“All right. Don’t say I didn’t try to help.” Nate shrugged.
“Would you mind if I used your computer?”
“Not at all, be my guest.”
She couldn’t check the accounts she most wanted to. That was out of the question. But she couldn’t simply do nothing. That wasn’t who she was. She’d die making a difference, because that was who she was.
Chapter Fifteen
Andy’s watch beeped. He sat up, still more asleep than awake. The soft murmur of voices that’d filled the background ever since he’d laid his head on the pillow were still there.
For two people who had known each other only a few months they had a hell of a lot to say to each other.
He shoved his irritation down deep.
Carol wasn’t his, but she also had no business in this man’s life. Nate would get her killed if he was doing what Andy thought he was. A person who had a document forger on speed dial wasn’t entirely aboveboard. Especially considering his connections to a large banking institution. As soon as the passport came in, they had to leave.
Andy stood and stretched his hands toward the ceiling. His arm protested and his side ached, but he’d had worse. A lot worse.
He checked his gun, ensuring it was ready, and hoped he wouldn’t need it. Yet.
That done, he approached the bedroom door, pausing out of sight and listened to the hushed voices. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the strained pitch of Carol’s voice was enough to alert him that not everything was well.
He pulled the door open and stepped into the kitchen.
Carol and Nate sat at the bar, a laptop in front of them. Carol paused in typing to stare at him, eyes wide, lips parted.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” And why hadn’t she woken him up?
“Mom sent me an email—”
“You checked your email?” He circled the bar. Why would she do something that stupid?
“What? No.” Carol glared at him. “I logged in to my mother’s email—and deleted the you logged in from a new computer email already—and checked her sent folder.”
That was still too risky. The first person they’d check would be her mother.
“My IP is routed through a couple dozen countries,” Nate offered. Not a comforting security measure though it was convenient.
Carol turned the laptop toward him, a wall of text filling the screen. Andy skimmed it, his stomach sinking.
Someone was watching Carol’s mother. Most people wouldn’t notice. Jennifer Sark had outlived her CIA husband and if Andy didn’t do his job, she might outlast her daughter as well. It stood to reason Jennifer had picked up on a few things over the years with so many company people in and out of her home. She would also recognize the danger she was in if her daughter was wanted by unsavory people. Andy could understand why Carol would want to warn her to be on the lookout. Still, any operative worth hiring shouldn’t have been seen, so what was going on?
“If you’ll tell me what you’re running from—I could help,” Nate said.
“No, you can’t.” Andy glanced up. “When we leave, you need to go, too. Vacation. Somewhere you’ve never even thought of. The harder to get to the better.”
“Christ, what are you mixed up in, love?” Nate glanced at Carol.
“I have to go home,” Carol said softly.
“No.” Andy shook his head. The danger was too great.
“If I don’t, what will they do to Mom? You know they’ll use her against me. I have to do something.”
“That’s exactly what they’re hoping you’ll do. I’ll handle it.”
“It’s worse.” Carol glanced at Nate.
“That’s my cue. I need to use the loo.” Nate slid off his stool and ambled over to the bathroom. The fan flipped on, giving them some privacy.
“What have you done?” Andy asked.
“I contacted Irene—it’s safe. Things are heating up. Mitch is in SPS custody and Irene is…under house arrest? I’m not sure. She posted a message in a public forum we agreed would be our backup way to communicate if anything ever happened.”
Andy skimmed another page she showed him, but if the lines of gibberish were a code, they were one he couldn’t read. That was a good sign.
“You have a plan in mind.” He knew better than to expect Carol to want him to handle everything. It shouldn’t irritate him. She had to begin thinking and doing for herself. Then why did he want to demand she never look at a computer again?
Carol glanced over his shoulder at the bathroom door. Her gaze locked with his.
“We go back, meet this head-on. Hear me out.” She grasped his hand. “Mitch’s biological father is Senator Michael Fowler—and a presidential candidate. We take this to him. Expose it.”
“That would present a massive security risk.”
“Look, unless something happens, Senator Fowler will be the next president. Even without that, he’s on the Security Council. If he knows, he can do something about it, even if we can’t. This is bigger than us. The risk is bigger if we keep trying to do this ourselves. We have a job to do. We protect our country, because we are patriots. It’s what we do.”
Andy bit his tongue and closed the laptop. He’d seen what he needed to see.
The bathroom door opened and Nate stepped out, whistling.
Andy crossed to the windows and pulled the curtains back enough to take in the dazzling night lights of the city.
How much of his need to protect Carol was because of orders, and how much was because of him? He had an unusual attachment to Carol. One he was not comfortable with even though he craved her. Her touch, her smell, her presence—all of it. If he put that aside, what choice would he make?
Irene had him take Carol away to protect her while they finished the algorithm. It was done and running. The longer they let it go, the more comprehensive their results would be. Carol’s immediate job was done. So what was the most logical thing to do?
Their endgame was to put a stop to the leaks and moles within the Company.
Shuttling Carol into hiding removed a valuable asset from play. Her mind was a tool they couldn’t replace.
