by Katie Reus
There wasn’t much insulation through the plaster, so it wasn’t too difficult to hear what was going on. The bedroom door creaked as it opened. Sophie tensed in his arms, so he placed what he hoped was a calming hand on her back.
The sound of the closet door sliding open caused his stomach to roil. This was it. He heard the sound of hangers sliding across the pole, a quiet curse, then the door sliding shut. Sophie’s back relaxed slightly against his chest, but he could feel the pounding of her heart.
“They’re not here,” a familiar voice said.
Jack’s entire world shifted when he heard Levi talking. He’d wondered how anyone had found this place, had briefly wondered if there was a leak in the agency—one he’d gladly ferret out—but for a friend to betray him seemed impossible. What the hell was going on?
When his friend—or former friend—continued, Jack assumed he was on the phone since there was no audible response. “No, we’ve swept the place. There are recently washed dishes and food in the kitchen trash can, so they were here earlier, but they’re gone now. . . . Yes, I’m sure. I’m not leaving a man behind. You’re being paranoid. . . . Damn it. Miguel, they’re not here. It’s not my fault you got bad intel. Find a new contact, then. . . . Fine, we’ll head back to Miami. . . . Hannah Young? . . . You’re bringing too much heat on yourself. . . . No, I’m not involving myself with her. . . . She has serious ties to the community. . . . Kidnapping her will serve you no purpose.” He argued for another few moments, then hung up the phone.
Sophie gripped Jack’s arm tightly. Her short fingernails dug into his skin, but he ignored the pricking sensation. He couldn’t tell her now, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to her friend.
Silence descended around them, so he slowly moved his arm up and pressed the backlight on his watch. It was almost one thirty. He brushed back Sophie’s hair and leaned close to her ear. “We’ll leave in one hour. Want to make sure they didn’t leave someone in the condo.”
Her hair tickled his nose as she nodded.
From Levi’s conversation, Jack couldn’t figure out if they’d decided to leave someone behind. If they had, he doubted the person would stick around long. And just what was Levi doing working with Miguel Vargas? It was possible he was undercover, but Jack’s boss hadn’t mentioned anything. Considering that they were trying to bring Vargas down, that was something Wesley would have told him. Hell, if he had an inside man it was unlikely he’d even have needed Jack. Or if he had, they would have been working in conjunction.
The way Levi had spoken to Vargas had been insubordinate, and that surprised Jack, especially if this was an undercover op. He couldn’t dwell on that now. He’d get his answers soon enough.
Sophie shifted slightly in his lap, and his body instantly reacted. Years of training had ensured that he knew how to react under any circumstances. His body was his to control. Having a sexy woman work her charm against him had never been a problem. Unfortunately Sophie wasn’t working anything. She was simply trying to get comfortable. He tried to focus on anything to take his mind off the way her petite body fit perfectly against his, but it was impossible. Jack couldn’t believe he was reacting like the randy teenager he’d once been around her, but there it was. Her backside shifted against his erection, intensifying his pain. It was as if every single memory he had of their time together erupted inside his head at once. All he could think about was how they’d been in this very same position before—with no clothes on. When they were younger, he’d loved getting creative in bed and she’d been up for anything. He bit the inside of his lip, hating his lack of control. It reminded him too much of how he’d felt when he was helpless in certain shitty foster homes. When he first became friends with Sophie, she’d evoked that same feeling, but he hadn’t cared then. Now it was like a warped, out-of-control sensation.
She moved again, jerking him out of those thoughts, and this time she must have realized his reaction because her back went ramrod straight. He wanted to apologize, but there wasn’t anything he could do, so he laid his head against the wall, closed his eyes, and drew on his shittiest memories from the past decade.
Human beings sold for mere hundreds of dollars, women shot in the street for showing their ankles, images of children being forced to work in brothels . . . yep, that did it. As vicious memories assaulted him, his body obeyed. The last thing he needed was for her to think he got his rocks off like some kind of pervert. Not when nothing could happen between them anyway. Her mere presence was shredding all his hard-won control.
When he whispered in her ear that it was time to move, she jerked unsteadily. They were taking a risk exposing themselves, and as much as he enjoyed holding her, they couldn’t hide out forever. Sophie still clutched the laptop, but managed to help him remove the paneling. When they both stepped out, he motioned with his finger to stay quiet. The room was dark, but there was enough light coming in through the blinds that they could see what they were doing.
Jack bent down and withdrew a gun from his ankle holster. “Stay here,” he whispered in her ear.
After a quick sweep of the condo, the prickly sensation on the back of his neck was gone. A few things had been moved around, but they were alone. He found Sophie sitting on the edge of his bed, clasping the computer to her chest.
“Grab whatever you need. We’re leaving.”
“Where are we going?” she whispered.
“A motel for now.”
She opened her mouth as if she might say more, but she ended up nodding and grabbing her wallet she’d hidden in one of the dresser drawers while he packed up his computer, his cell phone, and a few extra changes of clothes.
