by C. R. Hill
The taxi down the runway and the rush that always washed over him at lift off weren’t helping to alleviate the feeling either.
“I think we should go straight for Diaz,” Sierra said, finally breaking the silence.
Jake leveled the plane and set the automatic pilot before answering her. “Don’t worry. Diaz will get what’s coming to him.”
She shifted in her seat to face him. “You don’t want my help.”
He arched a brow. “I don’t need your help.”
A small chuckle escaped her throat. “You sure as hell needed it three months ago.”
That wasn’t something he could exactly deny, not that it changed his feelings on the subject. He would not have Sierra’s blood on his hands. “You’re right. I did and now the debt’s been repaid. We’ll go back to my place and you can stay out of sight awhile.”
She shook her head, her fake blue eyes widening. “You really think I’ll do whatever you tell me? You’re a chauvinist.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you won’t do what I tell you, but you’ll do what Trent tells you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So, you think Trent will bench me.”
He nodded. “You’re life is in danger as it is, Sierra. You don’t understand the kind of man Diaz is.”
She gave him a very unlady like snort. “My life is in danger every time I accept a mission.”
“Diaz doesn’t like to leave things to chance. It’s why I went into hiding. I know too much about his organization and now you’re in that group, too.”
“But I don’t really know anything, not yet.”
“You can identify his right hand man. That’s who you met with at the warehouse. His name is Michael Toraz.”
“And how much good is that really going to do me?”
“Doesn’t matter. Diaz doesn’t like loose ends and he has a lot of money, which equals a lot of power.”
“Then why did he leave you alive for so long?”
He gave her a wry smile. “Because of my abundant charm.”
That stopped whatever Sierra was going to say next and she laughed. The sound brought his body—which had just started to stand down—back to life. He had to admit he’d never encountered a woman like Sierra Thayer. Beautiful, sexy, smart…and lethal.
“See, it even works on you,” Jake said, then turned serious. “Diaz wanted more information from me. He wanted names of other agents and locations. And he got a lot of pleasure watching me suffer. The bottom line is he doesn’t like to leave things to chance. If you’re in the open, he’ll try to take you out. Either that or he’ll bring you in and torture you in ways you’ve never dreamed.”
Jake’s words sent images skittering through Sierra’s brain that caused her stomach to knot, but there was no way she’d let Jake know his speech affected her. She leaned back in her seat. “I can take care of myself, and I can sure as hell stay under the radar. He doesn’t even know what I look like.”
“You don’t think,” Jake said. “We don’t even know who the mole is.”
“You said you and Trent didn’t suspect any of the operatives. Those are the only people who could give out our real identities. The few people connected with the agency, outside of the agents, only have access to missions, not the exact identities of those performing them. And our photos and fingerprints aren’t supposed to be on record anywhere.” She smiled. “We’re ghosts.”
She was smart. He realized he was quiet too long and she jumped all over it.
“So, you and Trent do have a list of suspects. And it has to be pretty short. Who knows about us?”
Jake frowned. “Not many people.” He sighed. “Six to be exact.”
“So, if the mole is one of them, all they’ve probably been able to feed Diaz is that someone is trying to infiltrate his organization and give him a time frame for the mission. That’s how he figured out you weren’t who you posed to be. And how they figured out who Daniel and I were. It’s possible our fake identities could have been discovered.”
Jake looked at her. Even with her black hair, pulled into a bun at the back of her neck and matted to her head, she was beautiful. Keen intelligence sparkled in her eyes.
“That’s a good possibility, but not one we know for sure. We just lost our first agent because of the leak.”
Her mouth thinned and sadness filled her eyes. The compulsion to pull her against his body gripped him. Instead he checked the gauges in the cockpit and tried to ignore the fact that the tough, beautiful woman beside him was hurting, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it. “I’m sure Trent will agree we don’t need to sacrifice anymore agents to Diaz. We can’t assume that Diaz doesn’t know your real identity.”
Sierra crossed her arms over her chest. The motion lifting her small firm breasts. Breasts that didn’t appear to be constrained by anything. It wasn’t bad enough that he hadn’t gotten laid in close to a year because of the mission and then his injuries, but he had to deal with the woman only half-dressed.
“I’m not going to hide away like a coward. I owe Daniel more than that. Finding the leak is as important to me as it is to you. Besides, he knows your identity for sure, so how are you planning to get close to him again?”
“That’s for me to worry about.”
“You aren’t going to get away with that answer, Harding.”
“We’ll talk about this once we get to my place.” That was all Jake could say at the moment. He knew she was angry over the death of her partner. He also knew enough about her to realize she didn’t take to being told to stand down, but she didn’t realize what or who she was dealing with.
Jake would just have to figure out how to convince her of that.
And how to convince his body, he wasn’t going to touch her.
Chapter Three
Sierra looked out the passenger window of Jake’s truck as he maneuvered it on the winding road through the mountains of North Carolina.
He handled the truck with the same competence he’d flown the Cessna. She expected nothing less from him.
She knew the answer Jake had given her on the plane was nothing more than an appeasement.