Andy hated the adage, the best defense is a good offense.
Running headlong into problems resulted in bullet wounds, in his experience.
“You think our friend’s dad is the best one to handle this? We could be making him a target.”
“Yes. Considering everyone he has around him…he’s the best person to bring into the circle.”
Andy rolled that around in his head. Senator Fowler was a gregarious, well-liked political figure. He would be an enigmatic president, all smiles on the outside. He didn’t want to admit it, but Fowler would be a prime person to take office and truly clean house, putting this situation to rights. Which meant the man had more skeletons in his closet than an illegitimate son who hadn’t taken his father’s name and worked in national security.
“Fine.” He didn’t like this decision, but he didn’t have to.
“How are we going to get back in the country?” Carol asked.
“Once your new passport arrives we’ll figure it out.” Andy’s fear was being tagged at the airport and picked up before they’d made it through customs.
“You know Jan was just appointed as the German ambassador to America, don’t you?” Nate tossed a ball in the air, snatching it back over and over again.
“No, I’d missed that,” Carol said slowly.
“Jan…?” Andy glanced between the two.
“Another of my mother’s exchange students. He stayed with us when I was still very little. I had no idea he was… Doesn’t matter.” Carol shook her head.
“Jan and your candidate Fowler are golfing buddies. I imagine that has a lot to do with Jan’s new appointment.” Nate glanced their way and smiled. “You know, ambassadors have preferential treatment when it comes to entering the country. I’ve also handled a few of Jan’s accounts. I have his personal number, should y
ou need to chat with him.”
“We can’t talk to this person,” Andy said. He didn’t dare put either of them on a phone for long.
“I could do it.” Nate shrugged. “It’d need to be soon, seeing as how late it is.”
Carol stared at him. He didn’t need to hear her words to feel her pleading with him. Doing this meant risking her. Somewhere along the lines his priorities had changed from keeping her safe, to keeping her for him. That wasn’t the bargain they’d made, and she was the one with the target in mind, not him.
“Do it,” he said, and hated himself for it.
Nate pushed to his feet and grabbed his phone.
“Stay in here, though. I want to hear what you’re saying.” Andy still didn’t trust the man.
Nate nodded and paced the living room, phone pressed to his face.
Carol crossed to stand at Andy’s side, both of them watching Nate.
“I imagine that as soon as the passport comes in we’re leaving?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“Yes. We’ve been here long enough.”
“Are you rested?”
“Enough.”
“How far is it to Germany?”
“Depends where your friend is. I’d estimate twelve hours.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I signaled Irene.” Carol glanced up at him.
Andy pressed his lips together. He was the one whose head was up his ass. Not her.
“You did the right thing,” he said. “Go lie down. Try to get some sleep.”
“Are you going to join me or…?”
“Maybe.”
He wanted to, but if his priorities were skewed then perhaps it was time to put physical distance between them. He couldn’t leave her, but he didn’t have to touch her. Reach for her. Kiss her.
Damn. He missed her already.
…
Carol hadn’t been this warm and comfortable in… Well, she couldn’t really remember when. She snuggled closer to the source of the heat and willed herself to go back to sleep. She was so tired, even after all the sleeping in the car.
Something shifted against her. A hand pressed to her back. A weight settled over her hip.
Her mind came fully online. She opened her eyes, staring into the inky darkness of the room.
Breath stirred the hair at her temple.
She inhaled a familiar manlike scent.
Andy.
She took another, easier breath.
Her head was nearly buried in his chest, his arm around her and their legs tangled. She’d shared the same bed with him now for several nights, and yet it was still new to her.
Bit by bit, she collected her thoughts, taking stock of the moment.
Andy was asleep, which meant he thought it was okay to rest. Everything must be going according to plan then. That was good.
She blew out a breath and nuzzled closer, taking what comfort he offered. After all, he could have chosen the sofa, but he’d wanted to come in here. With her. Maybe Nate was right. She and Andy had a complicated relationship any way she looked at it. What she knew above all else was that she could trust Andy.
A week ago she wouldn’t have said the same thing.
What could they have accomplished that first day if she’d been more of a team player?
Oh, Carol still wanted to give Irene a piece of her mind. Irene’s unilateral decision would forever change Carol’s future, but as patriots, they had to do what was best for the greater good. If that meant Carol would spend the rest of her life as someone else, so be it. If they could take down this network of moles leaking information, it would be worth it.
Maybe Andy could give her some pointers.
He said that, when he was doing long solo gigs, he talked to bottles. Maybe that would work for her? Or maybe she’d get a cat. Talking to an animal seemed the saner option. Then again, a pet was something else to worry about if she had to pick up and move without notice.
This would be a new kind of life, and she wasn’t ready for it.
Carol slid her arm around Andy and squeezed her eyes shut. He couldn’t help her forever. It was time to start taking notes and making a plan for the rest of her life.
The arm around her tightened, tucking her closer under his chin.
“What time is it?” Andy muttered.
