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Lei Lu Sorensen sat in front of the huge mirror surrounded by softball-sized lights dimmed to approximate the room where she’d be working. With professional skill, she applied white makeup to her heart-shaped face, trying desperately to stay in Lady Kite mode. She had to keep her head in the game and on the mission.
Her cell phone dinged, once again, indicating another text.
Lei Lu cringed as she smoothed out the nearly white foundation. She needed to look as Chinese as possible for this op. Not a difficult feat, considering that her mother was born and raised in the Guangdong province, northeast of Hong Kong.
Thoughts of her mother conjured the woman in the form of her vibrating phone. She was calling this time, most likely because Lei Lu hadn’t answered the constant text messages over the last few days.
Until this mission was over, she had no intention of reading any text from her family. Lately, it was always the same. It’s past time for you to get married. Your brothers’ wives are giving us grandchildren, but my own daughter hasn’t decided to reproduce. If you don’t find a good man soon, I’ll find one for you at our church.
Lei Lu knew very well that she was fast approaching twenty-nine, even though she’d never celebrated her birthday until two years ago. Her mother abided by Chinese culture, only having a party when babies reached six months and again at one year. They held a huge bash for her when she turned six but wouldn’t hold another celebration until she turned sixty-six. It wasn’t until she joined the Ladies of Black Swan that she discovered the wonders of annual birthdays.
And the fun of partying...with alcohol...and men who weren’t interested in finding a wife. All those things had been forbidden by her father, a devout Mormon. Thankfully, she escaped from that life, and lifestyle, by secretly securing an appointment to the Air Force Academy. The military, she quickly discovered, was a very different world.
She loved her teammates. They had taught her to rejoice in life. They could think of something to celebrate anytime—returning safely from a mission, doing well at training that day, or just because it was Tuesday. They loved to go all girly, get dressed up shiny and glittery and dance the night away at a club. Sometimes they curled up in their pajamas with a couple bottles of wine and several plates of cheese and crackers to watch a movie together. With two older brothers, Lei Lu had very little girl time in her childhood. Over the past two years, she’d been making up for it.
Although she disagreed with her parents on so many things, her love for them ran deep. She promised herself she would read every email and text, and respond to everyone in her family, once they were on their sleek black jet headed back to the United States.
Concentrating on her reflection in the mirror, Lei Lu continued to cover her normally ivory skin that had tanned while she and her team spent nearly a month in the Yemen desert tracking down Rafi Ghazali. Then they’d followed his movements for the next six weeks to learn his weaknesses.
Just the thought of the man turned Lei Lu’s stomach. Calling him a pig was an insult to the animal. The way the rebel leader raped his new wives sickened her. They were just little girls.
Rafi had a proclivity for dark-haired, light-skinned barely-teenage girls. That’s why Lei Lu had been selected for this part of the covert operation.
Shaking off her disgust, trying to erase the live feed of his latest wedding night, she lengthened her eyelashes with long, smooth strokes. Using black eyeliner, she rimmed her dark brown eyes Cleopatra-style, bringing the liner well past the edge of her eyebrows, accenting her tilted, almond-shaped eyes. Because she was half-American mutt, hers did not lift as much as someone fully Chinese. A little dark shading at the outer edges would fool almost anyone.
The lips had to be deep red, the same color as her long-tipped, freshly painted nails. She paused the audio of conversations in the Hadhrami dialect of Arabic to carefully outline her lips. Rafi was expecting a woman who spoke his language. Although everyone on her team was fluent in Arabic, each had specific specialties. Lei Lu was quickly learning one of the languages spoken in Yemen. She’d spent the last day listening to the colloquialisms and repeating them until she got the accents perfect.
“Sounding good.” The encouragement came from her team leader, Katlin Callahan, as she stepped up behind her. “I think you’re getting it. Be careful with your syllabic inflections. In that area they tend to raise their voice at the end of each sentence.”
“Okay, I can do that.” Lei Lu rotated her face left and right, surveying her handiwork. She looked damn good, at least ten years younger than her actual age. “Now that you say that, I can hear it.”
“Ready to become as white as you were the day you were born?” Nita held up the spray gun.
“Yeah, let’s do this.” Lei Lu stood, ripped off the white robe she’d been wearing, and walked naked to the pop-up tent the Ladies of Black Swan used regularly as a spray tanning booth.
While Nita stained her skin with an atomizer, Katlin reviewed the operation parameters with Lei Lu. When she stepped out, she was alone with their team leader.
“This is the first time you’ve done a close and personal kill. Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” Concern saturated Katlin’s voice.
“Yeah, I got this.” All Lei Lu had to do was mentally plug in the video from Rafi Ghazali’s bedroom. She could kill the man with her bare hands for what he’d done to those all-too-young girls.
