Jack (Eidolon Black Ops #8) - Maddie Wade Page 0,52

him, but I soon saw him for what he was and more importantly, who he was.”

“Which was?”

“A liar, a fraud. He was my handler on the Ravelino case. He was the one who forced me to sleep with Iago. I knew then he didn’t love me and was heartbroken, and I was so determined to prove I was worthy and do the job I became reckless. I think he was the one who burned me too.”

“I’ll fucking kill him.”

Astrid looked over her shoulder and saw the fury in Jack’s eyes and had no doubt he meant his words. Laying her hand on his chest, she shook her head. “He isn’t worth it, and I don’t even know if he’s alive.”

Jack cupped her cheeks in his hands. “If he is, I’ll find him and kill the motherfucker for what he did to you. Nobody hurts what is mine.”

“You’re sweet, Jack. Do you know that?”

“Woman, stop with the sweet. Until a few weeks ago you thought I was Satan and I thought you were a sexy vixen with a death wish. How can I go from that to sweet so fast?”

“Firstly, any man who walks a Pomeranian puppy for his mother is sweet, and secondly, I never thought you were Satan. I just thought you needed to chill a little and I think we accomplished that.”

“Oh, is that right?” He gripped her ass and lifted her, the head of his cock against her entrance as she held onto his shoulders, aware of his healing wound. “Well, how about you walk the dog from now on and we work on keeping me chill with this special brand of therapy?”

He slid into her, his cock filling her, and she whimpered.

“Yes, that works for me.”

All talk stopped as he made love to her slow and easy against the tiles. It was the first time in her life she knew the difference between fucking and making love.

Chapter Nineteen

Jack didn’t want to let Astrid’s hand go as he walked into their base of operations at the hotel and saw his men turn to look at them. After what she’d told him and what they’d just shared, he was undoubtedly halfway in love with her already, if not all the way there.

They walked straight to Lopez, who was working on his laptop, which was attached to multiple screens. “What we got, Lopez?”

He glanced up and looked at Astrid as if seeing her for the first time before pulling his gaze away with a frown. “Not a lot. We lost Adeline when she hit the dock area, and I haven’t been able to pick her up since. I’m running facial to see if I can find her, but I suspect if she’s stayed hidden for so long, then the chances are we won’t find her.”

Jack agreed. Adeline hadn’t been there by accident. She’d come with the sole purpose of seeing and being seen but what was her game? He held up his hand and beckoned his team closer.

“We need to brainstorm this and figure out how it’s all linked, and I know it is somehow.” He sat in a chair and Astrid sat beside him, her thigh touching his as he let go of her hand to take the coffee Alex handed them both.

“Thanks, Alex.”

Jack watched Astrid smile at his second and couldn’t help the feeling that everything would be okay as long as he had her with him. She had, in a very short period of time, become everything to him. The thought should scare him, but it didn’t in the least. Maybe it was because she knew his secrets and the strain of the job and understood them or perhaps it was that he’d finally met the one everybody talked about.

“You want me to dial Will in on this?” Lopez asked.

Jack shook his head. “No, let him sleep. The Queen is secure with Mitch and Reid watching her and Fortis will need to remain sharp tonight with everything going on. We know that was Adeline at the school, but we need to know why she was there and how she links to Ravelino and Frederick.”

He glanced at Astrid, looking for any sign of pain and found none, just focus. After what she’d told him about her ex-boyfriend and what he’d done, he’d rather cut off his arm than hurt her. He’d meant what he’d said though. When he’d finished with Frederick, he was tracking that fucker down and putting a bullet in his head. Vermin like that