d been something else in those eyes.

  Something that had made him tell her what he wanted from her.

  Hell. If he kept thinking about it, he’d be hard again.

  “I will leave you to speak to your people,” Yuri said.

  Mendez dragged his mind back from the picture of Kat splayed before him. “You can listen to the whole thing from any room in this place. Don’t think I don’t know.”

  Also a risk he had to take if he was going to get a message to his people.

  “I can. But I’m not interested in your personal war, my friend. Unless you can promise me a cut of the profits—and I don’t think there are any.”

  “Not doing this for profit, Yuri.”

  “I know.” He nodded at the plans for Turov’s security and the manifest of weapons. “Sergei Turov is a good customer. He is also a dangerous man. He grows too powerful, and he demands too much. There will come a day when he is no longer a good customer. When he is perhaps much more.”

  “Political power.”

  Yuri nodded. “I have heard this said, yes. He will not hesitate to eliminate me when he can. He won’t need me if he controls Russia’s weapons, will he?”

  Now that was a wrinkle Mendez hadn’t considered. Sergei Turov had power and money to burn. But sometimes that wasn’t enough. Some men wanted more. “Turov is not the sort of man who should be in charge of a nuclear arsenal.”

  “No, he definitely is not. I wish you much luck in stopping him.”

  Yuri left them alone, and Mendez hesitated before picking up the phone. Kat hadn’t spoken. Now she did. “If Yuri is right and Sergei wants to be president of Russia—DeWitt and Sergei could divide the world between them. With their nuclear arsenals and their military might…”

  “Not a pretty picture, is it?”

  She shook her head. “But that kind of thing takes time. DeWitt needs the hearings about HOT. He needs Campbell to resign. And Sergei is not the president of Russia. He has to run for election—and elections aren’t for another year yet. There is also no guarantee he will win.”

  “Unless he has another plan.” He didn’t like where his thoughts were headed, but he had to consider it. “I have a missing HOT squad, and there’s a summit in Moscow in four days. Many of the world’s leaders will be visiting… Does Sergei have the capability to attack the Kremlin? A bomb, maybe?”

  If Sergei had Delta Squad in his custody somehow, he could be planning something even bigger than a simple assassination. Levkin might have been the first stage of something much worse.

  Kat was frowning hard. “I haven’t been a part of his organization for a few years now. I don’t know what he has the capability to do. But does he have the guts to do it? Yes, he definitely does. If he were to create a power vacuum at the top…” She shrugged.

  “He could step into it. He has the money and the power and he could present himself as the logical choice.”

  “We need Ian’s help,” she said. “It’s going to take more than the two of us to stop Sergei if this is his plan.”

  “We don’t have time to wait,” Mendez said. “The summit is in four days.”

  He picked up the secure phone and dialed the number he’d memorized.

  Ghost answered on the second ring. “It’s a fine day for a picnic.”

  Not only was it really Ghost answering the phone, but they were also clear to talk.

  “Sunday is my fun day,” Mendez replied, giving the other half of the code.

  Ghost snorted. “It’s good to hear from you, Viper. We’ve been worried.”

  “I’m fine. How’s it going there?”

  “Strange is the best word for it. Comstock and his people are systematically dismantling our missions. Many of the operators have been sent home for an extended leave, at least until it gets decided if they’re going to be reassigned or if we’ll open back up. My money’s on reassignment, but that will take some time to get past the president and the Joint Chiefs. I expect a rash of TDYs soon.”


  Temporary assignments to other outfits. It made sense, and it pissed him off too.

  “You still the deputy?”

  “In name, yes. I’ve been advising the general and his staff on where our assets are and why it’s important they complete their missions. But most of the time they don’t ask me anything or keep me in the loop. I’ve had some free time,” he finished with a note of humor in his voice.

  Mendez’s heart and gut churned at the thought of his HOT group being disassembled like scrap. He’d built it out of nothing, and he didn’t want to see the organization treated with such disregard for the impact they’d had.

  “We’ve got a big problem,” Ghost continued. “Delta Squad is still off the grid, and the networks have the story that it was an American military operation that took down Levkin.”

