Savannah's Sentinel (Mountain Mastery Book 2) Read online

  “The agents who’d been preparing to attend have both left the Agency.” Savannah didn’t elaborate, but Landon suspected there was a lot more to the story. He wondered why two operatives who’d been training for weeks would suddenly back out of a mission.

  He watched the Ledeks and Wests all exchange glances before looking at him. Savannah frowned at the men in front of her before turning her glare in his direction. “Be careful, Princess. Glaring in a room full of Doms is not a wise move.” The words slipped out before he’d taken time to consider their consequences. Her eyes widened in surprise then dropped to the floor. Shock reverberated clear to his toes. What the fuck? Was there a submissive streak in Savannah North after all? How had he missed it?

  When her gaze returned to his, the upward tilt of her chin told him the pampered Fitzgerald Princess was back in residence. “I’d prefer you didn’t call me Princess.”

  “Why?” Simple and to the point. Landon wasn’t going to let her attitude go unchallenged.

  “While it may sound like an endearment when uttered by others, you and I both know that isn’t what you’re saying. Coming from you, it’s a passive-aggressive verbal slap. The intent is to make me feel inferior as an agent because of my family’s money.” Fucking hell. The chuckles he heard from his friends told him he wasn’t the only one who knew she was right, even if he was evidently the only one who didn’t find it amusing.

  “Point taken. I’ll refrain from calling you Princess—for now.” Landon gave her a small nod, but doubted she’d been fooled by his compliance. Smart girl. He’d already been briefed by Savannah’s supervisor, but he wasn’t ready to share that with her yet. The Agency wasn’t officially signing off on her participation, but no one was foolish enough to hide it, either. If things went the way they were supposed to, he’d be able to call her anything he wanted to tomorrow, and there wouldn’t be a thing she could do about it.

  When Kent leaned forward, copying his brother’s pose, Landon bit back his smile. The two men were textbook cases of mirror-image twins. He could only imagine the havoc they’d raised as kids. There’d been a set of identical twins in Landon’s graduating class, and they’d caused the small school’s faculty endless headaches by switching places whenever the mood struck. They’d grown up to be ministers, making Landon wonder what the world was coming to. If those two were now leading God’s flock, it was terrifying to think what sort of trouble two former SEALs had caused in school.

  Taz Ledek’s roar of laughter brought Landon back to the present. Casting a withering stare at his friend had precisely the effect he would have predicted—none. “Don’t give me that eat shit and die look, Nix. Your mind is bouncing all over the place today. What gives?”

  What gives? I’ll tell you what gives, you arrogant ass. Landon was usually able to block Taz’s mind probing bull shit. But keeping his temper in check was robbing too much of his concentration to worry about what sort of hocus pocus the younger man used to eavesdrop.

  Before he could spout off an appropriately rude response, Savannah spoke up. “I can probably answer that question. Landon isn’t exactly what one would call the President of my Fan Club. I doubt he’s thrilled to see me and even less so because he probably knows why I’m here.” Landon felt his mouth drop open in shock. All four men burst out laughing, leaving both Landon and Savannah staring at them in shock.

  Kent finally recovered enough to speak, but it hadn’t been easy. Watching the bi-play between Landon and Savannah reminded him so much of Kyle and Tobi it was almost scary. The biggest difference? He didn’t have a personal stake this time, so it was much more entertaining. When Tobi first came into their lives, Kent had been terrified Kyle was going to fuck up and scare her off. Thank God, she’d been much stronger than he’d given her credit.

  “Sweetness, you remind me of another woman who completely misread a man’s signals. Tobi was convinced Kyle’s snarky attitude meant he didn’t like her, but that wasn’t the case at all. I suspect it isn’t here, either, but that remains to be seen.”

  Savannah blinked at him in confusion, giving him another déjà vu moment. Damn. Petite, long blonde hair, gorgeous, and feisty—it was enough to make him wonder if Savannah was Tobi’s long lost sister or cousin. Just thinking about his hot wife made his cock sit up and take notice. Fuck, I’m glad we’re headed home after this meeting. I can’t wait to get her beneath me.

