Page 44

“No problem.” Regan crushed his cigarette and strode over to Jordan, indicating he follow him out into the woods where the birds had started to sing.

He turned his signal blocker back on. “No cameras, just audio. Act normal. Pretend like you don’t know you’re being bugged. Put the radio on or the TV or something until you go to work. Any belongings at work that have been out of your sight for any length of time?”

Jordan shook his head. “My car is still in the garage. I’m driving that vehicle over there temporarily.”

Regan’s eyes narrowed. “You think they were trying to scare you the other night or kill you?”

“Kill me.”

He looked over his shoulders and nodded for Crisco to examine the vehicle.

“These bugs are not something I’ve seen before. I don’t know if this is state sponsored or some private enterprise. I do know they’re pretty sophisticated, so now I’m curious.”

“Can you track it back to source?”

“My guys can do anything, given enough time. Give me your cells.”

Jordan balked. “The work cell has classified?—”

“I’m not interested in reading your messages unless it’s with the person you got it on with last night.”

“How did you know?—”

“You think I couldn’t smell sex when I walked in the room? Either that or you jacked off into a condom, which is weird, but whatever. Each to their own. Girlfriend?”

Jordan dug into his pocket and handed over his two cell phones.

Regan put a replacement in his hand. “It’s the same work number but monitored and tracked. Who was the woman? I’m assuming it was a woman, which is my bad. ”

“Virginia State Trooper who gave me an escort home last night. I called her when I saw the bags had been tampered with in case there was someone still in the house. She, er, took it for a booty call.”

“Well, now, if I’d known that came with the service, I’d’ve gotten someone to run me off the road too, but with my luck I’d get Hank Previtt, and I have no desire for him to bounce on my balls. What’s her name?”

“Ellen Mires.”

“You know her before last night?”

“No, sir.”

“You’re just that fucking hot, huh?”

Jordan felt his cheeks singe.

“Relax. I’m not your mother. I’m not judging you except with pure envy. I’ll get your cell phones back to you this afternoon. I am going to do a background check on this Trooper Mires. And let me know if any other women suddenly find you irresistibly attractive, okay?”

The thought the trooper could be involved depressed the hell out of Jordan. “And what should I do if she’s my escort again tonight?”

“Enjoy the fucking ride, you lucky sonofabitch. And don’t tell her about the listening devices or any other damned thing. Don’t let her out of your sight either. Not for a second. No sleepovers. Last thing I want is to have to come back every morning because you’re screwing the enemy.”

Jordan shook his head. “All of a sudden I’m not interested in any more hookups.”

Regan narrowed his shrewd blue eyes. “You want to figure out who is doing this and why, don’t you?”

Jordan jerked his chin up and down. Of course.

“So if she’s involved, she’s involved. If she’s not, she’s not. Either way, try not to tip her off.” Regan placed the signal jammer in his palm. “Use that if you want to talk about something sensitive. They shouldn’t be able to penetrate it. ”

Jordan stared at the jammer with a sinking feeling.

“Remember what Sun Tzu used to say in The Art of War . ‘Keep your friends close: your enemies closer.’”

“I’m not sure this is what he had in mind.”

Regan laughed. “Then you obviously don’t know much about women.”

Kurt woke up with Row in his arms and darkness around and inside him.

He’d failed her. For all his training, his supposed smarts, and his upbeat talk they were both wrapped up like a couple of dying flies waiting for the spider to come and suck them dry.

She twisted in his arms and twined her legs with his.

At some point in the night their towels had come undone, and both of them were naked.

Despite the situation, he found himself growing hard.

He had no intention of taking advantage of her or reminding her about the threat of torture and gang rape being dangled over their heads like Damocles’ sword.

He felt her tense against him. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

She relaxed again and seemed to go back to sleep.

It was a damned lie. He couldn’t save her if they came for her again. He’d die trying, but the reality was likely a severe beating for him, and they’d still do whatever the hell they wanted to her.

He couldn’t protect her, and the knowledge was humbling.

What did Hurek want from him? Classified information?

Secrets? Intel? Before he’d have said they could do anything to him, and he wouldn’t tell them a damned thing.

