“Why not?” Because she craved his touch. Just like this if it was all she could get. More if he’d give it to her. She’d been crazy for him back in high school. She still was. Of all the people she’d ever known, he was the only one who’d stood up for her when she most needed it. And now he was doing it again.
“Because I don’t want to stop at just a touch. I want things I shouldn’t want, and touching you only makes it worse.”
The plane was picking up speed now, charging the runway. Her pulse raced faster and faster. She took a deep breath. And then she laid her heart on the line.
“I want those things too, Adam. I always have.”
Chapter Thirteen
Shit.
He was in so much trouble here. Quinn’s green eyes gazed up at him with such hope and admiration. She wanted him, and God knew he wanted her. But guilt wouldn’t let him enjoy this moment at all.
He’d ghosted her. They hadn’t seen each other in eight years, but he could have stayed in touch. He just hadn’t made the effort. Because even though she’d been his friend those last two years in high school, he’d failed to realize how much that friendship had meant to her. It meant something to him too, but after he joined the Navy and got busy, he’d let it slip.
Losing his phone hadn’t helped because he’d never taken the time to search her out on social media and connect again. He’d meant to, but the more time that went by, the easier it was to put it off until he’d convinced himself that she wouldn’t even want to hear from him after so much time. That she was living her life and having fun.
Reluctantly, he pulled his hand from her cheek. Her gaze clouded.
“I shouldn’t have said those things,” he told her. “Now isn’t the time.”
“When is?”
He glanced toward Ian. The man looked preoccupied with his phone, but Blade didn’t believe it for a second. Ian Black wasn’t the ultimate spy because he minded his own business, after all.
“When we’re alone,” he said.
She sighed and nodded and turned her face toward the front. But she didn’t let go of his hand, and he didn’t try to pull it away.
The plane lifted off the runway and climbed skyward. Relief flooded him, at least for the moment. He’d successfully gotten her out of Hong Kong—but her problems weren’t over yet. The triad would be looking for her. There were others who might as well—Beijing, the US government, and Darrin Halliday. They’d all be interested in knowing where she was and what she was doing once Hunter Halliday’s death was widely known.
After the plane reached ten thousand feet, a flight attendant appeared and asked if they wanted drinks. Blade ordered a bourbon. He could use a hit of alcohol right about now.
Quinn ordered a sparkling water. Ian also ordered bourbon, winking at Blade when their gazes met. The drinks came and Blade tossed his back. Ian did the same. Quinn sipped and flipped through a magazine she’d found. The flight attendant brought another bourbon. Blade sipped it, savoring the flavor this time.
An hour later, Quinn lay asleep in her pod and Blade glanced at Ian. The man jerked his head toward the war room they’d been in earlier. Blade unclipped his seat belt and stood. They made their way to the front. Jace, Brett, and Colton sat around the table, drinking and talking. There were a couple of other people at the computers, monitoring the red dots on the screen. Support staff.
The whole damned thing looked like HOT. Same kind of setup, same kind of team monitoring the screens.
“Fellas,” Ian said. “Thanks for another mighty fine extraction.”
Jace tipped his chin at Blade. “Your girl okay, man?”
His girl? Yeah, maybe she was. Maybe she always had been.
“She’s fine.”
“She was a little freaked at the checkpoint. Don’t think she liked the close quarters with you, stud,” Brett said with a grin.
Ian took a seat. Blade did the same. These were good guys, though they weren’t quite what he was used to. They didn’t have to adhere to any military regulations, though HOT was fairly flexible in that as well. But HOT was still active duty, and they still had rules to follow. Black’s Bandits, as they were known, could do whatever the fuck they liked. And the only person they reported to was Ian Black. He couldn’t bust them in rank and pay, but he could still eject them from his tribe and make it hard for them to find work elsewhere. So maybe they were a lot like HOT in that respect too.
“I’m pretty sure it was the threat of a Chinese prison that had her worried,” Blade said.
