The Soldier of Ambra: Mercenaries of Fortune, #4

By Lyn Brittan

Stuck on a mission with the guy who doesn't know he got her pregnant? Yeah, she's had better days.

The danger of a new mission isn’t the only thing Checkers Storm is dreading. As the newly crowned commander of a team of covert agents, her latest drama is that pregnancy that no one knows - or can know - about. Especially not the father, her ex Anderson Wolfe.

Anderson is sick of working with Team Ambra and that liar, Checkers Storm. The further he gets away from the woman who broke his heart, the better. But after being forced into one last assignment with her, he'll have to choose between protecting his heart or risking it all one final time. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gryy Brown Press
• Release date: Jul 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533781888

Lyn Brittan

Lyn grew up wanting to live like her heroes, James Bond and Indiana Jones. She wasn't totally successful and never had to shoot her way out of a hotel bedroom. She's still coming to terms with it. Awards and woot-woots include: USA Today Bestseller, 2013 and 2014 Galaxy Award Winner.

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Also by Lyn Brittan

Mercenaries of Fortune

The Knight of Ambra  (Brant and Michaela)

The Sergeant of Ambra  (Eric and Glori)

Duke of Ambra  (Kent and Elena)

The Soldier of Ambra  (Anderson and Kendall)

The Protector of Ambra (Pierce and Melody)

The Betrayer of Ambra (Remington and Lisa)

The SEAL of Ambra (Ethan and Ava)

––––––––

Dirty Djinn

The Genie’s Witch  (Tig and Dinah)

A Genie’s Love  (Faruq and Cassia)

The Cowboy Genie’s Wife  (Fazil and Rosa)

––––––––

Outer Settlement Agency

Solia’s Moon  (Giancarlo and Solia)

Anja’s Star  (Retzi and Anja)

Quinn’s Quasar  (Prio and Quinn)

Lana’s Comet  (Cyprus and Lana)

Vin’s Rules  (Vin and Allie)

Maricar’s Gamble (Maricar and Dario)

––––––––

Waters of London

The Clocks of London  (Patrick and Moira)

The Doctor of London  (Kennerick and Lady Hala)

Balloc Manor

Of Magic and Engineering  (Roland and Prudence)

Of Machinery and Thievery  (Liam and Suzette)

Stuck on a mission with the guy who doesn't know he got her pregnant? Yeah, she's had better days.

The danger of a new mission isn’t the only thing Checkers Storm is dreading. As the newly crowned commander of a team of covert agents, her latest drama is that pregnancy that no one knows - or can know - about. Especially not the father, her ex Anderson Wolfe.

Anderson is sick of working with Team Ambra and that liar, Checkers Storm. The further he gets away from the woman who broke his heart, the better. But after being forced into one last assignment with her, he'll have to choose between protecting his heart or risking it all one final time. 

THE SOLDIER OF AMBRA

Mercenaries of Fortune Series

By

Lyn Brittan

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Chapter One

The Lobby of Castle Church, Knights of Ambra Command Center

Leicester, Massachusetts

Ava’s dark eyes flickered up, and Kendall knew she was screwed. What? Kendall asked.

Are you really going to do this? C’mon, Checkers.

You know better. Call me Kendall in the office. And yes, I am, she said slamming down a stack of files on Ava’s desk. These need to be digitized.

Ava rolled her eyes and issued a lazy half salute. I’m about to call you a liar and a fool. You can’t go on a mission with Anderson. Not without discussing...ya know...first.

Hush. We are not talking about this in the open. Admittedly, though, she was both a fool and a liar. She was scared too. It’d been just about five months since their commanding officer, who they referred to as the Dragon, had left her in charge while he’d disappeared on some undercover thing. With one word from that man’s mouth, she’d gone from team doctor to temporary head of the Knights of Ambra. Keeping up a brave face drained her of energy. She woke up each day with tight neck muscles, a throbbing headache, and more knots in her stomach than the day before.

Ava flipped around a couple of her computer screens and waved her hand around the airy room. We’re alone. No one comes through those doors without me knowing from a mile out. I happen to take my job of keeping you agent types safe very seriously. Almost as seriously as I take my birth control.

Kendall blew a speck of lint off her eyeglasses. Oh, that’s low.

We’ve got at least two more minutes of privacy before the next knight comes through. Two more minutes for me to talk some sense into you. C’mon, Checkers. Just think about what you’re doing.

