The Renegade

by Rhonda Nelson

  “Bullshit. Maybe in those god-awful heels.” He spied a Chevrolet dealership ahead on the right and prayed they’d have a rental department. “The point is, I don’t intend to spend the next eighteen to twenty hours with my knees up to my ears just because you think it’s funny.”

  “That may be true, but you wouldn’t be caught dead in a Smart car even if you only had to drive it across the street. Its small size impugns your masculinity.”

  Tanner chuckled under his breath and slid her a look. “There is very damned little that impugns my masculinity.”

  Something shifted in her gaze, melted. She swallowed. “That secure, are you?”

  He nodded once. “Damn straight.”

  “So how many gay friends do you have?”

  “Two,” he answered truthfully. Ruthie and Marge were a wonderful couple, two of the nicest lesbians anyone could ever meet. And he suspected the office manager at Ranger Security didn’t bat for his team, either, but he seemed like a fine enough fellow. To each his own, was Tanner’s motto. It didn’t make him any less hetero.

  Seemingly stumped, she hummed under her breath. “So what kind of car are you going to get?”

  “One with ample legroom.” His gaze slid over her short, curvy frame and a bolt of heat landed in his groin. “That’s something a midget like you doesn’t have to worry about.”

  “I don’t mind being short,” she said, eyeing the new model cars as they pulled through the lot to the rental department.

  He laughed and quirked a sardonic brow. “So you wear the heels because they’re so comfortable?” he drawled.

  She rolled her head toward him and gave him a smile that put him in mind of crisp white sheets, hot oil and a rainy afternoon. “I wear them because they make me feel sexy.”

  His tongue suddenly felt too thick for his mouth and he struggled to swallow. “That’s a good enough reason, I suppose.”

  He mentally stripped her down to the heels, then redressed her in the little gown she had on last night. Creamy thighs, mouthwatering cleavage, the hint of a pearled nipple behind satin.

  He went hard.

  She grinned and arched a knowing brow. “Do you need a minute?”

  She was evil. Purely, utterly evil.

  Pity he found that so damned attractive.

  He cupped the back of her neck with his hand and drew her forward, then hungrily attached his mouth to hers. She tasted like maple syrup and coffee, like cool rain after too many years in the desert, like anticipation and redemption. A low moan signaled her surrender—the sweetest thing he’d tasted so far—and she tunneled her fingers into his hair and pressed herself against him.

  His entire body vibrated with need as her tongue tangled around his, an unspeakably wonderful seek and retreat that he wanted to mimic with another body part below his waist, one that was in serious danger of popping above of the waistband of his jeans. He was breathing her in, absorbing her essence, savoring the feel of her against his mouth. Her lips were full and sensual, the upper a little plumper on one side, which gave the impression that she was always enjoying a private joke. A provocative imperfection he’d once heard her lament, but he adored it.

  Breathing heavily, she tore her mouth from his. “Who’s watching?” she gasped brokenly.

  “The salespeople, I imagine.” He nuzzled her cheek with his nose. He could smell her lotion, something fruity and sweet. God, he could just eat her up. She was luscious. Perfect.

  She blinked drunkenly up at him, then her muddled gaze turned into a glare. “B-but I was following your lead.”

  He chewed the inside of his cheek. “Yes, you were. Without direction and quite brilliantly, I might add. I’m so proud of you.”

  With a disgusted grunt, she shoved hard at his chest. “Idiot,” she growled. “You scared me half to death. I was afraid they’d somehow found us again already.”

  His gaze dropped to her mouth and he lowered his voice. “I’m glad I was able to take your mind off it for a minute.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a real piece of work, Tanner, you know that?”

  “Yes.” He wraggled his brows. “A masterpiece.”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of a piece of—”

  “Hey,” he interrupted, feigning a wounded look. “No need for name-calling. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”

  Her eyes widened. “On myself? You’re the one I’m angry with!”

