by Katie Reus
“Why should I believe you?”
“First, I gave you a loaded weapon. Second, if I wanted you dead, I’d have let that shooter blow your head off—or I could have drowned you myself back there.”
She winced at his words and her already pale face turned almost gray. Instantly he wanted to kick his own ass. Yeah, he really needed to learn some subtlety.
“Where are we going?” Her voice was even quieter now.
“Somewhere safe.”
“Where?” she persisted.
“You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“I barely know you.” She mumbled a few Spanish words under her breath, and though his knowledge of the language was limited, he was pretty sure she called him a lying criminal.
Despite the situation, he had to bite back a smile at her attitude. She impressed him with how well she was handling everything. Ignoring her annoyance, he called his boss.
“Yeah?” Wesley answered immediately.
“Are you on a secure line?”
“Of course. What’s going on?”
“Someone just tried to kill Sophie Moreno.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know yet, but they were highly trained. Got a brief look at one of the guys right before we crashed into Biscayne Bay. He was Caucasian, dark hair, couldn’t tell how tall he was.”
“Russian?”
“No way to tell, but I heard them speaking Spanish, so I’m guessing no.” He briefly filled in his boss on what had happened.
Wesley was silent for a long beat. “You can’t take her back to SBMS or the condo.”
“I know. Do you know anything about Homeland Security wanting to talk to her?”
“What?”
“I didn’t think so. Looks like we might have a leak or they’ve been watching SBMS too. Homeland Security was at SBMS waiting to question her before we were attacked. I’m en route to a safe house, but as soon as we disconnect, I’m going dark until tomorrow.”
“Damn it, Jack, I need a way to contact you.”
“Too bad.” He pressed the END button, then took out the battery. Jack couldn’t chance that someone was tracking them with a satellite. The NSA had better security than all their government agencies combined, but if there was a mole, all the security in the world wouldn’t matter.
“Who was that?” Sophie scooted back in her seat, as if she could hide from him.
He sighed but kept his eyes on the road. “That was my boss.”
“How does he know who I am? And what do you mean there might be a leak? Who are you? After what just happened I think I deserve to know.” The pitch of her voice rose steadily with each word.
Jack couldn’t afford to have her freak out now. Especially not when he was pretty sure she was in mild shock. “Listen, I know you’re scared, but I need to get you to a safe place and we really need to clean up your wound.” He didn’t know when she’d been hit, but he was assuming a piece of glass or something else had hit her at the restaurant. The outside of her left jacket sleeve had been soaked with blood, and a tiny portion covered the back of her new T-shirt.
“Wound?” She glanced down at herself and ran a hand over the front of her shirt and sweatpants.
“Blood’s seeping through the back of your shirt, so I’m assuming you were hit.” If they’d had time, he’d have cleaned it up when they first reached the backup car. But time was not on their side.
She reached around with her right hand and felt the left side of her ribs and upper back. She winced in pain when she touched her shoulder blade. “Why didn’t I feel anything before?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Adrenaline.”
When she pulled her hand back, there were a few specks of blood on her fingers. She took in a few deep, ragged breaths.
Shit. The sight of blood used to make her sick. He’d just assumed that she’d gotten over it. Up until now she’d been handling everything relatively well. Even though he hated wasting time and stopping, he glanced in the rearview mirror and steered into a gas station parking lot.
“Lean forward and put your head between your legs,” he said quietly.
She shook her head, her breathing ragged. “I’m fine.”
“Humor me, then.”
Muttering another curse, she did as he said. He reached out and rubbed her back in small, soothing circles, careful to stay far away from the wound. The action was instinctive for him. She might not realize it, but her body needed comforting. It was pure biology. Instead of calming down, however, she tensed and her erratic heartbeat increased. He could feel the thumping against his fingers.
“Sophie? Talk to me.” He kept his words low and even.
Still leaning forward, she shook her head. “Can’t breathe . . . Today is insane. . . . We were shot at and . . . you could have drowned. . . .” She sucked in another uneven breath.
“Sophie.”
When she still didn’t respond, Jack made a decision. He knew he’d regret this later, but for now, it was the only thing he knew that would get her under control. “Look at me.” His words were a sharp order.
Immediately she sat up, her dark eyes wide. Against his better judgment, he reached out to comfort her. He just wanted to wrap his arm around her so she’d calm down. Well, he wanted more than that. After she’d been plastered against him in the frigid water, he ached to feel her lean body around him once again. Because she wanted to be, not out of necessity. His fingers threaded through the curtain of her damp hair as he pulled her close. Her breathing was still erratic, and she practically fell across the console as she buried her face in his chest and dug her hands into his shoulders. Jack continued rubbing her back in soothing, rhythmic patterns until her heart rate slowed to normal. Comforting her like this was better than anything he could say with words.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled as she pulled her head back.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Immediately he missed the warmth of her body against his. Instead of removing his hand as he knew he should, he remained immobile.