  Shaking off his wayward thoughts, Kent smiled. “I’m going to level with you, Savannah. We’ve already talked to your supervisor. He briefed us this morning.” Landon saw Savannah’s spine stiffen, but she didn’t respond. Wise decision, Princess.

  “Agent North, we’ve heard how the government wants this to play out. What we need to know is, how much training have you had as a submissive?” Typical Kyle. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars—straight to the point.

  Savannah’s smile wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting. But it was her words that shocked the hell out of him. “I don’t have any practical experience. At one time, I deluded myself that a man I was erroneously interested in was sexually dominant, but as it turned out, he was simply an arrogant ass. I’d done a lot of research prior to his rejection, but discovering he wasn’t the super stud I’d built up in my mind pushed my interest in the lifestyle to the back burner.”

  Honest to God, Kent thought Landon’s head was going to spin around on his shoulders. It took every bit of his self-control to stifle his laughter. Kyle’s lips twitched, and Nate was suddenly engrossed in the contents of the file folder he’d been holding. But Taz was laughing like a loon, earning him a cheeky grin from Savannah and a death glare from Nix. Damn, she reminded him of Tobi. It was no wonder Landon looked ten seconds from stroking out.

  Kyle leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, watching Savannah closely. Kent had been on the receiving end of that particular look his entire life. Whatever was coming next would be rife with verbal landmines.

  “As my brother mentioned, we’ve already spoken with your supervisor and his superiors as well. The orders for this operation are coming from the highest levels. I’ve also talked with your brother, though I’ll admit he didn’t share your personal connection during our conversation.” Kyle’s voice was tight, and Kent knew he was editing his response for Savannah’s sake. It wasn’t her fault Brit Fitzgerald had failed to mention he was Savannah’s brother. Kent could only imagine how well Kyle was coping with being kept out of the loop. They were both information obsessed when planning a mission—particularly when the operation was a hostage recovery—and having the target’s father withhold information didn’t set well. Brit Fitzgerald was going to pay dearly for the mistake.

  Nate picked up some of the silent by-play through his connection to Taz. But judging from the other man’s hysterical laughter, Nate was certain he was missing a lot. His younger brother was a gifted empath who could usually sense what others were feeling and often would hear their thoughts as well. Unlike their grandmother, Taz hadn’t developed much control over who he did or did not connect with, but she’d assured them that would come quickly now. For Nanna-son, everything good in their futures had always hinged on them finding their “one.” Now that they’d found Kodi and made her their own, he and Taz had both noticed the connection between them was indeed becoming stronger. And Nate’s own gifts were also strengthening, though he’d never match Taz’s.

  Focusing on Savannah, Nate asked, “Have you had any contact with the man since?” The question wasn’t relevant to their discussion, but the expression on Nix’s face was damned entertaining.

  “No. I’ve counted myself fortunate…at least until recently.” The last words were whispered so softly he might have missed them if he hadn’t been looking directly at her.

  Judging by Landon’s body language, I’m not sure Agent North would be safe in his care tonight. He’s wired way too tightly to begin now. Taz’s words floated through Nate’s mind, and he agreed. Amaryllis Fitzgerald dese
rved every chance they could give her, and that hinged on Landon and Savannah being properly prepared.

  Savannah’s niece had been taken right off the street one night as she left a club in New York. Thanks to a very astute witness, officials had gotten a good description of the two men who’d accosted the young woman. The college students who’d been seated at a nearby outdoor bistro had also memorized the license plate information of the black Towne Car the thugs pulled Amy into.

  The information eventually led authorities to the Alvarez crime family. Unfortunately, they’d arrived at their private airfield too late to stop Amy’s transport out of the country. Jose Alvarez’s reputation for high-end human trafficking was well known, but so far, he’d evaded prosecution because his men were usually very careful. Their kidnappings were never random. Word on the street was the old man had recently handed over operations to his only son, and no one knew exactly what changes the younger man would make in the organization.

