Rogue Operative [Wildfire 2] (The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection) Read online

  Wildfire 2

  Rogue Operative

  When Jordan spots the new sheriff riding into town on his motorcycle, he becomes infatuated with the sexy man, but he’s running from a past that still haunts him, a past that has left him guilt-ridden for too long. He thinks he’s the reason his lover is dead and is afraid to give his heart away again. He convinces himself that he can be friends with Mason without falling for the sheriff, but the heart wants what it wants and, soon, Jordan finds himself lost in Mason’s arms.

  Mason “Blade” Camden came to Wildfire to put his past behind him. He retired from his mercenary work. Unfortunately, the agency didn’t get the memo. When they send him on an assignment, things go horribly wrong. Now Mason is a wanted man and must draw attention away from the small town, even if that means leaving behind the man he loves.

  Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary

  Length: 28,495 words

  ROGUE OPERATIVE

  Wildfire 2

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  ROGUE OPERATIVE

  Copyright © 2017 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-560-7

  First Publication: August 2017

  Cover design by Emma Nicole

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a SirenBookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

  You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

  For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Landmarks

  Cover

  ROGUE OPERATIVE

  Wildfire 2

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Jordan heard the roar of a motorcycle as he packed away the tools inside the house he’d been working on. When he looked over his shoulder, he expected to see Darien coming down the street.

  But his boss wasn’t the one riding the motorcycle. Jordan turned fully, his gaze glued to the man with wide shoulders, a solid build, and bandana on his head. He had no idea who the stranger was, but he wanted to find out.

  “You about finished?” Max asked as he stepped from his truck. Jordan hadn’t seen his friend pull up. He hadn’t seen anything but the gorgeous mountain atop his chrome-and-black steed.

  “Hey.” Max snapped his fingers in Jordan’s face. “Earth to Jordan.”

  Until the hunk turned the corner, Jordan paid little attention to Max. He finally acknowledged his friend. “I just need to lock up.”

  “The guys are meeting us at Gallagher’s.” Max left Jordan’s side and went back to his truck, leaning against it as he crossed his arms. “I need a cold one.”

  Jordan locked the door of the tan-and-white house and walked over to Max. “Bad day?”

  “Don’t want to talk about it.” Max climbed into the driver’s side. Jordan moved around the front of the truck and slid into the passenger’s seat.

  He was fine with giving Max his headspace. Jordan wasn’t one to pry. He knew what wanting to keep things bottled up inside was like. In fact, Jordan was a pro at it.

  “Did Cory really buy a small bungalow?”

  Max’s fingers tightened around the wheel to the point that the blood fled his knuckles. Now Jordan knew the source of Max’s displeasure and told himself to steer clear of any topic that had to do with Cory.

  “I won’t be staying long,” Max said, effectively dodging Jordan’s question. “You’ll have to make your own way home.”

  That wasn’t a problem since the apartment building Jordan lived in wasn’t too far from the bar.

  When they pulled up in front of Gallagher’s, Jordan was surprised to see the motorcycle the stranger had been riding. They would be in the same place together.

  No, I’m not gonna go there. I don’t need any distractions in my life. Jordan hopped out of the truck and headed inside. He spotted Casey, Cory, and Darien at their usual table. They’d already ordered beer and food and looked as though they were having a good time.

  Max stopped at the empty chair next to Cory, then took the one on the other side of the table. As Jordan sat, he glanced around the bar. At the counter was the wide-shouldered stranger.

  “Where’s Winkie?” Jordan asked with a smile. He still couldn’t believe Cory had taken a stray home. More than that, the little Boston terrier was highly protective of Cory.

  “At home.” Cory smiled. “I left him running around the backyard. He seems to love the new place. I had a doggy door installed, so he’s free to go in and out whenever he wants.”

  Jordan listened as Cory talked, but his gaze kept wandering back to the man at the bar.

  “That’s the new sheriff,” Darien said, interrupting Jordan’s ogling.

  The new sheriff? Jordan glanced away. “Who?”

  “The guy you’re drooling over.” Darien jerked his chin toward the bar. “He’s a friend of Dagger’s. Name’s Blade.”

  “I was looking at the television over the bar.” Jordan grabbed one of the empty mugs in the center of the table and poured himself some beer.

  “He’s hot,” Casey said.

  Jealousy spiked through Jordan, shocking him. He didn’t even know Blade and he was ready to slug Casey for making that observation.

  Mo—the owner of Dixon Roofing Company—slid from the table he and his rowdy friends occupied and walked to the bar. He sat next to Blade and the two struck up a conversation. Mo was as big as Blade, and just as wide. They looked like two mountains sitting next to each other.

  Darien chuckled. “Looks like Mo might’ve found him a partner for the night.”

