Dangerously Taken (Aegis Group Lepta Team, #1)
Page 20
“I guess.” Erin wore the weight of her stress on her shoulders. It had to be exhausting.
“I’ll be right back.” He stood and watched her pace away from him for a moment.
When she crashed, it was going to be hard. He wanted to be here for that. She shouldn’t be alone. His family might very well need him. How did he choose between them? Could he?
Maybe he could talk Casey into going in his stead. It wasn’t nice, but when it came to needing help at the homestead that responsibility usually fell to Riley. Yeah, it was time to cash in all those brother points from having stood up for Casey.
Riley left the room and Erin in peace.
Melody and Grant were back in their separate corners.
Vaughn was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t surprising. With their cameras busted at the Erbil site, he was probably rigging up something to work in a pinch for their surveillance. Riley was glad he didn’t have Vaughn’s job.
Nolan was in the kitchen tidying up after the meal.
“Decided to come out, huh?” He didn’t glance at Riley.
“Everyone’s got to eat.” He lifted the foil off the dishes and peered inside.
“I take it you’re keeping Erin to yourself?” Nolan dried his hands and turned to face Riley.
“Don’t.” He wasn’t in the mood for Nolan’s bullshit.
“I love this. She’s got you wrapped around her finger. It’s precious.”
“Fuck you.”
“So defensive. It’s cute, you know?”
“Your face is going to be cute when I punch it.”
“Oh, them are fighting words.” Nolan grinned and lifted his fists.
“You know, some day you’re going to be an asshole to the wrong person and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” Riley hoped he was around to see it. He’d get a good kick out of seeing Nolan brought low.
“She’s got you whipped.” Nolan landed a glancing blow on Riley’s arm. It was more of a tap.
“Someone gave you coffee, didn’t they?”
“You’re whipped, and you like it.” Nolan danced around Riley.
“God, you’re worse than my brothers.” He loaded two plates down with food and forced himself to ignore Nolan.
“Bet your brothers aren’t pussy whipped.”
Riley bit his tongue to the point he could almost taste blood. Verbal sparring with Nolan would get him nowhere.
He picked up the plates and carried them back to the room where he’d left Erin. The door was cracked open, and she stood a few feet away, one brow arched.
“Pussy whipped? Really?”
“Nolan’s a dumbass.”
Erin shook her head and closed the door behind him.
“Spying on me?” He set the plates down on the dresser in lieu of a real table.
“Nolan’s loud, and sound carries in this house.”
“You think this is Nolan loud? Don’t let him have more coffee.” Riley shook his head.
“He gets worse?”
“You don’t want to know.” Riley pasted on a smile. Nolan’s antics were funny, but they hid some deeper issues. Riley didn’t know the half of it, and he didn’t need to. So long as they all reported for work and did their job, Nolan could hide his past behind all the smiles and jokes he wanted to.
“Hungry?” He gestured to the food.
“I guess.” Erin crossed to stand in front of him.
She didn’t seem terribly interested in food. He wished he could alleviate her fears or shoulder some of the worry that weighed her down. He wanted to do something for her. Be there for her in a more meaningful kind of way.
“Hey?” He stroked his hand down her back.
She glanced up at him.
“We’ve got this.” He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her in for a hug.
She leaned against him and sighed.
That sound, the way she let him hold her, they were special. Erin trusted him. She was giving him another chance. For that, he wanted to be better. For her. For what they could be together.
“Let’s eat so I can try to sleep. These things have me all drowsy.” She waved at her head.
Riley secretly hoped she would rest. To his knowledge, she’d barely dozed at the hotel and hadn’t slept at all on the plane.
If he thought she’d go for it, he’d pack her up and take her to his parent’s. There was nothing to do up there but sleep. Then again, knowing her she’d find some trouble to get into.
ERIN STOOD UNDER THE hot spray of water. She could still feel Riley’s hands on her, his mouth against hers.
This was becoming a habit.
What the hell was she going to do about Riley? About all of this?
Riley said his team was going to handle the mess she’d uncovered, but she was the one responsible for everything. Her relationship with him complicated everything. What Riley said ended with him. He didn’t speak for the others or Aegis Group. That wasn’t how these things worked. They were paid to do a job. That was their priority. If it came down to who to trust to do the right thing, she’d have to have faith in herself. People were dying, and she had the evidence to stop it. But at what cost? What if Mark killed her? What if something else happened?
She could always take a copy of the video and send it to the police. Except the murders didn’t happen in America. Someone at the Department of Defense, then? The last resort would be taking the video to the media. Exposing something like that would lead to more problems than solutions. The already tense situation in the Middle East would worsen. NexGen would no doubt get dragged into it. Angry families would want revenge.
She turned under the spray so it hit her back.
The muscle relaxers helped, but they made her head funny. Right now, she needed to think clearly, weigh her options.
