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Cool steel dug into the back of his head, applying pressure to what had to be the lump where he’d been struck. A blinding wash of pain slashed his vision in half. With his limited resources, Gabriel focused on breathing. Were they interrogating Copper as well?
Or was she in this with them? She’d said something about Merc—he couldn’t quite make out the words. They’d faded. Concentrating on her, he remembered the way her skin felt under his fingers. Hot, silky, and alive. The strength in her legs when she’d wrapped them around him, and how fucking sweet it had been to sink into her.
Fingers snapped in front of his eyes. Ignoring the interruption, he let the sweet memory of her demanding kisses brush aside the pain. Fiery and tempestuous, she’d dug her fingers into his shoulders. Her nails hadn’t been sharp or especially long, but she’d left a few marks. Some women were fragile, beautiful for their exquisite delicacy. Others were athletic, strong, and supple—a perfect invitation to enjoy. Still others were harder, tougher to crack, and jaded from a life of difficult choices.
Copper defied all of those categories. Tough, sexy, and tremendously strong, but beneath the defenses and masks, she possessed a stunning vulnerability. Like a mirage in the desert, he’d glimpsed it a couple of times—during her orgasm, and then when she’d been frustrated with him at the restaurant.
Little surprised her—
Pain whipped across his face, and he tasted blood. Rolling his jaw, he spared a look at the man looming over him. Menace rolled off him in waves. The one across the table wanted answers. This guy? He wanted a pound of flesh.
“What?” The word snapped out, and his jaw throbbed. The new pain replaced the sickening thud in his head and helped to clear his thoughts.
“Stop playing games, Mr. Danvers. Answer the questions, and you might walk out of here.”
“Might is a pretty tensile promise, and since you haven’t answered mine, here’s a reply. Go fuck yourself.” Bravado wasn’t hard to manufacture. Training taught him cooperation would only get him so far. If a person didn’t feel the pain or could transmute the pain into something else, he could make it through.
Besides, in a world where information was currency, he planned to hold onto every dime of his. The questions were rephrased, repeated, and relentless. Despite the threat of abuse, however, they didn’t do much more than open-handed slaps and one punch when he retreated into his memories of Copper.
He lost track of time, but not of the number of questions. The two men in the room were both masked, both lacking anything distinctive. They’d finished their water bottles and left him nothing. Blood lingered in his mouth, but he ignored the metallic flavor.
They weren’t getting what they wanted. At one lull in the questioning, the two men looked at each other. Whatever passed between them translated into silent communication—they’d worked together before. Observation told him only so much. Their voices were masculine, nondescript, and he couldn’t pinpoint an accent for either one. They said nothing more than was absolutely necessary, however.
Because he was still breathing, he said, “Do you want to answer my questions yet?”
Both men paused to stare at him. The tension ratcheted, the silence taut. A door opened behind him, and Gabriel listened. No footsteps—or so quiet as to make no noise—and a cool hand pressed against his neck. Angling his head, he tried to get a look, but the fingers on his neck tightened and forced his head forward.
Fingers. Not gloves.
Warm, strong—and definitely not male.
Was Copper really in on this with these guys? Was this her assignment? Had he been set up?
A needle pricked his neck, and he swore. The coolness spread, then began to warm as it assaulted his muscles. A narcotic—muscle relaxer? Truth serum? The world fuzzed around the edges. “Fuck.” He swore.Anesthetic.
The hand on his neck relaxed, and he tipped his head back. Copper’s face swam into his vision, only it wasn’t her. It was her eyes. She wore a mask like the other two. Her voice was low when she said, “I’m sorry. You’re not going to remember this, but I am sorry.”
The hell he wouldn’t remember. He hadn’t for—blackness.
Chapter 5
“Ant broke the last of the decryptions an hour ago.” Chrome’s voice sounded tinny on the cell’s speakerphone. “He’s retired, but the Agency reached out to him recently, as far as we can tell. He doesn’t work for them directly, not anymore. Elena confirmed with her contacts. Let him go, concentrate on Coyle. He’s made plans to head to Las Vegas for some conference.”
“Fun.” She hated what they’d done to Gabriel. Hours of questioning, yet he hadn’t cracked, not once. He had, however, asked about her. Several times. Merc’s irritation batted at her like a cat playing with a ball.
“It’s on International Commerce.” Chrome was still talking, so she focused on the orders. “Lots of out of town guests and businesses. We’re putting together a list based on their confirmations.”
Rubbing the back of her neck, she couldn’t get the disappointment in Gabriel’s gaze out of her mind. Recognition sparked in them when he’d tipped his head back, recognition and regret. Compartmentalizing was what she did, but he wouldn’t stay in the box.
“Coyle’s the primary target, but Danvers isn’t off the hook yet. We’ll maintain the electronic surveillance on him. Plat, you stick with him, too.”
Platinum spared her a look, then nodded. “Got it.” The bare minimum of words needed to acknowledge an order.
“Merc, you keep up with Cobalt and Copper. Copper, you take Cobalt with you into the conference.” Was that a note of worry or a vote of no confidence after the clusterfuck that had been her interaction with Gabriel?
She didn’t like it. Cobalt was too damn pretty and big. He’d stick out in a place like that. Of course, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If he had everyone’s attention, they’d ignore her. “Yes, sir.” They could make it work.
“Bring this home.” Chrome disconnected on the order. They hadn’t been in the guest cabin long enough to do more than sleep and interrogate Gabriel. Breaking down their equipment, they worked with silent efficiency. They’d have the van packed and leave it with Plat.