  Amaryllis Fitzgerald fit their usual criteria in every way except one; she had a family—a rich, well-connected family. Every man in the room knew the real reason Uncle Sam was allowing Savannah North to take this mission. Brit Fitzgerald might have a lot of influence, but that was secondary to the fact his sister was a dead ringer for her cousin. Both women were petite blondes with startlingly brilliant blue eyes the color of the south Caribbean Sea. They were slender, but physically fit, so they’d hold up longer to the rigors of sex slavery.

  Cases like this one were a large part of the reason Nate and Taz agreed to partner with the Prairie Winds team. When a young woman from their small village was abducted a year ago, the entire community had been devastated. Sex trafficking was against everything Nate and his friends stood for—safe, sane, and consensual were more than letters behind the reception desks of clubs. Those three words were the guiding tenets of their lifestyle.

  Chapter Three

  Landon watched Savannah with equal parts frustration and fascination. How the hell was he going to get through the next few weeks without strangling her? He’d known he hurt her feelings when he’d turned her down. Obviously, his attempt to save them both from the heartache he’d been certain would follow hadn’t worked out the way he’d hoped. At the time, he’d assumed she was simply curious about the rumors continually swirling around him at the Agency. Since Landon wasn’t a full-time agent and was only brought in for special cases, he’d always been something of an enigma.

  Nate and Taz were doing the damned silent communication thing that drove everyone around them bat shit crazy, and for the first time, Landon knew they were talking about him. Dammit all to hell, he didn’t need this complication in his life. He’d already decided to quit the Agency, it was time to start building his future. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, my parents’ harping is starting to work.

  He’d heard the underlying pain beneath Savannah’s bravado and hated that he’d caused it. The only consolation was knowing he’d done what he believed was right at the time. It was always easy to second guess decisions after more information became available. He didn’t plan to fall into that trap.

  Nate was intentionally pushing Savannah. He just hoped like hell his friend knew what he was doing. Despite her delicate physical appearance, The Fitzgerald Princess was as stubborn and tenacious as they came. She was also whip smart with a biting sense of humor Landon enjoyed—when he wasn’t the target.

  “So, there’s nothing between you and this wanna-be Dom now?” Nate’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he asked the question, and Landon had a sudden urge to remind the big man who’d won their last round in the ring. Taz’s lips twitched, and Landon would bet the younger man knew exactly where Nate was leading her.

  “No, nothing at all. I doubt it would have ever developed in to more than a brief, unsatisfying night of sex.” There was that gloating expression again. Damn, he’d love to take her over his knee for that look alone. Savannah was about to get a lesson in D/s interaction she wasn’t going to enjoy much. As an agent, Landon knew she’d been trained in a variety of interview techniques, but she had evidently failed the practicum. First rule, Princess, answer the question and only the question. Don’t give your interrogator any additional information to use against you later. Because he will.

  “That works, because you’ll need to focus all of your attention on the Dom we’re assigning to train you. He’s already been approved by the Agency and your brother, so we won’t entertain any protests about our decision.” For the first time, Landon watched a flicker of doubt dance in her eyes. It wasn’t there long, but he’d seen just a hint of insecurity. Perfect. He would capitalize on that when the time was right.

  Kent grinned, and Kyle nodded before agreeing, “We’re anxious to get back home, so we’ll be heading out in a few minutes. We’ll see you in two weeks. You and your Master will visit Prairie Winds on your way to Costa Rica. You’ll get a last-minute briefing, and the team will assess your readiness for the mission.”

  Kent’s smile disappeared as he leveled a look at Savannah. “Make no mistake, sweetness, we’ll expect you to be fully trained as a sex slave when you arrive. Any flaws in your behavior will get you and your Master killed. You aren’t going to be any help to your niece if you’re fighting for your own life.”

