He grabbed my arm, and pulled me back onto his lap. "You're welcome." He smiled.
I stopped breathing as his lips inched closer. His mouth met mine, and time stood still. The kiss was slow, deliberate, precise. Like everything he did.
Chase's phone started to ring, and I pulled away from him, jarred back into reality. Chase smiled, his eyes dilating as they met mine. "Ignore it," he whispered as he pulled me towards him again.
But then I thought of River and Gabe somewhere out there in trouble, and I shook my head. "No. You better answer it." I slid off his lap, my heart thundering as Chase pulled the phone from his pocket.
"Yes?" Chase answered.
I looked down at the new phone sitting in my palm and turned it on. I couldn't believe that I had kissed him, or that he'd kissed me. What the hell was going on? I was short of air, and I didn't want to look at him. I shouldn't have done that. No... WE shouldn't have done that. If anything happened between us, it would just complicate life so much more than it already was.
"You're where?"
Chase was dangerously quiet, and fear sliced through me. I didn't know who it was, but it sounded like trouble.
"Okay. Sit tight, I'll figure something out."
He hung up the phone and turned to me. "Shit," he muttered. "Gabe's down in Cabo San Lucas. He said Carmen flew him down there to her holiday home."
"What? That's miles away isn't it?"
Chase nodded, and drummed his phone against his leg as he stared off into space. "It is."
He stood up and swore again, and then he walked towards the kitchen. "Dinner's cancelled. Go get ready; we'll have to intercept River."
* * *
It couldn't have happened at a worse moment. Not only was I starving, but the last thing I felt like doing was going out in the middle of the night on a rescue mission.
Chase's personality had instantly switched into business mode as he blew out the candles in the dining room and turned dinner off on the stove. A part of me desperately wanted to take some food with us, but instead I was jostled towards my room, and told to dress in 'comfortable clothing'.
So I did. Cargo pants, a racer backed t-shirt, and a leather jacket. As I was slipping some shoes onto my feet, Chase walked in and assessed me.
"Wig," he instructed, passing me the glossy red one. I shoved my short blonde hair up into it, and pinned it down. I looked in the mirror, and noticed that the red did wonders for my complexion. Chase was right; I had managed to get a little natural colour on my skin.
Chase moved behind me, pushing my hair to the side, and gently kissed me beneath the ear. I felt my knees starting to go, and I leaned back against him. "I'm sorry we have to do this," he whispered, sending shivers through me. He looked into my eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "But the team comes first." He straightened, and passed me a hair tie. "Tie it back off your face, and meet me in the car in ten minutes. River's expecting us."
I looked at his retreating figure in the mirrors reflection, and sighed. I had no idea how long we were going to be, so after I tied up the long red hair in a ponytail, I turned and grabbed a couple of things like my iPod and wallet, and stuffed them into my backpack.
Then I went to the kitchen and pulled a couple of bits of fruit from the bowl, and some nacho chips from the cupboard. I was hungry, and I guessed that Chase probably would be as well.
As I reached the car outside, I realised that I'd forgotten my cigarettes, and dumped my backpack to dash back inside. I met Chase as he was coming out the door, his arm loaded with two guns, a bag full of grenades and god knew what else, and a sniper case. I paused momentarily to let him pass then ran through the door. The air in the house smelt like blown out candle wicks, and I once again threw a forlorn look towards the kitchen. I snatched up my cigarettes and lighter, and locked the house behind me. Chase had loaded whatever artillery we needed into the back of the car, and started the engine as I got in beside him.
As we raced down the driveway in to the darkness of the night I asked, "Just how far away is Cabo San Lucas?"
Chase shrugged, and threw me a wary glance "More than a thousand miles, I think. I know it takes a couple of days to drive there."
"Ah fuck," I muttered. "That's not good. I take it we're not driving then?"
