Gray, p.1
Gray, page 1
Gray
SHADOW OPS TEAM
Makenna Jameison
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2024 by Makenna Jameison
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Table of Contents
About this Book
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Books by Makenna Jameison
About the Author
About this Book
She was rescued once before and vowed never to let a man control her again…
Lena Andersen knows what it’s like to live in hell. Kidnapped by a predator and then saved by a gruff, hardened man fighting his own demons, she’s living in a state of wariness and fear. Then the unthinkable happens. She’s taken—again. And there’s no way her savior will find her this time.
Former Special Forces Operative Gray Pierce was held hostage during his final days in the Army. The last man to join the Shadow Ops Team, he’s also the last man to have a soft spot for a woman. The beautiful and unattainable assistant to his boss isn’t the type of woman to fall for a guy like him, but he’s exactly the type of man she needs.
When Lena is kidnapped for a second time, Gray will burn down the world to find her. The heat between them could light an inferno, but will they be able to trust enough to fall for each other as well?
Gray, a standalone novel, is book seven in the sizzling Shadow Ops Team series.
Prologue
One month ago
Lena mumbled, trying to get her bearings as the world shifted around her. She was tired. So damn tired. Her entire body felt heavy and too weak to move, like she couldn’t get up even if she tried. Even her thoughts were sluggish. Confused.
Was she in bed?
No. Because it felt like she was moving. Swaying.
Her eyelids wouldn’t open, her body too exhausted to do anything she wanted, but she could sense it was daytime. Warm sunlight caressed her skin.
It almost felt like she was floating now. She was warm and so, so sleepy.
As she began to drift off again, low voices made her realize she wasn’t alone.
Wait. Was she riding in a car? A memory niggled at the back of her mind, just out of reach. She was supposed to do something. Be somewhere. She’d been with friends earlier, she realized. They’d had coffee. Gone back inside. Suddenly, her stomach dropped.
“Kaylee!” she cried out, her voice hoarse.
“Shhh.” A rough hand gently smoothed her hair back from her face, and relief coursed through her at the sound of the gruff voice. His touch felt so gentle against her skin. So damn careful.
Safe.
She was safe.
And she knew the man holding her would die rather than let those evil men hurt her.
“We’re almost to the hospital,” another male voice said. “Five more minutes.”
Lena stiffened again, but then the soothing voice was calming her once more, drowning out her panic. “Lena, we’re almost there. Stay with me, baby. Try to stay awake.”
“Gray?” she murmured.
“That’s right. It’s Gray. You were drugged,” he continued, and she realized Gray wasn’t just beside her in the car, he was holding her in his strong arms, her head resting on his shoulder. “Your pulse is weak. We’re taking you to the emergency room. Everything will be okay now.”
Suddenly, relief washed over her. She wasn’t in the dark SUV with the armed men who’d tracked down Kaylee. She wasn’t in the house they’d taken her to—in the bedroom of the man who was meaner, harder than all the others.
Lena opened her mouth, a million questions churning in her mind, but no words came out. Had hours passed since she and Kaylee had been kidnapped? Days? Why couldn’t she remember exactly what had happened?
Had she been assaulted in that house?
Lena whimpered.
“Shhh.” Gray’s big hand stroked the back of her head, comforting her. “Luke is driving us to the hospital. Kaylee’s okay, too. You’re going to be fine. You were unconscious when we found you, sweetheart.”
Lena must’ve passed out again, because the next thing she knew, someone was carrying her toward the emergency room entrance. And not just any someone—Gray. The silent but deadly operative on the Shadow Ops Team who often seemed far too aware of her. She’d be flitting around headquarters, juggling multiple tasks for her boss, and he’d suddenly step in. Grab the heavy box of supplies she was carrying. Open the door for her. Pin her in place with that dark gaze as he asked if she needed help.
And now he was carrying her into the hospital like she was his, holding her carefully in his arms like she was something special. Someone to be cherished.
He’d been at the coffee shop, she suddenly remembered. Watching over them. Lena and Kaylee had gone back inside to order another drink, and Gray had hovered near the front doors. Lena began trembling, remembering the men who’d cornered them in the back hall. Kidnapped them.
The sound of sirens grew louder, and she saw two police cars pulling up, the officers jumping out. Jett’s voice was barking orders from somewhere, and Lena blinked in confusion. It felt like everyone was arriving at once, a million different things happening. Her head began to pound as she saw nurses rushing out the door to meet them, and then she slumped over in Gray’s arms, her mind trying to protect itself from all she’d endured.
Chapter 1
Two weeks later
Lena crossed the sleek lobby of Shadow Security Headquarters, her high-heeled boots clicking on the polished floor. The sound echoed throughout the empty lobby, the large windows showing nothing more than the dark sky outside. The building was staffed twenty-four-seven by security, but no one was at the receptionist’s desk at this late hour. No doubt there were analysts and IT staff at work elsewhere in the building, as well as employees who were on shift work. It was quiet here out front though. Almost too quiet.
