Authors: Geri Foster
“
Bozeman!” Frank shouted into the phone. “One of my guys has been compromised. Mac McKinsey. Don’t bother to ask me how I know. I just do. You find out how this happened, who the son of a bitch is, and I want him hung out to dry. I want Mac’s signal changed immediately. You fix this mess. You got twelve hours, or I’m coming to Washington to tear somebody apart.”
Frank slammed the phone down, leaned back in his chair and studied Mac.
“Should we have my chip removed?” Mac asked.
Frank shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary. It’s all going to work out. Trust me.”
That scared Mac more than anything he’d been thrown lately.
“You get those three guys from the airport locked up?” Mac asked.
“Yeah.” Frank smiled. “You and Brody go pay them a visit.”
“Em’s cleaning up. She’ll only be a minute.”
“I’ll see to Ms. Richards,” Frank replied, shooing them out of the room.
Mac followed Brody as he made his way to the stairwell and down one floor. They came out into a hallway that had four rooms, two on each side. Turning a corner, a stark white wall revealed a two
-way mirror. Behind it, a ten by ten interrogation room.
“Don’t bother with the driver, I want the one that had the gun,” Mac said.
He was the one that slugged Em.
Outside the three doors a single armed guard stood watch. Mac entered the room on the left. Brody waited outside and would observe from the corridor.
The guard followed him inside.
The empty room had no windows, one door, a small table and two wooden chairs. Mac pulled out a chair, flipped it around and straddled the seat. He propped his arms on the back and looked at one scared, shackled son of a bitch. His face looked like it’d run into a brick wall. “What’s your name,” Mac demanded.
“I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ without a lawyer. I know my rights.”
Mac leaned over and slapped him on the
head. “You have no rights. You kidnapped two people at the airport. We have you on the surveillance cameras.”
He looked around. “What is this place, man? This ain’t no jail.”
“You’re right, it’s not. And you know what else? Not another living soul knows you’re here. I could cut your throat, dump your body in the Trinity, and none would be the wiser.” Mac propped his chin on his folded arms. The suspect twitched and his eyes grew larger. “You’ll tell me what I want to know or you’re a dead man. But before that happens, I can make you wish you’d never taken your first breath.”
With a confident
smirk, the guy leaned forward. “I ain’t scared of nothin’, man.”
“Then you’re
as dumb as you look. I’d guess you never been waterboarded? Held up by your thumbs?” Employing his best sadistic smile, Mac opened a small drawer and pulled out a long handled Zippo. He motioned for the agent to grab the prisoner’s head and pull it back. Mac walked behind him and flicked the trigger, a flame shot out.
“Ever had your eyeballs bur
ned out?” Leaning in, Mac moved the fire closer. The guy screamed in horror. His eyes darted around like pinballs.
“I don’t know nothin
’ ‘cept this guy came over and asked if I wanted to do a job for him.”
“You see him before?”
“No.”
The flame moved
closer. Mac smelled his fear.“You sure about that?”
“This other guy hooked us up.”
Heat scorched the hostage’s cheek.
“That guy got a name?”
Fire singed his eyelashes and the bastard screamed like a girl.
Mac grabbed his hair and moved closer. “You think I’m shitting you
, pal?”
“Name is Castro, Mick Castro.”
“Where does Mick live?”
“243 Park. I
n Oak Cliff.” He talked so fast Mac could barely make out what he said.
Mac clipped the lighter closed and the prisoner was released. “I’m going to pay
your friend a call. If you’re jacking with me, I’m coming back and I’m going to give you a fire enema.”
The culprit held
his shaking, shackled palms against his eyes as sweat rolled off his face.
Mac and Brody went back upstairs. “Waterboarding
, my ass.” Brody said. “You’ve never done that to anyone.”
“I would to someone who’s hurt Em.”
“Em?” Brody asked. “When did she go from Ms. Richards, to Emily, to Em?” Brody laughed. “Exactly what have you two been up to?”
Mac grunted. “Don’t go getting any ideas, Brody.”
“I’m not. Just asking, that’s all.”
“Em’s a brave woman. Considering what we’ve
been through in the last twenty-four hours, a lesser woman would be completely scared out of her mind.”
“Don’t want to make you sore, but she didn’t look too good back there.”
Mac stopped and looked at Brody. “What the hell does that mean? She fought off two thugs the size of linebackers.”
“Yeah, but...
” Brody said.
“
But
, my ass.” Mac poked him in the chest.
“Whoa, there now
. You’re acting like a stallion in a pasture full of mares.”
“All I’m saying is she’s been through a lot.”
Brody held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, partner.”
They went into Frank’s office to find Em sitting
down, clutching a mug of tea, and Frank with his drink in a paper cup from the local coffeehouse.