When her eyes locked on his, Sophie stared at him without blinking. Her dark eyes seemed to swallow him whole and when her soft lips parted invitingly, his entire body reacted with primal awareness.
Before he could change his mind, he brushed his mouth over hers. A bare grazing of his lips over her soft ones. She let out a tiny gasp of surprise and her hands pressed against his chest as if she meant to push him away. But just for a moment. Then she clutched his shirt, grabbing onto him as if he were a lifeline.
He pressed his tongue deep into her mouth, tasting her sweet essence. For years he’d fantasized about kissing her again. It was like fucking heaven. Pure Sophie. He was consumed with greediness, already wanting more from her. Wanting to strip her bare and take everything she had to offer. As their tongues meshed and collided, a deep moan released from her. The erotic sound drove straight to his core and wrapped around the part of him he kept locked away from everything and everyone.
The part that dared to want someone for more than a night. The part that wanted to feel and experience more than meaningless sex. The part that wanted Sophie Moreno in his bed and in his life permanently. Just as they’d planned when they were younger.
Jack hadn’t been prepared for his primal reaction to her. It was even more intense than when they’d been seventeen. His stomach clenched as she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and returned his fervent kisses with a heated intensity he hadn’t expected given the situation. With his free hand he grasped one of her thighs and bunched a section of the sweatpants she wore. It was the only way he could remind himself of restraint. He wanted to rip them off her and plunge deep inside her. To feel her tight sheath clenching around his cock until they were both sated and tired. The fact that they were in a car and on the run didn’t matter.
She mad
e a soft moaning sound into his mouth and he was afraid he might combust on the spot. Moving higher because he needed actual contact, he slid his hand underneath her cotton shirt. His fingers burned as he caressed her silky stomach. Actually touching her brought all his memories back like a raging fire. Memories and fantasies would never compare to the real thing.
When the blast of a car horn ripped through the air, he jumped back. The horn wasn’t meant for them, but it had shattered the moment just the same. Breathing hard, he forced himself to move away from her and turned the ignition back on. What was he doing? He was a government agent on a critical mission, trying to get this woman to safety and to save the country from a potential catastrophic threat. Not a randy teenager on his first date who couldn’t control his dick.
Sophie’s soft pink lips were swollen and by the dazed look in her eyes, she was surprised, but also turned on. Her damp hair was messy and framed her face in a way that made him think of raw sex. Great.
“I’m sorry . . . I shouldn’t have done that. It won’t happen again.” His hoarse, shaky voice sounded foreign to his own ears.
In response she touched a trembling finger to her lips, then leaned back against her seat. He glanced out his window to give her a moment of privacy.
“Jack?” The sound of her voice pulled him back around.
When he faced her, her eyebrows were pulled down, as if she might ask him something. Instead she leaned forward and twisted in her seat so that her back was turned toward him. “Can you see where I’m cut?”
There was some blood covering her shirt, but it wasn’t spreading and appeared almost dry. “It looks like you got hit with some glass. Probably from the table at the restaurant. I don’t want to risk taking it out right now and making things worse.”
“Okay.” She leaned back in the seat but twisted so she wasn’t pressing against the wound.
He rubbed a hand over his face and tried to banish the memory of that kiss. It was a mistake and he’d just leave it at that. This hadn’t even been in the realm of possibilities of how he’d expected things to go today. Normally he got a rush of adrenaline during firefights, but the only thing he felt at the moment was relief for Sophie’s safety. Well, that and he was still turned on. Unfortunately there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about that.
Following the signs and keeping to the speed limit, he made his way to 95 South. Technically he wasn’t going to a safe house, but Wesley didn’t need to know that. He’d purchased a place in Marathon, Florida, years back. It was listed under a bogus corporation, and it wasn’t connected to him. It was his contingency plan in case things ever went south. Only one other person knew about it, and there was no way in hell his friend would tell anyone about it.
Right now this was the best and closest option for Sophie and him to escape to. There were too many unknown variables and he wasn’t trusting her safety to anyone but himself.
Chapter 5
Safe house: a house in a secret location, used by spies or criminals in hiding.
Ronald Weller somehow managed to keep his stride even as he walked toward the elevators. He couldn’t call Miguel Vargas from his office. Now that Homeland Security was in the building, he couldn’t risk being overheard. So far they were just asking routine questions about SBMS’s business practices, but he wasn’t fooled for a second. The government wouldn’t have shown up unless they suspected SBMS of something.
And after Sophie’s insistent calls last night and then again this morning, he knew she was on to something. She was a damn good worker and she could be relentless when she wanted to know something. For the past few months he’d been able to brush off her questions about Keane, but with this new guy suddenly showing up and now Homeland Security—Ronald couldn’t stop sweating. His entire world was crumbling and he couldn’t help the one person in his life who needed him most. He felt as if he was between that proverbial rock and a hard place. Except that rock was a terrorist with a gun.