She slid her designer purse higher on her shoulder, moving toward the stairwell leading down to the basement. Her boss, Jett Hutchinson, was the owner and head of Shadow Security. As his personal assistant, Lena ran errands for him, booked flights and coordinated his schedule, and helped occasionally at his large home. With Jett’s recent marriage to Anna and their new baby, Lena found herself coordinating with their nanny as often as she dealt with Jett’s multiple business contacts. She was efficient and organized, however, keeping her busy boss on task.
Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she pulled it free, almost relieved someone was calling her. The silence surrounding her somehow almost felt ominous.
She shook her head, glancing down at her phone. She was being silly. Shadow Security was one of the safest places to be.
“I’m almost there,” she told Jett after she’d swiped the screen to answer.
“Perfect. Let me know how much high-caliber ammo we have. One of my shipments was delayed in transit. Anna has been good at tracking our inventory since she came onboard, but with the baby and her newest pregnancy—”
“She doesn’t have the current figures. It’s fine,” Lena assured him. “I’ll update you on what we have. Anna’s got her hands full with the baby—no doubt with you, too,” she deadpanned.
“Very funny,” Jett muttered. “Just let me know when you’ve got the numbers. Some of the guys are moving out soon, and I’ve been distracted as of late. I want to make sure they’re fully equipped for their op. I keep saying we need to bring on more men—”
“And it hasn’t happened yet,” Lena finished. “We could put up job postings. You may have brought on men you know for the Shadow Ops Team, but you’ve got connections. I have no doubt you could easily bring in more quality team members. We can post listings on the classified jobs sites.”
“I know, I know,” he grumbled. “It’ll happen at some point. I’ve got enough going on at the moment, however, to worry about screening new personnel. Call me back with the numbers. I’ve got another call coming in.”
“Will do,” Lena said, the phone line going dead.
Gruff and intimidating, Jett was a force to be reckoned with. Lena knew most people wouldn’t joke with him the way she occasionally did. Lena, however, had seen it all. She and Jett went way back, and when he’d formed his own security firm and asked her to come onboard, she couldn’t say no. She did everything. Picked up his drycleaning. Scheduled the housecleaners. She dropped off lingerie and condoms at his home with the same finesse she used when booking travel for the team or making reservations at a swanky restaurant for Jett’s meetings with government contacts.
Besides all that, the work Jett and his team did was important, crucial to national security. Lena might not have the same clearances he did, but she saw no issue with his men ridding the world of the evil that lurked in the shadows. All former Special Forces soldiers, the team took on jobs the Feds couldn’t
Of course, she’d ended up right in the thick of things with Kaylee. Nick’s old flame had witnessed a leak of classified information and been on the run from several men impersonating federal agents. Nick had brought Kaylee back to New York to keep her safe. They’d found her anyway, kidnapping Lena along with their target. After the team had located them, Jarid Cronin and Kyle Levins had been taken out in the rescue operation.
Lena shuddered, thinking about the third man who’d escaped. She’d returned to work after a couple of weeks recuperating, but that didn’t stop her from looking over her shoulder, wondering if he’d track her down. According to Jett, Ivan Rogers headed a large North American sex-trafficking ring. He’d taken a particular interest in Lena, claiming he was going to keep her all for himself.
She’d been lucky as hell to get away from him.
The Feds had raided the property after the incident, but he was already gone. Out there somewhere. Always on her mind.
Pulling open the heavy door, Lena descended the stairs. The basement of headquarters housed the armory, gun range, and fully-equipped gym. The men on the Shadow Ops Team were often down there training and preparing for missions. They were both silent and deadly, and she was thankful men like them were on their side. The good guys.
Clearly, none of the Shadow Ops Team members were here tonight. Jett would’ve asked one of his team to check numbers in the armory if that were the case, not send her over. The men were probably out with their women or cozy at home, content with their lives. Lena didn’t date anymore, which suited her just fine. Relationships hadn’t gone so well in the past. The only man on the team still single anyway was Gray, and he had demons just like her. Secrets. A past he wanted to forget. She could admit that Gray was attractive in a dark and dangerous type of way. He might not hurt her, but it was still best that she kept her distance all the same.
Lena shook her head once more, clearing her thoughts.
Her heels clicked as she moved down the empty stairwell. This wasn’t the first time she’d been here alone late in the evening and no doubt it wouldn’t be the last. She slowed her steps, listening for what, she wasn’t sure. The building was inside a secure compound, surrounded by a gated fence, cameras, and security staff. Everyone inside was cleared. Employees needed to badge in to enter the front door and the various secure areas within the building. It wasn’t like someone could just walk in off the streets and hurt her.
Inexplicably, she shivered.