Two weeks earlier, Nita had gone under cover as a healer, using her medical degree and knowledge of ancient plants to heal the women in the war leader’s nomadic camp. She’d been able to place tiny cameras throughout the compound. As Lei Lu and her teammates sat nearly a mile away, they’d watched Ghazali’s older wives lay his three new brides on the king-sized bed. The six elder women, ranging in age from early twenties to mid-forties, had forced the girls to drink something liquid and fast acting. They almost seemed drunk as they were stripped out of their simple white wedding dresses.
When Ghazali entered the room, completely naked, stroking his cock, the terror in those young eyes had devastated Lei Lu. He’d crawled onto the bed, shoving the first girl’s legs apart, then plowed into her. There was nothing gentle about her first time. The high-pitched screams pierced Lei Lu’s soul. Tears poured from the eyes of all three girls on the bed. His hips pumped only a few times before he pulled out and pushed her off the mattress, ordering the women who stood watching to take care of her. Without cleaning himself off, he moved to the next. The third tried to fight him, but he punched her in the face. When her body went completely limp and silent, he rammed into her, swearing quietly about stupid little girls needing to learn their lessons.
Standing, obviously unsatisfied, Ghazali once again stroked his cock as his gaze swept the line of his wives. Pointing to one in her mid-twenties, she bowed her head and lifted her abaya as she crawled onto the defiled bed, streaked with virginal blood. Naked underneath the black robe, she lay on her back and spread her legs wide. The man in his late fifties ordered her on her hands and knees. Slapping her ass hard several times, he took her from behind, finally stiffening his entire body and grunting out his release.
Climbing off the bed, he ordered the remaining women to change the sheets. At the bathroom door, Ghazali called to the youngest-looking new bride, ordering her to bathe him. Wide-eyed on shaky legs, the small young girl followed him.
Watching the disgusting scene unfold had increased Lei Lu’s hate for this target. They’d been taught that killing shouldn’t involve emotion, but she knew that she’d be glad when Rafi Ghazali no longer breathed.
“This is going to be very different from anything you’ve done in the past.” Katlin’s words jolted Lei Lu from the repulsive memory. “This is one-on-one. It’s just going to be you in a soundproof room with the target.”
“I understand. I’m good with this.” Lei Lu knew exactly what she had to do. She was more worried whether or not she could play with Rafi Ghazali long enough for the others to do their jobs.
She’d killed many times before, but she’d been surrounded by her team. She’d been in firefights, leaving the enemy dead with absolutely no remorse. More than once, it had been the bullet from her sniper rifle that had taken out a target. Once, she, Tori, and Katlin had been surrounded by seven men with knives and the three of them walked away with nothing more than a few defensive wounds. Lei Lu was well aware of her capabilities.
“The room is wired, so we’re going to hear every word and see what’s going on.” Katlin’s riveting blue eyes held hers. “I’ll be talking to you through your comm unit. We’ll be outside in the parking lot until you give Tori and Nita the go-ahead.”
“I know you can do this.” Tori encouraged as she entered the room. “It’s almost time to leave.”
“I’m good to go.” Lei Lu said with confidence as she put on the leather costume.
She sat at the dressing table and rolled on black silk stockings, attaching them to a lace garter belt. She pulled up stretchy leather stiletto boots that came halfway up her powerful thighs. She would wait before putting on the long gloves and attaching her wings.
Stepping in front of the full-length mirror, she slipped completely into the character of Lady Kite...dominatrix.
It wasn’t the first time she’d played a domme, but it would be the first time that the role ended in an assassination. For this op, it was her responsibility to make sure Rafi Ghazali did not leave the playroom alive.
“We have confirmation. ETA is forty-five minutes,” Tori called from the suite’s living room. “Grace watched his plane land and they’re deboarding now.”
“How many guards?” Katlin asked.
“Hold on. Grace is running narrative.” A moment later Tori stepped into the doorway. “Ghazali’s driver replaced the one who brought the limousine. No surprise there. He has two personal guards with him who will probably station themselves outside the door. His driver always stays with the car.”
“Excellent. Just as we thought.” Katlin slowly looked Lei Lu over from her high ponytails to the pointed toes. “Perfect. Let’s go.”
When the limousine pulled up to the exclusive BDSM club in the heart of Dubai, they were ready. Ghazali was escorted into a private room by his guards where Lei Lu stood beside Madame Payne, the high-end establishment owner, her arm casted and in a sling.
“Welcome back, Mr. Ghazali.” The madame’s sultry voice was seductive even to Lei Lu. “I’m terribly sorry but due to an injury, I’m unable to take care of you tonight.” She gently moved the casted arm and winced as though it hurt. Lei Lu admired the woman’s acting skills. “I’m sure you will find Lady Kite to your liking.”
