Elemental: Earth (5 page)

“Trust me. It won’t be too bad. My hunch is that Dara is not athletic but likes the spotlight. She’ll be all over the place and we get out of having to actually play too much.” Giles was even more self-assured than usual. This made Gavin worry more than usual. Those were the times when disaster struck and they would have to clean up Giles’ mess.

“This is going to be a calamity,” Reed sighed.

Giles spun out of the huddle. “Let’s go, team!” He glanced at the formation on the other side of the line they were using as a ‘net’, and pointed to spots for the brothers to mirror the girls. Then he served. The sand prevented the best of footing on either side, so the stumbling and bumbling was almost equal, with the exception of Gillian, who slid right back into player-mode. She practically carried the game for the girls and was able to throw herself around to keep a volley going almost as if she had wings.

Gavin could feel gazes all over them, and every now and then, over the sandbank, he knew he saw the mirrored glance of something reflecting the sunlight and the dark, stabbing images surrounding a particular area.

Finally, it was his turn to serve. He packed all of his power into the serve, deflating the ball upon contact. It dropped to the sand, dead. “Oops,” he murmured. “I’m really sorry, Gillian. I will get you another one.”

The entire company--except for Reed and Gavin—deflated, as well. Gavin felt bad, but he wasn’t going to keep risking himself and his brothers. They chatted a bit more, and then Gavin made an excuse about having some work to do so he could bow out. The other brothers followed suit, knowing that it wouldn’t be smart for them to go against Gavin’s unspoken directives, and soon they were walking away from the ladies.

Far enough away, Dallas cautiously asked Gavin if there was more to what they had witnessed.

“Yeah,” he responded. “Pretty sure we were being watched over those dunes. Who knows, maybe even recorded. I can’t tell how many there are, but I do know that those girls aren’t the innocent beauties they claim to be. I don’t even think they know each other well, except for Melissa and Tessa maybe. It’s all a trap. I lost my head. We’ve got to keep ourselves away from them and safe. This is too risky. Those Hatch goons are never going to let us just walk away, free and clear. ‘A’ because they haven’t harnessed enough of our power to be satisfied. ‘B’ because we outsmarted them and escaped. They will want revenge for that, and revenge alone is enough to fuel their search. Consider all that they did to us as kids. KIDS, man! Do you think anything will really stop them from getting to us now?”

“And once they get us, it will be four hundred times worse for us,” Reed said softly. He hated siding with Gavin and tried to avoid it as often as possible, but he was scared. He still had vivid memories of the Hatch and the experiments performed upon his young, adolescent body and mind. The worst pain from the Hatch wasn’t physical, though. No, it was the mental and emotional experiments that left him in the most pain and still visited him nightly.

Gavin stopped abruptly. He whirled around on his brothers, creating a tipping feeling under their feet. They dug in to stabilize themselves.

“No more,” Gavin said. “Cut loose of them. We cannot interact with them anymore.”

He hated the look on his brothers’ faces. He knew there had been connections with all of them unlike any they’d experienced before, and he, too, was lonely for companionship. But he knew he’d to keep them safe and unadulterated by the goons that sought them.

The brothers all nodded and whispered their promises. Then, they walked on, together.

“Well, that was a bust,” Melissa remarked as she watched the broad, muscular backs of the four mysterious brothers walk away.

“Not to mention I lost a perfectly good volleyball,” Gillian added. “Do you think he did it on purpose?” she asked.

“I feel like it most likely was intentional,” Tessa said. “Remember, they don’t know how to play sports, but they know all about sports—one of those experimentations on harnessing their power and then using it on them. Gavin needed to end the game quickly. He was squirming,” she explained.

“Well, it didn’t help that I kept noticing a reflection a ways off,” Melissa remarked with anger. “I know that had to be Zinsser. He’s going to blow our cover. How did such a dumbass get to be our handler?”

They all hated Zinsser. He was a chauvinist and felt this was the only way to use women in the field—as sex-bait.