And one thing she hated was being patted on the head like a good little girl and discounted. Arguing with him at the time wouldn’t have gotten her anywhere.
That didn’t mean she was giving up. But you had to pick your battles and pick your strategies.
Sierra looked at Jake’s profile. He looked so much different than he had three months ago. His dark hair was now cut almost military short. The sharp edges of his face weren’t covered in whiskers and his hard chiseled body looked fit and healthy. She didn’t think he’d put back on all the weight he’d lost, but he was close. He’d probably been pushing himself to recuperate from the start.
Not that she would be any different. She decided to break the silence. “It’s really beautiful up here.”
He glanced at her, before concentrating on the narrow, curving road. “Yes. Peaceful.”
“How did you get here when you left the hospital? You sure as hell weren’t in any condition to fly or drive.”
“What? You think I have no friends?” The side of his mouth quirked as he said it.
Actually, he always seemed like such a loner, she hadn’t really considered that possibility. He wasn’t friends with anyone at the agency, except for Trent. She shrugged. “You left so quickly.”
That seemed to amuse him more. “You almost sound upset by that.”
“Only that I risked my hide to save you and then you left medical care that you clearly needed.”
He laughed. The deep husky sound sent chill bumps careening down her arms and legs. She decided to blame it on the shorts and tank top in the air-conditioned interior of the truck.
“As you can see, Sierra, I’m perfectly fine. Something that couldn’t be guaranteed if I’d stayed in Richmond.”
His comment was the ideal segue into more discussion on who he thought the leak was, but she decided not to pursue
it.
Always take your adversary off guard. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. It would have been a real waste of government money to have you rescued only to die from some infection.”
He laughed again. “Your concern is touching.”
Sierra folded her hands in her lap and took in the beauty of the mountains. Of course, the serenity only served to remind her that Daniel would never again see such things. She thought of Daniel’s wife. Sierra had never met the woman, but Daniel had talked about her sometimes.
She’d been the nurse who’d taken care of him when he’d been injured in the military before joining the agency. Daniel never should have taken this job. Agents in their line of work had no business with families.
Yet, every one of them excelled at what they did. Daniel shouldn’t be dead. They shouldn’t have been betrayed.
She glanced at Jake’s hard profile. The stubborn man might not want her help and if she couldn’t convince him, fine. She was perfectly capable of going after Diaz and whoever was feeding him information on her own. She was just as capable as the man sitting beside her.
~***~
Jake pulled up in front of his cabin. The familiar feeling of security he felt here settled over his shoulders. His name appeared nowhere on the deed to the property or anything connected with it. No one knew about this place, except a very select few, including Trent…and now Sierra.
“You can’t tell anyone about this place,” he said as he shifted the truck into park.
She smiled. “Is this like the bat cave?”
He shook his head and opened his door. He’d noticed even in South America when she’d been bleeding and injured she’d made wisecracks. “Do you always have a smart ass remark?”
She shrugged. “One of my many charms.”
They both climbed from their seats. Jake retrieved the bags from the bed of the truck. Sierra preceded him to the house, her gaze moving over the small yard that was more rocks than grass and the log cabin.
“Quaint,” she finally commented as Jake unlocked the door.
He set their bags on the floor and disarmed the alarm system. No one may know about this place, but that didn’t mean he took chances.
Sierra moved into the den. The room wasn’t that large with the kitchen directly behind. Two bedrooms and a bathroom completed the house, except for a small enclosed porch that held a washer, dryer and a freezer.
The center piece of the den was a large brick fireplace and hearth.
She turned to look at him and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “So this is home.”
His gaze went unbidden directly to those small firm globes again. Her nipples pushed against the cotton tank top, a reaction he supposed to the cool air coming from the ceiling fan above her head.
He looked away quickly and nodded. “When I’m in the states.”
She walked to the brown leather sofa, running her hand over the back as she moved behind, stroking it lovingly, like she might stroke a lover. Jake had to grit his teeth.
“You really are a loner. You don’t work with a partner, you don’t socialize with any of the other agents and you live up here in the mountains about as isolated as you can get when you’re not on assignment.”
She stopped and looked at him. He walked to stand at the other end of the sofa, trying to keep his thoughts off of her hands, her breasts and all her other enticing body parts. He did however wish she’d remove the blue contacts she wore. Not that there was anything wrong with blue eyes. After all, it was the color of his. But he liked her brown eyes. They matched her dark hair and slightly exotic features.
“When you only have yourself to worry about, life is simpler.”
She tilted her head, her gaze as searching as a heat seeking missile. “Ah…there’s a story there, I bet.” Before he could respond, she turned. “So, are you going to call Trent or should I?”
Jake ran a hand over his face. “I’ll call him.”
Their boss was not going to be happy with what he had to tell him. Dammit! He wished he’d been able to keep Daniel from getting killed.
“Then is there some place I can freshen up?”
He nodded and picked up her bag. The bathroom sat in the hall between the two bedrooms. “This is the only bathroom. It’s stocked with towels, so help yourself.” He set her bag down in front of her and pointed to the bedroom on the right. “You can sleep in there.”
