by Cynthia Eden
“Because Dex figures you don’t want me around you any longer. He thinks you’ll feel better with another agent.”
She seemed to absorb his words. “With one who hasn’t lied to me.”
“Something like that.” Dex pounded again. Such. A. Prick. “If he had his way, I’d already be away from you.”
“But you’re not away from me.”
He was standing right in front of her. Her delicious vanilla scent surrounded him, and if he leaned forward, he could brush his lips over hers. “No. When Dex tried to have me removed, Eric backed me up. Said that I wouldn’t leave the case, not until you fire me.”
“What?”
“You hired me, remember? Came to my door. Told me you were in trouble. I took the job you offered. So it doesn’t matter what Dex says. I don’t give a shit if he has the whole CIA behind him. You are my client. Eric backs that. I stay with you until you tell me to go.”
The door swung open.
“I need a freaking lock on that door,” Chase muttered as he turned to glare at Dex. “It would keep the trouble out.”
Dex curled his fingers around the edge of the door. “You had five minutes. Time is up.”
“We didn’t set a damn time limit!”
“No?” Dex appeared confused. “Oh, right. I set it. Mentally. Right after you told me to ‘fuck off’ and you left. And that brings me to my next point. Ms. Wayne, I understand you are probably quite tired of Chase at this juncture. There are other agents who can now step in to provide for your—”
“No.”
Chase whipped his stare back to her. “No?”
“No?” Dex repeated. “Oh, wait, you must not have understood me. I said you don’t have to stay with Chase. Or, rather, he doesn’t have to stay with you. Actually, in light of the, uh, shall we say…relationship issues…that the two of you have, it’s for the best if—”
“Why are you trying to convince me that you should stay with me?” Vivian asked Chase. Her gaze was solemn, her expression torn.
“Because I need to know you’re safe.” Absolute truth. “Because I’m a damn good agent, though you might not believe that. I will do anything to get the job done.”
Her thick lashes swept down. “That I believe.”
Hell. He’d done it again. Made it worse. “I’ll do anything because I believe you are innocent.”
Her lashes lifted.
“I’m not lying to you. The more I learned about you, the less the image of you as a criminal mastermind worked for me.”
“I could be a criminal mastermind,” she mumbled.
“Yes, you could, but you aren’t. Because you don’t want to wind up like your dad.”
She swallowed. “I shouldn’t have given you secrets. And he wasn’t a mastermind—”
“I’m not talking about your biological father, Viv.” He’d said this part so quietly. Only for her to hear.
Her eyes widened. “He is not my father.” Her voice was just as low as his had been, but pain was there. Thickening her voice. “And he is not part of my life any longer.”
“Still waiting over here.” Dex’s voice was loud while Chase and Vivian’s had been soft. “Got things to do. Traitors to catch. I can’t just stand in doorways all night.”
Vivian’s attention darted to him. “What is the plan?”
“My plan? Stage one is to question you. To get every detail from you that I can. Thought you already knew that.”
“I mean, how are you going to catch the bad guy?”
“Well, I figure as soon as he realizes that you scrambled the ever-so-important files, he’ll be coming after you. He, or sorry, they—I’m not quite sure how many people we are up against yet—will need you. When the perps come after you, I’ll be waiting. With Wilde backup, of course, since I’m not exactly sure who I can trust from the CIA branch down here. We’ll spring into action. The case will end. Life will resume. You’ll write me a thank you card.”
Vivian nibbled on her lower lip. “Who will be your Wilde backup?
“Not Chase, so you can stop worrying about that.”
Chase took a fast step toward him. “You are not taking her away from me.”
“Sure I am. Watch me.” He extended his hand toward Vivian. “This chat has been fun, but Vivian, we need to go. Now. I’m sure you were tailed to this location, and since I don’t control this building’s security, I don’t feel the safest here. Let’s get moving.”
She slipped around Chase.