  “Possibly. But not all of that anger’s for me.” He studied her thoughtfully for a moment and it unnerved her to the point she looked away. A deep blush stained her cheeks. “I think you’re mad at yourself because you enjoyed it a whole lot more than you wanted to.”

  And with that parting comment, he snagged the backpack and climbed from the car. While she was fuming, he put in a quick call to Ranger Security. He needed a little more information on Mia’s erstwhile sire and he didn’t want to humiliate her by making her listen to him while he asked for it.

  Bastard, Tanner thought. If he was behind any part of this, Tanner fully intended to give the man a thrashing he wouldn’t forget. He’d seen the tightness appear around her mouth when he’d asked if her father would consort with Ramirez, the shame in her eyes as she’d unwillingly shared the kind of person he was. Her father had hurt her and for that reason alone, he’d like to kick his ass.

  Somebody needed to for what the man had done to his daughter, that was for damned sure. And Tanner was more than happy to do the job.

  THE DAMNED KNOW-IT-ALL, Mia thought, as she waited for her personal mercury to cool. She hadn’t remembered him being so perceptive. Was it an acquired skill? she wondered, or had she just been too much in love with him to notice the last time around?

  Though she thought her acting skills were improving, she knew they wouldn’t carry her so far as to pretend that his kiss—hell, simply being around him—wasn’t affecting her. It was.

  Oh, how it was.

  Her toes had been curling to the point she’d almost developed cramps and the hot zing of need pinging in her womb to the tune of what she suspected was his heartbeat was making her squirm in her seat like a grounded toddler forced to sit in the naughty chair. She didn’t know what sort of cologne he was wearing, but it was absolutely driving her crazy. It made her want to suck him up like a Slurpee. Her breasts ached behind her bra and the hot, muddled sensation camping low in her belly seemed to intensify with every agitated breath.

  And looking at him only made things worse. The shape of those full, sculpted lips, the lean slope of his cheek, the firm edge of his jaw and even the side of his neck—a place she’d love to lean over and kiss just below his ear—taunted her with every glimpse.

  And when he looked at her dead-on? Despite repeated exposure, she was never quite prepared for the combination of need and reluctant, bittersweet affection that slammed into her. It left her breathless and light-headed. The desire she could justify. Between his naturally potent sexual appeal and Moe exerting his significant influence, it was no wonder that she found herself locked in a state of practically debilitating lust.

  But those softer emotions? The ones that made her heart give a pathetic little jump, her resolve melt, her lips curl of their own volition…those, she knew, were trouble.

  Tanner snapped his phone shut and rounded the hood, then opened her door. She hadn’t been waiting on him to do it—she just hadn’t gathered her wits about her enough to exit on her own power. While other women might object to such an old-fashioned gesture, Mia had to admit that she wasn’t one of them. She appreciated the courtesy and took it as a sign of respect rather than an insult to her gender.

  In relatively short order, he’d arranged to have the other car returned to the proper rental company and procured a replacement, a crossover SUV with enough legroom for comfort and pickup speed to disappear quickly if needed. She’d listened as he’d made the call to Ranger Security and briefed them on the changes to their situation and found herself reluctantly impressed wi
th his performance.

  Not that she shouldn’t have been. Tanner had always been more than competent. He had a keen brain behind all that masculine beauty and brawn, and a dedication of purpose that had surpassed so many of their contemporaries. It had been part of what had drawn her to him from the start. She’d appreciated his drive, his ambition, his desire to not just inhabit the world in which he lived, but to try and better it. It was an admirable quality, one of many.

  “Okay,” Tanner said, as slipped his phone back into the holder at his waist. “New plan. I know that the original arrangement involved keeping your PA and head of security in the loop, but in light of Ackerman’s obvious involvement and resulting breach, we’re not going to do that.”

  Mia absorbed that. “You don’t want me to check in?”

  “Yes, I do. We need to keep up with any new developments on their end, but I don’t want you to disclose our location. We’re going to pick up a few disposable phones so that you can contact them. But if they need to contact you, then whatever information they need to share will be routed through Ranger Security directly to me.”

