Page 31 of Stains of Desire

6

Axel

She's lying to me.Something is freaking her out. I can feel it.

Instead of answering my question, she puts her hands on mine, which are still on her perfectly smooth thighs, and removes them. "Thanks for helping me get the dirt off." She rises and tries to escape me.

I stand and tilt her head up.

She inhales sharply, and her eyes widen.

"Why did Santiago kidnap you?" I ask her again, not buying he never told her why.

She closes her eyes. Her forehead wrinkles and tears fall down her cheeks.

I lower my voice. "I'm on your side, but I need to know. You don't have to tell me everything right now, but give me something." I've never pushed a target to tell me anything. But something in my gut is telling me even though I rescued her, she's still in trouble.

She slowly opens her glistening eyes. And there's so much pain in them, it stabs me in the heart. "I work for the embassy. I know a lot of political leaders around the world. I've been at dinners and homes of powerful men. I know secrets."

"And Santiago wanted to know those secrets?"

She nods, and more tears fall.

What does a drug lord want with politicians' secrets? Surely, they aren't sitting around discussing how to stop him from expanding his operation at dinner parties?

Or are they?

I decide it's best to back off until she trusts me more. "Thank you for telling me." I swipe her tears with my thumbs and am tempted to pull her into me, but Zoe storms into the tent and plops down on a mattress. Dirk soon follows.

"Is it okay if I lie down?" Penelope asks.

"Yeah. Let me get you a blanket."

I grab one out of the bin and place it over her. "Go to sleep if you're tired."

"Thank you."

"Sure." I sit on the floor next to her. I'll be here all night. She doesn't know it, but all of us will be sleeping next to our targets. Until she's delivered wherever Interpol instructs us to take her, she's my responsibility.

Hunter and Vanessa, then Ryker and Julieta, come in. Malin and Emilia arrive right before Naomi enters.

Penelope softly hums a song I've never heard before with her eyes closed.

The tent isn't large, and it gets crowded. Andre finally steps in. "Ladies, there is another air mattress in the other tent. We don't have extras, but two of you could share. We're stationed around the perimeter, but I think it's best if you all got some rest."

"Emilia and I can share," Naomi says. The three of them leave the tent. Malin finishes a conversation with Ryker and then disappears, I'm assuming, into the other tent.

Everyone gets settled. Zoe and Vanessa share a mattress and Penelope and Julieta. I reach over and turn the propane light off, making the tent pitch black.

For hours, I listen to Penelope breathe, but I'm not sure if she's awake or asleep. And I try to forget about the fact she's in my T-shirt and nothing else.

There's a rustling directly across from us. Hunter mumbles, "Shh. You're okay, Flower. You rolled off the bed."

A few minutes pass, and Vanessa starts whimpering.

You've got to be kidding me.

Leave it to Hunter.