Page 32 of Taken With Trouble

“I think I’ve made that abundantly clear.”

“Perhaps I’d like you to change your mind.”

“Not going to happen.” She grabs the keys and hops into the driver’s seat. I hurry to the passenger side before she takes off without me. As much as I like her bossy personality lined with metallic edges and spikes, I wouldn’t mind a change to the regularly scheduled programming.

“Do you know where you’re going?” I ask as she takes a deliberate right turn.

“Looking for somewhere to stash this vehicle.”

“Then take that left.”

She continues straight. Then takes the left.

“Right.”

She turns left.

She’s so obstinate. I tell her the opposite directions, and we somehow make it to the lot where we ransack the van for clues.

I pop the hood, and pull at a few random wires, then disconnect the battery, hoping it’s enough to slow whomever finds the van. Cruz steals a box of bullets and tosses the man’s gun in a river as we head through secret alleys and tunnels, making our way to my hideout.

I let out a breath as I shut the door behind us and slide the lock into place.

“So…” Cruz flips around, her dark hair brushing the top of her folded arms. “Did that go according to your plan?”

I swallow “What?”

“Don’t be an idiot. That’s exactly what you hoped would happen by ‘going out to dinner’.”

Hmm. Smart and dangerous: a deadly combination. “I didn’t mean for you to nearly get kidnapped but—”

“You son of a—”

She sweeps my feet out from under me and is throwing fists before I can think. One punch lands square on my cheek.

She’s made her point.

I roll her over, snatching her wrists and pinning them to the ground above her head.

“Yes, okay. I admit. I wanted to see if we’d been spotted entering the country. And since we were… I know how to proceed.”

“Andthatwas the best way to do it?”

I shrug. “It could have gone worse.”

“Save it for your cellmate.” She grunts, trying to shove me off her, but I’m not going anywhere. I hold her tighter, taking no pleasure from the fact that she’s at my mercy. None at all.

Okay, I am. It’s hard not to when I can feel her warm breath in the space between us, the smooth skin of her wrists beneath my palms.

She shoves me again, getting her knee dangerously close to my groin. “I told my partner everything, down to the location of this place. He’ll be here by morning.”

I study her face. Really study it—something I’ve been dying to do since meeting her. In those obsidian eyes, I find exactly what I’m looking for. Actually, it’sright above her eyes, nearly hidden in her hairline that really gets my attention. There’s a small scar, only half an inch, smooth but jagged from not getting stitches.

I look back at her eyes. “I call B.S.”

“Call whatever you want. In twelve hours, I’m free of you.” Her throat bobs, and she looks away.

“I think I’ll take the gamble and stay right here.”