  Her head whirled. “Why?”

  “Because if Ackerman knew where you were staying, then it’s possible that he has your cell-phone number. And if he’s in bed with Ramirez, then Ramirez has the resources to trace your whereabouts through the phone. Have you made or taken any calls?”

  “No,” Mia said, shaken. Well, that explained why he’d wanted her to use his phone instead of hers to find the rental agency.

  “Good,” Tanner said with a nod. “Turn it off.”

  Feeling strangely numb, she did.

  Tanner started to say something, then hesitated a moment. “Listen, if you’ll give me the numbers, I can call the office and have them forward your temporary emergency contact information to anyone you would want to have it.”

  She looked up and blinked, not following.

  He released a small sigh. “Like Harlan,” he said, the words seemingly pulled out of him. “Or your mother.”

  A little pinch of pain squeezed her heart at the casual reference to her mom. “I won’t hear from Harlan,” she said. No doubt her efficient ex had already packed up whatever belongings she had at his apartment and for warded them to Savannah. She had to clear her throat. “And I, um… I lost my mother three years ago. Ovarian cancer.”

  She watched the shock register on his face. He winced with regret and reached over to grab her hand. “I’m so sorry, Mia. I remember you were very close to her.”

  Her mom had been her best friend and her rock, her faithful cheerleader and her confidante. While she’d had several friends whose mothers drove them insane, Mia had never been able to relate to their relationships. Though her mother had never remarried, being Mia’s mother hadn’t become the thing that defined her. Jane Hawthorne had had lots of interests, a host of friends and a busy career that begged for her time and she’d balanced them beautifully. Mia had always known that she came first, but without the guilt or resentment brought about by the divorce. Her mother had been a strong woman, a force of nature and the world was most definitely a much bleaker place without her in it.

  “Thank you,” she said, for lack of anything better. “I miss her.”

  He squeezed her hand again, but to her pleasure, he didn’t release it. A shadow suddenly moved behind his eyes and she watched a weariness settle along his jaw. “Death’s a bitch.”

  He’d certainly seen his share of that, Mia knew and something about the grim tone of his voice made her ache for him. Between the nature of his career and the nightmare she’d witnessed last night, she knew Tanner was carrying around his own grief demons, as well. There was a brief instance of perfect understanding between them in that moment and, for whatever reason, it united them in a present that lacked the clutter of the past.

  To her chagrin, the thought was as comforting as it was terrifying.

  8

  IT WAS AMAZING HOW easily information could be bought, the man thought, smiling, even when that knowledge shouldn’t be sold. Thanks to his informant, he knew that Mia and her mystery man had stopped at a chain motel outside Roanoke. He knew that they’d shared a room and ordered dinner from the place next door. He knew that the man had eaten a sizable breakfast and had ordered coffee. Mia had opted for a simple bagel and hot tea.

  Interestingly, the backpack had never left the man’s possession.

  And even more noteworthy, the corporate card he’d used to pay for the room was registered to Ranger Security.

  The man chuckled softly, and picked up the phone. His goal was finally—thrillingly—within reach. And he’d stop at nothing to achieve it.

  Absolutely nothing.

  “SOPHIE’S HURT,” MIA said later, frowning down at one of the new cell phones they’d picked up just before they’d stopped for lunch. “She thinks I don’t trust her.”

  Tanner dredged a fry through a pool of ketchup and enjoyed the feel of the sun on his back. They’d chosen a fast-food restaurant for expediency’s sake and had opted to sit outside in the fenced-in play area for children so that they could keep a close eye on the parking lot.

  Though he thought they were safe, he intended to be much more careful from here on out. They’d abandoned the interstate for a less-predictable route and hoped that the tracking device he’d transferred to the truck would lead their pursuers in the wrong direction for a while, buying them some time to get a decent head start.

