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“I like it when you go all alpha male in bed.”

“Yeah? What else?”

“I like it when you hold me afterward. It makes me feel like you care aboutmeand not just the sex.”

Was that true? Did he have feelings for her beyond the gratification of the moment? God knew he’d put his neck on the line for her more times than he cared to think about. “Continue.”

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

That made him draw up sharply and stare down at her in the neon glow of the city outside. The original badass chick was scared of anything? “Scared of what?”

“That I’ll die—that we’ll die—without ever finding out if what we have between us could be more.”

“More than what?” His throat was inexplicably tight when he spoke the words.

“You know. More than fantastic sex.”

Fantastic? That was how she rated their sex, huh? He wouldn’t disagree with the assessment. “Why might we die?”

“What if we get exposed to the virus? We’re in Las Vegas. What if this is where the virus was released? We could both already be infected.”

He stared down at her, appalled. “Wouldn’t there be only a limited number of people who were right next to the virus when it was turned loose? They’ll get sick first and start spreading it to other people, right?”

“God, no. Any viral weapon worth its salt will go contagious before its carriers become symptomatic. Surfaces and food sources and the air all over town could be saturated with the virus by now. It’s been, what? Three or four days since Yusef could have been here in Vegas? At least half the town could be dead men walking.”

He looked over at the air conditioning vents in panic. “We have to get out of the city!”

“Too late. That blonde kissed you, right? If she’s exposed, you’re toast.”

“You kissed T-Bone,” he declared, appalled.

“Did not. He kissed me. And I kissed you, too. Yup, we’re all toast.”

“How can you be so relaxed about this?” he exclaimed.

She draped her arms over his shoulders and ran her fingers through the short hair at the back of his neck. “I figured the only way to stop this virus would be to get close to it. I pretty much expected to die once I realized what we’re up against. Didn’t you?”

Hell, no, he didn’t! He had stuff to do with his life. A wife. Kids. Hell, grandkids. Dammit, he wasn’t ready to die! “You seriously think you’re going to die on this op?” he asked her in disbelief.

“Well, yeah.” Her words were starting to blur. That vodka she’d slugged was catching up with the beer. “I’m throwing myself on my sword to redeem the family honor. Someone’s gotta make up for what my dad and brother are doing.”

Wasthatwhat she was doing? Sacrificing herself to even the karmic scales of her family’s crimes? His cell phone rang and he disengaged from her.Saved by the bell.

“Yeah?” he said irritably into the device.

“Agent Starkohl, here. FBI Los Angeles bureau chief.”

Ian went on full battle alert. “What have you got? Did Abahdi break and talk?”

“No. But his daughter did.”

Ian shoved his free hand through his hair in distress. Jesus. The FBI was breaking eight-year-olds, now? He understood the necessity, but it didn’t sit well with him. She was just a kid. It wasn’t her fault her mother had died and her father had lost it.

The FBI agent was talking again. “She says they flew into Mexico and drove into the States in the back of a big truck. Her daddy took her to Las Vegas to celebrate her birthday at, and I quote, the most wonderful circus ever. With clowns and elephants and pretty ladies. End quote.”

One of the big hotels on the Strip was circus themed. Ian swore under his breath. “The virus? Where did he dump the coolers?”

“She said he left with the big white boxes right before they left the shiny city. When he came back to the hotel room, apparently, he didn’t have the boxes any more. Las Vegas is the target. I repeat. Las Vegas is the target. And the virus has been released.”