“Not time to wake up yet.”
“Hm.” He stroked her hair, his fingers twining into and around the strands.
“Did the passport come?”
“Yes. We’ll leave later. Nate has a smuggling contact who will get us over the border without registering us.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. It was working out somehow. What did it say about her now that she wasn’t even questioning the fact that a smuggling contact was good?
“Your friend is too useful,” Andy said.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“For you? Yes.”
Nate’s words tickled the back of her mind. Carol tipped her chin up, finding Andy’s gaze on her, the light from the window glittering off his eyes.
“Nate thinks you’re jealous.” She didn’t know why she said it, but the idea intrigued her.
“Of him? Maybe.”
“What’s to be jealous of?”
“You cared enough about him to risk yourself. That’s…admirable.”
“I care about you.”
Andy’s hand slid around, cupping her cheek. He stroked his thumb over her mouth and she thought for a moment he might kiss her.
“You shouldn’t,” he said.
“Why not? You saved me. You’ve risked your life for me. I can’t care about you?”
“No.”
“Sorry, too late.” She smiled and traced his lips with her finger, mimicking him.
Andy wrapped his lips around the digit and nipped the tip with his teeth. He was dangerous, and their arrangement temporary. Carol knew what she was tangling with, and she didn’t care. Like he’d made it abundantly clear, this momentary attraction was it. Fleeting. After everything they’d been through, though, she needed him in a way she’d never needed anyone else before.
Carol stretched up, replacing her finger with her mouth. He didn’t pull away, and he didn’t quite kiss her in return, but that was okay. She had grown accustomed to Andy’s peculiarities, the way he held himself back, his intensity.
He tipped his chin, just a little, but it mattered.
The hand at the nape of her neck applied the barest pressure. She fisted his shirt in her hands and wiggled closer still. His lips parted and his tongue teased hers.
Intimacy was a risk at all times, especially now. But if she lived braced for an attack in every moment of her life, she wouldn’t really be living.
“Andy?” Her words were muted by his kiss.
“Hm?”
He pressed his thigh between hers, the seam of her jeans pressing at just the right spot. She sucked down a deep breath as tendrils of lust and need snaked through her. She rocked her hips, not the least bit reserved in her desire. It wasn’t like this with others. There was something about Andy, the way he got her, that allowed her to let go of her insecurities.
“You were saying something?” he whispered.
“I want you.”
“It’s not a good time.” He slid his fingers past the waistband of her jeans, tugging at the tab.
“It will never be a good time.”
“This is true.” He shoved his hand into her panties and cupped her mound.
Carol groaned against his shoulder.
He could say it was a bad idea all he liked, her body wasn’t listening.
Andy worked his fingers inside of her, curling them to stroke her inner walls. He buried his face against the crook of her neck, his hot breath warming her skin.
“Fuck,” was the only word he said that she understood until he levered up a bit, staring down at her. “We have to be quiet.”
“And I’m guessing leave some clothes on?”
“Ideally.”
He glanced down her body, frowning at her borrowed clothing.
No, she wasn’t thrilled with clothes-on sex, either, but in the long run, if she had to choose, having sex was better than no sex at all.
Andy pulled his hand out of her pants first, freeing her to roll off the bed.
Carol shoved her pants and underwear down. She hadn’t gotten them past her ass when Andy grasped her by the hips and pushed her up against the minimalistic desk. The mirror hanging over the wall reflected the room—and Andy—perfectly.
He pulled the neckline of her shirt off her shoulder, kissing the newly bared skin. She edged her clothes down a bit farther, listening to the too-loud sound of his zipper in the silence of the apartment.
The warmth of his bare skin against her ass was a delicious promise. No one had ever seen her as clearly as he had. Maybe that was why it was so easy to ask for this, once they’d crossed the line.
“I want to spend hours inside of you.” He slid his hand up under her shirt and cupped her breast, massaging her nipple through the fabric of her bra.
Carol liked the sound of that. His intensity, the way he studied her, it would make for the experience of a lifetime. He’d ruin her for anyone else.
“Remember, you have to keep quiet.” He stared at her in the mirror, his cock sliding between her labia. He shifted, back and forth, the teasing touch stroking the desire higher.
He pressed the head of his cock to her entrance and she arched her back. He circled her waist with his arm and thrust.
Carol sucked down air and bit her lip.
There was something so intimate about that first intrusion, the joining of bodies. She loved it. It never got old. The way her toes curled because she could feel him inside of her.
“Someday I want to hear you scream in pleasure,” he whispered.
She was willing to bet he’d do it, too, given the opportunity.
“Hold onto the table. I’m going to make you come, but no sound, okay?” He squeezed her briefly.
She doubted Nate would care one bit if they screwed like bunnies. It wasn’t like Nate was a monk if his lost-and-found collection of women’s clothing was to be taken into account. But this was about them. Her, and Andy.
Carol grasped the edge of the desk with both hands and watched Andy in the mirror. She never wanted to forget him, what they shared.
Assassin Games (Tarnished Heroes) Page 22