“Yeah, probably so. She’s a gorgeous lady. I wouldn’t have minded cuddling up with her in that box for a bit myself.”
Blade kept his cool. “You’ll have to find your own girl. This one is mine.” Because why deny it? She was his. What he planned to do with her was another matter altogether.
“So we need to talk about what happens next,” Ian said.
He’d been thinking of nothing else. “Once the world knows Halliday is dead, they’ll be looking for his widow.”
Ian nodded. “Yep, they will. Mrs. Halliday is about to become very popular.”
“So what’s your plan to protect her? Or do you care about that?”
Ian arched an eyebrow. “Easy, sailor. We just got her out of Hong Kong, didn’t we? What makes you think I don’t care?”
“No offense, but I don’t really know what your motivations are,” Blade replied. “You wanted information about her husband’s dealings with Chinese technology companies. I got you what I could, but that’s over now. So maybe she’s not useful anymore.”
Ian leaned back, kicked his legs up on the table, and folded his hands behind his head. “I’m not offended. I know what you think of me, but I also know why I do what I do. Mrs. Halliday will be safe. We’ll put out something vague about her not wishing to be bothered, suggest she’s in seclusion while she mourns, and you’ll be with her. Take her back to your place and keep her there until I tell you otherwise.”
Blade frowned. He’d been liking the plan up to that point. “Don’t you have a safe house where she can stay?”
“What, getting tired of spending time with your old friend? Nobody will think to look for her with you. Plus I’ll put eyes on the place. We’ll know if something is amiss. You have a security system, right? Cameras, alarms?”
“Yeah, I do. And for the record, I wasn’t suggesting you stash her somewhere so I could back out of the mission.” He’d fully intended to go with her, but he’d thought she’d be in a safe house. Not his house.
“Sounded like it to me, but okay,” Ian murmured. “What kind of system you got?”
Blade frowned. “My security is good enough. Infrared, night vision, perimeter alarms.”
“You set it up yourself?”
“With my team, yeah.”
It was the nature of his business to be paranoid, after all. And, if he was willing to admit it, taking Quinn home with him wasn’t actually a bad plan. He’d be more comfortable at his place, that’s for sure. He knew the lay of the land, knew his system. He’d bought a small place in the country a few miles from work, because when he wasn’t on duty, he liked to be where he could hunt and fish and relax on his own terms.
It was easier than renting, where he’d have to explain long absences to somebody and arrange for bills to be paid. At his own place, everything was on automatic withdrawal. He stopped the mail and he could be gone for months. Nobody would know. He even had a deal with a neighbor. Thirty bucks a week during the growing season and his lawn was mowed. The guy had a zero-turn mower and liked to ride it. He put on his tunes and went to town. It was an ideal arrangement.
“Then your place it is,” Ian said. “If it gets too hot, we’ll move her. But for now I think it’s the best plan. You’ll call your SEALs anyway, soon as you get there. The more eyes the better.”
“For all I know, my team is gone.”
Black made a face. “Yeah, could be, huh?”
It grated on Blade that he wasn�
�t assigned to his SEALs at the moment. They could be on a mission somewhere without him, and that bugged him. They’d get a replacement for him, or they’d run it without him. They were trained to do so in case they lost a man. Always a possibility.
“You like pressing my buttons, don’t you?”
“I like pressing everyone’s buttons. It’s what I do.” Ian’s eyes sparked like granite. Hard, assessing. “Anybody who can’t handle the heat is a person I don’t need on my team. What HOT does is important. What I do is important too. I know you don’t like me—not many do—but I’m a patriot. I work for the good of this country, same as you.”
“You’ve worked at cross-purposes to us before.” The time he’d tried to sell their women to desert nomads, for instance. Or, and this one Blade hadn’t been around for, the time Ian Black had kidnapped a HOT operator and basically threatened the free world with a lethal virus if he didn’t get his way.