"No." He thumped the wheel with frustration. "Silly bitch," he muttered. "Why the hell did she have to take him there?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I lit a cigarette. Chase didn't even bat an eyelid as I did so, and I wouldn't have cared if he did. We slowed as we entered a warehouse district, and Chase switched the headlights off. He unlocked the car doors, and we waited in the silent darkness.
His fingers laced between mine. "I'm sorry about this evening," he whispered. "I'll make it up to you." He suddenly let my hand go, as a shadow reached the car, and River threw the back door open. I flicked my cigarette out the window before he could start complaining, and met Chase's gaze.
"Airport," River instructed.
I felt my breath quicken. The last time I'd been at the airport, my plane had exploded mid-air.
"Red suits you, Mack," River said from the back seat.
I smiled. "Thanks."
The drive to the airport took hardly any time at all. River instructed us to drive around to the private aero club area. When we got out, he jogged over towards a private hanger, and walked through the door. Chase passed me a bag, while he carried the guns, and the sniper case.
"Follow me," he instructed. I did as I was told, apprehension filling me.
We stepped into the brilliant white light of the hanger. A plane sat there with a pilot waiting for us to board. I let out a slow whistle. "You're telling me you guys have had this the whole time we've been here, and you didn't think to fly me out of this godforsaken country?"
Chase gave me a wary look. "We'll all fly out once the job is done. Until then, this is for work purposes."
Business is business. I blew out a sigh of frustration, climbed up the retractable steps, and found myself a spot to sit.
I watched as River and Chase climbed on-board and sat either side of the plane in front of me. Chase pulled Gabe's iPad from his bag, and the pilot started it up.
I couldn't believe these guys had a private plane at their disposal. It was my way out of this fucking country, and they had failed to mention it. I looked out the window as the plane rolled out of the now dark hanger onto the runway. I waited a few moments as we took off, and once we were in the air, I pulled out my new phone, turning it over in my hand. Chase turned around and smiled at me, causing me to swallow hard. I averted my eyes back to my phone, and unlocked it, assuming it was fine since Chase had Gabe’s iPad already on.
I opened up the photos that Gabe had transferred for me, and immediately wished I hadn't. There were a million pics of me and Luke, of my aunt, Jax – my other best friend – and of me and Nicole. Those memories were ones I really didn't want to recall right now.
I had asked myself a million times what I’d done to make Luke cheat on me and then leave me high and dry the way he did, but I couldn't come up with a single reason. Sometimes I wondered if it was because I was so focused on being an historian, and delving into research. Other times I thought it was because I didn't make enough money. And then I thought that perhaps I just wasn't attractive enough. I probably didn't look after myself quite as well as Nicole. Doing my hair and nails or having constant facials or even joining the gym hadn't really been a priority for me. Not like with her.
Had I known if these things were the triggers that caused him to leave, would I have changed them? Probably not.
My mind flicked to how I had caught them in our bed, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because I wasn't adventurous in bed. I was the first person to admit that I was a bit of a missionary girl when it came to sex. I felt like I was acting, or not really comfortable when I did anything else. Like I was a fake. I still couldn’t forgive him for what he did though. And I couldn't forgive Nicole either.
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I sighed, and backed up all the photos to my cloud account, and then I hit delete on all photos of me with Luke and Nicole. I only kept the photos of Jax and my gorgeous but doddery Aunt Elsie.
I leaned back in the seat, and watched Chase and River talking. Every time I thought of Chase kissing me, I couldn't help but smile. But then if I wasn't a demon in bed, what the hell was he going to see in me? I couldn’t keep Luke interested, which meant I definitely wasn’t good enough for Chase. He could have any woman in the world, and for some unknown reason he'd kissed me.
I tormented myself with the memory of his lips on mine until I fell asleep, knowing that it probably wouldn't happen again.
I dreamt of Luke chasing me through the cobbled streets of London while I was trying to shop. He stalked me through department stores, telling me that I couldn't afford to buy this or that because I owed him. And as I ran, blockades barred me at every turn with teams of lawyers and Bobbies threatening to take me to court and arrest me.