  Jordan started and knocked over his mug. He jumped up and grabbed the stack of napkins, and tried to sop up the beer before it dripped onto the floor or spread across the table.

  “What the hell!” Max jerked from his seat and scooted his chair back as the rolling puddle of beer leaked over the side of the table. “If you’re that jealous, take your ass over
there. No need to soak me in beer.”

  “Shut up,” Jordan snapped. He tossed some napkins to the floor to soak up the mess. “Why the hell would I be jealous?”

  “Because you’ve been eye-fucking him since you walked through the door,” Max said with a grunt.

  Jordan cleaned up the mess and excused himself to the bathroom. He gripped the edge of the sink and blew out a series of breaths. Even though he was interested, Jordan wasn’t going to make a move.

  He was still reeling from the relationship that had nearly destroyed him in Virginia and wasn’t ready to get back into the game. He’d lost his partner of two years to a car accident, and Jordan was still torn up over Gary’s death.

  One-night stands were all he had in him now, and his strong attraction to Blade told him to stay as far from the new sheriff as he possibly could.

  Jordan had just started his day when he felt someone watching him. He looked behind him and saw a cop car sitting at the curb across the street. He quickly turned around and concentrated on what he was doing.

  When the car door shut, Jordan’s heart thundered. He nearly sliced his hand with the blade of the table saw when Blade stepped into his line of sight. Jordan cursed and cut the piece of machinery off.

  “Mornin’.” Blade glanced at the table saw. “You need to be more careful. That’s an accident waiting to happen.”

  Jordan’s gaze roamed over Blade’s body, from his narrow waist, to his flat stomach, impressive pecs, and swollen biceps. Jordan waited a few beats before he directed his attention to Blade’s strong jaw, Roman nose, and his sultry blue eyes.

  Blade stuck out his beefy hand. “I’m Sheriff Mason Camden.”

  Jordan frowned. “I thought your name was Blade?”

  He chuckled and the sound was deep and sexy. “That’s what my friends call me, but Mason works just fine, too. I’ll even answer to Camden.”

  Charming and good-looking. Jordan liked the name Mason and decided to go with that. Blade sounded too lethal.

  Mason was acting friendly enough, but Jordan saw something mysterious and just this side of deadly in his eyes.

  He shook Mason’s hand. “I’m Jordan Dalton, electrician for Lockmere Construction.”

  Mason held his hand a second longer before releasing it. Jordan felt a spark arc through the air between them. He quickly glanced down at the piece of two-by-four he’d been holding with his other hand. “It was nice meeting you, but I have to get back to work.”

  “I understand.” Mason moved to Jordan’s side. “Just wondering if you wanted to get a bite to eat once you’re off the clock.”

  “I don’t…” Jordan wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence. It was just an invitation to grab some food. Mason wasn’t asking him to have sex. It was simply food. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

  Mason’s grin stole Jordan’s breath. His heart pounded, almost out of control, as his cock lengthened. The invitation excited him, thrilled him, actually. Jordan was so nervous that his stomach did backflips.

  Until Jordan remembered Gary.

  Take back your answer. You can’t do this. You’ll fall for him and you’re not ready for that. Jordan opened his mouth to tell Mason that he’d changed his mind, but Mason was already heading to his patrol car.

  Guilt gnawed at Jordan over Gary’s death. If he hadn’t broken things off, hadn’t told Gary their relationship was over, Gary wouldn’t have run out of their apartment, wouldn’t have gotten into his car, and wouldn’t have been in the accident that claimed his life.

  Jordan sat on the front steps, rested his elbows on his knees, and ran his hands through his hair as he hung his head.

  “Something wrong?”

  Jordan’s head shot up at the sound of his boss’s voice. Darien stood on the side of the stairs with concern in his blue eyes, his hands on his hips.

  Everything is wrong. “No, I’m fine.”

  “Then let’s get this house rehabbed so we can move on to the next project.”

  Jordan glanced at the empty space where the cop car had been parked before forcing Mason out of his mind and getting back to work.

  Jordan had knocked off early just so he could go home and shower. He didn’t want to show up at Gallagher’s all sweaty from his day of work, and he refused to analyze why he was going through this effort for a man he wasn’t going to get involved with.

  Now that Jordan had reached the tavern, he stood just inside the door. His crew were eating and laughing at the table in the middle of the room. To his right, Mason sat at the bar, with Mo on the stool beside him. The two looked cozy, and Jordan lost his nerve.

  Instead of joining Mason, he took his usual seat with Max and the other men. He was also puzzled at Mo’s choice in a bed partner. The guy usually liked his men fast, wild, and loose, and Blade didn’t seem the type.

  Max gave a low whistle. “Don’t you smell good. Hot date?”