Once he reached the parking garage, he scanned the rows of cars and trucks. No one was following him and no one was in the garage. He pulled out one of the throwaway phones he’d been instructed to purchase and dialed a familiar number.
Someone he didn’t recognize picked up. A woman. “Yes?”
“I need to talk to Miguel. Now.”
“Who is this?”
“None of your damn business.” He sounded a hell of a lot braver than he felt. Fear was the only thing spurring him on, though.
There was a shuffling, then Miguel came on the line. “Who is this?”
“It’s Ronald. What the hell is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
He heard the ding of the elevator, so he headed in the direction of his car and lowered his voice. There weren’t any video cameras in this garage, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing him either. “Homeland Security is here. They want to talk to Sophie Moreno.”
“She won’t be a problem. I don’t know why you’re always worrying. I’ve taken care of her.” Vargas’s condescending voice grated on him.
Ronald’s throat tightened as the possible meaning of Vargas’s words sank in. “What the hell does that mean? Of course she’s not a problem. She’s not involved in any of this.”
“She’s been sticking her pretty nose where it doesn’t belong. One of my men saw her car fleeing a certain hangar last night.”
Iciness engulfed Ronald, chilling his entire body. “What are you talking about?” That was probably why she’d wanted to talk to him. He had assumed it was to discuss the books. He’d just wanted to blow her off, to buy some damn time. She’d been at Keane’s hangar?
“You should have kept a tighter leash on your employee.”
Ronald swayed for a moment. Sophie hadn’t returned from lunch yet. In the eight years she’d worked for Ronald, she’d never been late without calling first. He’d told her time and again she didn’t need to check in when she was going to be late, but she always did. Truthfully he’d thought she was just pissed at him for being so rude earlier. “What have you done to her?”
“She will be eliminated shortly.” His clipped tone left no room for doubt.
“You son of a—”
“Remember who you’re talking to.”
How could he forget? Ronald rubbed a hand over his two-day-old stubble as his stomach pitched. Sophie was like family to him, but he didn’t have a choice. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Good. I’ll be contacting you shortly regarding the next shipment.”
“And this is the last one?”
“If things go according to plan, yes.”
Ronald would believe it when he saw it. Before going back in, he tossed the phone into a trash can. With Homeland Security snooping around, he couldn’t give them any excuse to take him into custody.
Not now. Not when he was so close to having his life back.
• • •
Sophie clutched her chemistry books tighter against her chest as she came up on Second Street. The smell of freshly cut grass tickled her nose. All the lawns in the neighborhood were perfectly mowed. Except her home, of course. Her foster mother was older and didn’t care about stuff like that. As Sophie rounded the corner, her stomach tightened when she saw Inez Reyes standing in her front yard talking to two of the neighborhood kids.
Hoping to avoid another confrontation, she crossed the street. It was useless. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Inez say something to them, then run across the street.
“Sophie! Where’re you going so fast?”
The knot in her stomach tightened. She didn’t stop walking. “I’ve got to get home.”
“I’m having a party Friday night. Ricardo was asking about you,” the tall, curvy girl cooed.
Somehow Sophie doubted that. With her flat chest and nonexistent curves, boys never looked at her. Not that she
cared. They were a waste of time and she wasn’t going to end up pregnant before she’d graduated from high school because of some loser. For some reason unbeknownst to her, Inez just liked to pick on her. And she’d never done anything to the other girl. “Whatever,” she mumbled.
“I don’t know what your problem is, perra flaca. You think you’re so much better than all of us. At least I have parents.”
Sophie didn’t respond. If she did, she’d start crying. And she refused to let this stupid girl see her tears. Three more houses to go. Only three more and she’d be home. It might not be much, but at least it was safe.
“I’m talking to you, stupid!” Inez grabbed her arm, but before Sophie had a chance to react, a heated male voice interrupted them.
“Get away from her, you fucking cow.” It wasn’t exactly a shout, but there was a deadly edge to that voice.
Sophie and Inez both jerked to a halt and turned. Sophie wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but her stomach did a little flip-flop as the cute dark-haired boy closed the distance between them. Casting a withering look at Inez, he positioned himself in between them. “If you talk to her again, I’ll tell everyone in school that you’ve fucked the entire basketball team and now you’re making your way through the baseball team. You know they’ll believe me too.”
Sophie watched as the other girl’s face paled a deathly white beneath her normally caramel skin.
“Fuck you.” Inez flipped her dark ponytail over her shoulder before running back across the street.
The tall—really cute—boy glanced down at her. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Uh, thank you.” The afternoon sun beat down on her face, but the heat rushing to her cheeks had nothing to do with that. Boys rarely looked at her, and the careful way he was watching her made her nervous.
He shrugged and took her books from her hands. “I’ll carry these for you.”
She was too stunned to argue, so she fell in step with him. “Do you even know where I live?”