Lena hurried the rest of the way down, moving into the basement hall. The lights were on, but it still felt secluded. Glancing left and right, she strode toward the armory. Lena quickly swiped her badge and typed in the code, breathing a sigh of relief when she was inside the secure space. The heavy door clicked shut behind her.
It was silly for her to feel rattled. She was safer here than most anywhere else.
Moving quickly toward the area Jett had instructed her, she scanned the labels, looking for the correct boxes. Lena tallied the types of ammo he’d needed numbers on, taking a couple of photos and notes on her phone. She almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. One day she was buying flowers or pretty lingerie for her boss’s wife, maybe even helping them to research daycares and back-up nannies, and the next, counting bullets. Life was weird.
She scanned over the numbers she’d saved once more. Lena would shoot him a text as soon as she had cell reception again. The armory was a secure space with thick, metal walls. There was a secure line available to use, but a cell wouldn’t work. She’d call Jett before she left headquarters to make sure that was all he needed. It had already been a long day, and she didn’t want to come back again even later if she’d gotten the wrong information.
Giving the boxes of ammo one last cursory glance, she slid her phone into her handbag. Lena crossed the large space and opened the heavy door. Lena made sure it locked behind her, double-checking that it was secure, then shrieked in surprise as a man she didn’t recognize came out of the gym across the hall.
“Whoa, easy there,” the guy said with a grin, not bothering to slow his step as he approached her. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw you head into the armory earlier.”
“Oh,” she said, taking a step back without thought, her heart racing. She was now almost pressed against the armory door, and her gaze inadvertently darted to the stairwell. She thought the man was one of the new IT guys, but why he was here in the gym so late, she didn’t have an answer for. Was anyone else even downstairs right now?
“I’ve seen you around,” he continued, not seeming to even notice her fear. “I wanted to introduce myself.” His gaze slid to her hand. “I don’t see a ring on your finger. Tell me you’re single,” he said with a lazy grin, edging slightly closer. Lena didn’t miss the way his eyes flared with interest as he appreciatively looked her over. The guy still hadn’t even told her his name.
“No. I’m not married, but I don’t date. Jett’s expecting my call, so I need to get going.” She pushed away from the door, trying not to brush against him since he stood so close to her, then yelped in surprise as the guy’s big hand landed on her arm, his fingers closing around her flesh.
Her pulse skittered, her breath hitching as she froze in place.
“Hey, wait—” he said.
Lena’s frantic eyes slid to the door of the gym as another man came hustling out at the sound of her cry. He looked pissed as his narrowed gaze took in Lena and the man gripping her arm, but she was too happy to see him to care. A sweet sense of relief flooded through her, her entire body relaxing just a fraction.
“Gray.”
Her voice sounded breathier than usual, shaky. She tugged her arm free as the guy from IT whipped around to look at who’d approached.
“Are you okay?” Gray asked, his voice a low rumble as he moved toward them with a frown. “I heard you scream.”
Flustered, Lena felt her face growing warm. The last thing she needed was to look weak and incompetent again in front of the gruff former soldier. She already felt out of her element sometimes dealing with the work Jett and his team conducted. Sure, she might look organized and capable, but they were more adept at handling the dangers of the world than she’d ever be.
“I’m fine. He startled me when he came out of the gym. I didn’t think anyone else was down here.” She cleared her throat, both loving and hating the intense way Gray was watching her. “He grabbed my arm before I could walk away.” Her voice faltered, and she knew in that instant that Gray saw right through the brave façade she was trying to put up.
“Move aside, asshole,” Gray said, fisting the guy’s shirt and yanking him away from Lena.
“Hey, what the hell, man? I just wanted to get her number.”
Gray was already guiding her to the stairwell, giving the guy a scathing look over his shoulder. “You don’t fucking touch her.” His voice was deadly, brokering no argument. His eyes fell on one of the security cameras in the hallway, aiming in their direction. Gray pointed at it with his free hand, clearly knowing West Renkin, their IT guru, or someone in security would be monitoring it. “That guy needs to go.”
Gray yanked open the door to the stairwell, guiding Lena ahead of him. Gray’s astute gaze was already scanning over her as he took her upstairs, the man they’d left behind clearly no threat to him. No longer a potential threat to her. There was no way Gray would’ve turned his back to the guy if he thought otherwise.
Lena knew she probably looked terrified. Her heart was still beating a million times a minute, her palms felt slick, and she was sure her face was currently pale. She felt shaky as they began walking upstairs, suddenly realizing that Gray’s muscled arm was lightly wrapped around her, giving her support.
She didn’t feel scared with him, however, like when the other man had grabbed her arm. Instead, she simply felt…safe.
“Who the hell was that guy?” Gray asked, the deep timbre of his voice winding its way inside her. She remained pressed against his side, simply trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. She wobbled in her heeled boots, and Gray’s arm tightened around her. His entire body was tense, on-edge, and she tried to absorb some of his strength. He was angry on her behalf, yet barely anything had happened. Embarrassment washed over her.