  “Shit.” The churning grew stronger. There was nothing he could do about the news being out. But his operators? That was a hard pill to swallow. He’d been hoping Ghost would have news for him, but instead there was nothing.

  “We’re trying to trace where the false information about Delta’s mission entered our system. If we can do that, maybe we can unmask the person behind it. Or at least we’ll know which IP address the information came from.”

  Mendez hoped like hell they could. A smoking gun pointing at Mark DeWitt would be the best possible outcome of that scenario. And even if it didn’t point at DeWitt, it would probably be close enough to cause him some trouble.

  “Who is we?” Mendez asked, because it occurred to him that Ghost was talking as if there was an active mission.

  “Alpha, Echo, and the SEALs. We’re currently set up in Richie’s man cave. We’re running ops from there.”

  You could have blown him over with a tiny puff of air in that second. His operators were running a mission out of someone’s house? For him?

  “You need to be careful,” Mendez said. “It’s not worth getting caught.”

  “Respectfully, sir—Viper—it’s worth it to us. You’re one of us, and we aren’t letting you take the fall for something you didn’t do. Everyone is on board. We’re searching for the source of the false report, and we’re listening to chatter and trying to help you any way we can—and Delta Squad too. If you’d tell me where you are and what’s going on, we could do an even better job. We’re not without resources—Hawk has a plane, in case you forgot.”

  Okay, so crying wasn’t his thing. But damned if a knot didn’t form in his throat. He loved these guys. He’d throw himself on a bed of sharpened spikes for them—and apparently they’d do the same for him.

  “I haven’t forgotten,” he said, his voice rough. “Any ideas on Delta’s real location?”

  “We think they were diverted. Probably given some R & R and told it was from you. They could be anywhere. All the mission reports from the real mission are gone, as are the travel records.”

  Mendez didn’t like it. At all. “The story they were in Moscow won’t hold up when they’re testifying under oath, and DeWitt knows it. We have to consider that they’ve been captured. They might already be dead—or there’s a bigger plan in the works.”

  He told Ghost about Sergei Turov and his theory that something was being planned for the summit.

  “Jesus,” Ghost said in disbelief. “I hate to think you could be right—but you could be right.”

  “Yeah, it’s not a pleasant thought.”

  “We’re listening to chatter,” Ghost said, “but so far there’s been nothing about Delta—or even about Turov and the mafia.”

  “And we don’t have time to wait. If Turov is planning something for the summit, we have to stop him.” Mendez looked up and met Kat’s gaze. She looked resigned to whatever fate they met. He didn’t like that look on her face. Didn’t like that he couldn’t change it.

  “Guess it’s time to fire up Hawk’s plane.”

  Mendez’s gut roiled at the thought. He didn’t want his men and women coming to Russia. Didn’t want them risking their lives and careers. He’d been accused of using HOT for personal missions with the assassination of Anatoly Levkin. It wasn’t true—yet here he was contemplating using them for real.

  “No,” he said. “Stay there and advise me on operations. Listen for chatter. I’ve got a partner. We’ll get to Turov.”

  “Respectfully, Viper—no. This is bigger than you. It’s about Delta Squad and the fate of our country. We’re coming.”

  “Stay there, Ghost. It’s an order.”

  Ghost laughed. “Guess you’ve forgotten you aren’t in charge anymore. This isn’t your call. It’s mine. And every man’s and woman’s in this room.”

  God, he loved HOT. Every last one of them. “You realize the price of failure means careers are over and prison is just about guaranteed… if everyone makes it through the mission alive.”

  “It’s not an issue for any of us. We already had that conversation when we set up our own command center and started digging. Every one of us is in all the way.”

  Chapter 27

  It seemed as if they’d been going nonstop for days, but now they were still. Kat didn’t know what to make of the stillness. She wanted to be doing something, but Johnny had told her they had to wait. There were things to be done in preparation for infiltrating Sergei’s lair.

  She frowned. Apparently one of those things was drinking vodka with Yuri Budayev.

