Keith nodded. “Yeah, okay. Scott, turn me back around.”
Scott turned the pad so it faced him. “How do things look over there?” he asked.
“John’s contact is going to get me into the prison so I can see her. I’m going in as an attorney. I just hope they don’t look too closely at the forged credentials, or my discomfort in a suit.”
Scott’s lips twitched. “You in a tie? Man, I miss all the good stuff.”
“I just hope I pass for a new, first day on the job Turkish lawyer. Half American on my mother’s side. Kiley, do you have any messages for me to take to her?”
Kiley walked over and stood next to Scott. She could feel his heat, feel his dominating presence, even smell his woodsy, masculine scent. God, she really needed to put some distance between them, and soon, before she completely gave in to the lust she felt for him.
“Just tell her I’m thinking about her. She’s going to recognize you, you know.”
“I know, but I’m hoping she’s smart enough not to say anything.”
She studied her brother’s lined brow and the bags beneath his eyes. Being back in Turkey was affecting him more than he would admit.
“How are you?” she asked. “You look tired.”
“I tried to get some sleep on the plane, but we had so much crap to go over, I didn’t get much.”
Kiley nodded. “Make sure you get some. It’s not good to go into a situation like this if you’re tired.”
“I will. And will the two of you please stop fighting?”
Kiley’s eyes widened. “We’re not fighting,” they both replied at the same time.
Keith snorted. “The two of you have been bickering non-stop for weeks.” He eyed them suspiciously before turning a firm gaze to Scott. “Lay off her about the C.I.A., Scott.”
“Fine,” Scott growled, then hit the end button, cutting off the connection.
“Hey,” she snapped. “I wasn’t finished talking to him.”
“And I’m not finished talking to you.”
Kiley grabbed the iPad and headed into her office. “Keith said to lay off me about that.”
“That’s not what I want to talk to you about.”
She set the pad on her desk, but didn’t dare look up at him. He would want to know what she meant by her comment. How was she going to get out of this? What was she going to say?
“What have I done to make you want to leave?”
The softness of his voice caught her off guard. She jerked her head up and realized her mistake instantly. She found herself held captive by his insistent, sexy, and completely irresistible stare.
For a few seconds, she couldn’t speak.
“Well?” he asked as he leaned his palms on the desk.
“I just…We’ve been arguing a lot lately. The tension is…”
“Tension?” he asked, staring at her intently.
She glanced down at the desk and began to tug at the corner of a file. “Maybe tension isn’t the right word.”
“What is the right word?”
Love. Lust. Passion. All of it unrequited.
“Are you really not taking the job or did you just tell Keith that?”
She looked up at him. “Why does it matter?”
He shrugged. “The office wouldn’t be the same without you. Who would I get to do my ground work?”
Kiley rolled her eyes. Ground work. Of course.
“Kiley,” Scott said.
Kiley shifted her gaze back to his.
He watched her for a few seconds. Neither said anything. It was as though he was waiting for her to say something…do something. She knew she was waiting—waiting for him to say he loved her, that he wanted her, that he couldn’t see his life without her.
He didn’t say any of those things, and Kiley’s heart sank. “I have a headache. Do you mind leaving so I can get some sleep?”
After a moment of silence, Scott nodded. “I’ll see you at the office.”
He turned to leave, and Kiley felt the sting of tears as they burned the backs of her eyes.
Please, whatever you do don’t turn around and see me cry.
He didn’t, and Kiley wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
* * * *
Keith stared in surprise at the black screen. Did Scott just hang up on him? What the hell was going on with those two? Sighing, he squeezed his temples between his thumb and forefinger.
Something he seemed to be doing more and more lately.
“The kiddies fighting again?” John asked as he walked into the main room of the safe house.
“What?” Keith asked.
“Scott and Kiley. Are they fighting again?”
“What’s with them lately?” Keith asked in exasperation. “It’s like working with a couple of teenagers.” Keith sat back in the chair and looked at John. “Do you know anything about the C.I.A. courting Kiley?”
“Are they trying again?” John asked with a snicker. “Those boys don’t give up, do they?”
“Again?”
“Yeah.” John frowned. “You didn’t know?”
Keith shook his head.
“Well, cat’s out of the bag now, I guess. It’s not the first time they’ve tried.”
Keith frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s not?”
“Nah. Kiley always tells them no. That she’s not interested. Then a few months later they’ll up the ante and try again. This has been going on for a couple of years now. She’s a hell of a hacker, Keith. Surely you’re not surprised.”
“I’m not surprised they want her, I’m just surprised she never told me.”
John shrugged as he pulled a tie from one of the suitcases. “Didn’t want to upset you, I guess.”
“How did you know?”
“Miranda and I ran into her and Kevin Becker at a restaurant. Miranda cornered her later.”
Keith grinned at the idea of Miranda cornering Kiley. “Ah.”
John tossed the tie to him with a grin. “Time to get all gussied up.”
