Page 52

K urt watched Rowena work through pattern five like a pro.

Adding self-defense training and TKD to their daily routine had focused both their minds and bodies and could help them stay alive.

He’d already done his workout for the day.

Fifty pushups, twenty chin-ups using the tiny lip above the bathroom door to pull himself up on, fifty crunches, planks, squats, and lunges.

He’d also perfected the fine art of holding Rowena against the wall and eating her out until she came.

They were making the most of their confinement.

But they’d been held captive for three weeks now, and it was driving him nuts that they hadn’t seen land except for a tiny spot on the horizon, once.

Had they crossed the Atlantic or were they sailing slowly up the West African coast?

From the direction of the sun and orientation of the stars he was certain they were crossing the Atlantic, which was good. Closer to home.

He could be wrong, but he didn’t think so.

Was Hurek really planning to go after Quentin and the others?

It was sadistic and exactly the sort of thing a man like Hurek would try.

The asshole hadn’t called him upstairs for a second dinner date yet, which suggested he was biding his time, probably heading to his next hidey-hole before making any sort of contact with the federal government.

Or he was bartering with Gilder for some kind of truce.

Hurek wasn’t in any rush, after all, right now the US thought Kurt was dead.

No one was looking for him. As soon as Hurek tried to cut a deal they’d be swarming over every detail of the crash and beyond.

Did Hurek have the results of Rowena’s DNA tests yet?

How was Daisy holding up? How was the team doing? Had they caught that motherfucking serial killer who’d murdered Scotty yet?

Rowena finished her pattern and collapsed beside him on the bed.

She stole his can of Dr Pepper and took a long sip. “Bleh.”

“Hey, this is a classic.”

“It’s disgusting. Now tell me something I don’t know about you.”

“I think I’ve told you everything there is to know.” He huffed out a small laugh. “You know more about me than my family and colleagues combined.”

Her eyes brightened. “Tell me about your workmates.”

“Fine. You first.”

“That’ll be easy. I have two people I work with at the library. Betty, who is adorable and has got to be close to eighty. I remember her from when I was a kid going there.”

“What,” he scoffed, “a whole decade ago?”

She poked him in an area she’d discovered he was particularly sensitive and possibly ticklish, though he’d die before he admitted it. “I thought you’d gotten over the age difference, mister.”

“I’ll never get over the age difference. I’m the luckiest old fucker in the known universe.”

“You better believe it.” She tilted her head to face him. “Hey, what did Marianne say to you back at the farm? I know she said something.”

Kurt grinned. “She told me how she’d seduced her considerably older husband with a little late-night skinny dipping and that if I was happy to shag you in private, I better make damned sure I was happy to claim you as mine in public too. Otherwise, you’d dump me the way she’d dumped Newt.”

“Marianne is a badass. I hope she didn’t betray us.” A smile played over her lips. “ Are you claiming me as yours?”

He stared into those pretty green eyes. “Every damned day.”

She dipped her chin and wiggled her bare toes. “I hate to break it to you, but I think this still qualifies as the ‘shagging in private’ part.”

He touched her bottom lip with his thumb. “As soon as we get out of here, I’ll be happy to tell the whole damned world that you are all mine. Every inch of you.”

She made a hum deep in her throat, and he had to stop himself from reaching for her.

“So this Betty woman. Who else?”

“Alasdair. Gorgeous Scottish accent. Quite the hunk. He’s a couple of years older than me. Well, actually he’s closer to your age.” She sniggered and something inside him melted. She still had her sense of humor. It was a goddamn miracle.

“I hate Alasdair.”

“He’s happily married to a guy called Mike, who is probably the most beautiful creature I’ve ever met and at least ten years younger than good old Alasdair.” She put her hand on her heart and tapped it rapidly.

“Alasdair’s okay, but I’m on the fence about Mike.”

She laughed, and the sound filled him with a quiet joy. He loved making her laugh.

She sobered. “They’re going to be worried sick about what happened to me. What about you? Tell me about the people you work with. Nothing classified, obviously.”

“My guys?” Emotion hit Kurt unexpectedly.

He’d been trying not to think about his team as individuals and how much they’d each be hurting.

“I’ve been Gold Team leader for the past six years, and it’s been the privilege of my life.

HRT has three different teams, Gold, Blue, and Red. Gold Team is the best.”

