Special Forces: Operation Alpha: The Fox and The Hound 2: Kisses From the Kremlin (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Breaking the SEAL) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Also by Wren Michaels

  About the Author

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Stoker Aces Production, LLC. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Special Forces: Operation Alpha remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Stoker Aces Production, LLC, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Kisses From The Kremlin

  Breaking the SEAL Series, Book 2

  Wren Michaels

  Contents

  Blurb

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Also by Wren Michaels

  About the Author

  Jayla “Fox” McFadden is still trying to figure out who wants her dead. But even worse, her brand new relationship with Noah “Hound” Kendrick feels like it's already on the rocks. She's never been girlfriend material, and the pressure is on with each awkward moment they spend together trying to have a 'normal' life. But a CIA spy and a Navy SEAL are far from normal. When her next mission takes her to Russia, she's almost thankful for the time away to think.

  Hound's Navy SEAL team gets orders to blow up one arm of the Russian Mafia. But when Noah learns of Jayla's involvement in the mission, his strict orders to kill anyone and everyone associated with the case don't sit well with him, and he's forced to choose Fox or his country.

  Taking down the Russian mafia will be easy, finding out Jayla's long lost father is a part of it, not so much. The Fox and The Hound take on the government, the mafia, and each other in a battle of love, lies, and loss.

  Acknowledgments

  A big thank you to my friend and crit partner, LeTeisha Newton. She let me pry open her fount of military knowledge and roll around in it for a while. She also has mad skills and designed my amazing cover. I'm forever indebted to her. Next to Margaret, once again we survived the chaos of writing a twisty merged story line. You'll always be my Nerd. We deserve to dive into a vat of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Next, to Anne Conley for her awesome insight on the book and her overall friendship, for without it I'd be lost and floundering in this business. And to the incomparable Susan Stoker, who has been amazing to write for. Her support and friendship is immeasurable. Thank you for sharing your world with us!

  Dedication

  To those who make sacrifices the world may never see or acknowledge.

  1

  What do you do with the man who rescued you from a terrorist, saved you from drowning, and threw his life down for you during a hurricane?

  You take him home to meet your asshole cat.

  Mal was an excellent judge of character, but a cat of few meows. He was kind of like the adult still living in their parent's basement; played with his balls, got high on catnip, and slept. Still, one hiss from him in a guy's general direction and Jayla knew to kick the dude to the curb. Cats sensed evil.

  So, bringing Noah home to pass the cat test was a big deal. But what if Mal got jacked up on cat-crack right before they got there and wasn't in his right mind? It could blow everything. Not to mention, Noah had already given her his Budweiser, his sacred SEAL Trident Pin. Jayla's head still spun from disbelief.

  It had only been a little over a month since she met Noah at a BBQ thrown by her co-worker, Caroline Steele. They hadn't exactly 'hit it off,' per se. Oh sure, their sexual chemistry shot off the charts. But he was a SEAL, and Jayla had sworn them off thanks to James McFadden—also known as Daddy Dearest—who took off after knocking up a woman while he was deployed.

  Okay, Jayla had daddy issues. She knew that. Noah knew it, too, and he still wanted to date her. Even though it took him a while to tell her that, because men could be stubborn and thick-headed.

  Oh, Noah was definitely thick-headed. She found that out the night they made love after washing up on a deserted island. Which brought up the next point, they were bound to have sex again. While Jayla most definitely wanted to, they hadn't even really been on a 'date' yet. They'd been locked in a bathroom, shot at, nearly drowned, and had sex in a hurricane. What if they didn't have a single thing in common? Would he expect to throw down in her living room after Mal approved?

  Nerves twisted her stomach into a tight knot. The reality of the situation unveiled itself in her mind on the drive back to her condo. Noah sat in silence beside her. What if he was thinking the same thing?

  She uncurled her fingers from the vice-grip on the steering wheel and caressed the pin clipped to her white lab-coat. He chose her. That had to mean he'd thought things out. He wouldn't just willy-nilly give his Budweiser to anyone, right?

  She chanced a glance in his direction, not wanting to alert him that she'd spent the entire twenty-minute drive to her condo contemplating their brand new twenty-five-minute-old relationship. But he caught her. Like he always did. Somehow she, Jayla “Fox” McFadden—Forensic Toxicologist, CIA Spy, and Xena: Warrior Princess—had managed to let him rescue her more times than she'd needed in her entire twenty-eight year existence.

  This time though, he caught her falling in love with him.

  “I'm afraid to ask what's going on in that head of yours,” Noah said, finally breaking the silence. “You worried about that text from the CIA? You really don't think they're out to kill you, do you?”

  Oh right, the CIA. She'd almost completely blocked that from her thoughts. Because who wanted to think about someone out to kill you, especially when it's the people you work for. Well, forced to work for, anyway. If she had to choose a side, she'd go independent. Maybe once she paid her debt off to the government, she'd do just that. Fox McFadden—Your go-to girl to get the job done … depending on the job, like a MacGyver for hire. He was sort of indie, wasn't he?