On cue, Lei Lu spread her arms wide, showing off the black-and-white feathers in the pattern of a Swallow-Tailed Kite. She wiggled her toned ass, shaking the tail feathers. Little did Ghazali know that she was as deadly as the raptor she represented.
Ghazali smiled as he stroked his already aroused cock through his black leather pants. She spread her legs apart and released the black bull whip in her hand.
“How good is she with that whip?” Ghazali reached for Madame Payne and Lei Lu cracked the whip so it barely touched him.
His two bodyguards immediately strode forward.
With the twitch of his other hand, they faded back to the wall.
The club owner tsked. “You know better than to touch your domme without her permission, Mr. Ghazali.”
“Madame Payne, I beg your forgiveness.” The smile he gave Lei Lu from under hooded eyes spoke of wanton desire. He examined the pink mark on the back of his hand before he traced the long line with the tip of his tongue. “I’m sure I’ve earned Lady Kite’s punishment. I’m looking forward to more of the same.”
“In that case, I shall leave you in her very capable hands.” The corner of the woman’s mouth kicked up. “I’m sure you’ll get everything you deserve.”
Lei Lu grinned. She couldn’t wait to use her whip on his naked balls.
* * *
ONE HOUR LATER, CRUISING at fifty-five thousand feet in the night air, Lei Lu slumped in the butter-soft leather of the reclining chair aboard the Black Swan. Mission accomplished. She was ever so thankful for the hot shower aboard their private jet. She’d soaped and rinsed three times and still felt dirty from the night’s activities.
She powered up her phone. It immediately began beeping and buzzing, downloading dozens of messages.
Taking a deep breath, she started with the oldest, reading and listening before responding to any of them.
“You okay?” Tori asked from across the aisle.
“Yep. I’m fine.” Lei Lu lied.
“You don’t look okay.” Her long-legged friend moved into the chair across the table from her. “Talk.”
Lei Lu laid her phone facedown on the polished wood and folded her hands over the top. Where to start? Would Tori even understand? She was so in love with Marcus, how could she?
“Are you thinking about Ghazali? Don’t give that piece of shit another second of your time.” Tori’s voice had risen before she reigned it in. They both glanced to the back of the plane where Nita slept. When their teammate didn’t move or change her breathing pattern, Tori continued. “He was a waste of air.”
Lei Lu held up her hand before Tori’s tirade continued. “It’s not him.” She lifted her phone from the table then slapped it back down. Her brain wasn’t in a place where she could reply with any sense of kindness to her parents and brothers. “You’re not going to fucking believe this, but my parents are at my condo in Crystal City...with someone selected by a matchmaker to be my new husband.”
“What. The. Fuck?” Tori whisper-screamed.
“My parents truly believe that by the age of thirty a woman should be settled with children. I’ll turn twenty-nine in a few weeks.” She stretched her mouth into a self-deprecating smile. “Mom figures that gives me exactly enough time to marry Doug the Dud, for him to knock me up, and shoot out a baby before I hit the big three-oh.”
Tori’s jaw dropped. “And you’re seriously considering doing this?”
Lei Lu couldn’t look at her. How could she tell one of her best friends that she was jealous of her? Every woman on that plane except Lei Lu would be going home to the loving arms and warm bed of the man they loved. She didn’t need a crystal ball to see into the future.
How much longer could the Ladies of Black Swan continue this life? How much longer would they want to take missions where they could be hurt, shot, even killed?
But these women were her best friends. They had shared so much over the past few years. No one in the world knew her like the other four women on board.
Fuck it. They were friends and could say anything to each other.
“Everyone else on our team has a man to come home to.” Lei Lu rolled her eyes. “I have a Chinese tiger of a mother waiting in my apartment wanting desperately to marry me off so she will have accomplished her life’s goals. My father, who will be there with her, wants me to return to his archaic church and the life they mandate. I can’t go back there.”
For the first time in seemingly weeks, Lei Lu smiled. “I refuse to give up lacy panties with matching bras. I like pretty things. I don’t regret that I didn’t save my virginity for my wedding night. Even though we don’t go out very often anymore, I love to dance.” She threw her arms over her head and moved her body seductively. Leaning forward, she admitted, “And I like sex. Lots of it. And in ways a good Mormon boy wouldn’t know what to do.”
Tori shrugged. “Just because the rest of us have found the love of our lives, doesn’t mean you should settle for the man waiting for you back in D.C.. You deserve so much better than a loveless marriage.” Tori crossed her arms over her nicely rounded breasts. “I won’t let you do that. There’s somebody out there for all of us.”
“Yeah, right.” Lei Lu scoffed. “And where am I going to meet Mr. Right? Dancing in a nightclub? Those are one-night stands. How about on a mission? Oh, yeah, we usually end up killing the men we meet on an op.”