She looked at him and Mac’s gut tightened. She had a black eye and a big blue lump on the side of her chin. She’d pulled her hair back and held it secure with a
rubber band. Compliments, no doubt, from Zoe. When this was over Zoe would probably scold him like a schoolboy.
“Did you find out anything?” Frank asked.
“Anything we can use to find who’s behind all this?”
“Got an address in Oak Cliff.”
“Brody you’ll go check it out.” Frank turned to him. “Mac, I want you to take Ms. Richards to a safe house for the night.” When Em started to interrupt, Frank silenced her with a raised palm. “We don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not taking any chances with a civilian.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Em spoke up. “I’d love to go home, take a shower and sleep.”
“I’m sure you would. However, we dragged you into this. And until we know who wants you and Mac dead, I’m playing it safe.”
Em stood. “Oh no, they don’t want me dead.” She pointed at Mac. “They want him dead.” She forced a smile. “I’m just along for the ride.” The room fell silent. Not even Frank wanted to burst her bubble. Everyone in the room except Em knew t
hat whoever was behind all this knew about her. They wanted them both dead.
“I’m leaving
for Belize in a couple of days. A friend and I are going out of town.”
So why hadn’t she mentioned she ha
d a vacation planned before? Maybe a little romantic getaway? Mac’s mood soured. Evidently the sex they’d shared didn’t mean much.
Belize
.
“I’m sorry
, Emily,” Frank said then cleared his throat. “Those men in Heathrow called you by name.”
She whirled around. “They must’ve heard Mac use my name.
Maybe they checked the flight manifest...or...”
“No
, ma’am,” Brody said with his deep Texas accent. “They knew who you were. For whatever reason, that bunch wants you both.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
“We know that,” Frank said. For the first time Mac heard sorrow in his boss’s voice.
“But surely...” Em stuttered.
“It’s for your best interest.”
“It will probably only be for a day or two. You can rest up real good before your vacation. Sometimes those t
rips can wear a body out.” Brody poured that Texas drawl on a little too thick. And smiled like a damn choirboy.
“Can I at least go to my house first? Pick up a few personal belongings.”
“’Fraid not,” Brody said, his face sad as a weaning calf. “We only want to keep you safe.”
Her shoulders slumped and she dropped back down in the chair. “Fine.”
“Okay. Mac, you take Ms. Richards to one of our safe houses. Brody, you head to Oak Cliff.”
“Ah, I can do the address search and Brody can see to Ms
. Richards.”
Frank studied him for a hard moment and Brody’s brows lifted to his hairline. Mac didn’t care. If they were alone
, his boss would be cussing him up one side and down the other for even questioning his judgment. But with Em in the room, Frank was being rather polite.
“You could.” He smiled and Mac knew he’d get an ass chewing sometime in the future. Frank didn’t forget anything “But I want
you
guarding Ms. Richards. Understood?”
Mac nodded as Brody left the room. He slapped Mac’s shoulder on the way out followed by a chuckle. Mac knew Brody would find out all he could and report back to him. It wasn’t that Mac didn’t think Brody could do a good job. It was that he felt it was time to put a little distance between him and the company attorney.
If
she decided to stay on.
She stood and looked at him, a deep scowl on her face. Must be concerned her friend might be disappointed they won’t be lying on the beach catching some rays.
Mac let out a deep breath.
Oh well, life sucks
.
“
Zoe has everything lined up. Check with her on your way out.” Frank said. “I want you out of town for now. Get to the outskirts tonight. Tomorrow morning you can hit the safe house. That
tracer
problem has been solved. Operator error.”
What the hell did that mean? “Got it.”
Mac waved Emily ahead of him as they left Frank’s office. He stopped at the reception desk and Zoe had a manila envelope for him and a set of car keys.
When they got to the underground garage, Mac turned to Em
ily. “Look, I’m sorry about your vacation.” She was rummaging through her purse.
She lifted her head. “What?”
“Your vacation. I’m sorry you’re going to miss it.”
“
I still plan to make that trip, no matter what. Especially after all I’ve been through.”
“H
opefully we won’t be too long, and you and your boyfriend can be off to Belize.”
“I can’t wait.”
He opened the door for her and she crawled into the front seat of the SUV. “Yeah.”
Em
ily grinned. “My friend and I have been planning this for months.”
“Your friend,
Stanley?”
“
Do not mention his name,” she insisted.
After closing her door, Mac moved around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. “If you and your sweetheart want to spend some naked time together in the tropics
, that’s fine with me.”
She arched a brow and smiled.
“Oh, I can see how
fine
it is with you.”
“See what you want, but I’ve never been jealous in my life.” He turned, put his arm behind her seat and backed up the vehicle. Before shifting into drive, he looked at her. “I’ve never cared enough for anyone to be jealous.”
