“We won’t be gone long.” Charlie stepped onto the sampan and offered Amber his hand.
“Thank you.” Her words were heavy as if she meant them. She took his hand, that rasp of hers lighting fires within him. Fires he had no idea how to put out.
He pulled her onboard, until she was pressed into his chest. Much closer than he needed to be and still not close enough. Not be a long shot.
“Charlie…”
“Wait.” He ran his fingers through her spiky hair and gently smoothed it back. Shit, he wanted to kiss her. Bad. But with everyone watching?
“Not advisable,” Tavon would say.
Instead, he took a pale blue bandana out of his vest pocket and wrapped it around her hair. He added a pair of dark rimmed glasses to her cute nose. “There. No one will recognize you now.”
She pressed the glasses further up her nose. “Do I look like a librarian? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a librarian. They’re smart and get to tell everyone to shut up inside the library.”
“Whatever floats your sampan, sweetheart. Personally, I’d like to pretend we are newlyweds touring Aberdeen.”
Her eyebrow cocked, heading north of her dark rims. “Newlyweds?”
She looked way too hot in glasses. Suddenly, he was imagining her with those rims on and nothing else. He was seriously in trouble here. “It’s my job to protect you, Amber. I’ve got to keep you close. Pretending to be lovers is our best defensive action. Got a problem with that?”
Her gaze took a quick trip down his body and back up again. If she’d seen the hard-on he was sporting, her expression did not register it. “Nope. No problem with that.”
“Good. Come on.” He tucked her in front of him, and put her hands on the wheel. “I’ll let you steer.”
After the sampan pulled away, Mack smiled. “She took the bait.”
“Do you think he’ll get the Frenchman’s contacts from her?” Tavon asked.
“He’d better,” Willy whispered. “Or we’ll have to go with the Good Cop, Bad Cop routine. You can play the bad one, Mack.” He raised a finger. “I volunteer for the Good…scratch that…Sexy Cop. I’ll get her to talk, as well as scream my name. I always do.”
Jenna stopped her fake snoring and sat up. “Pretty cocky, Willy. But I think Charlie can handle this. Amber likes him. A lot. Never underestimate a woman in love.”
“Love?” Mack asked. “They hardly know each other.”
“When has that mattered?” She rose up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “I fell in love with you the moment you gave me the keys to your Harley.”
“Babe, I don’t let anyone drive my bike.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “Except you.”
“So you think she likes, Charlie, huh? This is perfect.” Willy rubbed his hands together and. “Competition is fun. Let’s see which one of us she chooses.”
Jenna shook her finger at him. “Stay out of it, Handly.”
Tavon shook his head. “Wow, Jenna. You even sound like Mack. Scary shit. You two get any closer we won’t be able to tell you apart.”
“Shut up, Tavon.” Mack shot him a dirty look. The big man let loose a deep rumble of laughter. Turning back to Willy, Mack growled, “Stay the hell out of it, Handly. She’s our boss’s daughter. We are not going to repeat past mistakes. Copy that?”
“Yes, sir. But I’m thinking it might be a good idea to keep Ms. Fitz off balance. You know, play with her a bit. A signature Handly tug-of-war might be just the thing to shake her up. Who knows what intel will fall out.”
“We are in a hurry, Mack,” Tavon agreed. “Jacques’s contacts might fly out of Asia when they realize he’s been taken out. The clock is ticking.”
Mack looked over his shoulder. “Babe, what do you think?”
Jenna’s mouth dropped open. Tavon mumbled something under his breath that Mack chose to ignore.
She blinked away her surprise. “You’re asking me about team strategy?”
He fought the grin sneaking into his lips. “We’re a team, right?”
Lifting her shoulders, she put on her game face. “Yes, we are. I like Willy’s idea. Amber is hiding something. I assume it’s the memory card, but what if it is something else? We need to know what we’re up against to protect her, and, as Dad ordered, keep the data out of enemy hands. Maybe the handsome Handly duo can coax it out of her. But don’t you dare hurt her, got that, Willy?”
