I.N.E.T 5 Read online

  The light suddenly stopped, so Randy was sure his partner had finally caught Burke.

  Burke was dodging and weaving through the trees. The woods were dense enough that Lita had to go around several trees she slipped through. He was just too large to squeeze through some of them.

  His dislocated shoulder was on the same side he was grazed by the bullet back at the truck stop. The graze was steadily bleeding again, whatever scabs had been forming from his shirt were long gone. The blood was more annoying than any pain from the wound. It was too dwarfed by the pain radiating from his dislocated shoulder. Every step shot a jolt of pain through his arm and back even though he hugged his arm tightly to his chest.

  “Fuck this shit,” Lita grumbled and stopped running.

  The snow wasn’t deep, but still deep enough to track the bitch. So, he dropped his phone, screen up, and drew his gun. He’d never have a clear shot on Burke. Not that he intended to shoot her ass no matter how bad the temptation to do so rode him hard.

  The gunshot echoing through the silent woods startled Randy so badly that he stumbled to a stop. He didn’t think his fellow Marshal would have shot their charge, but still had his doubts because of the way Lita had already manhandled Burke.

  “Lita!” Randy shouted through the silence. He received no reply before another shot echoed just like the first.

  Lita listened. The only sound he heard was Randy approaching from behind him. He heard the shock and fear in his partner’s tone. He ignored the man and focused his attention on the last place he saw Burke in the trees. She stopped when he fired his weapon as he thought she would. Now, he just had to wait for Randy to catch up. The Marine trained Marshal could circle around and flank her while Lita held her attention.

  “What the fuck?” Randy spat out even though he was relieved to see no sign of Burke’s shot body lying in the snow.

  Lita held up a fist in the military’s universal sign to stop. He sensed Randy was only a few feet behind him and was sure the man could see his signal in the light from both their phones. He continued to listen and barely heard the slight crunch of snow ahead of them. Lita signaled with two fingers waving toward the front of them.

  Randy wasn’t too surprised Lita used military signals. Marshals generally didn’t have military backgrounds, but Lita fit the bill as past military based on his size and the way he moved. Lita pointed at Randy’s phone then his which was on the ground in front of him. He then pointed at his gun to indicate he was going to fire again before he gave the signal to flank.

  Lita was more than relieved Randy didn’t speak and just nodded his understanding. Every signal he gave the man shot another intense jolt of pain down his arm. Lita watched Randy place his phone on the ground right on top of his so the impression was of only one light shining in the dark woods.

  Randy turned his back to the light from their phones to give his eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness of the woods. The woods were dark as hell, but slowly the trees and brush became clearer. He took several steps in the direction Lita had indicated. He focused on where he last heard Burke trying to slip away from them and was prepared to hear the shot Lita indicated he’d fire.

  “Burke, you aren’t going to get far,” Lita didn’t bother to yell. The woods were quiet enough that he had no doubt the CIA agent would hear him. “I’ll easily be able to track you in this snow.”

  Apparently, she decided to take her chances that she could outdistance them because they heard her clearly start running away from them again. Lita couldn’t see Randy. The light from their phones was too bright, but even if their phones weren’t shining bright in front of him, the woods were dark. Still, he didn’t need to see Randy or Burke to point his gun skyward and fire off another shot. He waited two heartbeats to ensure she stopped again.

  “I’ll catch up to you eventually,” Lita informed her. “Then I’ll put a bullet in your knee so you won’t be able to run ever again.”

  Lita’s tone wasn’t hard or harsh. It was so calm it made Randy shiver. Randy had no doubt it wasn’t a threat, either, but a promise. He didn’t know his partner at all, so he wouldn’t put it past the man to hobble Burke by putting a bullet in her knee. Randy wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he did know not having to deal with Burke’s attempts at escape on top of the cartel’s attacks would sure as hell make their job easier. He pushed the unethical thought of how injuring Burke would make their job easier from his mind.