“I get the feeling that our so-called cover is blown,” Tessa said. When she said it, she noted that she didn’t feel the least bit of anxiety about that. A part of her wanted the truth out and this charade blown wide open. It wasn’t even about the physical attraction she felt for Gavin. It was about this esoteric connection that she couldn’t explain. She couldn’t believe she was admitting this to herself, but she felt like a hole in her soul was filled, like the missing piece of the puzzle was finally found. She hated the way it sounded in her mind. She had always hated hearing those types of metaphors come out of the mouths of women. It made them sound so weak to her. But now, she found herself not only thinking like them but feeling like those women, too. Was she losing her edge, her tough and impenetrable shell that has protected her for all these years?

She had always sworn that she would not allow this very thing to happen to her. She had seen what her mother had morphed into. Once revered for her high level of intelligence and astounding strength, her mother had served as a CIA operative for years, straight after she graduated college at the early age of nineteen. She had been the youngest female ever to work for the CIA, and her penchant for puzzles and languages and codes gave her the top level of security in all things classified. Her mother had served her country in capacities that even Tessa’s father did not and could never know. Three Secretaries of State consulted Tessa’s mom on a regular basis, and Tessa had reason to believe that her mother was actually the one person who was able to stop what some believed would have exploded into World War III.

But then, Ms. Elizabeth Wade became Mrs. Elizabeth Wade Brooks, and Tessa saw that as her fall from grace. Her mother became interested in being a wife, not espionage or top secret missions. She took time off from the CIA, declined job offers, and sooner than later (at least to Tessa), she was pregnant and settling for being wife and mother rather than allowing herself to be an asset to her country anymore.

Tessa saw it as traitorous to all females. “Why would you play in to the ‘Disney Princess’ philosophy?” Tessa had asked time and time again.

“It is not like that, Tessa,” her mother would always remark with exasperation. “You don’t understand because you haven’t been there. It is not a sign of weakness, dear. It’s a feeling of fulfilling the other part of who you’re as a woman, honoring the reason your body is the way it is, and taking on another role to better the world in another way.”

Tessa always blew it off when her mother would explain to her what it felt like to “truly fall in love and want to become a better person through and along with this one who completed you”. She felt like it was beneath her mother to sink to the standards that a society of morons tried to force upon individuals. SHE would never sink to that level. She would be true to herself and never abandon herself and her dreams for someone else.

But here she was wondering if she was feeling what her mother had tried to describe to her several times throughout life, and it made her both comfortable and uncomfortable, giddy and apprehensive. And while she tried to maintain a focus on the job and completing the mission, she felt a sensation of damp heat and a tugging hunger between her legs that was making it harder and harder for her to think about Gavin in any way BUT her lover.

In spite of his own orders, Gavin found himself restless and needing to see Tessa.

“Are you serious?” Reed asked. “Weren’t you the one who told us to cut them loose? Now you’re wanting to test them?”

“I know what you’re saying, Reed,” Gavin soothed. “It’s not really testing them so much as it is testing whoever has been watching us. I’m sure we were tailed earlier today and yesterday as well. I keep catching glimpses of the same odd-looking gringo wherever we go. I want to test my hypothesis that he’s connected to the women.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Giles said as he zipped up his leather motorcycle jacket and pulled his fingerless gloves on. His scarlet hair even more striking against all the black he clad himself in.

“Let’s boogie!” Always the liveliest, Dallas jumped at the chance to get out of town a little bit and break loose.

Reed resigned and grabbed his motorcycle helmet. There was no use arguing when it was three against one.

* * * *

The brothers sat around the ‘L’ of the bar at Diego’s. Reed and Gavin sat with their backs to the wall facing the entire room while the other two sat around the corner looking into the mirror to see behind them but still able to see the door and those coming through it. They were an intimidating and fiercely handsome group, definitely hard to miss and harder to ignore.

