Page 20

W hat is wrong with me?

Back in my bedroom, I take a quick shower, needing to wash Knox’s scent off my body. It’s too intoxicating, and I need my head to clear. Once I’m clean, all traces of him gone, I dry off and pull on a pair of jeans, tank top and my bomber jacket.

I need to get out of here because it feels like I’m suffocating.

There’s no point in denying it—panic made me run. Knox is right. I’m a coward.

But right now, I don’t care. I have a job to do, and that’s to get this crew back home. We still have a few hours until take off, but I’m leaving before everyone gets up. Knox and I weren’t exactly quiet last night, and I don’t think I can handle all the knowing looks and smirks.

Since I’d already consulted with Addie about taking one of the SUVs, I grab the keys and haul ass.

I can’t get out of here fast enough. Part of me is scared Knox is going to be waiting for me at the front door.

And another part of me feels a strange prick of disappointment when he’s not.

I remind myself it’s for the best and keep moving forward.

What did you expect? I ask myself as I walk outside. He asked you to stay and told you he wanted to pursue things, and you practically ran out of his room like your hair was on fire.

He told me exactly what an experienced man of the world would say, my cynical side points out, and I’m not falling for it . Because opening myself up to him, allowing my heart and body to be vulnerable, is too scary.

I’d like to believe him, though. So very badly.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” he’d asked. “A couple more orgasms?”

No, I wanted to say. I could fall in love with you.

Giving my entire self to a man again is a scary thought, especially since I’ve been alone for so long. I don’t even know how to be with someone for longer than a night. As much as I’d like to try, something is holding me back. Fear, yes, but something more.

He called me a little sparrow, but the truth is I’m more like a swift.

Forever ago, I had to write a report on a bird, and I chose the swift.

Fascinating creatures, and something that’s stuck with me ever since.

Unless they’re nesting, swifts spend their lives in the air, living on insects caught in flight.

They drink, feed, and often mate and sleep on the wing.

They can go ten months without landing, and no other bird spends as much time in flight.

Kind of like me, I realize. Never on the ground long enough to settle. Always running or flying away.

Isn’t it best to end things before they even begin, though?

“What happens in Spain, stays in Spain,” I remind myself through gritted teeth as I start the car. After programming the GPS to take me to the airport, I hit the gas. But I find myself looking in the rear view mirror, wondering if I just made the biggest mistake of my life.

Because if Knox was sincere, then I just walked away from what might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

It’s such a mindfuck. Shane truly messed me up, absolutely destroying my ability to trust in men. After he cheated, I promised myself I’d never allow myself to be so vulnerable again, even if it meant being alone forever.

And then here comes Mr. Charmer, so easygoing and carefree, spewing compliments and multiple orgasms at me like it’s no big deal. How can I not have trust issues?

I keep picturing the expression on his face right before I walked out of his room. He looked…crushed.

I wish there was a way I could peel back the layers of his heart and mind, see what he’s really feeling and thinking under all the polished veneer and panty-melting smiles. But that’s impossible.

There isn’t any traffic on the road because the sun is just coming up and everyone who’s anyone in paradise sleeps in.

As a result, I make excellent time to the airport.

The jet waits on the tarmac, ready to fly us all back to Denver, and then I’ll continue on to San Francisco.

My adventure with a world-class thief who’s sexy as hell will be over.

And then what? Nothing—no one—is waiting for me.

“Dammit,” I hiss, turning off the engine. A few days ago, I was sitting at Braxton and Quinn’s wedding, feeling so lonely, on the verge of accepting I’ll be single forever because I’m too damn scared to do anything about it.

This job was supposed to help me ignore the loneliness that had been steadily creeping in and taking over. Instead, it opened up an entirely new world, full of possibilities. And I just slammed the door closed on it all.

“You’re such an idiot.”

Dropping my head, I realize I sabotaged any chance I had at a potentially perfectly-wonderful future with Knox.

He’s probably over it, though. His options are endless, and I have no doubt he will move on and find a new woman to pursue. Me, though?

I give up.

My chest tightens and the foreign sting of tears threatens. Squeezing my eyes shut, I push them back. Now isn’t the time. I need to go through my pre-flight check and—

The driver’s side door opens, startling me, and I turn just in time to hear the crackle of a stun gun.