But he’d gone and given the bastard a weapon to use against him.

A goddamned nuclear bomb to blow up everything good and noble he’d ever done.

They could have used Daisy too. He was grateful they hadn’t taken Daisy—as far as he knew—but Rowena meant so much to him already.

So much. They’d found his kryptonite, and now he had to figure out how to limit the damage.

To deflect and delay. Lie if he could get away with it.

Hope they could get out of this mess or signal for help somehow.

In the meantime, he’d play the willing, cooperative captive.

Survive.

He’d never cause real harm to his colleagues or his nation, but he might have to sacrifice a few principles in the dance between keeping Rowena alive and protecting everything else he held dear.

Perhaps he could lay a trap…

He thought about the photos in those envelopes sitting in the mail.

Bjorn Anders’ cell phone. How long would they take to arrive at their destination?

Would the people on the receiving end know what they meant?

The implications? Would they prove Anders had been in league with Spartan, Gilder, and Hurek?

He wasn’t sure.

Fuck. He didn’t know if they’d ever reach the people he’d sent them to or convey what he needed them to understand.

Rowena stirred again. This time she stretched languidly and ran her thigh over his, stroking his raging erection. He wanted her, but fear for her threatened to drown him.

“I can’t. It feels wrong.”

She inched up so her lips were close to his ear. “This might be the one choice I get regarding my body. I’d very much like to choose you for as long as you’ll have me.”

Jesus. What she had to be going through all because he’d decided to “save” her.

The reality was she’d saved him, not the other way around. And now he’d doomed her with his confidence and self-belief.

His hands spanned her waist as she rose up over him, keeping in their little cocoon beneath the blanket. “If it was up to me, I’d choose you forever.”

She opened her mouth in a small gasp of surprise.

It was true .

Somehow, the two of them meshed in a way he’d never meshed with anyone before. Not one single person on the whole planet. He’d come close with some of his buddies, but it wasn’t the same—and it wasn’t only because of the physical aspect of his and Rowena’s relationship.

She inspired him with how she thought and how she behaved under pressure. She’d held up better than most agents he knew. Almost as well as a trained operator.

She moved over him, kissing his neck, touching his chest, dissolving his resistance like water eroded a wall of sand. It wasn’t desire but an inner rebellion.

Fuck Hurek. Fuck them all.

His hands shook as he positioned himself against her, and he moaned as she slid over him, enclosing him inside her. Taking him in. Filling him up in a way he’d never experienced before.

The fact that he knew she wasn’t experienced when it came to sex made him want to be gentle, especially in the face of what might come next, to treat her like the most precious thing, because she was.

He could faintly make out the details of her face in the darkness.

That too-wide mouth. The straight nose. The faint glimmer of pretty eyes.

He rose up, cupped the back of her head and brought her down for a kiss that was both sacred and sweet.

He explored her mouth while his hands traced her breasts, her back, her legs.

She rocked over him gently, and he found her nipple with his mouth, sucking softly at first and then with more pressure.

He felt her reaction, figured out the sweet spot between too hard and not enough.

Heard her whimper. Felt her clench and tremble around him and then shudder in wild abandon.

But he wasn’t done. She was right. Maybe this was their last time together, and he intended to give her everything he was able to give.

He slithered down the bed and sank his mouth into her folds, loving the taste of her as his tongue sank inside learning every intimate detail.

She whimpered again as he sucked on her clit.

He knew he was doing something right when her thighs began to shake, her fingers gripping his hair painfully tight.

“I want you inside me now.” Her voice was a whisper on the night air.

He’d never deny her anything if he had a choice, but he wanted to give her experiences. Good experiences. He moved behind her where she’d braced herself against the cabin wall.

He nudged her thighs wider apart and drew her back against him, so she got to decide how much of him she wanted to take while he teased and played with her breasts and explored the elegant line of her spine.

She pushed against him, clearly enjoying being in control. The woman was responsive as hell and made him feel like a goddamned god. Although both of them tried to keep quiet, she made these little sounds that told him she was close.