They didn’t usually frequent Diego’s. It was a few towns over and a bit ‘flashier’ to attract a younger crowd and the visitors or tourists who frequented this are of Argentina. The crowd was diverse, but it was definitely much younger than the bothers—at least Gavin, anyway. He was feeling quite ancient and out-of-place. Often, they would try to blend in better, but not tonight. Tonight, he insisted that they come here and stay out in the open to bring out these stalkers.

“If we stand out amongst that crowd, don’t you think a suit is going to stand out even more?” Gavin had asked his brothers.

“What if he’s not wearing a suit?” Dallas could be naïve at times, but at the same time, he did have a good question.

“I just don’t think he or she will be able to blend in well, even if he’s not in a suit,” was Gavin’s response.

What he was truly hoping (but was not about to admit to himself or his brothers) was that the suit would inform the girls of their location, and he could see Tessa again. He craved the scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, and the sweetness of her breath so much that at times, it made him feel drunk with pain and longing. He replayed that night at her door over and over in his mind up until she walked into the house. Then he let his imagination take over and provide the details of a better ending. He knew that, if given the opportunity, it would take all of his might and willpower not to allow himself to lose control with her, and to be quite honest, Gavin wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t lose himself to her. There was something incredibly satisfying and peaceful about the prospect of giving in to Tessa, to his desires for her. It felt. . . right. She felt to him like the sun around which he should be rotating, and without her, he seemed lost, without a path and without his center.

Then, almost as if his thoughts had conjured her into existence, he saw her walk through the door. At first he did wonder if he were imagining this scene, but then Giles sat up straighter and nudged his brother’s elbow, and Gavin felt a current rush through Reed beside him. Dallas’ face lit up when he saw Gillian, but then he tried to subdue his visible pleasure.

The girls acted like they didn’t see them and made their way over to one of the tall bar tables with no seats. Dara hit the bar, squeezing in between a few nice-looking locals who gave her just enough room to order while still allowing their bodies to press up against hers. Gavin knew that she loved the attention and the physicality of it. That was why she was perfect for his brother. They were practically the same.

Dara allowed herself to be gazed upon, often bringing her hand to her throat and her décolletage, drawing the guys’ attention to her rising cleavage and full breasts. Most of the guys’ eyes stayed exactly where she wanted them to stay, until she pointed over to the table where the other girls waved. Soon she had four bottles of beer, and she was gingerly stepping over to the table.

Gavin glanced at Giles who smirked with a sense of pride. He knew that show was specifically for him, and he loved that she could play the games he liked to play. . . and just as well.

The music surged with a loud “recharge” of beat and tempo, and many on the dance floor were invigorated with the song. Two young guys asked Tessa and Dara to dance, to which they eagerly agreed and headed to the pulsating, sweaty arena of bodies.

Gavin inhaled and tried not to watch. He didn’t know if he could take watching Tessa put on her show like Giles enjoyed Dara’s little performance. He didn’t want to think about Tessa as this sexual being whose magnetism could be felt by anyone other than him, who would allow her body to sway against another’s in time with the music. He wanted it all for himself. Thankfully, the dance floor was so packed and dark that he lost her in the crowd, and he finally exhaled with a sigh of thankfulness.

“Enough,” Giles announced. He downed his beer in a single gulp, and slapped his hands on the bar. “She’s had her fun. Now let’s see her tango with a real man.” He left his other brothers as he worked his way through the maze of bodies on the dance floor.

“For once, I’m with him,” Reed announced. Alcohol always made him a little more confident. he’d been eyeing Melissa ever since she’d come in the door, and he was pretty certain she had made eye contact with him at least twice, but then looked away as if she weren’t supposed to see him there. Reed left the table and eased up to Melissa and Gillian. The women acted surprised to see him, but it was obvious that Melissa felt a bit of relief and bliss at the sight of Reed.