“Got it, Jenna. No one gets hurt.” Willy flashed his woman-killer dimples. “And I always knew you liked me. It’s not too late to trade up. Mack is cute, but not as good lookin’ or hung as a Handly.”
Jenna threw a towel at him.
Willy caught it easily and chuckled. “I’m going to listen in on my brother’s conversation. Gather ammo, so to speak. Amber Fitz won’t know what hit her.”
“Are you going to fill Charlie in on your evil plan?” Tavon asked.
“Why? It’ll be more realistic if he doesn’t know. And way more fun.” Willy shut the door behind him.
“Hell, those boys are going to give me a coronary,” Mack groaned.
Jenna rubbed his shoulders. “No they won’t. This is their chance to make amends. Let them do it.”
“Sure, babe. Let the horny Handlys run the mission. What could go wrong with that plan?”
The sampan cruised around the boat village.
“Nice and easy. We take her slow until we pass the Tonkas. Once we’re in open water we’ll open her up,” Charlie whispered in her ear. “Pretend like we’re sightseeing.”
His hard body was wrapped around her like a shield. He was so comforting. So sexy. She had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t really a newlywed on vacation. She was on a secret mission to recover the memory card.
A man on a junk waved as they passed by, “Wǎnshàng hǎo.”
“Good evening.” Amber lifted her hand in greeting.
A little boy ran toward the edge of the boat waving like crazy. His mom raced after him to pull him away from the edge. She scooped him into her arms and kissed his cheek. Amber could almost feel that kiss. Her own mom had been a big believer in cuddles. Her skin was so soft and warm, her arms a safe haven, and her lips were coated with magic.
When Mom pressed her lips to Amber’s skin, all the boo-boos felt better, even the ones no one could see. That’s what had sucked so badly when Mom passed on. No one had magic lips to kiss away a little girl’s pain. Nothing had been the same after Mom died. It was as if a big chunk of sweetness had been torn out of the universe and buried six feet down. The sweetness in Amber died then too. She was slowly trying to get a bit of goodness back. That was her mom’s doing too.
Before Amber left for Hong Kong, she’d found the music box in her mom’s personal belongings. Inside was a letter Mom had written to her eleven-year-old daughter.
Today, my dearest Amber, you turn eleven. I cannot believe how big you are getting. So pretty! And how smart you are. Wow, you will do great things in your life, I just know it! I am so proud to be your mom. I wish for you nothing but great things, but mostly I wish you love. Lots and lots of love. You deserve so much. Stay as sweet and as precious as you are today, my angel. Love you with all my heart, Mom.
It was as if mom had known her days were numbered when she wrote those words. She’d died a few days later. Finding that letter had knocked the air out of Amber’s lungs. Why hadn’t she found it earlier? It might have made a difference, kept her out of jail. Then again, maybe Mom had directed her to find it at the perfect time—when Amber was ready to make a change.
That’s one of the reasons why she was trying to get a legitimate job as a gamer at Global Games. She wanted to do good things with her life, take a job that couldn’t hurt anyone. And it all had gone so horribly wrong.
I’m sorry Mom. I let you down. Again.
She turned her head away, tucking her cheek against Charlie’s solid chest.
“Are you all right?”
What a crazy thing to ask. Would she e
ver be all right again? “What happens when we get to Mr. Lee’s?”
“That’s where the music box is hidden? At the tea shop?”
She bit her lip. “Yes.”
“Shit, Amber. Those triad bastards did a real number on the old man. Are you saying they were looking for your mother’s music box? Who tortures people for a music box? What’s inside?”
“Treasures?” No matter how hard she tried, she could not make her voice sound convincing.
He rubbed her arm. “You said you’d try to trust me.”
She let out a deep breath. “I’m afraid, Charlie. This isn’t a game.”
“I’m not playing, sweetheart.”
There were no two ways around it. She needed Charlie’s help and he deserved to know the truth. She held her tongue until they passed the last Tonka boat. Open water was just up ahead.
