Ice (Elite Forces #1)(7)
"Ok. Let's start with one. Which one is your favorite?" I question with curiosity.
"My MOM tattoo. Hands down." Awe shit.... he loves his mom. Maybe he's not the hard-ass he wants people to think he is.
"That's awesome. I bet she's proud of you for that." He nods. He doesn't elaborate or give any further detail, while I continue to stare in disbelief and getting dressed at the same time. There's something to this guy. His beard is longer than usual... and those tattoos are everywhere. Yes. They would be covered in a uniform, but there's something else about him. I'm dying to find out who is behind the mask of Kaleb Maverick.
"Who are you really?" By the way he arches his brow and stiffens his spine, I would say this question surprises him.
"What do you mean by that, Captain?" His tone is challenging.
"You're bigger than all the guys here. You're tattooed almost completely, and that beard of yours shouldn't be allowed." He looks at me like he's trying to decide how to answer.
"I'm retired. They brought me back for this mission. I agreed on a few conditions." Really? I wonder to myself. If he's retired, then how old is he? My guess would be mid-thirties. I begin to have many questions rattling around in my head. I'm just not sure if I'm buying his answers or not. I could call bullshit on his ass any time, instead I bite my tongue. I'd love more than anything to dig deeper into this man and find out more about him. Why he is the way he is and why his answers to my questions are short and clipped.
I'll find a way on my own to discover everything there is to know about Commander Kaleb Maverick. After all, he seems to know everything about me, personal and professional. All's fair in love and war, as they say. Even though there isn't a damn bit of love in what we have going on here. It's fucking and war. Primal, damn good fucking and hopefully a perfectly completed mission instead of war.
"You must be a badass motherfucker." His laughter fills the room. It's nice to see that side of him, even if only for a second. I'm not about to get my hopes up though, not when it comes to this man. He may think he holds all the power here and has all the control over me. No, I do believe my Commander has another mission besides the one he claims to be here for, and something tells me it has everything to do with me.
I make good use of the ten minutes he gives me to finish cleaning myself up after he not so formally dismisses me. I decide to clean up better in my own tent before I go anywhere.
Wincing from the scrapes across my back the minute I yank my t-shirt over my head, I try not to show any signs of weakness. It's something I do, never show emotions, even when I'm alone. I've suffered too much pain in my life, and it has no place out here.
I don't have time to inspect them though. I need to get back to our team, to train in these exercises he's demanding us to do. I grab a clean t-shirt from the wooden crate I have them stacked on, and pull it over my head and through my arms while I walk to one of the care packages sent. I know I have a supply of unscented wipes. Like Kaleb said, sex out here could be smelled a mile away, especially out here where the only scent you get used to is the smell of sweat. The distinct aroma surrounds you out here in the sweltering sun. A freshly-fucked scent would sure the hell have the guys picking up on the shit I've been doing.
"Captain. Let's move it." Son of a bitch. The deep voice of my Commander outside my tent sends a shiver down my damn spine. I ignore him and the way my body wants to betray me once again just from the sound of his voice. Unzipping my pants, I clean myself up and discard the used wipes into my trash. I tuck my t-shirt into my fatigues, pull my hair back into a ponytail, and grab a hat before securing it on top of my head.
"Ready, Sir." I stand tall and eager to feel the burn of something other than the sexual exhaustion he causes. I fall in line next to him as we make our way to the team, catching up to two other members quickly.
The sky is nearly dark by the time we approach our team all gathered around in a circle, listening to the second in command. He's an elderly gentleman with manners and respect, unlike the man standing next to me, whose eyes I can feel on me when we come to a stop.
"I thought we were training, doing drills, Sir?" I ask while keeping my educated eyes ahead.
"This isn't basic training, Captain. Physical and strength training will be done on your time, if and when I decide to give you spare time." He pauses, his voice low. I hear the sexual innuendo in his words. To say I'm not pissed off would be nothing short of a lie. My muscles ache to feel the burn from working out, this time not in the way he's suggesting.
"Captain, they're discussing Operation Mission Liberty and we will be doing drills. Night vision, military assault drills. Now get your sexy ass over there with your team."
"Fuck off," I mutter loud enough for him to hear. I march forward silently and carefully, joining my team and attempting to shut down my raging anger at both myself and him. How am I in this position? I did this shit to myself. He knows better than to show any sign of our actions out here, and him making comments like he is will pull attention to us faster than anything.
I listen and try to calm myself for the next hour as Major Roberts delivers our mission, knowing my defiant words pissed Maverick off, but he needs to understand that I'm not putting up with his condescending shit. I'm a highly trained soldier and deserve to be treated like one.
The mission is simple. Just like we all assumed, we'll be going in with our specialized skills, highly trained schooling, and our ability to be the best in a raid to bring down a very important enemy leader.
"The research has been done. The facts are laid before us. Azham-Amir-TajUdin is indeed hiding out in or around the small village of Tashraq, Afghanistan. We will capture him. We will defend our country, and we will all leave here in one piece. Report back here at 2100 hours and be prepared to spend all night doing these drills." Both Commander Maverick and Major Roberts dismiss us for dinner chow. I turn to leave, not speaking a word to anyone. I know I should eat with my team and socialize, but I ignore Captain Harris as he calls my name to my retreating back. I follow the urge to confine myself to my tent and pay no attention to anyone until Harris and I have to report to the Commander's office for whatever the hell he has planned for us. I will not let Kaleb Maverick ruin this for me by screwing with my head and leaving me vulnerable to the enemy or putting any of my fellow teammates in jeopardy. Fuck this.
"Damn it, Jade, stop." I spin around, ready to lash out at Harris when I jerk my head back. The look in his eyes startles me. He looks troubled. In all the time I've known him, he's never looked at me this way. Not even the other night when we were caught. "What's wrong? Did I miss something?" I place my hand on his arm.
"No. But it's obvious I sure the hell did." He steps back out of my reach. Those troubled eyes turn serious as a damn heart attack.
"What the hell are you talking about?" My mind is boggled, and I'm sure my face shares the same sentiment. If he could see it in the dark, he would know.
"You have blood all over the back of your shirt. Did the Commander do something to you?" He sounds pissed.
"Good god, no. Why would you even think something like that?" I retract my gunned-up response out of the blue. "I tripped over a bunch of ammunition and landed flat on my back." Just like Harris, I've been trained to be able to stare anyone in the eye and lie. He studies me to the point of an analytical evaluation, but I give nothing away. "I'm not sure if I believe you or not, but for now I'll take your word. If I find out you're lying to me, Jade, Commander or not, I'll end him." Those are my friend's parting words. I stand there in the now black darkness, my feet unable to move and my body shaking. I've never let anyone control my mind or my body like this. What in the hell am I doing?
What's happening to you, Jade? the sweet part of my conscience asks.
My entire military career has lead me to this point, where the rush and the feel of the blood pumping feverishly throughout my veins has my adrenaline hastily soaring. This is the second time I've let my Commander fuck me literally senseless. It's time I put a damn stop to it or this mission will fail before it even begins.
CHAPTER FOUR