Shit. She was going with Dex. Chase had burned his bridges with her and— “Don’t,” the word tore from him.
Vivian looked back.
It wouldn’t do any good. It had never done any good. She was going to walk away, but—“Don’t leave me.”
She was important. He couldn’t let her walk away. Couldn’t let her face the threats out there without him.
Her lashes flickered.
“I know you’re hurt.” Not angry, not disappointed, but fucking hurt. He’d hurt her. And if he’d hurt her, then that meant she’d cared. You didn’t get hurt when you didn’t care. Dammit. He had screwed up so badly with her. “It won’t happen again.”
“What won’t?” Vivian asked. Her voice was so low and husky.
“I won’t hurt you. Not ever the hell again. Protecting you is my priority.” Even protecting her from himself. “I’m good at my job, Viv. I can protect you. You can absolutely count on me to do that.”
“She’s walking away, man,” Dex informed him with a long exhale. “That means that even though she may have tried to hire you earlier, she is most definitely firing you now.” No small amount of satisfaction was in Dex’s voice as he added, “I think that means she is clearly telling you to fuck off—”
“You won’t lie to me?” Vivian asked Chase as she broke through Dex’s cocky words.
Chase felt his heart stop. “No. I won’t lie to you. Not ever again.”
“You won’t pretend to be someone you’re not?”
“What you see will be exactly what you get. Though I can’t promise that you’ll always like what you see.” Full disclosure. I am an asshole.
“Uh, let’s go.” Dex didn’t seem so satisfied any longer. “Obviously, I’m not liking what I’m seeing.”
Vivian nodded. “Let’s go.” She was staring straight at Chase when she said those ever-so-important words.
Dex turned away.
Chase hurried toward Vivian.
“Whoa!” Dex whirled back around. “What are you doing?”
“Going,” Chase replied. He was at Vivian’s side. “She wants me to come with her. So, no, I’m not fired. I’m in for the duration.” Deal with that shit.
Dex studied him. “We need to talk.”
Chase shrugged. “Talk.”
“Alone.” Once more, Dex turned away. He moved as if he expected Chase to follow—and to leave Vivian behind.
That shit is not happening. “Nope.”
And Dex whirled again. “What?”
“I’m working for her. That means I’m not leaving her shut out. Say whatever shit you’ve got to say, and say it in front of Vivian.”
Dex gave him a cold smile. “Fine.” His gaze flickered to Vivian, then came back to Chase. “Emotions screw up cases. You fucking got too close on this one. You became your cover, and now you’re falling for her.” He jerked his thumb toward Vivian. “She’s falling for you because you got to her, and the two of you can’t see past the lust that’s burning between you. That shit is dangerous. I don’t need your BS getting in my way while I’m damn well trying to save the lives of a whole lot of good people.”
“I can do my job, no matter what.” Chase didn’t deny falling for Vivian. Because, he had. Fast and hard. But because he’d fallen for her, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do his job. Just the damn opposite. It meant he’d protect her with his life. There was no way he’d let anyone get to her. “I’ve got this under control.”
“You’d better have. Or she’ll pa
y the price.”
Chapter Twelve
“Dex was wrong.” Vivian stared out at the lake. The moonlight glistened off the surface. She didn’t know what time it was. Hours had passed since the bomb. Dex had grilled her, over and over again, and she’d been taken to a new, supposedly safer location.
They’d left the city. Driven for at least an hour and wound up at a lake-side cottage. The lake seemed to stretch for miles and miles, its dark surface ever so still.
“The guy is a piece of work,” Chase said. “But what is it that you think he’s wrong about?”
She turned away from the water. Faced him. Chase was on the couch, his body seemingly relaxed, but his gaze was locked straight on her. She was barely standing upright as weariness pulled at her, but there was no sign of fatigue on his face. He was just watching her with that careful, alert stare of his. “He’s wrong about you falling for me. About me falling for you.”