You don’t think I have been? She wanted her old life back—the time before she screwed Anderson and therefore screwed up her life. She wanted the easy freedom of fixing the crew as they returned busted and shot up from their antiquity-hunting missions. Now her life was broken into competing blocks of saving history, avoiding Anderson, managing a multibillion-dollar covert agency, and ignoring the rapidly approaching hand of fate.

It had also been five months since she and Anderson had parted ways—at least privately. Professionally, he glared at her from across the table at every team meeting and scowled during the group briefing sessions.

Fortunately, that was his normal look, and for the most part, people thought Anderson was just being Anderson. Few knew the history between them, and she’d planned to keep it that way. 

Kendall looked down at her belly and tightened her jacket around her growing middle. So much for that. I’ve gotta sort things out with him, and time isn’t on my side. He won’t speak to me, and I can’t think of any excuse to speak to him.

Ava’s eyes drifted toward Kendall’s stomach. I can think of one or two.

"But I can’t just bring that up. I have to open the lines of communication again. See where he stands. I don’t think it’s crazy to hope we’re not glowering at each other when I break the news. I know how his brain works."

"His brain’s in his penis. That’s the problem. And when that brain doesn’t get what it wants, he becomes a little bitch."

That’s what I love about you, Ava. Nothing but class.

I’m not the one who had her legs in the air trying to make some man happy.

Wrong, and out of line. Her short time with Anderson had been the happiest days of her life. For a while, she’d thought he could say the same. But the ugly reality was that Anderson was happiest when he was on a mission. Living on the edge of danger set that man’s soul on fire. She wanted to see him like that again. Then she’d break the news and make her moves. I’ll know when the time is right. All the cards are in my hand. The tricky part is knowing when and how to play them.

Well, let’s hope that happens within the next few weeks, sister, because you ain’t getting any smaller. Heads up. Tight pants are coming in strong from the east... Ava’s voice trailed off as Ethan’s cowboy boots thwomped across the stone floor of the old church they used as their base.

The man walked under a vent with just enough uumph to sweep his blond hair away from striking sapphire eyes. Why the hell hadn’t she fallen for him instead?

Ladies.

Ethan.

The man’s bushy eyebrows kicked up, and his smile took a decidedly suspicious upturn. What are you two up to now? You’ve got that scheming look on your pretty faces. Will I have to charm those secrets out of you two? I’m willing to try.

Ava snatched the greasy brown bag of breakfast takeout from Ethan’s fingers. Don’t you worry about us. Did you bring me something? And wipe that smirk off your face.

Of course he did, and Ava knows it. Kendall rocked back against Ava’s desk, happy to watch this cute little performance unfold. It was all predictably adorable and what she’d have wanted for herself had she fallen for a more decent guy.

With a handful of guns, dozens of security monitors, and keyboards galore, Ava was less of a secretary and more of a one-woman first line of defense. No knight made it past her desk to the waiting compound below ground without her say-so. She was the linchpin that held the crew together.

Part of Ava’s job was knowing who came in, why they were there, and what they brought with them before they made it close enough to present any real danger. She could train dozens of cameras on anyone and anything. Despite all of this, Ava’s overly animated face still played out a charade of surprise at Ethan’s arrival.

Per their endearing little routine, Ava reached for her purse to pay him for breakfast. As expected, Ethan waved her off with a smile, and then they both turned away, pretending not to look at each other and trying not to smile. They tiptoed around the obvious attraction and...well, Kendall couldn’t blame them. It was the smart move to make. Business and pleasure should never meet. Her life would have been a lot less complicated had she taken a page from their playbook. Instead, she’d followed her heart, and disaster had ensued.

Ethan’s back muscles rippled as he gave one final wave over his head. Then he disappeared behind the Caravaggio painting in the apse that led to the offices and training facilities downstairs.

Kendall and Ava shared an appreciative glance, before Ava sighed and flipped the switch that activated the elevators. I may cry if that man ever stops wearing jeans. God bless the home cooking of Mississippi.

Amen to that. Still not going to act on it?

Ava tapped the edge of her pen against the desk. No offense, but I learn from the mistakes of my friends. On the other hand, Ethan isn’t a natural asshole like Anderson. What if assholeism is genetic?

Stop.

But the, uh...package is okay?

Package? Well, it was a safe word. It allowed her to push the issue aside though that play was rapidly entering the final act. It’s fine.

And are you going to tell Anderson about the package on the plane?

No, Kendall said. Maybe. It depends, okay? This isn’t an easy thing to bring up.

"Those packages tend not to stay hidden for long."

Hence, this mission.