  Since her botched undercover mission to retrieve intel from arms dealer, Abdul-Mu'eid Bahri, ended up revealing that someone ratted her out, she had very little trust in anyone connected to the government. She tossed another side-eye to the Navy SEAL sitting beside her. Except Noah, because if he wanted to kill her, he could have done so instead of saving her life. That was one of two names on the very short list of people she did trust.

  The other was her best friend and co-worker, Melinda Emerson. Except, now Melinda, too, had folks after her—who turned out to be the Russian Mafia—specifically for her knowledge on a super mind-enhancing drug. Because why not throw those rag-tag bunch of fun guys into the mix?

  Noah turned in his seat. “I won't leave your side.”

  Jayla jerked her head. “What are you talking about?”

  “You're worried. I see it in your eyes.”

  “My eyes are focused on the road. You know, because
I'm driving?”

  “They're angry eyes. The same kind you had when we were trapped on the island. Not the ones that sparkled, wide and full of wonder about half-an-hour ago when we were kissing in the parking lot at your office. Not to mention, you're quiet. You're never quiet. You always have something to say, Jayla. Your silence is more frightening than words.”

  “How do you even know that? I haven't seen you in weeks. We really hardly even know each other, period.”

  “I study people, remember? It's my job to retain detail and learn from it. Adjust to it. And I thought we got to know each other pretty well that night. You got me to reveal things I've never told another living soul. You hold a power over me, Fox. And instead of running from it, I ran to it. That's why I gave you my pin. That's why I want to give this a shot.”

  Jayla pulled into her space in the parking garage, turned off the car, and swallowed hard. She wasn't used to deep meaningful conversations with anyone other than Melinda, let alone a guy. It freaked her out, yet she wanted to give in to it so much. That night on the island, she'd also told Noah things she'd never told anyone in the world except Melinda. Their connection was undeniable, but that wasn't what concerned her.

  Her fear centered around losing him.

  They both worked in high-death-rate careers. Before Noah, she didn't have anyone but Melinda and Mal. Her dad took off when she was thirteen. Her mom died when she was twenty-five. She still had her brothers, Jonah and Jackson, but she hardly spoke to them, mainly to keep them from any harm resulting from her work with the CIA and possibly endangering their lives. They were adults now, they no longer needed their big sister to take care of them.

  So if Jayla didn't come home one day from a mission, Melinda knew to take care of Mal. Now, if she didn't come home from a mission, where would that leave Noah? Even worse, what happened if Noah didn't come home from a mission? Jayla couldn't stomach the thought, and her guts twisted into that familiar pretzel.

  She got out of the car and released the pony-tail high atop her head, running her fingers through her black and pink hair. Waves crashed in the distance, harmonizing with the squawking of the seagulls frolicking in the foam along the San Diego coastline. Leaning back against the car, she gazed at the sun making its descent into the early winter horizon. She loved living near the water; it called to her.

  Noah stepped in front of her and slipped his arms along her waist, blocking her view. “Don't be mad at me. We've been a couple for less than an hour. Or is this you trying to have an argument with me so we can kiss and make-up? I know how much you love angry wall sex.”

  She did love it, and the time Noah threw her against the wall in the abandoned building on the island had been one of the most memorable of them. His arms heated her waist as he gripped tighter to her body, leaning in closer until his lips hovered above her own. He knew how to light her up. Every inch of her body tingled in anticipation.

  “I love and hate that you know me already. What am I going to do with you?” Jayla whispered, her own words tickling her lips as they vibrated off his.

  “Anything you want, Jayla McFadden. Anything you want,” he said before claiming her lips with his own.

  Gravel ground against the cement, echoing through the covered parking garage. Jayla slid her hand under her mini-skirt and unholstered the gun strapped to her thigh. She clicked the safety off and eased it between her and Noah.

  Noah froze mid-kiss. “Shit, Fox, I'm sorry. Too much, too soon?”

  “Uh-uh,” Jayla grunted.

  “Someone's behind me.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I'm guessing not a friendly.”

  “Don't know yet. On the count of three, move slowly to your left,” Jayla whispered in his ear. “One, two, three.”

  Noah darted left and slid a gun from the back of his waistband and aimed it in the same direction Jayla had hers pointed.

  “Show yourself,” Jayla demanded.

  A woman stepped from around the corner of the building near the elevators, clutching tight to a briefcase with both hands. She cleared her throat and held her head high as she strut forth, coming to a stop in front of their pointed guns.

  “Kindly lower your weapons,” the woman's voice barely made it over the squawking seagull noise.

  Jayla leaned forward as she recognized the throaty tone. “Claudia?”

  “Agent Lynch,” the woman corrected. “Yes.” She brushed a stray brown hair falling from the tight bun at the back of her head probably giving her a headache, which would explain her attitude.

