about my sister makes all the difference, huh?”
“You think I want to let some drug-dealing scumbag escape justice?”
“Oh sure, you’re a real hero.”
That was the thing though. He was no one’s hero these days and it was the last thing he wanted to be. But that still made her an ungrateful little witch. He stared at her. “I saved your ass, didn’t I?”
She at least had the grace to blush, looking up at the handcuff around her wrist and rubbing absently at it with her free hand. “If you want me to thank you, then let me go.”
“So you can kick me in the balls again, then run off to get yourself killed? I don’t think so.” He pushed himself off the couch in an impatient movement, suddenly conscious of how much time he’d spent here.
While she’d been asleep, he’d checked out the motel, then made a couple of calls, organizing flights to get himself to Carolina and Fort Bragg. Then Quinn had sent him a couple of texts asking him where the hell he was, and he’d replied with a terse
dealing with it
.
He moved to the windows overlooking the parking lot, reflexively scanning the area for anything suspicious. He’d been expecting the cartel guy to turn up at some point, and it was strange that he hadn’t. The cartels didn’t like leaving loose ends lying around, and Iris was one hell of a loose end. So what was he doing? If Lone Star could find out where Iris was staying, then that guy must know too. Then again, he wouldn’t have been expecting her to be protected, would he? And Zane had clearly been protecting her. So maybe the guy was reassessing his strategy or…
He went to get reinforcements.
Zane froze. Shit. One asshole with a gun Zane could handle, but any more and things could get difficult.
Going instantly into military mode, Zane turned sharply from the window. “We need to go. Now.”
Iris looked up, brows arching in surprise. “Why? What’s happening?”
Digging around in his pocket for the key to the handcuffs, Zane pulled it out and strode over to her. “I was expecting the guy from the bar, the one who shot at us, to show up and he hasn’t. And there’s only one reason for that.”
“What?”
“He went to get some backup.”
Fear flashed in her gaze, sudden and bright. “Shit,” she said faintly.
“Yeah, you could say that.” He reached for her handcuffed wrist, then paused, looking down into her dark eyes. “I would advise against escaping. Unless you can protect yourself from a whole lot of cartel guys with AKs.”
“And you can?”
“Of course. I’m a Green Beret sniper.”
Surprise flickered over her face for a second, then it vanished and she scowled. “Is that supposed to impress me?”
“No. But maybe it’ll make you think twice about kicking me in the nuts again.” He unlocked her, setting her free. “Get your things. We need to get out of here ASAP.”
Iris stared warily at him, rubbing at her wrist. “I’m not coming back?”
“Not unless you like the thought of being gunned down in a shitty motel.” He slid the handcuffs back into his pocket. “Come on, get moving. No telling when those guys will be back.”
She didn’t move straightaway, giving him another wary glance. “How do you know he’ll be here?”
“Because I’m not a fucking idiot,” he growled, uncharacteristically impatient. “Now, are you going to stand there asking me stupid questions all day, or are you going to do as you’re told and pack your stuff?”
A spark flared in her eyes. “Hey, you don’t need to be—”
“Fine,” he interrupted tersely. “Leave your things behind, I don’t give a shit. But if you’re not ready to leave in exactly one minute, I’m picking you up and carrying you down to the truck myself.”
Her mouth snapped shut and clearly she’d decided to stop being a little idiot because she slipped off the bed and went over to the closet, pulling it open, tossing out a battered duffel bag. Then she vanished into the bathroom
“You think I want to let some drug-dealing scumbag escape justice?”
“Oh sure, you’re a real hero.”
That was the thing though. He was no one’s hero these days and it was the last thing he wanted to be. But that still made her an ungrateful little witch. He stared at her. “I saved your ass, didn’t I?”
She at least had the grace to blush, looking up at the handcuff around her wrist and rubbing absently at it with her free hand. “If you want me to thank you, then let me go.”
“So you can kick me in the balls again, then run off to get yourself killed? I don’t think so.” He pushed himself off the couch in an impatient movement, suddenly conscious of how much time he’d spent here.
While she’d been asleep, he’d checked out the motel, then made a couple of calls, organizing flights to get himself to Carolina and Fort Bragg. Then Quinn had sent him a couple of texts asking him where the hell he was, and he’d replied with a terse
dealing with it
.
He moved to the windows overlooking the parking lot, reflexively scanning the area for anything suspicious. He’d been expecting the cartel guy to turn up at some point, and it was strange that he hadn’t. The cartels didn’t like leaving loose ends lying around, and Iris was one hell of a loose end. So what was he doing? If Lone Star could find out where Iris was staying, then that guy must know too. Then again, he wouldn’t have been expecting her to be protected, would he? And Zane had clearly been protecting her. So maybe the guy was reassessing his strategy or…
He went to get reinforcements.
Zane froze. Shit. One asshole with a gun Zane could handle, but any more and things could get difficult.
Going instantly into military mode, Zane turned sharply from the window. “We need to go. Now.”
Iris looked up, brows arching in surprise. “Why? What’s happening?”
Digging around in his pocket for the key to the handcuffs, Zane pulled it out and strode over to her. “I was expecting the guy from the bar, the one who shot at us, to show up and he hasn’t. And there’s only one reason for that.”
“What?”
“He went to get some backup.”
Fear flashed in her gaze, sudden and bright. “Shit,” she said faintly.
“Yeah, you could say that.” He reached for her handcuffed wrist, then paused, looking down into her dark eyes. “I would advise against escaping. Unless you can protect yourself from a whole lot of cartel guys with AKs.”
“And you can?”
“Of course. I’m a Green Beret sniper.”
Surprise flickered over her face for a second, then it vanished and she scowled. “Is that supposed to impress me?”
“No. But maybe it’ll make you think twice about kicking me in the nuts again.” He unlocked her, setting her free. “Get your things. We need to get out of here ASAP.”
Iris stared warily at him, rubbing at her wrist. “I’m not coming back?”
“Not unless you like the thought of being gunned down in a shitty motel.” He slid the handcuffs back into his pocket. “Come on, get moving. No telling when those guys will be back.”
She didn’t move straightaway, giving him another wary glance. “How do you know he’ll be here?”
“Because I’m not a fucking idiot,” he growled, uncharacteristically impatient. “Now, are you going to stand there asking me stupid questions all day, or are you going to do as you’re told and pack your stuff?”
A spark flared in her eyes. “Hey, you don’t need to be—”
“Fine,” he interrupted tersely. “Leave your things behind, I don’t give a shit. But if you’re not ready to leave in exactly one minute, I’m picking you up and carrying you down to the truck myself.”
Her mouth snapped shut and clearly she’d decided to stop being a little idiot because she slipped off the bed and went over to the closet, pulling it open, tossing out a battered duffel bag. Then she vanished into the bathroom
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