Before I can react, the shock of electricity hits me and my muscles seize up.

Sonofabitch, it hurts . The intense muscle contractions make me lose my balance.

Slumping forward against the steering wheel, my body twitches, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

“Help me get her out,” a voice commands in Spanish.

Unable to fight back, I struggle to keep my head up as two men drag me out of the driver’s seat and spirit me straight into a nearby SUV.

They toss me into the back seat, and I am fucking livid.

All of my military training and self-defense classes are urging me to fight, but I can’t even make a fist.

The shock of the stun leaves me disoriented and the painful contractions are like one big charley horse. All I can do is wait it out and hope they don’t stun me again before I regain control of my muscles and make them very sorry for their decisions.

In the meantime, a million questions race through my mind. Mostly who the fuck are these men, where the fuck are we going, and what the fuck is actually happening here?

I’m still a little fuzzy from the stun, but the more time that passes, the better and more clear I begin to feel. Even so, I stay down, not wanting to draw attention.

We drive for a little while, and I remain on my side, looking up and out the window. The moment I get a glimpse of large wrought iron gates opening, I know where I am.

Alejandro Torres’ estate.

The pieces click together fast. He wants his emerald back, and I guess I’m the unlucky one he was able to grab.

But how did he know? Ryder looped the cams and we all managed to escape without incident.

Unless he had some other tech running that recorded our images?

Maybe the same system that activated the alarm?

Or maybe someone followed us? I have no idea.

I do know I’m not in a good situation because no one knows I’m missing.

Fabulous . Somehow, I’m going to have to fight my way out of a gated compound with security up the wazoo.

The moment the SUV stops, Torres’ men get out. My door opens and a mean-looking mountain of a man stares back at me, a challenge gleaming in his black eyes. The top of his head is a big, bald dome and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a Sumo wrestler on the side.

“Are we going to have a problem?” Dome Head growls, lifting the stun gun to remind me he has it and won’t hesitate to use it.

As if I need a reminder.

“No,” I respond quickly, not wanting to become incapacitated by that electrical current again. It’s imperative for me to remain alert because the first opportunity I have to escape, I’m taking it.

“Let’s go.” He jerks his chin toward the mansion, and we start walking. The other guard, though smaller, is no less dangerous looking, and has a pockmarked face that reminds me of a lumpy toad.

Every step I take feels like one step closer to walking right off a cliff. Not having a weapon puts me at a disadvantage, but I’m also highly trained in hand-to-hand combat, thanks to the military. Plus, my legs are pretty long and I can run fast. And I’m not above running.

Now if I had access to a plane or jet, then that’s a whole other story. I’m always up for a dogfight.

Damn, I wish I could get my hands on something with an engine and—

The distinctive whomp-whomp-whomp of a helicopter’s rotor blades fills the distant air. The sound is music to my ears and my pulse quickens. If I can get behind the controls of a helo, then game fucking over.

Before I can get too excited, Dome Head grabs my arm and jerks me through the front door. Toad follows closely behind, and they escort me straight outside to the large patio. A man who I assume is Alejandro Torres lounges on a rattan sofa beside the pool.

“Hello again, Ms. McGrath,” he says coolly. His English is perfect, though accented, and he resembles a young Antonio Banderas. Definitely not bad on the eyes. Too bad he’s a criminal.

And what does he mean by “again?” My gaze lifts to connect with the glass bottom of the second pool hovering above us—the one where Knox and I swam. But how would Torres possibly know I snuck into his party as hired help?

I’m also wondering how he knows my name. The most likely answer is they hacked into the flight records and saw my name.

I decide the best thing to do is play dumb and keep my mouth shut. For now, anyway.

He arches a thick, black brow. “Nothing to say?”

I shrug a shoulder, remaining silent. Without warning, Torres jumps up, yanks me around and hauls me against his body. A muscled arm wraps around my chest and he flicks open a switchblade. I feel a prick against the side of my throat.

Holy shit, the man moves faster than a striking rattlesnake.

“I’m going to ask you some questions and I suggest you start talking.” The sharp point of the blade pushes into my neck. “ Comprende? ”

I swallow hard and can feel warm blood trickling down my skin. “Yes,” I force out.

