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Authors: Lynn Raye Harris
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get from Black, her loyalties would swing toward them.
“You’ll get Emily away from the terrorist camp? You’ll send her back to the States with a clean record?”
“You do realize that your sister may not want to leave bin Yusuf?”
“I know that.” She hesitated. “But I don’t believe it. If she was happy, he’d have no reason to keep us apart.”
Mendez studied her. “I can’t promise a clean record. She’s been living in a terrorist organization for years now. She’ll be on no-fly lists, and she’ll be watched. But she’ll be free to come and go, and she’ll be able to find work.”
Victoria nibbled her lip. “Ian isn’t stupid. If he didn’t know bin Yusuf wanted me dead before, he probably will now. He’ll want to know how I escaped—and how I managed to kill three men after they’d disarmed me.”
“Was he there? Does he know they took your weapon?”
She didn’t answer, but Nick could tell she was thinking about it.
Mendez kept his gaze on her. “I’ve sent a cleanup team. There won’t be any bodies left. You can say whatever you want about how you got away. Are you a good liar, Miss Royal?”
“I can be.”
“Then tell a damn good lie and stick with it.”
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “This is a bad idea. Ian will be suspicious—of me, of Nick, of the whole damn thing. He’s not going to suddenly tell me anything about his operations.”
“He doesn’t need to. Just get Sergeant Brandon into the outfit and leave the rest to him.”
CHAPTER SIX
Was she really going through with this? Victoria stood near the car waiting to take her into Baq and stared off into the desert. The sun was setting, turning the sky blood red and the dunes orange. It was beautiful, but not the sort of place to take for granted. Forgetting for even an instant that the desert was a constant struggle between life and death could be fatal.
Victoria shuddered. She’d nearly been killed earlier today when she’d stood under a bridge and stared down a man with a gun. She would have died if not for Nick Brandon and his team.
She still didn’t know who they were or what this outfit was, but they were definitely special operators. She suspected they were Delta Force, no matter what Nick said. It was either that or Green Berets. What else was there?
And she was about to walk back into Ian’s headquarters and tell him she’d found a spotter. Someone she used to know and had met again today when he’d come to her aid in Akhira.
God, it was risky as hell, but apparently this Colonel Mendez had access to things that normal colonels didn’t. Like CIA reports. She’d had no idea Ian was former CIA. He’d always styled himself as ex-military, and he worked unconventionally. He had the trust of the locals in a way that surprised her, but that hadn’t worried her until the mission two weeks ago. Now she wondered just whose side he was on.
Nick came out of the building and swaggered toward her. He’d taken off the gear, but he was still dressed in desert camouflage. He was tall, his shoulders stretching the uniform impressively, and there was a day’s worth of stubble on his face. Soldiers had strict rules for grooming, but not out here. Just another indication he wasn’t regular Army.
Her belly did a flip the closer he got. She pressed a hand to her middle and told herself to breathe. He came to a stop and stared down at her, his kiss-worthy lips forming a hard frown. She could see the ball chain from his dog tags glinting against his neck where he hadn’t tucked it into his T-shirt. Why, oh why, did he have to be so damn appealing?
“I know you don’t like me,” he said, “but you can trust me to protect you out there.”
Her heart thumped and she swallowed. “First of all, I can protect myself—been doing it for two years without you. And second, I never said I didn’t like you.”
He snorted softly. “Have it your way then. And you haven’t liked me since the
“You’ll get Emily away from the terrorist camp? You’ll send her back to the States with a clean record?”
“You do realize that your sister may not want to leave bin Yusuf?”
“I know that.” She hesitated. “But I don’t believe it. If she was happy, he’d have no reason to keep us apart.”
Mendez studied her. “I can’t promise a clean record. She’s been living in a terrorist organization for years now. She’ll be on no-fly lists, and she’ll be watched. But she’ll be free to come and go, and she’ll be able to find work.”
Victoria nibbled her lip. “Ian isn’t stupid. If he didn’t know bin Yusuf wanted me dead before, he probably will now. He’ll want to know how I escaped—and how I managed to kill three men after they’d disarmed me.”
“Was he there? Does he know they took your weapon?”
She didn’t answer, but Nick could tell she was thinking about it.
Mendez kept his gaze on her. “I’ve sent a cleanup team. There won’t be any bodies left. You can say whatever you want about how you got away. Are you a good liar, Miss Royal?”
“I can be.”
“Then tell a damn good lie and stick with it.”
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “This is a bad idea. Ian will be suspicious—of me, of Nick, of the whole damn thing. He’s not going to suddenly tell me anything about his operations.”
“He doesn’t need to. Just get Sergeant Brandon into the outfit and leave the rest to him.”
CHAPTER SIX
Was she really going through with this? Victoria stood near the car waiting to take her into Baq and stared off into the desert. The sun was setting, turning the sky blood red and the dunes orange. It was beautiful, but not the sort of place to take for granted. Forgetting for even an instant that the desert was a constant struggle between life and death could be fatal.
Victoria shuddered. She’d nearly been killed earlier today when she’d stood under a bridge and stared down a man with a gun. She would have died if not for Nick Brandon and his team.
She still didn’t know who they were or what this outfit was, but they were definitely special operators. She suspected they were Delta Force, no matter what Nick said. It was either that or Green Berets. What else was there?
And she was about to walk back into Ian’s headquarters and tell him she’d found a spotter. Someone she used to know and had met again today when he’d come to her aid in Akhira.
God, it was risky as hell, but apparently this Colonel Mendez had access to things that normal colonels didn’t. Like CIA reports. She’d had no idea Ian was former CIA. He’d always styled himself as ex-military, and he worked unconventionally. He had the trust of the locals in a way that surprised her, but that hadn’t worried her until the mission two weeks ago. Now she wondered just whose side he was on.
Nick came out of the building and swaggered toward her. He’d taken off the gear, but he was still dressed in desert camouflage. He was tall, his shoulders stretching the uniform impressively, and there was a day’s worth of stubble on his face. Soldiers had strict rules for grooming, but not out here. Just another indication he wasn’t regular Army.
Her belly did a flip the closer he got. She pressed a hand to her middle and told herself to breathe. He came to a stop and stared down at her, his kiss-worthy lips forming a hard frown. She could see the ball chain from his dog tags glinting against his neck where he hadn’t tucked it into his T-shirt. Why, oh why, did he have to be so damn appealing?
“I know you don’t like me,” he said, “but you can trust me to protect you out there.”
Her heart thumped and she swallowed. “First of all, I can protect myself—been doing it for two years without you. And second, I never said I didn’t like you.”
He snorted softly. “Have it your way then. And you haven’t liked me since the
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