He chivalrously took her hand and led her to the dance floor, fluidly and confidently. Gavin took pleasure in the fact that Reed was smiling and watching Melissa with intrigue and attraction. Let him have some fun, Gavin thought to himself. He most definitely needs something to turn him around, even if it isn’t completely real right now. But Gavin was still having a hard time reading these girls. There were no warning signs of any malignancy. Their auras were all positive and healthy, and other than the details that revealed their purpose and mission, Gavin could only assume that they were all truthful about their attraction and interest.

But it didn’t make it any easier.

Gillian walked over and hopped up on the tall bar stool next to Dallas. “Hi. I didn’t want to just stand over there by myself. Do you mind,” she grinned.

“Of course not,” Dallas answered almost before she completed her sentence. “I just saw you over there. Have you been here long?”

“Oh, a few minutes. Your brother came over and asked Melissa to dance. Dara and Tessa are already on the dance floor. When Reed came over, I looked for you. I figured you weren’t too far behind.”

Dallas ordered two beers. “You know, we aren’t always together,” he said. “We may be brothers, but we do have separate lives.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t,” Gillian said quickly. “I just figured that. . . um. . . since you were. . . um. . .all the way out here, I thought you’d come with people, you know. Designated driver and all that?” She hadn’t been careful with her details. This was why she was still in training and not ready for missions alone or that were more complicated. She had to do more thinking before she spoke, yet it was hard to do around Dallas. She always felt flushed and flabbergasted.

“So why are you all here?” Gillian was hoping to recover. “I mean, I could see you at a place like this, Dallas, and perhaps Giles, but no offense, Gavin, it doesn’t seem like your or Reed’s type of place.”

Gavin smiled weakly. “Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of these meat markets really, but Giles and Reed love tango and salsa. They’re the dancers in the family, and sometimes they just need to cut loose. There’s nowhere to really dance in Noces, so we come here. It’s so funny that you all came on the exact same night. What are the odds?”

He really wanted Gillian to confess or to slip up again, but she didn’t have a chance before Tessa’s voice came up behind them.“What are the chances indeed?”

Gavin’s body reacted instantly to the sound of the sultry voice it craved. He turned towards her, hoping to cover up some of the excitement he felt.

“Well hello there, Dancing Queen,” Gavin’s eyes twinkled. “Enjoying yourself out there?”

Tessa tried to control her quickening pulse at the sight of those blue orbs. She wanted nothing more than to look into them all night and feel those firm hands hold and caress her.

“I was, until Juan or Pedro or whatever his name is got a little too grabby.”

“Didn’t know you were such a lover of the dance,” Gavin said as he motioned her to take the empty bar stool.

“Yeah, my folks made me take dance all through school, but I finally fell in love with it when I quit the formal training and allowed myself to just enjoy it. I think once it wasn’t required, then I realized that I loved the freedom it gives. How about you? Much of a dancer?”

Gavin laughed. “Hardly,” he said.

“How did I know?” asked Tessa. “You American men think it is so lame, but I do love that the Latino men see it as a tool of seduction. It really can be.”

“Only for those who actually have that type of coordination,” Gavin interjected. “Or maybe it’s really for those that can’t rely on any other type of seduction.”

Tessa’s purse beeped and a bright light emitted from it in a pseudo-Morse code. She dug into the small purse and retrieved her phone, read what was on the screen, then excused herself to the ladies’ room. Gavin and Dallas exchanged glances. Immediately, Gavin began to scan the room for anyone who seemed out of place that may be heading towards the back of the bar. He thought he saw one man with pale skin and a hook nose glance around and head in the direction of Tessa, but just as quickly, he was lost in the sea of bodies and pockets of small crowds.

“So,” Dallas began, “how much longer do you girls have on your vacation?”

Gillian seemed to be watching the room in the mirror behind the bar, not really paying attention to the two men beside her.

“Oh, um, what did you say?”

“Just wondering how many more days I have before I have to try and give you up,” Dallas rephrased.

“That would be about two,” Gillian said, blushing.

“Two? Really? But we just met! Maybe you could extend your ticket. Take a few extra days. I can show you the most amazing views rarely seen by tourists.”