He hoisted a backpack on his shoulder as she entered the room. She wore those ridiculous sneakers from earlier. It bothered him that Sophie didn’t have anything else to wear, but he’d fix that soon enough.
“I took the toothbrush and toothpaste if that’s okay,” Sophie whispered.
“It’s fine.” Despite the situation, he felt a smile tug at his lips as he watched her. She looked a little vulnerable, but the woman had a spine made of steel. “Stay behind me until I tell you otherwise.”
“Okay.”
Weapon in hand, he led them to the front door and opened it an inch. If a sniper was waiting, there was realistically little they could do, but one of the reasons he’d picked this place was that it was across the street from a golf course. Not many places to hide.
When he was as sure as he’d ever be they were alone, he stepped outside.
“Where’s the car?” she whispered.
There was a single line of parking spaces in front of the building, but on the off chance they’d been tracked, he hadn’t wanted their vehicle too close. “I parked at another building.”
Using the darkness to their advantage, they jogged down the street until they reached the packed parking lot.
“We’re three rows down.” He motioned for her to stay close.
As they maneuvered through a row of cars, he slowed when they reached the back of a dark van. He hadn’t heard or seen anything, but the adrenaline rush he’d gotten earlier was still pumping overtime. Being out in the open with Sophie for an extended period of time wasn’t good for his sanity. Normally he was able to gauge any surrounding danger, but with her around, his internal meter was off balance.
As he paused and listened, a dark blur came out from behind the van.
“Take cover,” he ordered Sophie, going into battle mode.
A man dressed in all black lifted a gun at Jack, but he was only two feet away. If he’d wanted to kill them, he should have waited until he had a little distance between them. Close-quarter combat was Jack’s specialty. Hell, anyone with decent training should know to take down an opponent without having to get too close.
In a quick move, Jack struck out with his arm, knocking the man’s weapon out of his hand. It clattered to the pav
ement noisily in the otherwise silent parking lot. The man attacked, trying to punch Jack. He grunted as he moved and left his face unprotected.
Jack slammed him in the nose, fast and hard, with his fist. A crunching sound rent the air as the stranger howled in pain. At the same time, Jack kicked the guy’s inner thigh. It was a move he’d used many times before. The body reacted instinctively and this guy didn’t know what to protect right now. When the man stumbled, blood rolling down his face, Jack gave him a swift punch to the throat and another shot to one of his shins. The guy was big, but a tiny bundle of nerves ran along the shinbone. And pain was pain, no matter a person’s size.
As their would-be attacker wheezed for air, Jack grabbed one of his arms and twisted it behind his back before slamming him face-first against the van.
“Sophie? You okay?”
“I’m fine!” She sounded as though she was a few cars over.
“Stay where you are!” He couldn’t do his job if he was worried about her, so he was glad she’d listened and hidden.
The man started to struggle, so Jack lifted his arm higher, threatening to break it. “Who sent you?” Jack knew the answer, but his first response would tell him a lot about how informative this guy would be.
“Can’t breathe . . .”
“Who?” Jack pressed harder.
“Miguel Vargas.”
Interesting. “Why do they want Sophie Moreno?”
“I don’t know.”
Jack lifted his arm a fraction of an inch higher and gave him a rapid kidney punch. The man howled in pain but couldn’t move unless he wanted to break his arm.
“Okay! She knows something or saw something, but I don’t know what. I swear! Our instructions were to take out the girl. That’s all I know.”
If Jack had been working against the Russian mob or even against men directly inside Vargas’s cartel, it would take months to garner information. If he ever did. From the easy responses, Jack guessed this guy was just hired muscle with nothing to lose. “What about the girl in Miami? Why are they going after her?”
This time the man didn’t pause. “She’s the backup plan. She’s friends with the Moreno woman and the only person they could find as leverage against her. Vargas thinks if they threaten her friend she’ll come out of hiding. I don’t know any more! They don’t pay me enough for this shit!”
“Jack?” Sophie’s scared voice jerked his head around. She was too close.
In the instant he turned, he wanted to kick his own ass for giving in to his stupid instinct and not following his training. Everything around him slowed down. The man he held turned with his entire body, using the momentum of his free elbow, and swung back at Jack’s head.
Leaning back, Jack nearly missed what could have been a crippling blow. The man came at him full force this time. Jack slammed into another car as the guy tackled him. Sophie shouted, but he tuned her out. He had to bring this man down and keep Sophie safe. That was all that mattered.
Jack deflected two blows and managed to get in a few kicks, but the other man was pumped up now. After Jack struck him in the jaw, the guy already had his fist drawn back. Jack realized he’d have to kill him. Dragging out a fight wasn’t something he had time for. He hated the thought of killing someone in front of Sophie, but it had to be done.
A loud shot reverberated through the quiet night air, causing them both to freeze.
“Stop!” Jack turned at the sound of Sophie’s voice.
In trembling hands she held the gun he’d knocked away from the man earlier. Next to him the dark-haired thug lifted both his hands in the air.