After Anderson had lost his flipping mind about her getting promoted over him, he had morphed into a bitter, moping troll. She hadn’t had time to deal with his foolishness with everything else thrown on her plate. She had done the sensible thing and put their relationship on pause to concentrate on her larger obligations. Her happiness didn’t enter the equation, not when she was responsible for every life and every mission.

Anderson hadn’t taken the news of her decision well.

They had both changed overnight. She’d hardened herself to the role by necessity. He’d just hardened his ass to be a jerk for absolutely no reason at all. Instead of the support she needed, he’d given her frosty looks and the cold shoulder. She’d thrown them right back.

Privately, she missed him more than she hated him and more than nature should allow. It hurt her, ripped her that it’d come to this, but her duty always came first. She’d sworn an oath, and no exasperating, impossible-to-please man would make her break her word. Even if he’d forgotten that he’d sworn that oath too.

I need to see where his head’s at, and until then, everything between me and Anderson has to remain strictly professional. Once that part is settled, we’ll move on to more personal matters. That’s the plan, and it sounds like a good one.

Yeah? Good luck with that. But life has a way of screwing up plans. Here’s some free advice, Checks. Next time, it’d be helpful if you didn’t trip and land on the devil’s penis. Ava’s eyes flickered to the screen. Speaking of the foul creature, here he comes now. She sipped her morning coffee and winked over the edge of her mug. Have fun.

*****

Anderson locked his face, refusing to give those two harpies any hint of emotion. The last time he’d opened himself to one of them, she’d wrenched his heart out, cooked it like a damned brisket, and eaten it for lunch. That was Harpy Two.

Harpy One raised a cup in greeting while the other wore her permanent-bitch face. Every day he saw her was another kick in the teeth. He’d been an idiot to fall for Checkers. Then again, she was good. She’d hidden her evil well, wrapping it up in smiles and kisses that still burned his lips after so many months apart.

Harpy One cackled first. Good afternoon, Anderson. I have missed your smiling face this morning.

Ava.

Good to see you.

Yeah.

Ava rolled her eyes and shrugged toward Harpy Two, the one who’d ruined his life. The glory of this old church—all its stone, oak, and rich, veiny marble—stood in stark contrast to the chill coming from Checkers.

He took a moment to steel himself, letting the anger rise above the hurt. He was getting better at it these days. Well, I’m here, he said, looking at her dead on.

Checkers had the nerve to check her watch. Ready?

Do I have a choice, Checkers? He flashed his keys along with the most insincere smile he could muster. "Oh, that’s right. It’s ma’am now, isn’t it? You’re too high and mighty to be called Checkers anymore."

Kendall will do just fine.

Kendall. How many times had he screamed her name as he’d lost himself inside her body? About as many times as he’d made her scream his. At first she’d kept her passion hidden behind glasses and red lipstick. She ended up shocking the hell out of him in those bedroom sheets. Then she shoved a damned knife in his back, tearing his promotion from his hands. She’d been prancing around this place with her nose in the air ever since.

He’d lain low, taking missions in Peru and Angola, but no matter how far away he went, Kendall was always there when he got back. It was a special kind of hell, being forced to kowtow and check in with the woman who’d fucked him good then fucked him over even better. Kendall. Fine. You’re the boss these days, right?

"You need to improve your mood. You still have the position of count within this organization, and people expect a certain sort of behavior that comes with the office."

She said his damned code name as if she’d been the one who’d given it to him. He’d earned his position the hard way, which was not how she’d earned hers.

She’d lied and cheated to push him out of the way. What she’d done was unforgivable and not at all a secret to anyone with a lick of sense. Kendall’s brother was the one man on the team closest to the Dragon - other than his own kin. That was the main reason Kendall was flying around issuing commands these days. Nothing else explained a doctor leading not just the medical wing of the Knights of Ambra but also logistics, intelligence, and—most fucked-up—ops. What the shit did she know about covert operations? Nothing.

He’d asked why and how a dozen times, but with the Dragon gone, Kendall was the only one with the answers. He wouldn’t go crawling on his belly to her for anything. My mood, Kendall, doesn’t have anything to do with the mission. I do my job regardless of the rank bullshit that gets in my way. It’s a helpful tool for success.

Ava, whom he’d all but forgotten about, smacked her nosy lips while she stirred her coffee. Lotta tools around here lately.

The fuck?

Kendall snapped her fingers between them. Nothing. Ava didn’t say a thing. Having said that, I do believe she was just about to apologize to you.

The little gremlin coughed up a half-assed, Sorry, while Kendall handed Anderson a small stack of travel documents. Our flight leaves in two hours. We should head to the airport now.

"Shall I drive,