“Everyone cares.”
“Not me. I’m thirty two
and I’ve never had a serious relationship.” He sped out of the dark garage. “And I don’t intend to.” Love meant too much to lose, too much pain. If he avoided getting serious, he didn’t have to worry about letting anyone down. That included Emily.
He couldn’t
deny she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and the sex blew his mind, but he simply wasn’t the serious kind. He’d keep her safe, and if necessary, he’d give his life. But not love her the way she deserved.
“You’re really an ass,” she said. “You know that though, right?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“No one cares if you have a serious relationship or not. And I certainly don’t care if you ever love anyone.” She snarled and pointed her finger at him. “Besides, we all know how hard it would be to love someone like you.”
“That’s the way I want to keep it.”
“Then you’re
in good shape.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
They left the underground garage and headed north. Emily wanted to go home, pick up some personal items, and check on her dog, but that must wait. Falcon had different plans for her, and anything she suggested went unheeded.
Emily
yanked open her purse, fished out her cell phone, and dialed Brenda. Sitting so close to Mac drove her insane. Even with his callous behavior, his sheer presence sent her body into unwanted arousal. He had somehow managed to kiss her the way she’d always dreamed, with unbridled passion and, sinful purpose.
She still smoldered on the inside from their lovemaking on the plane. Never had she wanted a man so much, so emotionally and so desperately.
She turned and studied the strong, powerful dips and curves of his face. His silvery blue eyes were in deep contrast to his dark brown hair. A strong jaw and remarkable cheekbone gave him a carved, sinister look. The mouth that tossed her into the depths of desire were well defined and amazingly outlined with a viable ridge.
She had to stop staring. Didn’t he just say he wasn’t a forever kind of guy?
“Don’t say anything,” Mac reminded her as she brought the phone to her ear.
“I won’t. But people need to know I’m okay.” She waited, hoping Brenda would be off
-duty and they could talk. The sound of a friendly voice would lift her spirits, and remind her somewhere out there, people were going about their normal lives. With all the macho crap around, she needed to hear of a female voice.
Evening had crept over Dallas as the city readied itself for nighttime. Fewer people swarmed the sidewalks, and the
five o’clock traffic converged into a steady stream of headlights moving away from downtown.
“Maybe your boyfriend is busy tonight.” Mac’s gaze stared out the windshield. With both hands of the wheel, he maneuvered around the one way streets “Might have other plans.”
“Hi,” Emily said at the sound of Brenda’s voice. “I called to let you know I’m a little behind schedule, but we should be able to leave Saturday. Can you switch the flights?”
“Yeah
, sure. But where the heck are you?”
“I’m wrapping up some unexpected business with a client.” It did no good to cast him a nasty glare because he didn’t take his eyes off the road. “As soon as I’m free, I’ll get back with you.”
“Okay. You sure we can leave Saturday? I only have so much time off and I don’t want to waste it.”
“I’m sure. We’ve both waited a long time for this. See you on Saturday.”
“I have to go now. Sorry, girlfriend, but I’m on duty. I picked up an extra shift.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll see you soon.”
Exhausted, Emily disconnected, leaned back against the leather headrest and close
d her eyes. The clean smell of the vehicle made her want to doze, but she’d developed a blinding headache, and a throbbing jaw from the punch she’d taken in the SUV when they were kidnapped.
Remembering all they’d been through, Emily
needed to cry. Not simply tears of frustration, but a downpour of overwhelming rage, frustrating loss of control over her life, and utter defeat.
“You okay?”
For the first time he took his gaze from the freeway.
Blinking, she turned away.
They’d just passed the airport exit off 183. As she looked toward the DFW airport, memories of their abduction slammed into her with the force of a call of contempt from a judge’s bench.
The vehicle slowed
and he asked, “What’s wrong?”
From the dash lights she noticed lines of concern on his
face, or was it fear? Mr. Neanderthal didn’t know what to say.
“Everything is wrong.
I am as far from okay as a person can get.” She abhorred screaming women, but right now she didn’t care. “I am an honorable woman, Mac. I play by the rules. I don’t do foolish or stupid things. My life is structured around doing the right thing at the proper time with decent people. Understand?”
He paled.
“I’ve never run from anything or anyone in my whole life. I’ve never been shot at. I’ve never flew through an airport to escape people trying to kill me. I’ve never in all my twenty-eight years been kidnapped.”
“Yeah, ah, well….”
“But ever since you put your big toe in my hotel room, my life has been a living hell. And I’m sick of it!”
“Okay...Ah...I’m bad.
