Savage Secrets (Titan #6) (33 page)

Sarah waved her hand. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t. Brock and I are handling this fine.”

Sugar walked toward the kitchen. “I’m getting a bottle of water. Go change, and then you can tell us all about Rocco in bed. Curious minds want to know.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What?” Her cheeks had to be neon pink. Nicola and Sarah shook their heads; Beth’s jaw hung open just like hers. They all apologized for Sugar, but the more Caterina interacted with Sugar, the more she liked her, even though the lady drove her batty.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Their mission had been grueling—into Mexico to rescue a woman from a cartel thug—but it was done, and Rocco was ready to come home. He about jumped onto the plane and volunteered to fly the thing home, all so he could see Caterina. Finally, it all made sense, all the time Winters and Cash and Jared ran back toward domestic tranquility. Well, as tranquil as anything could be with their particular brand of one-and-only.

As soon as he had a second, he called Caterina and was ten degrees past shocked when she was at Mia’s after Sugar had scooped her up. Mia was doing a big feast, not out of the ordinary, and he’d never wanted to get over there so much in his life. Now, with Roman and Cash by his side, Rocco walked through the Winters’s garage and into their kitchen. Parker, Winters, and Jared brought up the rear.

The room smelled like lasagna, and familiar voices filtered in. Mia cooked a helluva meal whenever they were coming in hot from a job. It had become some sort of a tradition: bust ass then eat until they popped.

The ladies were all there. He heard them in the living room and scanned for Cat. Winters’s daughter Clara ran into the kitchen, hooking herself onto his leg, and he grabbed her, tossing her into the air.

Clara giggled and screamed, kicking short little legs in the air. “You stink, daddy!”

The living room erupted in laughter. But a laugh that he’d memorized wrapped around him the same moment he set eyes on her. Caterina smiled at him, and his stomach jumped into his throat.

He was by her side in an instant, ignoring the jibes from the guys. “Hey, Kitten.”

Relaxing on the couch with an iced tea in hand, she was the only thing he wanted to see. His chest felt lighter. Content. Having her there worked in a major way.

Caterina cocked her head apologetically to the side and watched him watching her. “Sugar kidnapped me.”

“Glad she did.”

Right when he was about to drop down next to her, she pushed off the couch. Conversations quieted. No one was blatantly trying to listen, but it was too obvious that they were. He didn’t care. He threw his arm around her waist, pulling her close before he thought better of it. She didn’t pull back though. Maybe time had helped the slightest bit. Maybe she saw his bear hug coming.

“You do stink.” She wrinkled her nose.

Goddamn, she was cute. With more caution than with his hug, he kissed her. “Mud and sweat will do that.”

“You don’t care that I’m here?” She eyed the room of people watching them.

“Why would I?”

“These are your friends,” she whispered. “And their
wives
.”

He laughed, pulling her out of the living room for privacy. “We’re living together. That should count for something. Besides, Beth’s here, and she’s as single as they come.”

“Oh, I know all about the Beth-Roman connection.”

“Not addressing the we-live-together comment?”

She moved closer, whispering, “I’ve never…had a real boyfriend.” Her cheeks turned pink. She blushed all the time when it came to him and them. He loved it.

“Don’t want to hear about real or fake, but I’ll let you use it as an excuse for easing into whatever.” He kissed her again, this time with a little less warning, and she did fine with it. “But only if you fill me in later on Beth. All I know is Boy Wonder over there would die for her to smile at him, and our favorite single spy girl hasn’t noticed a thing.”

She rose on tiptoes, whispering into his ear, “I’m not used to lots of people and lots of love.”

Mia called out from the kitchen. “Grub’s on the table.”

Like she’d thrown a bone to a pack of wolves, the living room emptied past them with Titan leading the charge and the ladies lagging behind to take a last peek at Rocco holding Caterina.

Rocco shrugged. “It’s not so bad. People and love.”