“Good.” He shoves me away, pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wipes my blood off the blade. “Now, why don’t we sit down like civilized people and you’re going to tell me everything you know about the crew who stole my emerald.”

Dome Head shoves me down into the nearest chair while Torres returns to his cushioned sofa.

Leaning forward, he clasps his hands together and skewers me with an intimidating, black stare.

“Just so we’re clear, Ms. McGrath, I don’t tolerate being lied to.

Every time you dare tell me a falsehood, I’ll have Sergio cut something off your delectable little body.

It could be a finger, a toe, an ear…Maybe I’ll have him pop out one of your pretty brown eyes. Am I clear?”

Great. I’m dealing with a total psychopath. “Crystal,” I respond, squeezing my hands into fists. Over my dead body is he cutting anything off. The first opportunity that presents itself, I’m getting the hell out of here.

I just need to figure out how.

“Let’s start with the names of your crew.” He leans back and waits, but there’s no way I’m giving him any names.

So, what do I do? Lie and potentially risk losing a finger or worse?

Channeling those wily thieves, I put on my best game face. “That’s going to be rather difficult since they only go by aliases.”

His eyes narrow.

“And, so we’re on the same page, they aren’t my crew and I have no loyalty to any of them.

I was called in to pick up one of their team when their heist at your Colombian estate didn’t go as planned.

My package was simply known as The Charmer, and after an alarm alerted you to the theft of what turned out to be a fake emerald, my job was to swoop in and fly him home. ”

Torres drums his fingers against the sofa’s cushion. “And how did you get roped into the current heist here?”

“The Boss offered me a big pay day. I would’ve been a fool to say no.”

“Ah, I see. Money is a hard temptation to resist.”

“Apparently, so are emeralds. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the emerald taken from here wasn’t yours to begin with, was it? So thieves stole from a thief.”

Okay, I have no idea why I’m baiting this man, but I need to turn the mirror around so he can take a good look at himself. The self-righteous sonofabitch has the audacity to give me a slow, unrepentant smile.

“Normally, I don’t care for rude guests, but I enjoy a beautiful woman who is forthright.

” My skin crawls at the compliment. It’s not that he isn’t unattractive, it’s that his expression carries no warmth.

Hell, no humanity. Those black eyes remind me of a shark’s empty gaze, and I prepare myself for the possibility of another potential strike.

He studies me for an interminable minute, but I refuse to look away or let him think he can intimidate me with more threats. Nope. Not today, Banderas. Not today.

“Where is the emerald?” he hisses.

“I don’t know,” I say simply.

“Such a shame,” he murmurs, and I stiffen when he nods to Dome Head and Toad.

Uh-oh. They grab my forearms, pinning them to the chair’s armrests, and I fight, trying to break loose. Meanwhile, Torres gets up, flicking his switchblade open again.

“That was three lies, Ms. McGrath,” he states, moving in front of me and running the blade along my cheek. “ At least three.”

Shitshitshit.

I don’t dare move.

“I think you know exactly where my emerald is and I believe you know the names of the crew who stole it. I also believe you’re loyal to—what did you call him? The Charmer?”

I grit my teeth together hard, refusing to respond.

“Show her,” he orders.

Toad releases my arm and shoves a phone in front of me. A video plays, and when I see Knox and I kissing heatedly next to the display case with the emerald in the secret room, I want to slap my forehead. Dammit. Where had the stupid camera been hidden? And why hadn’t it looped like the others?

I am fucked.

“Still don’t remember the name of the man who had his tongue down your throat?” Torres asks. “And think very carefully before answering, because I’m keeping count of your lies. Right now, you owe me three pieces of flesh.”

“I-I only know him as The Charmer,” I insist, refusing to give up Knox’s identity. “I swear it.”

Torres shakes his head, lifting the switchblade. “I’m sorry to say I don’t believe one word coming out of your deceitful little mouth. Maybe we should take your lying tongue out first.”

I clamp my jaw tightly together, and he laughs.

“No? Tell me then. What should I cut off first? Hmm?” The point of his blade presses into my jawline.

Yeah, I am so very fucked.