The fastest way to ensuring her safety and that something was done about Mark Forest and Allied Security was to put the video in the hands of someone she trusted. Someone who could do something about it. If she did that, Mark and everyone else would have no reason to go after her. They’d have bigger problems to worry about.
She leaned against the shower wall and stared at the steam, the shapes billowing around her. She’d been introduced to NexGen by a commanding officer who had a cousin or something that worked for the company. What were the chances she could get a hold of him?
Lieutenant Colburn would know the right people. She’d worked with his unit a few times and he’d always impressed her. Plus, he was a local which meant she had options available to her right now.
Erin twisted the knobs, turning the shower off while her plan solidified.
Riley was going to be pissed.
She couldn’t make her decisions based on what his feelings were. She cared about him. They could be good together, but that didn’t change her responsibility to the truth. She had to do what was right even if that meant losing Riley. If he was the man she thought he was, he’d understand.
Erin dried off and pulled on a new change of yoga pants and a t-shirt. She appreciated the thoughtfulness behind having clothes, but she was sick of stretchy pants. With any luck, in a week, she’d be living in a bathing suit and shorts.
She tied her hair back in a braid and considered her next move. This would be where her actions went against the team. Was she willing to do this?
Or, a better question, was she willing to take the chance that nothing would change? She wasn’t, which meant her mind was made up.
She gathered her things and tip toed down the hall to her room. She crept into the room to the tune of Riley’s soft snores. She dumped the dirty clothes and snagged the canvas shoes she’d almost worn through.
Riley rolled over in his sleep, his arm flung out toward her.
She stared at his dark shape and her heart hurt.
Tomorrow she hoped he understood and could forgive her. She still wanted to give what they had a chance, but she’d never forgive herself if she sat back and did nothing.
She peered out onto the empty living room. The laptops and electronics were neatly stacked on the ottoman. Lights were on in the front room, kitchen and dining area, but not a soul stirred.
“Anyone awake?” Erin asked.
“In here.”
Brenden.
She swallowed and crossed the house to the front room.
Brenden was the team member she’d spoken with the least. He was quiet, in that brooding sort of way that made her want to give him a wide berth. He sat at the desk dominating the office area, a dismantled hand gun spread out on paper towels in front of him.
“Hey, everyone asleep?” she asked.
“Yup.” He barely glanced up at her.
“Do I need to ask about making personal calls?”
“No. There’s a landline or you could use my phone.”
“Landline is perfect, thanks.” She pushed off the wall, eager get a hold of someone.
“Melatonin,” Brenden said.
“I’m sorry?” Erin blinked at him.
“The sleeplessness. Take Melatonin. It helps.” He glanced up at her briefly.
“Thanks.”
Erin turned and did her best to not scamper away. She still wasn’t ready to confront her demons, like the inability to sleep. That was going to take time and soul searching she didn’t have the luxury of spending right now. She grabbed the laptop and took it to the dining table on the other side of the house putting a wall and the kitchen between her and Brenden. A quick boot up and internet search provided her with the contact information she needed.
It was late, and she’d probably need to make some apologies later. Neither stopped her from dialing. She pressed the phone to hear ear and glanced at the living room.
Brenden might still hear her.
The line rang.
She glanced around, looking for a hiding spot.
The pantry.
Another ring.
Small. Enclosed. Probably dark.
She gritted her teeth and ducked into it before her head could talk her out of it.
Another ring.
She wasn’t going to get an answer.
What did she say? What did she dare leave in a message?
“Hello?” a gravelly voice asked.
“Lieutenant Colonel Colborn?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Erin Lopez, I was a translator—”
“Erin?” His tone changed. His voice shook with a chuckle and she could hear the man’s smile.
“I, um, have something I need to talk about. It’s sensitive. I didn’t know who to go to about this.”
“What kind of sensitive are we talking about?” The good humor was wiped away.
“The sort of thing that could start a whole new kind of war.” She knew from firsthand experience how tired people were of fighting and death. If they learned about Allied Security’s black ops work, it could start something horrible.
“We need to have this conversation somewhere safe. Where are you?”
“I’m in Las Colinas. Texas? I’m not real sure.”
“I know where that is.”
Erin gave him the address off a card stuck to the fridge and the gate code written on the back. She didn’t volunteer the information about who she was with or her accommodations. If she couldn’t get away from the team, it wouldn’t matter.
She slung the laptop bag across her chest and spent a moment listening to the stillness of the house. She’d kept her voice down, but who knew what Brenden had heard? Not much if he hadn’t come to investigate.
Erin scrawled two notes on a pad of paper, one to the team and the other to Riley. His she folded. Her words were for him alone. Either he understood, or he wouldn’t. If it was the latter, this was the better way to end things. If she had to tell him goodbye in person, how she really felt would slip out. That done, she let herself out into the back yard through a glass sliding door, no one the wiser.
She skirted the house on the far side, away from the office where Brenden was set up.
The quiet street boasted several lights and trees. It was probably a nice place to live. But right now, it was her prison.