  “It’s not a matter of trust, Mia, it’s a matter of precaution,” he explained. “The less anyone knows, the better we are. We’re eliminating room for error. If we’re compromised again, it’ll be easier to narrow down the source.”

  She picked glumly at her salad. “I understand the logic, Tanner, I just wish it wasn’t necessary.”

  “Being with me is that terrible, is it?” he teased, pretending like her answer didn’t matter.

  She smiled and shot him a look, but to his irrational displeasure, she completely ignored the question. “She did confirm that Ackerman and his companion spent a lot of time hanging out at the hotel where the staff was based in D.C. So it’s possible that he noticed I wasn’t there and decided to follow me to Harlan’s apartment.”

  It was just as possible that someone let something slip—Tanner thought the man was a reporter, after all, and prying was his business—but he wasn’t going to argue the point with her. He watched a couple of kids climb through the netting overhead, enjoying their laughter. “The exhibit was in Atlanta prior to D.C., correct?” Mia nodded.

  “And did you stay in the same hotel as the rest of the staff then?”

  “I did.”

  “I’m assuming Ackerman was making a nuisance of himself there, as well?”

  Her gaze turned thoughtful. “He was…though he was alone then,” she added as an afterthought. Something niggled in her brain, but disappeared before she could decipher the meaning behind it.

  “So he would have noticed when you weren’t around in D.C.” He shrugged. “Your absence from the group would have invited his curiosity at the very least.”

  “I suppose,” she admitted with a sigh. “I’ll just be glad when we get to Dallas and this becomes someone else’s problem.”

  “It already is,” he pointed out. “Mine.”

  She had the grace to blush. She looked up and winced. “Sorry,” she said, chagrined. “I didn’t mean that the way that it sounded. You’re doing a great job.”

  Pride bloomed in his chest at her casual praise and he laughed softly. “That’s debatable, but I intend to do better.”

  “Do you think you’re going to enjoy this line of work then?”

  Finished eating, Tanner wadded his napkin and tossed it on his tray. He considered her question and wondered how he could answer without making her feel like he was prevaricating. He didn’t want to talk about this. He didn’t want to tell her about his former job and how he’d failed. He didn’t want to think about what had happened, let alon
e share any of it with her. It was too hard, too painful, too shameful.

  You’re a disgrace. Weak. I’m ashamed of you.

  “I think so,” he said. “New assignments, new circumstances.” He took a swallow from his drink and suddenly wished it was something stronger. “No opportunity for things to get stale.”

  She studied him for a minute in that thoughtful way she had, those warm brown eyes searching his. Though he knew it was impossible, he could practically feel her plucking the truth out of his head, spotting the lies, separating fact from fiction like wheat from the chaff.

  But it was better for her to think he’d gotten bored, than gotten soft. That he’d blown it.

  The mere idea was unthinkable.

  Just when he was convinced she was going to ask if that’s what happened, that he’d gotten tired of the military, she pulled in a deep breath and smiled at him. “That’s the thing about history—even though it’s old, I’m always finding something new.”

  Relief made his cramped fingers go limp. He released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “So you’re happy then?”

  “With my job?” She nodded once. “Definitely. I love working with the Center. All in all, I’ve got it made. I’ve got the freedom to broaden my studies when the urge strikes and have earned the confidence of the administrators to work with different projects and exhibits that interest me.”

  He jerked his head toward the backpack. “Like Moe Dick?”

  She chuckled and bit her bottom lip. “Laugh all you want, but…yes. Like anything else, sex has its own evolving history and the ancient cultures were just as fascinated with it as their modern-day counterparts.” She sent him a pointed look. “But the one constant, the thing that never changes, is the desire to populate the earth, to bring forth the next generation.” Her gaze slid to the backpack. “That’s Moe’s ultimate purpose. You look at him and see something lewd. I look at him and see another civilization who wanted to thrive. And he’s still relevant today. If he wasn’t, we wouldn’t be on this adventure.”