“It’s different.”

His hands flexed around her waist. “But not bad.”

She shook her head. “Takes some getting used to.”

“You still wanna give it a try?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“But you were kidnapped.” Damn, he’d never been surer of anything in his life than of her with him, hanging with his buddies, living in his home. “Kitten, I want the people I love around me, and that’s you. I love you.”

Her mouth opened, but he kissed her quiet. Just when the moment was perfect, distraction waved its ugly flag. There were so many things he needed to talk to her about and so many he couldn’t. Guilt rushed through him when she opened her mouth to him. It’d been too long since she’d been comfortable enough to pull him against her and just let go.

He should’ve thought about how sweet she tasted or how good she felt finally leaning into him just a little, but all he could think of was that Parker had located El Mateperros within a day’s drive, and he wasn’t passing it along. Rocco had made the decision. He was going to find El Mateperros. Kill him. Be done with the entire thing.

Caterina wouldn’t know until it was done. She wouldn’t be able to take the kill shot she’d always dreamed of, but she wouldn’t chance her life either. Keeping her safe from her own demons was worth not telling her. At least that’s what he kept repeating.

Brown eyes fired brightly. “Say it again. Tell me that you love me.”

“I love you, Cat.”

Her lips covered his and his guilt increased. The front door opened and he pulled away from her.

I’ll be damned. Brock’s here
.

He gave Cat a squeeze before taking her hand. “Now things are starting to get back to the way it should be.”

Brock lifted his chin, nodding hey. Sarah walked out of the kitchen and over to her husband, went up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

“What’s up, man?” Rocco squeezed Cat’s hand. “This is Caterina.”

Typical pleasantries were exchanged and it felt good to have her by his side, introducing her like she was his girl.

Well, not like. She is.

Sugar was making all kinds of noise in the kitchen. Sarah and Caterina smiled and escaped for the kitchen. Rocco hadn’t seen Brock in a while. Most everyone understood the why and how of the Brock debacle. Jared had been the only holdout and understandably so, but now the deep Brock freeze was over.

“You cool with this?” Brock asked. “It could be awkward and all.”

Rocco did have Brock’s old job. Brock used to be his team’s leader, but more than that, they used to be boys. A lot went down under rapid fire, but his opinion of the guy hadn’t changed. “It’s the best damn thing Boss Man could’ve done, given the circumstances.”

He nodded. “Delta team seems okay with me too. Given the circumstances.”

“I’m glad you’re back, Brock.”

He looked around. “Yeah me too.”

Mia stuck her head in the living room, baby on her hip. “Stay out here much longer, you’ll both be out of luck. Cash and Roman are eating everything.”

“Holy shi—”

Mia clucked. “Mouth, Brock.”

His familiar smile flashed as though he were thrilled Mia was on his case. “Ace is huge. Huge.”

“Well, if you and Jared hadn’t got your camos in a twist, you’d know that.” She winked. “Come on. Grub’s on. Eat or starve.”

Rocco nodded. “Be in there in a sec.”

Mia walked further from the kitchen. “Cat’s a good one, by the way, Roc.”

Wasn’t that the truth? He nodded. “I know.”

“Don’t screw it up. That last girl.” Mia shook her head. “What were you thinking?”

No kidding. What had he been thinking? She’d acted like he was the greatest thing since laser-sighted rifles, but there was no spark. No interest. He’d been bored out of his mind. Then she was there all the time, shacking and staying and dropping megaball hints about carats and cuts and clarity. The girl wanted a big ole rock, and he wanted a way out fast. Not that he’d led her on. He’d promised her marriage and long term weren’t for him.

He was wrong. Caterina was long term for him. And marriage—

Brock slapped him on the back, walking toward the kitchen. “Time to get this over with.” He rounded the corner and joked. “I’m back!”

