you’re falling for me. I can’t blame you.” He pauses. I’m sure he’s waiting for some smartass remark from me. I’m going to keep him on his toes. “I’m prime real estate, princess.”
“Yet you’re not even under contract.”
“Simply waiting for the right buyer.”
“I assure you, I’m not interested in your property.”
He laughs. “Keep lying to yourself.”
I roll my eyes and look out the window. I try to yank my hand back, but he tightens his grip. Since taking his hand, he’s back to the same guy. The warmth and humor I’ve come to know is in place. We’re both reeling from our pasts. He’s lost friends while I’ve lost my father due to our careers.
We spend the next thirty minutes driving in silence. It’s nice to have someone who doesn’t need to fill the air with noise. He’s comfortable just being. Mark starts to slow the car and lets go of my hand.
He surveys the area. “I’m going in first.”
“The hell you are. We’re partners. Let’s think about this rationally.” He looks over while I start to form a plan. “If we go together we can play the part of a married couple lost in the area. Hell, we can be missionaries for all I care, but having a story gives us credibility. Your guys will know it’s you.”
“They have cameras at the perimeter. They won’t hesitate to shoot if they think you’re a threat.”
I smile. “I’m not worried. If they’re in there, wouldn’t they have used a secure line to call you?”
He rubs his hands down his face. “They wouldn’t risk it. Not with who they have in their protection.”
My mind starts to race. Who the hell is the company protecting that would require no contact? Of course, a lot of private government contractors do high asset transports. It’s common not to want to alert anyone, so they hire outside people. It gives them the secrecy they want, but whoever it is must be a lot higher than I originally assumed.
“So, what do you want to do?” I surprise myself by asking. I don’t normally sit on the sidelines, but this is his part of the trip.
“I need them to see me first, then they’ll know. So you need to look madly in love with me. Hang on me. We’ll get close enough to the camera, and then we’ll be in.”
“Why did I agree to this?” I ask myself more than anything.
“Because you wanted to be close to me.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
His eyes flash but he recovers so quickly I’m not sure I really saw it.
We exit the car and start to walk the area. It’s a larger city, filled with people. There’s no cover. No place to hide, except in plain sight. Kids run around outside and the streets are lined with cars. This means we’ll be able to blend in easier. I lift my scarf over my hair and walk beside Mark. We move around easily and unnoticed. I stay close to his side, and keep my eyes lowered. Once we get closer to the safe house, Mark’s hand grips my arm.
“Stay close,” he warns.
We pass through two small alleyways while my mind flashes to the last time we were in an alley. Once again, we’re playing the part of lovers. I wonder how much of this act is his way of getting to kiss me.
Mark stops and turns to me. He pulls the scarf down, cups my cheeks, and leans in close. “Behind you is the camera.” His hands tilt my face to the side as he peers up at it. “I’m going to turn you so they see your face.” I nod.
He turns me back to face him and presses his lips to mine. I grip his wrists as he holds me there. Suddenly, he breaks the kiss.
“Mark,” I say. My breathing is shallow. “We can’t stay here.”
“I know. Let’s move.”
We head upstairs to the apartment and the door opens. The man on the inside of the doorway is tall, dark, and appears ready to kill anyone in his way. There’s a gash on the side of his cheek, and he has a bandage around his leg.
“What is going on with these missions, Dixon?” One of the guys asks as soon as we come into
“Yet you’re not even under contract.”
“Simply waiting for the right buyer.”
“I assure you, I’m not interested in your property.”
He laughs. “Keep lying to yourself.”
I roll my eyes and look out the window. I try to yank my hand back, but he tightens his grip. Since taking his hand, he’s back to the same guy. The warmth and humor I’ve come to know is in place. We’re both reeling from our pasts. He’s lost friends while I’ve lost my father due to our careers.
We spend the next thirty minutes driving in silence. It’s nice to have someone who doesn’t need to fill the air with noise. He’s comfortable just being. Mark starts to slow the car and lets go of my hand.
He surveys the area. “I’m going in first.”
“The hell you are. We’re partners. Let’s think about this rationally.” He looks over while I start to form a plan. “If we go together we can play the part of a married couple lost in the area. Hell, we can be missionaries for all I care, but having a story gives us credibility. Your guys will know it’s you.”
“They have cameras at the perimeter. They won’t hesitate to shoot if they think you’re a threat.”
I smile. “I’m not worried. If they’re in there, wouldn’t they have used a secure line to call you?”
He rubs his hands down his face. “They wouldn’t risk it. Not with who they have in their protection.”
My mind starts to race. Who the hell is the company protecting that would require no contact? Of course, a lot of private government contractors do high asset transports. It’s common not to want to alert anyone, so they hire outside people. It gives them the secrecy they want, but whoever it is must be a lot higher than I originally assumed.
“So, what do you want to do?” I surprise myself by asking. I don’t normally sit on the sidelines, but this is his part of the trip.
“I need them to see me first, then they’ll know. So you need to look madly in love with me. Hang on me. We’ll get close enough to the camera, and then we’ll be in.”
“Why did I agree to this?” I ask myself more than anything.
“Because you wanted to be close to me.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
His eyes flash but he recovers so quickly I’m not sure I really saw it.
We exit the car and start to walk the area. It’s a larger city, filled with people. There’s no cover. No place to hide, except in plain sight. Kids run around outside and the streets are lined with cars. This means we’ll be able to blend in easier. I lift my scarf over my hair and walk beside Mark. We move around easily and unnoticed. I stay close to his side, and keep my eyes lowered. Once we get closer to the safe house, Mark’s hand grips my arm.
“Stay close,” he warns.
We pass through two small alleyways while my mind flashes to the last time we were in an alley. Once again, we’re playing the part of lovers. I wonder how much of this act is his way of getting to kiss me.
Mark stops and turns to me. He pulls the scarf down, cups my cheeks, and leans in close. “Behind you is the camera.” His hands tilt my face to the side as he peers up at it. “I’m going to turn you so they see your face.” I nod.
He turns me back to face him and presses his lips to mine. I grip his wrists as he holds me there. Suddenly, he breaks the kiss.
“Mark,” I say. My breathing is shallow. “We can’t stay here.”
“I know. Let’s move.”
We head upstairs to the apartment and the door opens. The man on the inside of the doorway is tall, dark, and appears ready to kill anyone in his way. There’s a gash on the side of his cheek, and he has a bandage around his leg.
“What is going on with these missions, Dixon?” One of the guys asks as soon as we come into
Similar Books
