“Hello to you, too, darling.”
Despite herself, her heart skipped a beat as the husky nickname left his mouth. Normally she hated lovey-dovey terms of endearment—she’d always found them so very demeaning—but coming from Nick, the word didn’t sound condescending. There was something sweet about the way he said it.
Snap out of it, Becks.
Yeah, she really needed to quit getting distracted by this man.
“What happened with Salazar?” she asked him.
Nick shrugged out of his bomber jacket and tossed it on the arm of the couch. A cloud of dust billowed in the air as the garment landed on the frayed upholstery.
“I got Waverly’s location,” he answered. “The bastard’s hiding out in a small beach town in Costa Rica.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “How does Salazar know where Waverly is? I thought he was supposed to hook you up with Mr. New Devil.”
Nick’s amber-colored eyes grew somber. “Is this off the record?”
“I’m insulted that you’d even ask me that,” she huffed.
“Is it off the record, Rebecca?”
“Yes!”
“Salazar is El Nuevo Diablo.”
Shock spiraled through her. “Are you serious?”
Nick nodded, then brushed past her and headed for the kitchen. At the counter, he untwisted the cap off one of the water jugs, lifted the heavy container and took a long swig.
“El Nuevo Diablo is a member of the presidential guard,” she mused. “Now, that’s an interesting development.”
“I thought so, too.”
“Okay, so Salazar is the one who arranged Waverly’s new ID. And he’s certain Waverly went to Costa Rica?”
“He chartered the guy’s plane himself.”
Rebecca nodded briskly. “Fine. Then we go to Costa Rica. I assume you’ve got contacts with a private airfield?”
A low laugh exited his mouth. Setting down the jug, he stalked back to her, stopping when they were nose to nose. Well, kind of. At over six feet, Nick towered over her five-foot-one frame, so it was more like they were nose to collarbone.
That was precisely why she habitually avoided dating tall men—they always made her feel utterly dwarfish—but Nick’s size was a bit of a turn-on. She could easily imagine herself being sheltered in those strong arms, or clinging to his broad shoulders as he carried her to bed....
Snap. Out. Of. It.
Jeez, what was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she quit fantasizing about this man and focus on the perilous situation they’d found themselves in?
“You’re not coming with me,” Nick said in a resolute tone. “I don’t know how many different ways I can say it to make you understand that it’s not happening.”
She bristled. “If you don’t take me with you, then I’ll go without you. I’ll track Waverly down myself.”
Frustration burned in his eyes. “The only place you’re going is Ecuador. My men and I have a base camp there, and you can stay with them until we determine that it’s safe for you to go back to D.C.”
“No.”
“Rebecca—”
“No,” she repeated. She was so annoyed she had to fight the urge to kick him. “I get that you’re trying to protect me, but I don’t need your protection, Nick. What I need is to find the person who killed my colleagues. And no matter what you think, I can be an asset to you. I have sources in dozens of countries—” her tone turned smug “—including Costa Rica. And don’t forget about D.C. I know every last player in that city, darling. ”
“Are you always so difficult?”
“I’m not trying to be difficult. All I’m saying is, I’m already involved, okay? I was involved the moment we went out for drinks at the Liberty, and I refuse to be hidden away in Ecuador. Whether you like it or not, this is my fight, too, now.”
She could see his resolve crumbling as a resigned look settled over his face. “I don’t like this. You’re too recognizable.”
An incredulous laugh popped out. “And you’re not? You’re Secretary Barrett’s son, for Pete’s sake.”
He sighed.
Despite herself, her heart skipped a beat as the husky nickname left his mouth. Normally she hated lovey-dovey terms of endearment—she’d always found them so very demeaning—but coming from Nick, the word didn’t sound condescending. There was something sweet about the way he said it.
Snap out of it, Becks.
Yeah, she really needed to quit getting distracted by this man.
“What happened with Salazar?” she asked him.
Nick shrugged out of his bomber jacket and tossed it on the arm of the couch. A cloud of dust billowed in the air as the garment landed on the frayed upholstery.
“I got Waverly’s location,” he answered. “The bastard’s hiding out in a small beach town in Costa Rica.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “How does Salazar know where Waverly is? I thought he was supposed to hook you up with Mr. New Devil.”
Nick’s amber-colored eyes grew somber. “Is this off the record?”
“I’m insulted that you’d even ask me that,” she huffed.
“Is it off the record, Rebecca?”
“Yes!”
“Salazar is El Nuevo Diablo.”
Shock spiraled through her. “Are you serious?”
Nick nodded, then brushed past her and headed for the kitchen. At the counter, he untwisted the cap off one of the water jugs, lifted the heavy container and took a long swig.
“El Nuevo Diablo is a member of the presidential guard,” she mused. “Now, that’s an interesting development.”
“I thought so, too.”
“Okay, so Salazar is the one who arranged Waverly’s new ID. And he’s certain Waverly went to Costa Rica?”
“He chartered the guy’s plane himself.”
Rebecca nodded briskly. “Fine. Then we go to Costa Rica. I assume you’ve got contacts with a private airfield?”
A low laugh exited his mouth. Setting down the jug, he stalked back to her, stopping when they were nose to nose. Well, kind of. At over six feet, Nick towered over her five-foot-one frame, so it was more like they were nose to collarbone.
That was precisely why she habitually avoided dating tall men—they always made her feel utterly dwarfish—but Nick’s size was a bit of a turn-on. She could easily imagine herself being sheltered in those strong arms, or clinging to his broad shoulders as he carried her to bed....
Snap. Out. Of. It.
Jeez, what was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she quit fantasizing about this man and focus on the perilous situation they’d found themselves in?
“You’re not coming with me,” Nick said in a resolute tone. “I don’t know how many different ways I can say it to make you understand that it’s not happening.”
She bristled. “If you don’t take me with you, then I’ll go without you. I’ll track Waverly down myself.”
Frustration burned in his eyes. “The only place you’re going is Ecuador. My men and I have a base camp there, and you can stay with them until we determine that it’s safe for you to go back to D.C.”
“No.”
“Rebecca—”
“No,” she repeated. She was so annoyed she had to fight the urge to kick him. “I get that you’re trying to protect me, but I don’t need your protection, Nick. What I need is to find the person who killed my colleagues. And no matter what you think, I can be an asset to you. I have sources in dozens of countries—” her tone turned smug “—including Costa Rica. And don’t forget about D.C. I know every last player in that city, darling. ”
“Are you always so difficult?”
“I’m not trying to be difficult. All I’m saying is, I’m already involved, okay? I was involved the moment we went out for drinks at the Liberty, and I refuse to be hidden away in Ecuador. Whether you like it or not, this is my fight, too, now.”
She could see his resolve crumbling as a resigned look settled over his face. “I don’t like this. You’re too recognizable.”
An incredulous laugh popped out. “And you’re not? You’re Secretary Barrett’s son, for Pete’s sake.”
He sighed.
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