“And I will again if I have to. Whatever it takes to uphold the Constitution and protect our way of life.”
Blade frowned at the man. But he got what the dude was saying, and there were other incidents to prove what he said was the truth. The time Ian had rescued the colonel from certain death, for instance. “I can respect that.”
“I’ve got spies on the ground, Blade. We’re watching out for her.” He steepled his fingers. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you need to know she’s got a price on her head now that her husband’s dead. The triad wants her. Hell, Beijing might too, though I’ve had no confirmation of that.”
No, he didn’t like fucking hearing that at all. Everything had happened so fast that he hadn’t gotten the real information he’d wanted about Halliday’s operations. He had some video of Halliday with a triad boss. That was it. It wasn’t the smoking gun they’d been looking for, and it wasn’t enough to protect Quinn from the people who’d be trying to find her.
“I’m not surprised. Do you have any idea what’s in Halliday’s will?”
Ian shook his head. “No. He was notorious for changing it when he was pissed, so it’s got everything to do with how he was getting along with his son at the time. Quinn could inherit a lot—or nothing at all.”
That didn’t surprise him in the least, though based on his observations of Hunter and his wife, Quinn was the one on the outs this time.
“She had signing authority on the bank account,” Blade said, “But only up to ten thousand. With Halliday gone, she can sign anything. The triad probably knows that.”
“Jesus,” Ian swore. “That would explain why they want her so badly.”
“Do we know if it was the triad who murdered Halliday?”
Ian frowned. “No, but they’re the most likely culprits. There’s also Beijing to consider. Halliday was a bit of a loose cannon with the triad breathing down his neck. And the deal to supply the terminals was already done. Maybe Beijing didn’t need him anymore since that was wrapped up tight. They could have sent someone from the MSS to eliminate him.”
Blade hadn’t thought of that possibility. It was plausible though. The Ministry of State Security was the Chinese equivalent of the CIA or MI6. “Shit.”
“Yeah, shit is right,” Colton said. “Either a Hong Kong triad murdered an American billionaire or the Chinese government did. Not sure which is worse.”
“Oh, I’d say the government is worse,” Ian said. “That might trigger a response from President Campbell.”
Blade thought of Garret “Iceman” Spencer, the Alpha Squad operator who was married to the president’s daughter. Campbell was no lightweight, according to Ice. The man was tough, focused, and he took his position as the leader of the free world very seriously. If he had to send a message to Beijing, he would.
“Probably true,” Blade said. “Campbell won’t take it lying down if the government ordered the murder of an American citizen.”
Ian motioned to the flight attendant. “Whiskey all around.” Once the man returned with the drinks, Ian picked one up and fixed them all with a frown. “Better drink up, boys. The shit, as they say, is about to hit the fan.”
The plane landed on a private airfield in Maryland nearly twenty hours later. Quinn was tired in spite of the fact she’d slept on the plane. Her internal clock was totally fucked. Blade ushered her to an SUV and tucked her inside. He stood talking to Ian Black for a few minutes, and then he climbed inside and inserted a key into the ignition.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as he pressed his foot to the gas and the SUV crawled forward.
“Home,” he said, glancing at her.
“Hunter didn’t have a house in DC. He was looking at one, but he hadn’t finalized the purchase—”
“My home,” he interrupted. “I’m taking you there for safekeeping.”
Quinn couldn’t think for a long moment. “Safekeeping?”
“There will be people looking for you. They won’t look for you there.”
She supposed that was true. “Have you heard from Darrin yet?”
“No. We don’t know what’s in the will. And Hunter’s death isn’t public knowledge yet.”
It was still hard to believe Hunter was gone. She’d despised him, but all she’d wanted was escape. Not for him to die. “It will be though, won’t it?”
“Yes.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“Truthfully? I don’t know. There’ll be a lot of people interested in you.”
Her belly ached. “I don’t know what to say to any of them.”