The ladies clapped, the guys busted his balls, and Rocco stood, stuck, thinking about the difference between wanting Cat long term, and wanting Cat married.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Sugar hated mornings after Jared came back off a job because he woke before the crack of dawn to catch up on office duties. But he’d been gone for too many days, and she wasn’t about to let him just disappear the first day he got back. Being the rock star of a wife that she was, she’d readied Asal for school and grabbed them McDonald’s for breakfast. At least she was nursing a gigantic cup of coffee and had her McMuffin fix.

Coffee steaming in her hands, she watched Jared pace while talking on the phone and housing a McGriddle. Pieces of the conversation pricked her interest, but every time he turned in his office pacing loop, she lost parts of what he said. Whenever he rounded back toward her, she pressed into the leather chair in front of Jared’s desk, petting Thelma the bulldog, and studying her coffee like the steam was spelling secrets.

Thelma groaned, and Sugar clucked at her. “Shh, girl.” Quiet… because if she thought she’d heard Jared correctly…

Jared grumbled. “Yeah, Roc knows. El Mateperros—”

He turned and mumbled, talking while he finished off his breakfast. What was he saying?

Then back again. “We’re waiting, probably tomorrow, oh dark thirty. Damn ACG—” Another bite. Couldn’t he wait to finish breakfast?

She lost the conversation again. She leaned over, disguising the action as petting her dog, just to pick up missed words.

“Either way, Roc gets what he wants. Homeland Security gets what they need. It’s decided.”

Sugar leaned back into the chair, and Thelma jumped up, thinking she was a lap dog. Sixty pounds of lap dog, but Sugar didn’t care. She was lost in thought. It
sounded
a hell of a lot like Titan had found ACG, knew where El Mateperros was. Jared had been studying thermal images before bed and again this morning.

Jared looked her way, and she pretended to fidget with her coffee and pet Thelma. The dog made her snotty bulldog noises, which helped Sugar’s cover. But Jared looked… guilty?

He’d told her Caterina had been raped and gave her as many of the details as he knew, which basically boiled down to Cat wanted to kill El Mateperros for killing her family, but then after he’d raped her, it became even more of a life goal. Rocco had been feeling a serious need to avenge his woman’s attacker. Jared said he could imagine that…

Titan was going after El Mateperros, letting Rocco do what he needed to. Taking care of it for Caterina. Didn’t they know any better? Or was their male chromosome constantly fucking with their brains?

Jared ended his call and tossed a folder on his desk. “Gotta hit the head. Be back.”

Yeah, he wasn’t thrilled with whatever they were doing. He had that whole better-of-two-bad-options face on.

“Have fun.” She grabbed a handful of Thelma’s wrinkles and gave the pooch kisses.

When the door closed, she was up and going for that folder. A quick onceover and she saw that they were definitely thermals and scratch page of notes.
Numbers… Coordinates.
She snapped a couple pictures with her phone and dove back to her seat. Thelma jumped off as Jared walked back in, still looking up to something he shouldn’t be.
Well, yeah, El Mateperros was Cat’s!

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

“Errands. Work. Guns aren’t going to build themselves.”

His forehead wrinkled as though he knew she was up to something. His knuckles cracked one at a time. “All right. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Anytime.” She kissed his lips then wiped away her lipstick mark. “I love you, J-Dawg. Don’t you ever forget it.”

Because by the end of the day, she would have to remind him of it, she was sure.

***

Caterina sucked down her second Diet Coke of the day. Idling in a parking lot, she sat in Rocco’s truck under a big sign that simply read GUNS. Her fingers tapped the steering wheel. Sugar was a tricky one. Cat had a good feeling about her sometimes, but absolutely not all the time. She had no reason not to trust her, but Sugar was intense and aggressive. A bit of a try-me attitude. A wrought iron door swung open, and out walked Sugar. Cat guessed waiting outside was no longer an option. She reached for her bag, turning off the ignition. When she looked up, Sugar tapped brightly painted fingernails on the window.