“Joy,” Keith drawled as he stood and began to lift his black t-shirt over his head.
Chapter Six
Paula sat on her lumpy bed and sighed toward the ceiling. What had she been thinking? Why hadn’t she seen the signs? She took a deep breath and winced at the pain that sliced through her bruised ribs.
She was so tired, but sleep eluded her. All she could think about were the things she would miss. Summers at the beach. Skiing in the winter. A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she angrily wiped it away.
What good did it do to cry?
She thought back to how she had gotten into this mess. She’d broken up with yet another boyfriend. Her relationships never lasted. For a long time she thought it was because of her.
Now that she’d had time to think about it, she knew that wasn’t it. It was because every man she dated failed against Keith.
Keith was her best friend’s brother. He was gorgeous. He was everything she wanted in her husband—kind, funny, strong. Keith had never been interested in her, but then she’d also never really tried to get him either. She’d always felt he was too far out of her league, too much of a workaholic.
So, she’d looked for him in other men, but none of them ever came close. After her last breakup, she’d decided to give up. That’s when she’d met James. He’d been safe. He couldn’t possibly hurt her or disappoint her, he was overseas.
But, the more they talked, the more she liked him.
The more she liked him, the more they talked.
Somehow, she’d convinced herself James was for her. That they could be happy together. That she’d finally found her Keith double.
Another tear slipped free from behind her eyes. God, she’d been so wrong.
“I should’ve just continued to admire Keith from afar.”
A knock sounded at her door just before it was slung open. Paula jumped and pushed herself further back against the wall as two guards walked
into her tiny room. She always hated when they came to get her. She never knew what they had in mind and constantly lived in fear.
“You have a visitor,” one of them snarled in broken English.
Paula frowned, wondering who it could possibly be. She stood slowly and walked between them to the visitor’s area. The one in front of her opened the door, then the one behind shoved her through it hard.
She stumbled into the tiny room and grabbed the corner of the small table in the center to keep from falling. She winced at the pain in her ribs as she steadied herself against the cold metal of the tabletop.
Pushing up slowly, she took in what little there was of her surroundings. It was basically empty except for a small table and two chairs. The concrete floor was cold; the gray stone walls bland and devoid of warmth. Just like everywhere else in this God forsaken place.
They hadn’t questioned her yet, which was something she didn’t understand. Is this where it would happen? Is this where they would ‘question’ her? Is that what her visitor was here to do?
Who else would be coming here to talk to her?
She swallowed the bile that quickly rose up her throat. She’d eaten very little over the last couple of days. She couldn’t. She was too scared. She remembered what kind of condition Keith had been in when they got him out of Turkey. They’d beaten the hell out of him—gleefully.
Back then he’d been a Seal. He’d sacrificed himself so the rest of his team could get out, but his team refused to leave him behind. Scott led the unsanctioned mission to rescue him, a mission that had gotten them all booted out of the Navy. But thanks to the questionable circumstances of the original mission, as well as the bad intel from the government, they’d been able to get honorable discharges minus any retirement or pension—provided of course they never talked about it in public.
Paula wasn’t military. Maybe that’s why they hadn’t done anything. So far, all they’d done to her was just be rough, which is how she’d gotten the bruised ribs and hip.
The door to the room opened and one of the guards stuck his head inside. “Your visitor is here,” he told her in broken English.
Paula turned, still holding tight to the edge of the table as a tall, handsome man in a suit walked in. His green eyes met hers, and it was all she could do to not run into his arms, bawling like a baby.
Keith.
Her legs shook as Keith walked toward her, a look of concern on his handsome, clean-shaven face.
“Are you all right, Miss Shanks?”
She nodded calmly, but inside she was crying out. Please get me out of here!
“Who are you?” she croaked.
“I’m your attorney. I was sent over by your cousin, Kiley.”
Paula closed her eyes briefly to try and compose herself. Kiley had gotten her message. She had been so afraid Kiley would ignore her; that her friend would’ve been so angry she wouldn’t help. Paula should’ve known better. Kiley would never abandon her, despite how Paula had turned her back on her friend.
Over a man. A man that once Paula began to look back on things, she could see he’d been a sham. She’d been stupid and gullible, and she felt so ashamed of her behavior.
The guard shut the door, leaving them alone in the room. Keith stepped closer and lifted her chin. “Paula,” he whispered.
She opened her eyes, but couldn’t meet his gaze. The heat of a blush filled her cheeks, and all she wanted to do was hide.
“How could I have been so stupid?” she mumbled.
“Look at me,” Keith commanded softly, and she did without hesitation. Keith had that effect on people. He was so dominant but at the same time so nice. “Don’t worry about that right now.
Are you hurt?”
“Just some bruises.”
“Are you sure?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “I think so.”
“Where?”
She lifted her hand to her right side.
Keith glanced down at her hand, then looked back to her face. “I’m going to take a look, okay?”