“Don’t worry about it just yet. We’re going to keep you hidden as long as possible.”
“Forever?” she joked. “Because that would be almost long enough.”
It was an hour later when they pulled up to a single-level brick ranch house. It was so different from anything she’d experienced with Hunter. And nothing like the semidetached house in England in which she’d grown up. But she knew it was a ranch based on all the HGTV she’d consumed in the past couple of years.
There was a garage, and Blade pulled into it after pressing a button in the SUV to lift the door. Once they were inside, he shut off the engine and took the key from the ignition.
“Home sweet home,” he said. “It’s a lot smaller than your place in Hong Kong. And there’s no Li-Wu inside to anticipate your every need.”
The heat of embarrassment danced across her skin. “I don’t need that stuff.”
“I know. Just warning you though.”
She followed him from the vehicle, waited while he unlocked the door, and then stepped into a small kitchen with dark cabinets and a white stove and fridge. So different from the professional-grade appliances she’d had. And yet it was more inviting. Cozy. And very neat, as if he never really used it.
“I like it,” she replied.
“You don’t have to be nice.”
“I’m not being nice. It reminds me of home in a way.”
He tossed his bag down on the floor. “I’ve got a guest room. It’s small but clean. The bath is in the hall. There’s only one bath in this house, so we have to share it.”
“It sounds delightful.” What the heck was wrong with her? On the plane, she’d told him she wanted him. And now she couldn’t tell him she wanted to sleep in his bed with him instead of in a room by herself? Really?
If she’d had a normal marriage, it would be too soon. But she hadn’t and it wasn’t. And she didn’t feel guilty about that either. Hunter had repeatedly demonstrated his lack of respect for their marriage vows when he was alive anyway.
Blade flipped on lights as he moved through the house. Quinn followed, curious about the place where he lived. It was bigger than her parents’ house had been, but not big at all. The entire thing would fit into the expansive great room in Hunter’s Texas house.
When Blade finished, he turned and spread his hands, encompassing the combination living/dining room. “It’s not huge, but it’s mine.”
“I had no idea you were a neat freak.”
He dropped his hands and laughed. “I don’t like clutter. It gets dusty. Besides, I move too much to have a lot of crap.”
She walked toward the couch. It was big and tan and looked comfortable. “May I sit?”
“Sure. You need anything? Something to drink? Eat?”
“You asked me that on the way here. I’m fine. I still have my bottled water from the plane.” She pulled it from her tote and set the bag down before sinking onto the couch. She wiggled her butt on the seat. “Oh my. It’s like a big squishy hug, isn’t it?”
Amusement curled the corners of his mouth. “I guess you could say that. I picked it because it’s big enough for me.”
“It does have a very deep seat. I could disappear in this thing.”
“Well, try not to.”
Something hit the window and Quinn jumped. But Blade didn’t look at all worried. He strode over to the rear door and pulled it open. A big gray tabby cat sat there. It tilted its head back and meowed.
“Hey, buddy. You’re out late,” Blade said.
Quinn’s heart squeezed. “Is that your cat?”
“Nope. Well, you gonna sit there or come in?” he asked the cat.
The cat walked inside. Swaggered inside, more like. Quinn watched Blade and the cat saunter toward the kitchen together.
“It’s not your cat but you let it in?”
Blade grabbed a can of cat food from the pantry and proceeded to open it up while the cat did figure eights around his legs. He dumped the food in a bowl and set it down. The cat dived in.
“This knucklehead is nobody’s cat. I thought he belonged to the neighbors down the road, but they said he shows up and they feed him, then he takes off again. He never stays. Doesn’t stay here either. I feed him when he wants it, but otherwise he does what he wants.”
“What’s his name?”
“Don’t know. I call him Buddy or Dude most of the time.”
“I had a cat,” she said softly, her heart squeezing even tighter than before. The pain was still fresh sometimes, but mostly she dealt with it. “Hunter gave him away.”
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