Only I didn't know what they were arresting me for, but they kept repeating the same thing in unison: 'McKenna Carmichael, you're under arrest.'
I woke to someone shaking me gently, and as I opened my eyes, I found Chase looking at me with worry. I sat up, and realised we were still on the plane. I felt something wet on my face, and realised to my horror that I had been drooling.
Chase smiled at me. "We're here."
I looked around. River was no longer on board, and it was just us. I flushed at his close proximity, and licked my lips. "Where to now?" I asked, hoarsely.
To my amusement, he unbuckled my seatbelt, and grabbed my hand to pull me to my feet. Before I knew it, we were standing all too close again. I took a step back and smiled at him but avoided eye contact, just about tripping over my seat in the process.
Chase reached out to steady me, grinning mischievously. "We've been tracking Gabe's phone, and we have a location. River's getting us a rental car."
I gripped my bag so tightly, it turned my knuckles white. This was an opportunity to kill Carmen, but I wasn’t ready. Not even in the slightest. "How far away is he?"
Chase shook his head. "Not far, I don't think. Out on the coast. Looks like a big house, with a little security. Gabe's last message said that there were a few of the El Diablo Cartel there with Carmen." He saw my panic stricken face. "You'll be fine, Mack. We’re going to get in, get Gabe out, and then go home." He rubbed my shoulders. "Just stick with me." He pushed loose strands of hair out of my face, and stared down into my eyes. "River's right. Red does suit you."
Speechless and flabbergasted, I watched as he walked away from me, flashing me a grin over his shoulder as he stepped out of the plane. The burn on my face flared back to life as I picked up my bag and followed him.
I checked my watch and noted that it was close to midnight. It had taken us a couple of hours to get here. Chase was right. Fucking miles away from Tijuana.
I got into the backseat of the Mercedes River had rented, and to my surprise, Chase got in beside me instead of the front. He laced his fingers through my trembling hands as we rode in the darkness. I didn't want to be here. It had been a month since I came to Mexico, and I longed to be home in England surrounded by the comfort of my own things. I didn't want to be in close proximity to Carmen, not at all. I couldn't help but wonder what the hell would happen if she saw me.
Could I run? My mouth was dry from anxiety, and I reached into my bag to retrieve my water bottle. I dismissed the running idea, after recalling my casual jog with Chase. I didn't fare so well on that, so what on earth made me think I could possibly outrun Carmen or any one of her support staff?
Chase passed me a hand gun, complete with silencer, and I looked at it in my hand, and it was a hell of a lot bigger than the one River had strapped to my inner leg. I had never even shot a gun before. "The cartridge is fully loaded. Look after it and only use it if you have to." He smiled. "It's my favourite type of weapon."
I cringed. I had to remember that Chase was a trained, very professional killer. I looked at the gun in my hands, and I wondered how many lives it had taken. I had no idea if I would be able to protect myself with it, but I guess that if it came down to it, I had to try.
"The safety’s on though, so you'll have to remember to flick that off before you fire," River said from the driver's seat.
I met his gaze in the rear-vision mirror, and nodded. I bit my bottom lip as I tried to figure out where to put the gun.
"You'll be fine, Mack," River reassured me. "Stay in the shadows, and try not to be seen. If that means hiding the entire time we're there, then so be it."
I continued chewing on my bottom lip, and gazed out at the houses we were passing, illuminated only by the street lamps. No one else was on the road apart from us. Every now and then I could see the moonlight flickering across the water out on the bay.
It was such a picturesque place by night; I bet it would be dazzling by daylight.
"It's beautiful here," I said quietly.
"Beautiful yes... and deadly," Chase spoke quietly. "While this place is a bit of a neutral zone for the cartels, it still doesn't stop them from shooting one another if they can."
"But it's so quiet. Not like Tijuana at all."