“Thanks,” she said and hoisted the bag into her arms. “I think I’ll take a shower.”
She turned and walked into the bathroom, pushing the door shut behind her.
Just the thought of her naked beneath the warm spray was enough to make sweat pop out on Jake’s forehead.
He was going to have to get a handle on his lust. She was everything he did not need in a woman and besides, he didn’t have time to indulge. Even if he did, he wasn’t sure that having sex with Sierra wouldn’t kill him.
He walked into his bedroom. Sitting on the bed, he picked up the phone and dialed Trent’s private line. Dread laced through his stomach as he thought of what he had to say.
Trent answered on the third ring. “Trent Browning.”
“It’s Jake.” He ran a hand over his face. “Daniel Matheson’s dead.”
The line was quiet a moment and he could picture his friend’s face. Trent might be a big man, but he had a heart of gold. He would take the loss of one of his men harder than anyone. “Damn it all to hell,” his friend and boss finally said. Jake figured he wanted to say much worse. “Sierra?”
“She’s okay. She’s with me in the mountains.”
Trent sighed with relief. “What happened?”
“They met with Diaz’s right hand man. He got a call while they were there, but the meeting continued. They came back to the bungalow and were ambushed.” Jake paused a moment, still feeling guilty that he hadn’t been quick enough to save Matheson. “Toraz must have called in reinforcements as soon as they’d left. I didn’t get back to the bungalow until the shooting had started.”
“Daniel’s death isn’t your fault. If anyone’s to blame it’s me. I sent them down there without knowing the nature of the leak.”
Jake heard weariness in Trent’s voice. It was hell when someone in your own organization was putting the agents in danger. And he knew his friend well enough to know how much he dreaded calling Matheson’s wife.
“How pissed is Sierra?”
Jake grunted. “She’s ready to go straight for Diaz. I need you to order her out of it.”
“She could help us on this one, Jake.”
“No.” The word was sharper than he intended. He didn’t need Sierra in the middle of this. He could handle Diaz on his own. “She needs to lay low for awhile.”
“Jake, I can give her the order…but that’s no guarantee I can stop her. Surely, you realize by now that she’s pretty head strong. Sierra has always been somewhat of a wildcard.”
Jake grimaced. “Yeah. I realize that. But Diaz is dangerous and Sierra is too reckless.”
“She reminds me a lot of you in our early years.”
“She’s nothing like me, Trent. She’s fearless and we have no idea whether her identity has been compromised.” Jake changed the subject. “Have you gotten any new information on our suspects?”
“A little. Lawrence Townsend just bought a beach house in the Caribbean. I’m trying to trace where the funds for that property came from.”
“Nothing on Senator Cassidy?”
“Not yet, and I don’t want to alert any of the suspects that we’re poking around. What have you got planned in the meantime?”
Jake sighed. “I’m still working on it.”
“Jake. Just don’t forget Diaz has got a lot of contacts and resources.”
“I have a few of my own. I’ll call you later.”
They hung up and Jake stood, figuring since it was way past lunch time, Sierra might be hungry when she came out of the bathroom.
One thing he made sure of was tha
t his freezer and pantry were well stocked so he didn’t go hungry when he was home.
He’d no sooner gotten out some hamburger meat to thaw in the microwave for spaghetti sauce, than Sierra padded into the den. She’d changed into a pair of low slung jeans and red tee shirt that barely covered her belly. Her hair hung wet and shiny down her back and across her shoulders, her face was scrubbed clean of all the makeup she’d worn earlier and her eyes were back to chocolate brown.
But damn, she still didn’t have on a bra. Her nipples pushed enticingly against the material.
“I thought you might be hungry.” He held up the package of meat. “Spaghetti okay?”
She shrugged and walked toward the kitchen. “Fine. Need some help?”
Jake shook his head. The last thing he needed was her underfoot. He could already smell the fresh scent of her hair. Something light and fruity. And her faded jeans clung to her hips and long legs like a glove, making him want to peel her out of them.
“Not really. Why don’t you just sit and relax. You want a drink?”
“Do you have anything with alcohol?”
“Beer or liquor?”
“A beer will be fine.”
He turned and retrieved two bottles of beer from the fridge. He twisted the top off of one and handed it to her. “The porch out front is usually cool,” he suggested.
She nodded and walked to the front door.
Cool air washed over Sierra’s face as she stepped onto the wood plank porch. The weathered surface was rough beneath her bare feet.
Taking a large swallow of the cold beer, she settled into a rocking chair. Funny, but she wouldn’t have pictured Jake as having a place like this or with having a rocking chair on the front porch.
She noticed he only had one. Definitely not a man expecting company and probably wasn’t thrilled to be sharing his retreat with her. His sense of obligation to repay his debt to her was most likely his only reason for bringing her here. He had saved her life. That much she had to admit, no matter how irritated she was with him.
She inhaled the fresh mountain air, taking pleasure from the decidedly cooler temperatures than Miami, and took another swig of beer. She enjoyed the bitter taste and the fizzy bubbles as they rolled across her tongue.