Erin walked as fast as she could toward the gated entrance, the skin between her shoulder blades prickling the whole way.
Any moment now, Riley was going to race out after her. He’d have some good point about how stupid her plan was. They’d fight, and she’d try to leave. Or maybe he understood, and he’d go with her, like he had in Erbil. Unless he’d learned his lesson following her lead.
Erin glanced over her shoulder at the gray brick house with the two black SUVs in front of it.
This was the right thing to do. Then why did her heart hurt leaving Riley behind?
She let herself out of the community by way of a side gate.
Colburn had indicated he’d be there in a short amount of time.
She stepped onto the grass, deep into the shadows of the trees and hedges framing the entrance to the development.
This was the right thing.
Erin wrapped her arms around herself despite the heat.
She had a bad feeling in her gut.
What was it Riley had said?
A gut feeling saved his life?
She glanced back toward the house. Was this really the best decision?
The grass rustled and the prickling between her shoulder blades intensified.
Her gut screamed run!
Erin straightened her spine. She would not be afraid of the dark and the make-believe shadows that haunted her.
She turned toward the sound, peering into the darkness.
A figure in the shadows moved.
Erin wasn’t alone.
17.
WEDNESDAY. SAFE HOUSE, Las Colinas, Texas.
“Riley?”
There was a note of alarm in that voice. The kind that hooked Riley out of a deep, satisfied sleep and brought him to full wakefulness.
“Hm? What?” He sat up, blinking in the darkness.
“Where’s Erin?”
Riley blinked at Brenden standing in the doorway.
Where was Erin?
Riley twisted, but the other side of the bed was empty. She’d been right there. He placed his hand on the sheets, but they were cold.
“She was taking a shower...” And he’d passed out despite telling himself to wait up for her.
“She’s not here,” Brenden said. There was a note of alarm Riley hadn’t often heard from the man. It fueled his desperation to find Erin, prove Brenden wrong.
Riley threw back the blankets and stood, glad he’d at least gone to bed with his boxers on.
“She’s here somewhere. Move.” Riley shoved past Brenden into the hall. “Erin?”
He pushed the bathroom door open.
Water droplets still clung to the shower walls. The humidity hadn’t had time to dissipate.
She hadn’t been gone that long.
“Erin? Where are you?” he called out.
“The laptop is gone.” Brenden followed him into the living room. “I thought... I thought she just needed some space.”
“What’s going on?” Grant shambled out of his room in sweats and a t-shirt, squinting at the light. Another door down the hall cracked open and Melody leaned out.
“Erin left and took the laptop with her,” Brenden said
Riley ignored the others and poked his head into the office. He made sure the exterior lights were on, checked the back yard, the SUVs and finally wound up in the kitchen. The sound of raised voices followed him, Grant demanding answers Brenden couldn’t give.
The notepad sat in the middle of the kitchen island. Folded up on top was a square of paper with his name on it.
His mouth dried up.
“Guys?”
&
nbsp; Riley took a step toward the notepad.
She was gone.
He didn’t need to read the note to know that.
He shouldn’t have fallen asleep. This was his fault. If he’d waited up, if he’d insisted on holding her until she fell asleep, she’d still be there.
“What? What is it?” Grant strode toward the kitchen.
The others clustered in the living room. This was the first time an asset had run away from their team. They’d never had to deal with this. He knew some of the other teams had this happen, but this was a first for them.
Riley picked up the notepad and skimmed the words, each one driving an invisible knife deeper into his chest.
“She’s gone.” He handed the note across the counter to Grant.
“Thanks for all your help. I need to take it from here and do what I think is right,” Grant read aloud.
“What’s that one say?” Melody had her robe wrapped tightly around her. She leaned against the bar a few feet from Grant.
“I don’t know.” Riley held it up. His name was printed in big block letters.
Melody’s gaze flicked to his face. “Read it,” she finally said.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to. Erin had decided she couldn’t trust him. If she could, she’d have taken him with her. Hadn’t he proved himself to her already?
“When did you last see her?” Grant asked Brenden.
“Fifteen minutes ago? Less? She got her laptop, made a phone call, and I thought she was in here. I got up for a drink and that was when I realized she was gone.” Brenden was in some deep shit.
Riley unfolded the sheet of paper and leaned against the cabinets. He rated more than two sentences.
I’m sorry. You aren’t going to understand. I need to take care of this. I also suck at goodbyes. I hope that by the time you read this, it’s handled. If not, don’t worry about me. I have a plan. Hope to see you in Miami.
“Okay, we need to know who Erin called and where she went,” Grant said.
“I’ll alert Zain,” Melody announced before turning her back on them.
“She went out this way.” Nolan pulled the back, sliding door open. It wasn’t locked.
“Nolan and I will take a walk outside. See if we spot her. Fifteen minutes, exhausted, hauling a laptop, she’s not going to be fast,” Vaughn said.