Chase gave a slow nod. “Huh.” His head tilted. “You didn’t fall for me.”
Now Vivian wrapped her arms around her stomach. “And you didn’t fall for me.”
“No, I did.”
Her body jolted. “What?”
He rose, slowly uncurling his body. “I told you already, I didn’t fake anything I felt for you.” He took careful steps toward her. “When I touched you, when I kissed you, everything I felt was absolutely, one hundred percent real.” He stopped just in front of her. “What about you?”
Her throat had gone dry. “What about me?”
“When I kissed you, how did you feel?”
Like I had never wanted anyone more. Her lips pressed together.
“Don’t want to answer? Okay, let’s try a different question.”
“I’ve already answered a whole lot of questions tonight.” He’d been there for every single one. Listening. Watching. Waiting. “I should go to sleep.”
“Answer just one more?”
She nodded.
“Why did you let me stay with you?”
Don’t leave me. He’d said those words to her, and they had pierced right through the pain that she’d felt. They’d seemed real. Raw. “Because I wanted you to stay.”
“That’s not telling me why.”
“Because…I feel safer when you’re near. Because I do know that you can still do the job. I don’t doubt that at all. If anything, I’ve seen firsthand that you will go to any lengths in order to complete a mission. Means I felt hurt as hell,” her words came faster, “but it also means I’ve seen you in action. I don’t have Dex’s worries. I don’t think you’ll be magically blinded by me and not able to catch bad guys. Controlled chaos, I think that’s what you said you had before? That you liked it? But I think you were wrong. I don’t think there is any chaos in your life. I think everything is carefully controlled. Others don’t see it.” She brushed past him. “Good night.”
“Others don’t see it because they don’t see me. You do.”
She stiffened.
“Dex was right about one thing. I do want you. Might as well clear the air and get that out in the open. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone, and that desire isn’t going away.”
She looked back.
“I’m also not pushing. You want me to be hands off, I’m hands off.” His hands were currently fisted at his sides. “But I’m not lying to you. I mean that. Not ever again. Ask me anything, and I’ll give you the cold, hard truth.”
“Fine. Do you think the person who set the bomb will try to kill me again?”
“Yes.”
Well, that response was not reassuring. Maybe a lie would have been better.
“Or, rather, he’ll try until the perp realizes that he needs you. As soon as that happens, as soon as the scramble is detected, you’ll be worth more alive than dead.”
“Then the bad guys will try to take me?”
“They won’t get you. I’m stationed in the house with you. Merik is outside. Two other Wilde agents are on the perimeter. The agents will rotate on watch. You’re good here. You’re safe.”
Wilde agents. Because Dex didn’t want others from the CIA getting pulled into the case. Because he’s trying to keep this mess quiet. And because she knew he didn’t trust the others at her branch. But… “Why didn’t Dex bring in CIA operatives from other locations? I mean, I get why he doesn’t want the people I worked with on the case but surely there are other CIA operatives out there that he trusts?”
“Dex is playing by his own rules on this one, and I think he’s keeping information close to the vest. He’s hunting for a traitor—”
He thought I was the traitor.
“And until he finds out just how far this mess goes, he told Eric it was better to have a team with no current ties to the CIA. Not the first time that Uncle Sam has come to Wilde for help. Hell, it happens far more than you’d suspect. When the government agencies are investigating their own people, outsiders often do the best work. We don’t exactly have the same conflicts of interest.”
She absorbed the information.
“Your fingers are trembling,” he noted softly.
She looked down. They were. She balled them into fists.
“Adrenaline still pounding through you?”
Yes. “This was the first time that someone tried to kill me.”
“The first time is a bitch.”
Her heart lurched as she turned to fully face him. “Just how many times have people tried to kill you?”
He gave her a slow smile. One that had her heart doing that lurch thing again. “Do you mean this week?” Chase asked.
“What?”