“You aren’t going to like it,” she heard herself say. There was no turning back now.
“Tell me everything.” His voice was soft. He wasn’t angry. Not yet, anyway. He slowed the sampan down.
“I lied. About the music box. It’s safe in the States, but there is something far more important at Mr. Lee’s Teas. Bad guys will kill to get their hands on it.”
“Which is?”
He turned her in his arms. Crap, she could see his face now and know the exact second he would start to hate her. Her heart tore a little at the thought.
“A memory card.” Strange, his expression didn’t alter. She pounded his chest with her palm. “Don’t you get it? I copied the exact trail to break into the D.O.D and the classified weaponry inside. That’s what’s on the card.”
“What else?” His voice was oddly calm.
“Isn’t that enough? We’ve got to get that card back, Charlie.”
Why wasn’t he cursing at her? Slamming his hand on the steering wheel? Throwing her overboard?
“Who were you going to sell the card to?”
Her head threatened to explode. “How many times do I have to say it? I wasn’t selling it to anyone.”
“Jacques, then. Give me the contacts.”
“Dammit! I don’t know any contacts. Jacques used me. When I demanded to know what was going on they shot him. I took the card from him…” She couldn’t help but remember uncurling his bloody hand. “…and ran. I kept it safe from the bad guys. Whoever those bastards are. I was going to turn it into the government.”
“Which government?”
Oh, no, he didn’t! She shoved him backward. “Our government, you jackass! I’m as American as you are. I’m trying to keep those secrets out of enemy hands. The Triad 14K would have killed me. Slowly.” She shivered at the thought. Shoot one kneecap and then the other. “But I wouldn’t have told. I swear.”
“Think, Amber. Have you told me everything you know?”
“Yes! I promise. Now hurry, I hid it in a vat of drying tea leaves in the shop. We need to get the card before someone else does.”
He didn’t touch the throttle. The sampan continued on at a leisurely pace. Why wasn’t he flooring it?
“You could have destroyed the memory card.” His voice was measured. Was he testing her?
“Would you have believed me if I did?” No, his gaze said it all. “See? I kept it as proof of my innocence and to show that I can repair the holes Jacques found. If we hurry.”
His gaze poured over her face, looking for…what?
“Say something, Charlie.”
“You’re not lying.”
Rage and frustration overtook her. “Of course I’m not lying—”
Before she could finish the sentence his lips were on hers. He had such a lovely way of shutting her up. Her back was pressed into the steering wheel and Charlie was all over her front. Like a shield. A hot, demanding, sexy shield. She was no longer steering the boat. She gave into his insistent demands and for a long delicious minute she let his passion, her passion, carry her away.
Relief washed over him. Amber was a pawn, not a traitor, not a terrorist. She’d gotten involved with an asshole who’d put her in the crosshairs for at least two organizations of killers. The Frenchman was lucky he was dead. If Charlie had gotten ahold of him it wouldn’t have been so quick and easy.
“Charlie.” She pulled her lips away. “We have to hurry.”
“No we don’t.”
“What? Didn’t you hear a word I said? Someone could find the card!”
He grimaced. The next part was going to be tough. Would she trust him after this? Trust was important. It was the foundation of real relationships, or so he’d heard.
“Someone already has the card.”
She blinked. “Who? Oh, Charlie, we’ve got to get it back.”
He cupped her cheek, longing to kiss her again, and worried he wouldn’t get another chance. “It’s safe. Mack has it.”
“Mack.” She said the word slowly, as if trying to understand its meaning.
“We recovered it from Mr. Lee’s Teas. It was in the vat of drying leaves, just as you said. The big vat to the right of the back door, near his bedroom.”
Her eyes widened. “You had the card the whole time?”
“Yes.”
She stepped away from him. “So this—” She motioned angrily across the sampan. “Was all some sort of elaborate trick to, what, get me to confess?”
“You were keeping secrets. We had to know what they were.”
“Had to, huh? How far would you have taken it? Would you have slept with me to get the information you needed?”