  Kat explored the secure bunker, wandering the luxurious, quiet spaces while Johnny sat in the bar—yes, an actual bar—with the Tiger. They’d been laughing and doing shots when Kat left them.

  Just two old friends catching up. She hoped they were friends anyway. If the Tiger turned on them, there would be nothing they could do. They were trapped in a bunker. Cell phones didn’t work, and she suspected he could disarm them easily enough. She kept a couple of pistols with her, as did Johnny, but unless they dragged the weapons cache they’d taken from Turov’s men with them everywhere in the bunker, they would run out of bullets in short order should Yuri turn on them.

  She suspected this bunker was built to withstand a siege. All he had to do was cut them off from the areas he didn’t want them in. He could probably lock them in the bedrooms and cut off the water supply.

  She shuddered, rubbing her arms vigorously, and wandered the spacious living quarters. She could hear Yuri and Johnny talking whenever she passed by the bar area, but she didn’t stop.

  Eventually she went into the room she’d shared with Johnny earlier. She stood and stared at the bed for a long minute, then grabbed the weapons and went into the next room. She wasn’t going to spend the night in a bed they’d made love in when he’d made it clear they weren’t going to do it again.

  She took out the locket with her picture and studied the etched silver. It was warm and worn but also familiar, even after not seeing it for over twenty years. Her belly dropped at the thought that it was hers again. That he’d given it up so easily.

  Or maybe not so easily when she thought of his face. Of the words he’d said. It’s not my life anymore. It’s time.

  Time to forget Valentina Rostov. Time to move on.

  Except Valentina was right here. Still in love with him. Still not able to make a life with him. She thought of that moment when he’d bared her body and encountered the tattoo. He’d still expected to find evidence she was Valentina, but instead he’d found the evidence eradicated.

  Her body flamed as she thought of what happened after that. Of the way he’d taken her. She could still feel his possession lingering in the tenderness between her legs. Still feel the scrape of his beard over her spine and shoulders. She wanted so much more, but she’d learned that in this life she didn’t get everything she wanted.

  Maybe in the next one she wouldn’t live a life of danger and intrigue. Maybe she’d be a housewife instead of a warrior. Maybe she’d get her chance at love and happily ever after.

  She stripped out of the tactical pants and boots, shimmied out of her bra beneath the T-shirt, and yanked
the covers back. It was growing late and she was pretty sure they weren’t going anywhere tonight. She put a knee on the bed—and the door opened. She gasped.

  Johnny stood in the opening, looking completely delicious in his jeans and the black T-shirt he’d taken from the drawer in the other bedroom. His beard was really coming in now—and it looked fabulous on him. Silver and black, same as his hair. Though perhaps there was more silver in the beard. His hair was growing too, getting curls at the nape and turning wavy across his scalp.

  Love, impossible and sharp, lanced into her. Stabbing. Aching. Leaving her hollow.

  He shut the door behind him without a word. Then he twisted the lock.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He stalked toward her, menacing and gorgeous. Hard-eyed. Hot. Literally the most exciting man she’d ever known.

  “What do you want me to do?” he asked, stopping just short of touching her.

  So close.

  She tilted her head. “Are you drunk?”

  “Drunk? No. Out of my mind? Yeah.”

  “You’ve been drinking. I can smell it.”

  “A little.” His eyes dropped down her body. Back up again. “I’m not impaired.”

  “You said you were done with me. One and done. It’s not like you to change your mind.”

  His turn for a head tilt. “How would you know?”

  And there was the guilt again. “You haven’t changed your mind about anything you’ve decided over the past few days.”

  He reached out and lifted a lock of her hair from her shoulder. “Except this. Earlier and now.”

  She snorted softly, though her heart was about to launch into outer space. “You are a man. I’ve never known one to turn down sex when offered.”

  “I can. I have. More times than you can imagine.”

  “Have you? Why?”

  “A thousand reasons. Wrong woman. Wrong time. Wrong feeling.”

  “You are a complex man, John Mendez.” It was barely more than a whisper.