  “What are you doing in my parking garage?” Jayla holstered her weapon, urging Noah to do the same, and leaned back against her car. “You could have gotten shot. Worse, you scared me half to death. ”

  “If you were more aware of your surroundings and not making out with a Navy SEAL, you would have known I was here.” She released the death-grip she had on her briefcase. “Really, Agent Fox, it's a wonder you ever survive a mission.”

  “And it's a wonder why you never get to go on any.” It took everything in her not to roll her eyes. Claudia Lynch, pencil pusher and butt-kisser extraordinaire. She was the type who dreamed of being in the action, but would find the nearest desk to hide under in the face of any real danger. Talked big and carried an even bigger pair of Louboutins, at least a size ten.

  Maybe in her heyday she was different. But sliding down the backside of fifty, she was lucky to get out of the office for lunch, let alone a mission. Which threw down some red-flags as big as her shoes as to why she was even there instead of back at Langley.

  “So, why the pleasure of a visit?” Jayla folded her arms.

  “We need to speak in private,” Claudia said, tossing a glance at Noah.

  “We can speak upstairs, but where I go”—she thumbed over her shoulder to Noah—“he goes.”

  Claudia shook her head. “No. What if your apartment is bugged? We can't trust an unsecured area. And, this is special security clearance information.”

  Jayla's eyes jolted open. “Why would my apartment be bugged?”

  “Someone's out to kill you, Agent Fox. Did you learn nothing in your training? Oh, right … you didn't get any. You're one of those 'special ops' agents.” Claudia's head tilted a little higher. “You don't want just anyone hearing your mission details, do you?”

  “Precisely why I want Hound with me. The man's a SEAL, and he saved my life. He stays.” Jayla nodded toward the beach. “Care for a stroll in the sand? Or are your stilettos not water proof?” She stomped her foot next to Claudia's. “You should invest in some Docs. Just sayin'.”

  Claudia's visible swallow amused Jayla. They walked to the beachfront, stopping just enough to be out of earshot of the garage and condo. The sea breeze danced through Jayla's loose waves of hair, slinging hot-pink and black strands across her face. She threw it back in a ponytail and crossed her arms.

  “So, I got your text earlier. I'm assuming that's what this is about.” Jayla tried to quell the sea of nausea roaring as loud as the waves in front of them. The text she received had only two simple words—Amaranthine and Russians. Which meant her bestie was in some kind of trouble, because that was the name of the drug Melinda created and she had just returned from getting kidnapped by Russians because of it.

  Claudia jerked back. “What text?”

  “You mean, you didn't send me that text?” Jayla's heart pumped a little faster.

  “No. What number did it come from? What did it say?” Claudia's words rushed out of her mouth, like she couldn't get the answers from her fast enough.

  Jayla's spidey-sense tingled. The number was blocked, coming in unknown. She just assumed it was from the CIA, as it came in on her CIA issued phone, supposedly untraceable. Someone sent her a warning. But who?

  Noah gripped her wrist and gave her a terse shake of his head, as if warning her not to answer. He sensed it, too.

  Jayla swallowed back the ball of worry. “Doesn't matter. You're here, what's the mission det
ails?”

  “I need to know, Agent Fox. If it pertains to your mission, I have clearance and demand full disclosure.” Claudia shifted in the sinking sand, adjusting her suit jacket with a nervous twitch.

  “If you had full clearance, then you'd know who sent it. Obviously it was meant for me and not you. So, are you going to give me my mission details, or are we done here? Because I'm hungry and my new boyfriend is about to cook me dinner.”

  Noah stifled a laugh and crossed his arms. Jayla didn't know if the laugh was at him cooking or being called her boyfriend. Either way, it added to the unease in her stomach.

  “I'll find out either way, Agent Fox.” Claudia dug into her briefcase and pulled out a folder. “You leave for Moscow in forty-eight hours. Bahri has fled to a mafia cell in Russia. The thumb drive you provided us with from your last op contained a list of buyers interested in Melinda Emerson's drug, Amaranthine. I'm sure you're aware of Dr. Emerson's capture and escape. From her time with the Russian captives, they were able to clone her drug research at a lab in a satellite cell operated in Siberia.”

  “But you just said I'm going to Moscow. Why not Siberia?”

  “A SEAL team will be dispatched for the mission to Siberia. That is not your concern. You are to head to the cell located in Moscow, infiltrate and retrieve any other sources of buyers and then take out Bahri.”

  “Wait, now I'm supposed to kill Bahri? Last time you guys said to leave him alive at all costs.” As if she wasn't sick to her stomach enough. Her last mission she'd made her first kill, granted it was while being shot at and running for her life. But now she had a specific mission purpose to take someone out. Bad guy or not, she didn't sign up for this shit. Jayla wasn't a killer. “Why not apprehend him? I'm sure he's full of useful information y'all can pump out by way of various forms of torture. A fun time had by all. I don't think we need to kill him.”