Paula nodded. His hands were gentle as he lifted her shirt and probed at the bruised spot on her side. She winced when he pressed in, and his questioning gaze shot to hers. “I don’t think any of them are broken, but they’re badly bruised. How did this happen?”
“They uh…” She swallowed and tried again. “They shoved me into the room, and I hit the bedframe.”
He frowned. “You fell against the bedframe?”
“When they noticed I had hurt myself they found it amusing to find ways to hit me in that same spot or force me to injure myself over and over again.”
Keith cursed under his breath as he stood.
“I tried twice in Peru to get away, once I realized something was up.”
Keith looked at her, but anger still darkened his eyes making her shiver. She felt she needed to explain. That hopefully, he would understand what had happened—that she hadn’t had a choice.
“I thought once I got on the plane I could just leave the computer they’d given me somewhere and get away, but one of his cronies boarded the plane with me. They wanted to make sure I left the plane with that computer.”
Some of Keith’s anger faded as he moved closer and rubbed his hand up and down her arm.
She held tighter to the table, resisting the urge to throw herself into his strong arms.
“Your being arrested was probably a good thing, although I know it might not appear that way.”
“Why would you say that?” she asked.
Keith leveled his stare at her. “Because if you’d made it through customs with that computer, you would’ve been killed. That’s what they do.”
Paula shook her head. “I’m not so sure this is much better. What’s going to happen to me?”
A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye to slide down her cheek. Keith cupped her face and wiped the tear away with his thumb. “I’m going to get you out,” he whispered.
Her breath caught at the determined look in his eyes. Paula knew what he meant. She knew Keith and his team would be coming for her and the beating of her heart increased tenfold with excitement. She knew what Keith did. She knew how good he was at it. If anyone could get her out, it was him.
“Your trial will be coming up soon,” Keith said just a little louder.
They had no idea if anyone was listening in on them. They had to keep up the rouse. For all they knew, Keith’s declaration to get her out could be through the courts.
Paula nodded, playing along.
“I need you to be ready and to be strong. The trial may be a little rough and frightening.”
“I can handle anything if it means I get to go home.”
Keith’s lips twitched slightly as he dropped his hands and stepped back. Paula instantly missed his heat, his closeness. She was sure what she felt had to do with her situation. He was her rescuer—her prince charming.
She’d known Keith for a while. She wasn’t immune to his good looks, his charm, or his purely alpha demeanor. He was everything any woman would want in a man. Tall, dark hair,
muscular body, confidence in abundance, unfortunately Keith was also one of those men that the job would probably always come first. He was a workaholic. Even Kiley said so.
Keith turned and banged his fist against the door, making Paula jump. “Open up.”
The door opened and two guards stepped into the room. They grabbed her hands pulling her from the table toward the door.
“Tell your superiors if I see another bruise on my client I’ll report them for abusing an American citizen,” Keith said firmly.
Both guards stopped and glared at him.
“I really don’t think you want the U.N. involved, now do you?” Keith added in a deadly voice that sent chills up Paula’s spine. Wow, Keith could be scary.
The guards snorted and continued hauling her from the room. She glanced over her shoulder at Keith. He winked at her, making her stomach flip. She turned back
to the front, trying to suppress the thrill of excitement over the fact she might actually get out of here.
* * * *
Kiley’s iPad beeped, and she jerked awake instantly. She blinked, surprised to find she’d fallen asleep on the couch. The pad beeped again, and she quickly reached for it, recognizing the signal. As she opened it, she glanced at the clock. Five a.m. That meant it was twelve noon in Istanbul.
She opened the secure program and smiled at Keith’s face on the screen. “Hey, brother. Did you get in to see Paula?”
Keith nodded as he loosened the tie around his neck. Kiley knew just how much he hated those things. He always felt like they were choking him, even when he was a kid.
“How is she?” Kiley asked.
“Scared…embarrassed.”
“I can understand that.”
“Yeah, me too. Scott take the C.I.A. thing pretty hard?”
Kiley sighed. “He went ballistic.”
Keith snickered. “He’ll get over it. He’s just worried about you, I think. If you stay with us, we can keep an eye on you. If you go with them…well, we couldn’t. You’re like a baby sister to him, so he freaks out.”
Great, a baby sister. Perfect.
“He went a little over board this time,” she grumbled.
“What’s going on with you two lately, Kiley? All you do is fight.”
“I don’t know,” she mumbled, then shrugged as she drew her legs beneath her and settled back on the couch. “He just gets on my nerves.”
“I think there’s something you’re not telling me, but I figure you’ll get around to it at some point, right?”
“Right,” Kiley agreed with a nod, but mentally she was crossing her fingers. Kiley really didn’t want to have to admit to her brother she was in love with Scott.
“So you wanna talk about this C.I.A. thing?” he asked.
“No.”
“Are you considering it?”
“Would you hate me if I took it?” she asked.
Keith frowned. “So you are considering it.”
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