  Randy had flanked around enough that he could now see Burke crouched down behind a tree. He crept up to two trees which were directly behind her. Just as she stood, Randy lunged across the five feet separating him from his charge. He tackled her to the ground and a startled yell escaped her throat. She tried to wiggle out from beneath him, but his larger frame smothered her smaller body. It didn’t hurt that he took her down so she landed on her stomach, either. In the blink of an eye he had both her arms behind her back. The loose cuff hit his jacket, but having one of her hands already cuffed only made securing her other easier.

  “Clear,” Randy called out to Lita and not so gently pulled Burke to her feet.

  Lita kept his gaze in the direction of Randy’s voice. The light from the phones still fucked with any chance he had of night vision. So, he holstered his gun and bent to pick them up. He bit back a groan of pain which was becoming worse now that his adrenaline was ebbing.

  Lita shined the minimal light in their direction, but Randy kept his eyes lowered. He wasn’t ready to destroy what little night vision he acquired. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t see the light shining off the snow to lead him back to his partner. Thankfully, Lita was aware of his intent and kept the phone flashlight pointed to the ground. Randy stopped next to his partner once Lita shined the light off to the side of them.

  “I’ll lead us back,” Lita informed with a glare at Burke. She returned his look with the glare of her own. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

  “Fuck you,” Burke spat out as Lita turned away to lead them out of the woods.

  “No thanks, sweetheart,” Lita called over his shoulder without looking back at Burke. “I’ve told you, you’re not my type. I wouldn’t fuck you if you were the last hole on earth.”

  This was the second time his partner had referred to Burke not being his type. Of course, Lita’s comment could just be referring to Burke being blonde and blue-eyed. However, remembering Lita’s flirty tone when he claimed he was always prepared made treacherous thoughts of his partner actually being gay threatened to flood his mind.

  Now is not the time, Randy mentally reminded himself. Regardless of whether his partner was gay or not, now was definitely not the time to be thinking about his partner’s sexuality. Perhaps, never would be the time since coworker relationships always ended in disaster.

  Randy pushed all those thoughts from his mind and concentrated on perp-walking Burke behind his partner. He could easily see Lita through the dark woods over Burke. He had almost a foot over her height and Lita’s five inches on him gave him a clear view of the man’s leather jacket covered back.

  They’d only been walking for about ten minutes when Lita’s strange gait finally registered in Randy’s mind. His partner wasn’t walking normally. It was clear he was cradling his left arm to his chest. Either his partner sprained his wrist or broke his arm when he took the spill in the intersection. Randy hoped it was a sprain not a break. If Lita had sprained his wrist, then they could wrap it with an ace bandage from the first-aid kit in the trunk. If it was broken, they wouldn’t be able to do more than use those with some branches to make a field splint. Either way, they were nowhere near a hospital and they sure as hell wouldn’t be calling an ambulance for anything other than a serious gunshot wound.

  Lita was surprised neither Randy nor Burke said a damn word while they trudged through the woods. He expected Burke to bitch or at least comment on his firing of his weapon and threatening to shoot her. Honestly, he expected Randy to comment on that as well.
He didn’t. Lita wasn’t sure what to make of that because the man already made his displeasure over his manhandling Burke known.

  Once they reached the intersection and the illumination of the blinking stoplight, Lita turned off both their phones. He was sure Randy noticed him holding his left arm close to his chest. There was no way his partner could miss him cradling it. However, Randy still didn’t comment even after he pushed Burke in front of them far enough for them to walk shoulder to shoulder. Well, as close to shoulder to shoulder as their five-inch difference in height would allow. Still, aside from a concerned glance in his direction, Randy didn’t say anything. Lita didn’t comment on the blood that covered the man’s shirt and jacket, either.

  Randy shoved Burke in the backseat of their car. The back doors couldn’t be opened from the inside like most police cars, so he hit the fob to lock them once he slammed the door behind Burke. He ignored the glare she gave him and turned his attention to his partner.

  “Broken or sprained?” Randy asked quietly.

  “Neither,” Lita replied. “Dislocated.”

  Randy winced in sympathy. He’d only dislocated a shoulder once, but had no problem remembering how much it hurt. Not just when he dislocated it, either. Putting the bitch back where it should be was more painful even though the pain was replaced with nothing more than soreness after the deed was done.