“Kidding.” His smile lingered a moment before it fell away. “I’ve had more than my share of brushes with death. First in battle, then at Wilde.”
That news didn’t make her feel better. Not in any way. In fact, it just made her skin feel icy.
“So, speaking from personal experience, adrenaline rushes are hard as hell to come down from. If there is anything I can do to help, I’m here.”
Once more, Vivian turned away and shuffled forward. She unclenched her hands. Wiggled her fingers.
“Viv?”
“Adrenaline rushes start in the amygdala,” she told him as she wiggled her fingers again.
He laughed.
The response was so surprising that she turned back. “What?”
“I love it when you do that.”
She hadn’t done anything.
But he was stalking toward her. And he was smiling at her—tenderly.
She felt the power of his smile in every cell of her body. Dangerous. “What is it that you love?” Vivian asked.
“When you give me your facts. It’s sexy as hell.”
Facts were sexy? Since when?
“No, correction, you are sexy.” His gaze was on her mouth. “How do I get back?”
“Get back where?” She was so confused.
“In your good graces. Tell me what I have to do in order to win you back.”
“I’m not a prize to be won.” Her spine straightened. “Is that how you think of me?”
“No.” His gaze lifted. “I don’t.”
“Then how do you think of me?”
“As someone who changed my world.”
That was unexpected. And his stare was hot. “You want in my good graces?” Her body felt tense. Tight. “Then catch the bad guy. Clear my name. Then we’ll talk about good graces.”
“Consider it done.”
She couldn’t stand there with him so close, not without—dang it, she was already leaning toward him. He’d lied to her, hurt her, and she was still drawn to him. Still pulled to him.
What was wrong with her?
Why couldn’t she control herself better with him?
Before she could give in to the need that swirled in her, Vivian whirled away and hurried to the room that she’d been given.
***
“Got to ask, buddy, just how much does she hate you?” Merik asked convers
ationally. He’d come to check in a few moments before.
“Trying to figure that out.” Chase rolled back his shoulders as he attempted to push away the tension that had gathered there.
“This is what happens when you lust after a target.” Merik nodded knowingly. “Bad things.”
Chase stared at him. “Is the stuff you’re saying to me supposed to be helpful?”
A shrug. “It is lust, man, isn’t it? I mean, you’re not like, losing your heart or something?” He laughed, nervously. “God, I can’t believe I just said that.”
“I can’t believe you just said that, either.” He glanced over at the clock. “I’m crashing. You trading out with fresh agents for the rest of the night?”
“Yeah, yeah, I got a cabin across the lake. We’ll be taking turns on guard duty.”
Grunting, Chase headed for the door. “Then I’ll walk you out. I want to secure the cabin before I turn in.”
Merik gave him a worried look.
“What?”
“You didn’t answer me. Is it lust? Or is it more?”
“Get your ass out the door.”
“That’s still not an answer.”
“That’s still all you’re getting. It’s late as hell, and I need to sleep. Go.”
“Fine, but if something happens, you know I’ll be here in a flash. Always have your partner’s back. That’s the Wilde motto.” He gave a little salute. “See you soon.”
Chase locked up after him and set the security system. Then he stood in the middle of the cabin, and his gaze drifted around almost aimlessly. He hadn’t been lying to Vivian when he’d talked about adrenaline rushes. They were hell to handle. Chase was still riding out his own wave, though he’d tried hard to act as if he was in control when he was around Vivian.
Control? With her?
Ha. Not likely.
In his mind, he kept hearing the roar of the explosion. If he hadn’t stopped her, if he’d been a few moments slower in that elevator or getting out of the lobby, he would not have gotten to her in time.
She would have died. He would have gotten to that street and just seen the wreckage. Fire. Vivian would have been gone.
He strode down the hallway toward his room. Maybe it wasn’t just adrenaline fueling him. Maybe it was cold, hard fear. But he didn’t experience fear a lot, so he wasn’t used to the feeling.