“Amber…” He reached for her.
“Don’t touch me.” She plopped down in the captain’s chair. “It is all a game to you. You. Me. It’s not real.”
“No. That’s not true.”
“You expect me to believe that?” The fiery barbs she shot at him stung.
“I hope you do. I care about you, sweetheart. We’ve got this great thing—”
“Stop calling me sweetheart.” She spit the words out. “You know what, Charlie? You aren’t any different than Jacques. He used me for information too.”
Her words sliced him. “No. I’m nothing like the Frenchman.”
She didn’t say another word.
“Amber. I was trying to protect you.” He was talking to her back. “Give me a chance. I’ll prove it to you.”
She refused to look at him.
He turned the steering wheel, bringing the boat around. Tapping his comm unit he said, “We’re returning to base. All clear?”
“All clear, Charles. And we heard everything. I’ll toss your pillow into the dog house,” Willy laughed.
CHAPTER TEN
Amber’s fingers hurt from coiling them in tight fists. She longed to punch Charlie in that amazing mouth of his. He cared for her? What crap! She couldn’t believe she’d fallen for his dimples and green eyes. When was she ever going to learn?
As the guys tied the sampan to the junk, Willy reached his hand out to help her. “Welcome back.” His dimples were even deeper than Charlie’s.
“Bite me.” She took his hand and didn’t look back. She couldn’t wait to get off the sampan. Good riddance. She never wanted to ride on that thing with Charlie again. He was lucky she hadn’t pushed him overboard.
“Hey.” Willy held her hand a beat too long. “You look great with glasses. Like a hot librarian. Don’t you think libraries are sexy?”
She was hot all right. Hot enough to spit nails. She yanked her hand away. “Where’s Jenna?”
“Down below. Want me to escort you?”
Charlie came up behind them, eyeing her with that intense gaze of his. As if nothing had changed between them. It ticked her off even more.
“You and your brother stay the hell away from me. Got it? Stay. Away.”
Willy threw up his hands in surrender. “Sure, sweetheart, I mean, Miss Fitz. I got it. You’re angry. One of us—”He cocked his head toward his brother. “—screwed up. Doesn’t mean you should shoot all the Handlys though, right?”
Narrowing her eyes at Charlie, she shook her head and stomped away.
“Shit, Charles. What’d you do to her?” she heard Willy ask.
At the top of the stairs, she waited to hear the answer. None came.
Fine. Whatever. She was officially over men. They were nothing but trouble and she’d had enough. She knocked on the cabin door. “Jenna, you in there?”
“Come on in,” a voice called sweetly. “Hungry? I’ve got hot cocoa and Oreos. Perfect for a nice girl talk.”
Oh, they’d have a talk all right. The woman she’d respected had been in on the plan to trick her. Feeling betrayed, she grabbed an Oreo and she sunk her teeth into it. She was too angry to speak.
Jenna crossed her legs and leaned back against the love seat. She took a sip of cocoa before saying, “You have questions. I’m here to answer them.”
“Why? Tell me that,” she snarled.
“Why didn’t I tell you we had the memory card? Or why did we send Charlie to sweet talk the truth out of you? Or is there another why you’re concerned about?”
She plopped down, exhausted. “Start with the first two.”
Jenna handed her a cup of steaming cocoa. “Drink. I swear it helps.”
Her hands shook as she took the cup. “You said Dad sent you to help me.”
“He did, Amber. That’s why we’re here. I promise.”
“Then why lie to me? I lost three years of my life worrying about the card.”
Jenna wagged her finger. “You could’ve helped us all if you had told the truth. Because you wouldn’t, we had to take more extreme measures. The team needs to know everything in order to protect you. Some very dangerous men want that card.”
“Really? Oh wait, is that why everyone’s trying to kill me?” Sarcasm wasn’t becoming, but she was seriously ticked.
“Amber…” Jenna’s voice was calm, soothing. “We need to find out who they are. You are not safe, neither is our country, until we do. Understand? The team wants to stop them.”
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