Keeping his eyes trained on the man, Jack walked backward to Sophie. “Give me the gun,” he murmured when he stood directly next to her.
Wordlessly she handed it over, a slight tremor in her hands.
“On the ground. Now,” he ordered the man.
“What are you going to do to him?” Sophie’s voice shook.
Jack pulled his cell phone out of his pocket with his free hand. “Turn him over to the police.”
“What about us?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be long gone.” The Keys were the worst place for criminals to hang out. The FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals were all stationed in Key West. Not to mention the locals. For small-town cops, they were all well trained. They worked with so many different federal agencies, they had to be.
After he made a quick call, he fastened the man’s wrists behind his back with flex cuffs from his backpack and locked him in the trunk of one of the older-model cars. The man didn’t struggle much, probably because he knew that unless the locals or feds had something on him, he’d simply be deported. And Jack wasn’t worried about him being a problem. The man would probably disappear for a while considering he’d given out information on Vargas. Either that or Vargas would kill him for failing.
Once he and Sophie were on the road, she asked, “Did I hear that guy right? Those guys are definitely going after my friend?”
“Sounds like it.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. This late, there shouldn’t be many people on the road. There was only one road in and out of the Keys, so if anyone was following them, he’d know.
“We need to call her.”
He agreed, but there were other things to consider. “We can contact her now, but if she’s being watched, our call might simply alert them.”
“Then why don’t you tell your boss?”
“Remember the man we heard on the phone at the condo?”
“Yeah.”
“His name is Levi Lazaro. We’re friends—or we used to be. And he works for the NSA.”
She gasped, fear rolling off her. “He works with you?”
“Yes.” Jack gritted his teeth. Or at least Jack thought he did. He couldn’t believe Levi would betray his country, but Jack had been gone for two years. A lot could change in that amount of time. Money was a powerful motivator, and while he would like to think Levi was above that, things looked bad.
“So, what, your boss knew about this?”
“No.” There was no way in hell Wesley was involved in any of this. The man had sacrificed so much for his country that nothing could sway him.
“Jack, you’re going to have to give me a little more than one-word answers. I’m not a mind reader and I’m terrified for Hannah. We’ve got to help her. Now.” Panic punctuated every word.
“Sorry. I’m running through scenarios in my head.”
“Well, please involve me. We’re in this together.”
He felt a small cracking around his chest at the way she said “we.” “Wesley is my handler. We’re all part of the same organization, and everyone who works for him knows each other. I don’t know what missions any of the team goes on unless we’re on the same mission. And if Levi was working with Vargas, I would have been informed. It would have been a joint op. As it stands . . .” He shook his head, not wanting to say the words aloud.
She frowned. “Okay, so how did they track us down? Your friend sold you out?”
“I don’t know, but it’s possible.” He didn’t tell her that Levi was the only other person who knew about Jack’s personal safe house. It would make her even less likely to trust him, and right now he needed her.
“So why can’t we call your boss?”
“If someone’s hacked the NSA or if there’s a mole in the agency, it’s possible they’re watching him too.”
“We can’t sit by and do nothing.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know our options.”
“We need to call Hannah now. Those guys left over an hour ago. They’ll be in Miami soon.”
Sophie was right. It didn’t matter what option they chose. Her friend was in danger. Jack handed his phone to her. “Call your friend. Make sure she understands the urgency of the situation, but don’t waste time explaining. She
needs to leave and go somewhere no one would think to look, not even you. Tell her not to use her credit cards and to take the battery out of her phone. She should get money out of an ATM and use cash for now. She can buy a throwaway with cash tomorrow and leave a message on my phone that she’s safe.”
Sophie swallowed and took the phone from his hand. He didn’t miss the way her hands trembled as she slipped the battery into place.
Jack listened as Sophie convinced her friend to leave. To give her credit, she didn’t take no for an answer and she didn’t waste any time.
“You sure she’s going to listen?” he asked as she hung up.
“She’s my best friend and she’s not stupid.” It was hard to miss the defensive note in Sophie’s voice.
“You met her in college, right?” He needed to keep her distracted right now, and talking was the best way to do it. Plus, he wanted to know the things about her life that a file simply couldn’t tell him. He’d missed Sophie so fucking much. More than he’d realized until he’d found himself face-to-face with her, her tantalizing scent messing with his head and making him remember how great things had been between them.
She nodded, the action jerky. “Yeah.”
“And? Come on, give me more than a one-word answer.” He gave her a lopsided smile, hoping she’d let her guard down.
She gave him a small smile as the tension in her shoulders loosened a fraction. “Freshman year I got stuck with this horrible roommate who talked to her boyfriend for hours every night, but after a week she got homesick and moved out. That’s when Hannah got placed with me. I was really shy and she really wasn’t, but somehow we clicked instantly. We’ve been best friends ever since. Her mom—” Sophie bit her lip and stared at her clasped hands as if she was afraid she’d said too much.