“Obviously. ”

“Each team consists of two seven-person assaulter squads—Charlie and Echo—plus one eight-man sniper team.”

“Doesn’t seem like enough people considering how much work you have to do.”

He nodded. They were often stretched thin, but he, for one, enjoyed being busy. “We have a few operators who are on secondment to various other agencies in the US and around the world, and then there are special missions like this one.”

“Maybe you need another team. A Green Team who all have sexy Irish accents.”

“What is it with you and accents?”

“Accents are sexy.” She eyed him sideways. “Your accent is sexy.”

“I don’t have an accent.”

“Sure you don’t.” She laughed. “Okay, tell me why you can’t have a fourth team—oh, a purple team. That’s my favorite color.”

“I’ll be sure to mention that to the FBI Director when she has to go beg for additional funding to support more operators.

” He ran his hand over the freckles on her arm.

“But it’s not just funding, though that’s a big part of it.

It’s tough to get into HRT as we don’t take just anyone.

We actually base the HRT Selection process on what Delta Force uses to select their recruits, which in turn, is based on that of the British SAS. ”

She jogged his shoulder. “They do that course not far away from where I live. The Regiment is based in Hereford.”

Maybe he could get a secondment with the Brits.

The idea hit him like a sledgehammer. He was willing to change his life for this woman. Assuming they ever got out of here.

He cleared his throat. “Hey, we have our first woman on the teams now.”

“How enlightened of you,” she said drolly.

He laughed because he’d expected her to be impressed.

“I was dubious at first, I admit it.” He defended the vulnerable patch on his ribs.

“It’s the physicality of the whole thing, the grueling nature of the work.

” He captured her hands. “I’ve been thinking since I met you how many characteristics of an operator you embody. Grit. Determination. Courage.”

“You’re just saying that to get into my recently washed pants.”

He shook his head. “I’m saying it because it’s true. Physicality can be honed, but the mental fortitude? You either have it or you don’t, and you have it in spades.”

“I’m a wimp. Terrified all the time.”

“You’re a goddamned warrior.”

Emotion traveled over her features. Disbelief, amusement, then a calm kind of acceptance that maybe he meant what he said. “Maybe a wimpy one.”

He gave a quiet laugh.

“I wouldn’t be dealing with everything half as well without you by my side, but I hate that you’re a prisoner too.”

He took her hand in his. Played with her fingers. “Same.”

That was sobering. And true.

Without the distraction of making sure Rowena was as safe as he could make her, he’d be a wreck. He’d have probably tried to escape already and ended up beaten or drowned at sea with no one to bear witness.

His patience was stretched thin. He needed to get them the hell out of there, but there was still no land on the horizon. Nowhere for them to go.

“Tell me about her. The woman.”

“Meghan Donnelly, former Eighty-Second Airborne Division soldier. I don’t know her personally, but I watched her go through Selection and crush it.

Then she went to New Operator Training School, and I know she made it through because my boss Daniel Ackers called to tell me over the holidays. I requested her for Gold Team.”

“Why?” She shot him a curious glance.

He smiled. “Because Gold Team is the best, and she’ll be an asset, especially when going undercover.”

She snorted. “Tell me about the rest. ”

The sea was relatively calm, and the sun was going down slowly on the horizon.

If the last twenty-one days were anything to go by, they’d have a tray of food delivered in the next thirty minutes.

The fact they were keeping them well fed and looked after was presumably in case Hurek decided to try to cut a deal with the US authorities.

It wasn’t because he was merciful or kind.

“There was some restructuring after I took this mission. An operator named Payne Novak took over from me as team leader. Former Green Beret. He’s a big guy, hard ass, hell of an operator.

Out of Arkansas. Bomb tech and card-carrying member of Mensa, though he hates anyone to know.

Then we have Jordan Krychek who came out here with me.

Damned glad he caught that earlier flight out.

” Jordan would be feeling the worst of the guilt.

Kurt hated that for his friend. “He’s serious.

Dedicated. Hard working. Kind of intense.

Loosens up after a couple of whiskeys, but always seems a little haunted. This won’t help.”

Rowena took his hand and squeezed.

“You sure you want to hear all this? There’s a lot of them.”

“Yes, because then when they rescue us, I’ll know who they are.”

That hit him in the chest like a battering ram. The fact she was such a damned optimist.