  “Yeah,” Lita replied to Randy’s questioning gaze before the man could comment that it was the same arm as his gunshot wound.

  “Okay.” Randy gave his partner nod. “Shoulder first then we will take care of where you were shot.” Randy pointedly looked at Lita’s hand where blood was more frozen to his skin then dried. “Against the car,” Randy ordered and didn’t have to tell Lita they would need to use the car to reset his shoulder.

  Lita took a step closer to the car and squatted down enough to line up his shoulders with the roof. “You done this before?” Lita raised a brow.

  “Had it done.” Randy met his partner’s gaze.

  “Guess that’ll be good enough.” Lita smirked and moved his arm away from his chest.

  Randy took Lita’s bloody left wrist in his left hand and placed his right hand close to Lita’s collarbone. “Ready?”

  “Always.” Lita grinned and concentrated on how warm Randy’s hand was where was wrapped around his wrist.

  Randy gave Lita a nod. Then he yanked. He couldn’t help but wince from feeling Lita’s shoulder pop back in place. Lita didn’t make a sound over the pain Randy was well aware the man felt. He didn’t break Randy’s gaze, either, and for a moment Randy almost got lost in his partner’s green eyes even though he knew realistically there was nowhere near enough light to actually see their color.

  The jolt of pain from his shoulder popping back into the joint was acute. Lita was so focused on Randy’s hand that shouldn’t have been warm as cold as it was and the man’s concerned gaze that he didn’t react. Randy’s wince was enough for them both. He needed to move his arm, rotate it to relieve the pressure and stiffness which sank into his muscles from being dislocated. He didn’t want to move, though, because once he did Randy would release his wrist and step back.

  So, before his partner could do just that, Lita raised his other hand, fingers splayed along Randy’s cheek and thumb under his jaw, and dared to touch the man’s face. He applied minimal pressure to indicate he wanted Randy to tilt his head back.

  Randy didn’t startle at Lita’s touch on his face. It had nothing to do with seeing Lita’s hand move in his peripheral vision, either. No, not startling from his partner’s touch had everything to do with the sudden thought the man was going to kiss him. The sudden desire to be kissed.

  “You’ve been sliced,” Lita said without actually touching the wound under Randy’s chin. “Looks like the cuff caught you and you might need a few stitches.”

  Lita’s mention of being wounded under his chin snapped Randy back to the reality of their situation. It also made him realize his chin throbbed and chest was cold. He glanced down and noticed for the first time the material of his shirt was frozen with blood. If he hadn’t known how badly head wounds bled, he may have panicked at the sight. Instead, he wasn’t even concerned.

  “Got Steri-Strips in the first-aid kit in the trunk,” Randy replied and realized he still held his hand wrapped around Lita’s bare wrist under the sleeve of the man’s jacket.

  Lita saw the moment Randy realized he still held his wrist. So, he wasn’t surprised when his partner let go and stepped back. Randy moved toward the trunk of the car without looking back at him. That was okay, though, because Lita knew he’d get to touch the man’s cold skin again in order to apply the Steri-Strips. It was that thought that had him moving to follow his partner to the back of the car.

  Randy had to force himself to focus on finding the first-aid kit. His mind wanted to linger on Lita’s hand caressing his face. The man was amazingly tender for his size. Thoughts of how tender his partner might be in the bedroom flashed through his mind. They made him shiver and he almost dropped the first aid kit when Lita reached around him to take it from his hand. It didn’t help his treacherous thoughts by feeling his partner so close. He needed to put some distance between them before he did something stupid like kiss the hell out of the man.

  “I got it,” Lita said softly as he pressed more closely to Randy then he needed to in order to retrieve the first aid kit from his partner’s hand.

  Lita felt a shiver vibrate through Randy before the man stepped back and put some distance between them. Getting involved with a partner while on an assignment was always a horrible idea. However, Lita couldn’t help but be pleased Randy seemed as attracted to him as he was to the man. He wasn’t sure when his attraction to the Marshal kicked in, but knew himself well enough to know reading the Marshal’s dossier likely sped the process along. Still, Lita was more than aware he should resist his attraction until they at least delivered Burke to D.C. That was what he would do, too.