She slid up and down one last time, driving him to the edge, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He found her clit, pinched the sensitive bud, felt her shudder and clench around him as his release hit him. When they both stilled, he rested his forehead against her back.

“I think I’m in love with you, Ms. Rowena Smith,” he admitted, feeling as scared of that as of anything else.

But he wanted her to know. In case things got bad. He wanted her to know someone in this cruel, uncertain world loved her. Didn’t matter if she said it back. He wasn’t expecting it.

She nodded, rocking, head down. He was worried she might start to cry again. Instead, she twisted and pulled him down under the covers and wrapped his arm around her waist, so he held her tight.

“I love you too, Kurt Montana. I think I’ve loved you since you came over to fix my tire and accused me of wanting a sugar daddy.”

The idea she might love him blew his mind. He’d forgotten he’d said that to her in Harare. “I guess you’ve got one now, huh? ”

He felt her laugh. “You are the least sugar daddy material I’ve ever encountered, but I’ve got exactly who I want, even if circumstances are less than ideal.”

He huffed a smile against her hair. “Less than ideal” was a bit of an understatement.

“I always thought finding out who my father was would finally make all the pieces of me click together. I was wrong. It was you and this horrible situation.” She swallowed. “I know who I am now. I know I’m strong. I know I’ll survive or die trying.”

Emotions crashed over him like the roiling surf. Jesus, he didn’t want to lose her. Not now they’d found one another. “Come with me to Virginia when this is all over. It’s pretty. Might not be Shropshire but we have a history.”

“A short colonial history,” she said slyly.

He scraped his jaw over her shoulder. “It seems wrong for the colonizer to show off about the size of their own history.”

He sensed rather than saw her grin.

“Ouch. You have a point. I’ll be on the first flight out to educate myself. I’ll grant sexual favors every time you show me something older than my grandmother’s home that isn’t natural rock.”

“How old is your grandmother’s house?”

“There’s an engraving from 1770 on one of the lintels. I suspect there are parts that are older, but we’ll take that as the benchmark.”

“So anything pre-Declaration of Independence will be a win?”

“Hmm. It shaves a few years off, but I’ll throw you a bone.”

“Trust me, I’m the one who’s going to be throwing you a few bones.” She laughed like he’d hoped. “I think we’re gonna spend some time in Jamestown for starters then move on to Williamsburg.”

She twisted to face him with surprise lighting her face. “Are you a closet history buff, Supervisory Special Agent Montana? ”

“Like any good tactician, I know my military history, Ms. Smith.”

Her eyes shone, and he knew he’d scored a point in his favor.

“I should have known.” She reached out and cupped his stubbled cheek.

“You’re about to get a whole hell of an education on American history. And lots of sex.”

She laughed a little breathlessly. “I can’t wait.”

The laughter in her eyes died a little as their current situation crowded in around them.

“Get some sleep. It’s early yet.”

She nodded and yawned loudly. Gradually, she drifted off while Kurt lay awake in the darkness, running every possible escape scenario through his mind. Every one of them would depend on luck as much as skill. And luck could go either way and turn a relatively stable situation into a shit show.

How long did DNA results take to come in? He had no doubt that’s what Hurek planned to do with the sample of Rowena’s blood he’d collected yesterday. Did he suspect one of the four friends of being her father? If so, what would that mean for Rowena?

He suspected that it much depended on which of them it was, if any.

Dougie was supposedly dead, and Kurt doubted the Scot held much sway over Hurek’s current motivation.

Kurt couldn’t see the father being Hurek or Spartan because Rowena’s complexion was milky white.

Except, he knew that was bullshit. Phenotype depended on more complicated genetics than what the parents looked like.

If either man had a white parent or grandparent, it might not show in the color of their skin, but it could be reflected in their daughter’s.

Kurt figured he had three weeks max to figure out a way out of this mess before the dynamic shifted and pitched them all into the fire.

But in the meantime, keeping the status quo, drawing things out, hoping those envelopes arrived back in the States would be the safest possible scenario for both him and Rowena.

He hated it, but patience was a virtue for a reason.

It could be tactical.

He hoped it wasn’t a misjudgment that got them both killed, or worse.