  “Where’s Darien?” he asked.

  “Matthew’s cooking him dinner tonight,” Cory answered. “He made a point of showing up twice at the house we were working on just to remind Darien. If you ask me, Matthew just wanted to watch Darien’s ass while he worked.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” Casey said. “Wish I had someone willing to cook for me.”

  “Or ogle my ass,” Max said.

  “I’m not a good cook,” Cory admitted. “That’s why I’m here every night.”

  That held true for Jordan, too. He knew how to cook basic meals, but man could not live on boxed macaroni and cheese alone.

  “Need something to drink, Jordan?” Halo hollered from behind the bar.

  Jordan winced when Mason turned on his stool. His blue eyes locked on Jordan, and they had a standoff. Jordan looked away first.

  “The usual,” Jordan hollered back. He got up from his chair and strode to the bar, where he leaned an arm on the counter as he waited for Halo to pour his drink.

  “You ready to eat?” Mason asked. “Or you planning on going back to your friends?”

  “I’ll catch up with you later.” Mo clapped Mason on his shoulder. Jordan’s gaze zeroed in on Mo’s hand before he looked away.

  “We can grab something to eat.” Jordan tossed a few bills on the counter when Halo brought his mug of beer.

  With a nod, Mason turned to Halo. “Two menus.”

  “You got it, Sheriff.”

  Halo’s words made Jordan look Mason over. He hadn’t noticed that Mason was still in uniform. “Your shift not over yet?”

  “Midnight,” Mason said. “But a man’s gotta eat.”

  Jordan grinned. “You look like you need constant calories.”

  “You saying I’m big?” Mason teased.

  “I’m sayin’ you’re huge.” Jordan took a seat next to Mason. “I bet you go broke feeding yourself.”

  Mason winked. “I get plenty of exercise to burn the calories off.”

  Jordan’s mood plummeted at the thought of Mason and Mo fucking each other, but he fought not to let his displeasure show. He had no right to be jealous when he didn’t plan on making Mason his lover. The new sheriff was free to fuck whomever he wanted.

  Jordan grabbed a menu when Halo laid them down. He scanned the choices without really looking at them. His stomach was tied into too many knots to eat.

  “Damn, they serve steak.” Mason set his menu down. “Now I know I’m in love with this place.”

  Jordan decided on burger and fries. He didn’t want to tell Mason he wasn’t hungry after the guy had invited him here.

  “You been with Darien Lockmere’s crew long?” Mason asked.

  “I’ve known Darien about ten years. Been working for him for about five.” Jordan took a drink from his mug and noticed that Mason was drinking soda. “Where’re you from?”

  “All over,” Mason said. “But I grew up in Canton, Ohio.”

  “All over?”

  “Was in the military for a stretch, then traveled wherever my work took me.” Mason got Halo’s attention and pu
t in his order of steak.

  “You?” Halo asked.

  “Burger and fries.” He looked at Mason’s drink again. “And I’ll have a Coke with my food.”

  Halo nodded.

  “Your work?” Jordan pushed his mug of beer aside.

  “Government contracts mostly. What’s there to do around this town?”

  Jordan let the change of subject go. Mason was obviously done talking about his past work. That piqued Jordan’s interest, but he didn’t push the matter.

  “Not much right now,” Jordan said. “Residents have been slowly trickling in. A few new shops have opened up.”

  “Like?”

  “A bakery, a floral shop, and the restaurant should be opening soon. The new owner is calling it Karma.”

  “Fine dining?”

  “Supposedly. He’s Glen’s cousin. You know Glen, right?”

  “Not really,” Mason said, “but I’ve heard Dagger talk about him every now and again.”

  “Well, Sasha Hunt is coming from New York, so I’m guessing we’re in for a treat.” Jordan couldn’t wait, although he wouldn’t be able to dine there all the time. The prices were sure to be too high. “Darien built an addition on the back for parties and whatever.”

  “Sounds like a place I won’t eat too often at.” Mason took a drink of his soda. “Too pricey for my blood.”

  Jordan grinned. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  “That’s because great minds think alike.”

  The radio at Mason’s shoulder squawked. He held the button down. “Yeah, Lindsey?”

  “Got a 10-16 on Old Road North.”

  Mason cursed. “Copy that.” He turned to Jordan. “Guess that’s what I get for trying to eat while on the clock.”

  “What’s a 10-16?”

  Domestic disturbance,” Mason answered.

  “Can’t a deputy handle the call?” Jordan asked.

  “The staff quit when they found out the town was going gay. Aside from Drake Winslow, I’m all Wildfire has right now until the other deputies get here, and Drake had some business he needed to take care of back in Virginia. He won’t be officially on the clock until he gets back.”