  Randy watched Lita set the first-aid kit atop their duffel bags and open it. It took only a second for Lita to find the Steri-Strips. Randy noticed he pulled out enough to take care of his chin and Lita’s bullet wound.

  “C’mere,” Lita ordered as he opened up one of the alcohol pads and Steri-Strips packs. “Head back.”

  Randy wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed Lita told him to expose his chin instead of using his fingers again to view the slice. Lita swiped the alcohol pad over his wound and put the first Steri-Strip on quickly before opening the second. Randy watched him through lidded eyes. The second strip went on just as quickly, but Randy’s breath unintentionally hitched when both of Lita’s hands cupped his cheeks so the man could use his thumbs to ensure the strips would stay in place on his still somewhat bloody skin.

  Lita heard the hitch in Randy’s breath when both his hands cupped the man’s cheeks. The sound sparked every nerve in his body. Every intention he had to restrain from his attraction to the Marshal evaporated like fog once the sun burned it off. Randy lowering his chin into his hands and licking his lips shattered any shred of control Lita hoped to retain.

  Randy was screwed. Royally fucked. The moment Lita cupped his cheeks and caressed under his chin with his thumbs. Even the twinge of pain from the slice wasn’t enough to stop his arousal from saying ‘Hell-oo.’

  It was dark. Hardly any light to see one another, but Randy didn’t need light. They were standing so close together, closer than need be for Lita to patch him up that he had no problem reading the desire in his partner’s gaze. The desire matched his and he had no thoughts about ethics or professionalism. Randy’s only thought, his only focus, was on his partner’s lips and how badly he suddenly wanted to taste the man.

  Lita moved slowly. His intention was clear and he gave Randy every opportunity to stop him. The Marshal was a stickler for rules and Lita was about to shatter the one about fraternizing with a coworker. Randy didn’t pull out of his hold and he didn’t step back,
but instead licked his lips. His moist, pink tongue sliding over his plump and slightly chapped lips was all the invitation Lita needed. He continued to bend his head down and had to force himself not to ravage his partner’s lips.

  Lita’s lips pressed against his. Once again, Randy was surprised at the larger man’s gentleness. At the moment though, Randy wasn’t sure he wanted gentle. He wanted to be devoured. He wanted an outlet for his stress and the desire which suddenly washed through him to rob him of any thought aside from the large man who softly cupped his face in his hands. He pressed forward. Pressed his lips almost harshly into the kiss and prompted Lita with his tongue to open to him so he could taste the man.

  Lita welcomed Randy’s hunger and his sudden aggressiveness to deepen the kiss he dared to initiate. The man’s taste was intoxicating. Lita delved in to taste more and Randy matched his effort to dominate their kiss. He felt Randy’s hands move to his hips and the man pull him closer. Lita swallowed the moan which crept up Randy’s throat when their bodies finally touched. It wasn’t until Lita felt a sharp stab of pain in his left bicep that he’d even realized Randy’s hands had left his hips. He’d been too absorbed in their kiss to notice anything else. An unbidden hiss escaped his lips into their kiss.

  Randy kissed in the sound of pain Lita exhaled. The noise snapped him out of the fog of lust that was blinding him from anything other than concentrating on his partner pressed against him. He didn’t feel the cold or notice the snow which was starting to fall in thicker clumps. He gave no thought to their charge. However, the hiss of pain against his lips jerked him back to reality so harshly, so fucking quickly, he stepped back. He didn’t release his hold on Lita’s arms even though he put some distance between them and no longer grasped them so hard.

  Lita showed no expression he was in pain when he looked at the man’s face. However, Randy remembered Lita was injured. He just had his dislocated shoulder popped back in place and had a bullet wound in the same arm. It was remembering the bullet wound that caused Randy to shoot his gaze to Lita’s injured arm. It was then that Randy realized where his hand had been clutching Lita in his desire to pull the man closer.