  When Taz leaned forward and took her hand in his, Nate’s eyes widened in surprise. Taz rarely touched people he’d just met, because it often established a connection that could take years to sever if things went south. “You’re tired from traveling and need to rest before beginning your training. We’ve made arrangements for you to spend the rest of the day at the spa. Kodi will be here in a few minutes to walk you over and answer any questions you might have.”

  Her eyes were as round as saucers when Nate added, “I’ve texted the staff and had your overnight case delivered to our guest room upstairs. The rest of your luggage will be sent ahead to your new Master’s home. He’ll be expecting you to arrive first thing in the morning. He’s already received your limit list, and we’re asking you to use the club’s safe word since you’ll be playing here from time to time.”

  Landon could see her eyes were beginning to glaze over, whether from fatigue or the onslaught of information they were throwing her way, he wasn’t sure. Likely it was a combination of the two, but it didn’t matter—it was time to end this before he changed the plan and ordered her to strip here and now. He wanted her with him tonight, but he knew why they’d put the skids on that plan. Pushing away from the leather sofa where he’d been leaning, he nodded. “I suggest you aren’t late—he’s a hard ass about punctuality.” Before she could ask any questions, a soft knock sounded at the door.

  As he walked away, he heard Kyle speaking to Savannah behind him. “Here is a card with the phone numbers of the team members you’ll be working with. Call if you need to, but let me caution you about jumping ship just because the sea gets bumpy. If we even suspect you can’t handle this operation, we’ll pull you. Sam and Jen McCall are available, though Sage, Jen’s other husband and Sam’s younger brother, is currently out of the country on a long term undercover job. They try to never all three leave the country at the same time for their young daughter’s sake.”

  “We’ll send them if we need to and pull Sage home. It’ll compromise two different operations, but that’s better than sending you into a dangerous situation you’re not prepared for.” Kent’s voice took on a hard edge Landon hadn’t heard before. Evidently, there was a hard ass beneath the man’s easy-going façade after all.

  Nate stood and offered her his hand as Kodi walked into the room. “What we’re telling you is, when you’re frustrated or start feeling rebellious, remember why you started.” When she finally nodded in agreement, Nate introduced the two women and sent them on their way.

  After the door closed behind them, Landon saw a rare smile move across Kyle West’s usually stoic face. “Do you have cameras at your front entrance, Landon? I’d pay good money to see the look on her face when you open
the door.” Kyle’s sense of humor didn’t surface often, but it was wicked when it came out to play. Landon shook his head at the other man’s inappropriate remark. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, man. She is going to be seven kinds of pissed.” The others laughed as they nodded their heads as the meeting broke up. Fucking hell, they looked like a group of damned bobbleheads.

  “She’ll call you before lunch, mark my word. I’ll be surprised if she makes it out of the front foyer before she’s digging your card out of her pocket.” Savannah’s temper was going to light up like a drought fueled timber fire. She was a competent agent, though he didn’t think the Agency had ever pushed her enough to find out how very capable she was. Savannah might think she’d escaped the boundaries her family wanted to erect for her, but her brother still orchestrated things from the background.

  “I’ve told the spa technicians exactly what I expect. Don’t give her the directions to my place until she’s ready to walk out the door tomorrow morning.” Nate and Taz both nodded, knowing she’d use her phone to research who owned the property. His dad had buried the information deep in several holding companies, but given enough time, she could eventually uncover the truth.

  Nate patted him on the back as they all walked from the room. “Kodi won’t spill the beans, either. She’s had crystal clear instructions, and since she’s already sporting a very tender bottom, she won’t be anxious to earn another paddling for a while.” Landon chuckled. He’d seen the fit she’d thrown last night when Nate and Taz told her they’d be buying her a new car. She’d politely declined their offer, assuring them she had the money to buy one when and if it became necessary. But all traces of polite flew out the window the minute she discovered they’d already disposed of her old car. She’d been upended over one of the stools in front of the bar before she’d finished her tirade. The hickory paddle they’d used resounded around the room with every swat.