“I’ll bet,” Gillian said, hoping that Dallas didn’t miss her sly wink. “But I already had to beg off work to get here in the first place. It isn’t exactly the best time of the year to be traveling for my company.”

“What is it you do, exactly? I don’t think I’ve even asked,” Dallas questioned.

“I work for a financial advising firm,” she answered without a hitch.

“Well,” Dallas began, “you’re the woman for me. I may need some of your expertise. Will that be enough to convince your company to stay for a few days? A new international client with money to invest needs your expert knowledge and complete attention.”

Gillian’s vision darted from Dallas’ grey eyes towards the back of the bar, looking for Tessa. She always got uncomfortable in these situations. If she was ever going to be a good special agent, she was going to have to be able to handle these situations on her own, but she was beginning to question whether she wanted to do it anymore. Something about it was not appealing to her anymore, and she knew it was because of this case in particular. She was faced with a dilemma she never thought she’d be faced with--falling in love with the target.

“Did I miss anything?” Tessa appeared back at the bar, sliding upon them without their noticing.

“How do you do that?” Gavin asked.

“Do what?” Tessa asked innocently.

“Just appear out of nowhere. It’s spooky.”

“I wasn’t trying to be spooky,” she defended. “I guess I’m just light on my feet.” Tessa smiled. She prided herself on being able to stalk her prey without his knowledge. She was an asset to her team in that way. Often she would be up on her target and have his throat slit before his eyes even registered recognition.

“Everything okay?” Gavin asked both out of genuine concern and to see how much he could read from her reaction.

“Oh, yeah. Just fine. I thought I recognized the number, but turns out it was the wrong number. Someone looking for Blanca.”

“Maybe that is you,” Dallas offered. “I mean, compared to some of the girls around these parts, you are ‘blanca’.”

Gillian giggled. Gavin shrugged his shoulders. Tessa rolled her eyes. Dallas’ sense of humor and nonsense was pretty refreshing at times. He was easier to read than his brothers. Tessa believed that if she spent enough time with Dallas, she would be able to predict his responses even before he responded.
It’s too bad I got assigned to Gavin,
she thought.
Had I been assigned to Dallas, I could make quick work of him and feel much more sure and secure about this mission. She stole a glance at Gavin’s chiseled profile. I wonder if I were assigned Dallas would I still feel this allure to Gavin?
Then she saw a vision of Gavin above her, a shock of his dark hair hanging in his face as he lowered himself to suckle her breast in the light of a fireplace. She could see the lines of the tattooed tree ripple under his muscles as he held himself up just enough not to crush her with his weight, but she wanted it. She needed to feel it all, skin to skin, sweat to sweat. She saw, low on his hips, marks, much like branding, of a weird insignia, and it pained her. She shuddered.

“Tessa? You alright?” Gavin had felt her shiver beside him. He felt her heat intensify and her heart rate had sped up, but she was just sitting there, staring out at the dance floor. “Itching to get out there?” he chided. He could see she was shaken, but Gavin had no idea what was going on here.

“Oh, I’m fine.” Tessa waved it off. “I just thought that I may have left my iron on back at the house. It has an automatic shut-off though, so it should be okay.”

“Good,” Gavin said, “because I’m not letting you out of my sight young lady. While Argentina is a beautiful country, sometimes her people are not, which it seems you met up with earlier in the night. I don’t want you worrying about any other guys getting grabby with you. You either, Gillian.”

“I appreciate your chivalry,” Tessa responded, not completely recovered but well on her way. “I think I can handle them. I can handle a big guy like you, after all.” She smiled, but it was weak. Gavin wondered what was bothering her as she flagged down the bartender to order another shot of tequila.

“Speaking of ‘handling’, Tessa, how do you think our girlfriends are handling themselves with those two brothers out on the dance floor?”

“I guess we should try to locate them and check on them.” Tessa began to slide off her stool. “Don’t go away.” She grinned at Gavin after downing the tequila in one smooth shot, slamming the glass upside down on the bar.