"All the more reason for everyone to stay in their houses at night. Most people around these parts know not to go out, or stop their car unless it's an emergency. It's not safe here. There are many who will mug, kill, and do whatever they can to get ahead in life."
I couldn't see a soul out there. I guess that there was safety in numbers sometimes.
River took a left, slowed the car, and we went down a winding hill towards the bay. Chase started up the iPad again, and I saw a map on the bright screen. Then a number of flashing dots on the page.
"What are the dots?"
Chase pointed to a blue one. "That's Gabe." He moved his finger across to a cluster of other dots. "And those three there are you, me, and River." I could see us closing in on Gabe's location as we drove. It was fascinating.
I looked out again at the empty streets as we wove through them. All of the houses were enormous, and sat safe and securely nestled behind guarded, electronic gates. I guessed Carmen's would probably be of a similar ilk. Which bought me to my next question.
"What's the plan for getting Gabe out?"
"We're going to create a nice little diversion," River responded. "Then hopefully amidst the chaos, he'll have the opportunity to leave."
"That's it?" I commented. "Seems rather simple doesn't it?"
"Sometimes the simplest plans are the best."
I couldn't argue with that logic. River pulled the car over under an overhanging tree so that it wasn't too open to prying eyes. Chase reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. My heart was hammering in my chest. I so did not want to be here right now, and nor did I think I was going to be helpful at all in this little operation. Especially with Carmen out there on the loose.
"You ready?" Chase asked me quietly.
"No," I said, my voice tight. I couldn't help it. I had lumps in my throat, adrenaline was starting to pound through me, and I felt like I was going to throw up. Different scenarios were running through my head at a million miles an hour and I kept thinking what if we all got separated and they left me here?
"You'll make sure I'm with you when you go back to Tijuana, right?" I asked in a small voice.
"Yes," he said, leaning over to gently peck me on the lips. His scent enraptured my senses, and suddenly I wanted more. I wanted to be safe and secure with him somewhere, out of danger. But would this be what it was always like with him? I had to wonder. He let go of my hand as he got out of the car, shocking me back to reality. He looked at me through the car door. "We'll leave the car unlocked. You can stay here if you want to, or you can come."
I looked around the dark street, and immediately decided that I didn't want to be here on my own, not knowing what was going down.
"I'm coming."
The house was a few doors down the street. River glanced at Gabe’s dot his phone. I was wondering if my new phone could do something as cool as that when Chase clarified it for me. "All of our phones are linked so that we can always find each other. Your phone has the same."
"Oh," I whispered.
When we reached the property, River darted ahead, leaving me alone with Chase.
"Now for the diversion," Chase murmured.
Even though the night was warm, I felt cold. I rubbed my arms through the leather jacket I was wearing, the gun digging into my flesh in the process.
Chase reached for the gun, and snapped something back on it. "Just turned the safety off, Mack. You're free to use it as you see fit. Just don't shoot one of us in the process."
I nodded, afraid my teeth were going to chatter if I spoke. We waited silently in the dark for a few moments, and then I heard something foreign. At the far end of the property, the night lit up like fireworks, and the ground rumbled beneath our feet. Then my ears rang as mortar and stone splintered and blasted apart.
"Holy shit." I sank to the ground. "What the fuck was that?"
"The diversion. A grenade," Chase said. "Get ready. Stick close to me."
Alarms started ringing, and people were yelling. But they were running towards the house in the opposite direction from the front gate. Chase was doing something to the keypad on the front gates by holding a device over it. Suddenly the gate clanged loudly as the bolts unlocked, and it started opening outwards. I looked at Chase in surprise, and he gave me a knowing smile back. I got a bit of a fright when I saw River silently approaching out of the corner of my eye.
He grabbed my arm and started pulling me through the gates. "Come on," he whispered. "Time to get into position."
I swallowed, and dogged his steps as silently as I could. I was getting the jitters. I had no idea how long these things took, but already this seemed to be taking forever.
Tijuana Nights (The Nights Series Book 1) Page 10