”
“Why can’t I go home? Nobody’s after me.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” His face etched with denial, Mac waved his hand, shunning her hysteria. “I’m not going against Frank. He’s smart not to take any chances. Besides, Brody is following a lead the guy we took into custody coughed up. Maybe he’ll turn up something.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we wait until we know beyond any doubt that it’s safe for you and your sweetheart to go to Belize and enjoy your vacation.”
“Really, Mac?” Pulling back her fist, Emily turned and punched him
in the shoulder, wishing it were his jaw. “Seriously, you’re playing that stupid card after all we’ve been through?”
As he rubbed his shoulder, Mac glanced at her, his brows drawn close. From the fight in the SUV with their kidnappers,
Emily noticed Mac had a black eye that grew darker by the minute.
Any semblance of a sexy
five o’clock shadow now leaned closer to a guy who simply needed a shave. Obviously a hit had turned his nose red, and that lump on his chin reminded her of a golf ball. Still, she never wanted to kiss someone so badly in all her life.
She recognized when the facts hit him.
“You...you don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Oh, I have a dozen. But I’m not romantically involved with any of them. And I’m certainly not vacationing with one. So, give me a damn break.”
She looked out the side window. “Do you think I’m the kind of woman who would have sex with you while having plans with another man?”
“No, I know you wouldn’t.”
“Then cut the crap.”
Thirty minutes later he pulled off the freeway, and into the
parking lot of a motel. “Zoe handled the reservation. We’ll stay in the same room, but it has two beds.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “That sounds cozy.”
He grimaced. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“You don’t have a best behavior.”
***
Goosebumps prickled Mac’s arms as he stepped into the chilly motel room. The smell of floral air freshener and bathroom cleanser greeted him at the door, along with the sight of pea green walls
, and puke green carpeting...and
one
bed.
Trying to hold back his frustration, Mac to
ssed their few belongings Zoe had packaged before they left the office on the bed, scattering the contents across the floral bedspread. Knowing the inevitable, he turned to Em, “Maybe it’s a mistake. There is this room and another one with two beds.”
She was already so pissed
he expected her to take out a gun and shoot him. He damn sure didn’t want to fight over a bed, and if she starting crying again, he was going to commit suicide.
Picking up the receiver of the cradle phone resting on the nightstand, Mac dialed the front desk. Averting her gaze, he checked out the framed landscaped picture hanging next to the bathroom door, the open closet, the writing desk, and the TV.
Waiting through the uncomfortable silence, Mac chanced a look at Emily who’d barely stepped into the room. From the frown on her face, she wasn’t moving any further.
The news wasn’t good. Dread mounting, Mac hung up the phone. “Desk clerk said there was a mix up. This is the only room.” Knowing he’d never convince Emily to stay, he grabbed the envelope and scooped up the assorted toiletries. Finished, he turned to Emily. “Let’s take the key back. You drive until we find another motel. I’m too tired.”
“I can’t,” she said, inching into the room.
Confused by her statement, Mac stumbled backward. “You can’t drive?”
“I have night blindness,” she answered casually, like somehow he should have known that. “You sleep on the floor.”
Mac tossed the toiletries back onto the bed. “Like hell.” He folded his arms. “After flying from Russia, you want me to sleep on the floor when there is a bed big enough for both of us?”
She lifted her bruised chin. That gesture was starting to piss him off. “Yes.”
Oh, she was itching for a fight. “Come on,” Mac fumed, taking the keys out of his pocket. “I’ll drive.”
To his surprise, when he stalked passed her, Em touched his arm pulling him to a quick halt. “And take a chance on us ending up as road kill? No thanks. We’ll stay here and make the best of it.”
Doom settled across his shoulders with the weigh
t of telephone pole. This couldn’t be good.
For the umpteenth time since he’d connected with Em, Mac didn’t know what to do.
He felt like his face had been used for a punching bag, because that’s exactly what happened. He expected his head to explode any minute. Yet with all his aches, pains and exhaustion, his concern for Em frightened him more than anything he’d ever encountered.
Deep in his gut
, Mac knew this room, this motel, and them spending all this time together, wasn’t good for either one of them. Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders and said, “Let’s get this straight,” he said. “I’m taking a shower. Then I’m going to sleep on that bed.” He pointed to the king-sized bed. “And that’s the end of it.”
The words were no sooner out of his mouth when Em’s body drew tight as a
bow. Her eyes glazed over with murderous intentions as she slowly turned to face him.
“Don’t you dare give orders, demands or even suggestions,” she hissed. “You’ve been bossing me around since Moscow. You sleep in that bed with permission only.” Emily touched her chest. “My permission!”
He jacked his fists against his waist. “So I have to ask to be invited?”
Defiantly
she lifted her nose and turned her back. “Yes.”
Well, fuck me sideways
.