“Not so fast.” Tori held up her flat palm like a policeman conducting traffic. “Harper met Rafe on a mission and now they’re married.” She cocked her head. “Speaking of their wedding, what happened with Zane? Wasn’t that his name? The guy you took to their wedding as your plus-one?”
“He was nice, but got transferred to the West Coast.” Lei Lu shrugged. “Besides, he wasn’t very generous in bed. I’d go so far as to say he was self-centered. I only came twice that night before he fell asleep. In the morning, he asked for a blowjob rather than shower sex. He wasn’t very good at cunnilingus either.”
“Scratch him off the list along with anyone you knew in high school.” Tori reached across the aisle to her previous seat and grabbed her bottle of water. “What about college? Although Katlin and Alex knew each other in high school, they didn’t really hook up until college. Any possibilities there?”
Shaking her head, Lei Lu admitted, “The Air Force attracts a different kind of man than what I need. I seem to fit in better with the men at Guardian Security. I like their intensity. There’s just something about a man who trained as a Navy SEAL, a Marine Raider, or Army Special Forces. Sure, the Air Force has Para Jumpers, but...”
“I understand what you’re saying.” Tori gave a small smile. “Marcus doesn’t have any of that training, but he’s tough as nails. For me, I like that softer side of him. I spent so much time surrounded by testosterone, I’m looking for something different.” Her smile widened. “And I found it, in Marcus.”
After a moment of silence, Tori continued, “Since you like the guys at Guardian Security, I’m sure Katlin would be happy to set you up with someone there. You’ve got plenty of choices. If we run out of men at the D.C. center, we can just move on to one of the other nine cities. We’re in and out of Miami often enough, I’m sure Grace’s fiancé, Griffin, would be happy to introduce you to some of his men.”
“Maybe.” Lei Lu considered Tori’s suggestion. “That might not be a bad idea. When we get home, I’ll talk to Katlin.”
Tori’s whole face brightened. “What do you think of men in the CIA? Daniel may know some of the guys in the Special Operations Group.” Daniel was double related to their team. He was not only Nita’s husband but also Katlin’s brother. “SOG only recruits the best from USSOCOM. Those men are uber alpha.”
Lei Lu wasn’t sure she wanted to go there. “Those men are half crazy.”
Tori smiled knowingly. “They’re intense. And focused. Trust me, when all that is concentrated on you, I guarantee you would not wake up unsatisfied. Sore? Definitely. I dated one of them for a weekend.”
Considering this new information, Lei Lu might change her mind about someone from the CIA. “We’ll see.”
The plane slightly shifted direction.
As a pilot, Lei Lu knew something had changed. Both she and Tori fell silent as they stared toward the cockpit where Katlin and Grace weren’t talking to towers. They were on their satellite phones.
Just as she and Tori were about to stand, Nita walked up the aisle. All three entered the cockpit but waited until Katlin finished the call.
“You’ve got the stick,” Katlin said to Grace. When she turned to the three of them standing just inside the doorway, their team leader’s lips drew into a flat line. “Ladies, I’m sorry. We’re not heading home. We’ve been diverted to an emergency mission in the Caribbean. We’re headed to Turks and Caicos, Grand Turk Island to be specific. Lei Lu, Nita, I need you to get some sleep. Be ready to roll when we land. Tori, would you please take over for me up here? I need to sleep so I’m sharp.”
When Katlin rose, Tori slid into the second seat. “So, what’s this emergency mission all about? Turks and Caicos has some of the best coral reefs in the world. The wall is relatively close to shore and drops off almost seven thousand feet. It’s been years, but I did a photo shoot there and stayed for a few extra days to dive.”
“I’m so sorry, Nita.” Katlin said as she touched her sister-in-law’s shoulder.
Nita grinned. “I’m not. Bella is teething and your brother is learning all about fatherhood. Single parenting is good for him. It makes him appreciate me so much more when I’m home. Besides, I could use a couple days to decompress after the shit we just went through. I get to see them every day videoconferencing.”
“Tori, why don’t you call Marcus while we have smooth air?” Katlin suggested. “I’m not sure how long this op will last, but USSOCOM said they expected it to be less than five days.” She swept her gaze over everyone. “I’m sorry, but duty calls.”
Inside, Lei Lu was happy-dancing.
When she returned to her seat, she shot off a group text to her family: Due to unforeseen circumstances, my overseas trip has been extended. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return home.
She sent a second text just to her parents: Mom, I hope you and Dad will show Doug around D.C. before you return home to Utah.
Turning off her phone, Lei Lu flattened her chair into bed position, covered it with the specially fitted sheet, then crawled under the soft linens and warm comforter she’d chosen when she joined the Ladies of Black Swan team.
Two deep breaths later, she was asleep.