by Black, Regan
He was trying to help her relax and she appreciated the effort. There was nothing more she could do right now but wait for Galloway's next move. Her mind countered that fact with the notion that since he'd breached the agreement, she could call in the police or outsiders, or whoever she damn well pleased, but she forcibly turned those thoughts aside.
With the police, she'd be more likely to get herself detained than accomplish anything positive for Renata. If she alerted the members of her family who were connected, that opened a whole new can of worms. If she contacted Torry or anyone who stayed on the legal side of the fence, it would only put more innocent people smack in Galloway's sites.
"Hey," he waved a hand, "Selena? Are you there?"
"Yeah." She scrubbed at her face. "Sorry."
He shook his head. "No need to apologize. Does a hot chocolate and a sugar cookie combo sound good to you?"
"Sounds more like something my uncle would serve my younger cousins."
His thick, brown eyebrows inched up, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'm open to suggestions."
"Kid's hour or not, it does sound good," she admitted.
"Great. Stay put."
She gave him an arch look. "I think we've established I'm not going anywhere."
It seemed like the good-guy routine was legit and if she wasn't so jaded by Galloway and the recent ups and downs of city life, she'd take Adam at face value.
She told herself she'd feel better if she could talk with Galloway. If the bastard had her purse, surely he realized why she was out of touch.
When Adam came back she would borrow his phone to call Tom. Despite the quiet street and lack of alarms at the showroom, she wanted to see for herself that everything was fine. Galloway had already threatened Tom, so it was too late to protect him. Besides Tom was a night owl and likely still out somewhere having a grand time.
Adam returned to the table with a small service tray. Balancing it like a waiter, he set a tall glass mug topped with fluffy whipped cream in front of her, then a matching drink at his seat. He placed the plate of oversized sugar cookies between them.
"Nice delivery and presentation." It was all quite adorable and almost like a date, if she didn't think about the dramatic way they'd reached this point of the evening.
He gave her a wink and a small bow. "I try."
"If I had money, I'd tip big," she said. The cozy scent of chocolate and fresh cookies soothed her. She risked a sip of the hot chocolate and then glanced up at the man across from her.
He was watching her with such intensity, she nearly bobbled the cup. Quickly, set the cup aside and then blotted her upper lip with a napkin. "What? Do I have whipped cream on my nose?"
"No." Once more his gaze shifted to something just over her shoulder for a moment, then back to her. "That's not it." Looking down at his phone, he asked, "Did you ever make a call?"
"Not yet. I can crash at Tom's place. He's about the only person who won't be upset if I call in a favor at this hour."
"So you've decided not to stay at your own place."
"Not a chance." Galloway could easily be waiting for her there. "It creeps me out to think my keys and identification are just out there for anyone to look at."
"Progress. That's smart. You're regaining your bearings."
"I suppose." She watched him take a large bite out of a cookie. He looked relaxed in the chair, but there was a new tension in his voice, the slightest twitch in his hand on the mug. She leaned forward. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." He smiled, but the dimple was absent. "I'm probably just on edge too. Adrenaline makes you do some crazy sh- stuff."
She grinned at his quick self-correction. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"
"No. Tonight wasn't a picnic for me either."
"Oh. Well, thanks for sharing," she said. "It helps." Somehow it did help. While it was her purse that had been stolen, he'd been in the thick of it trying to do the right thing and rescue a person in need. She felt less like a weakling knowing that the attack at the apartment troubled him too.
"Will you be okay at wherever you're staying tonight?"
"Sure."
She didn't know him well, but she didn't entirely trust the quick reply. Something behind her had his attention once more. The habit was starting to make her paranoid and she was more than capable of doing that on her own. She started to shift in her seat, but he stopped her with a terse order.
"Don't look."
"Okay." She stretched out the two syllables and took a nervous bite of her cookie. Her knee started to bounce with nerves as she fought the urge to turn around.
"We need to leave," he said quietly, tucking his phone into his pocket.
"Right now?"
"That would be best."
"Fine." He was starting to scare her again and she wasn't sure she could take another ride on that emotional roller coaster. "Then I'll just call my assistant." She held out her hand for the phone, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her up and out of her seat.
The next thing she knew he was holding her close to his hard chest and whispering in her ear.
"Go to the restroom."
"What? Why?" Her pulse skipped and she tried to follow his gaze, but his hands came up to cradle her face. In that one shocking second she thought he would kiss her. She thought she might enjoy it.
"Please go." He turned her that direction and gave her a little nudge.
"But –" Her protest died when a glance over her shoulder landed on the man walking in the door. She recognized him as the man who'd been following her for the past few days.
His cold eyes were locked onto her. She turned and bolted down the narrow hall toward the restrooms, around the tight corner, only to run headlong into Jeremy Galloway. A startled scream slipped past her lips.
He didn't look at all like the moneyed urbanite who'd complimented Torry's espresso this morning.
Tonight he'd given his ruthless streak free rein. It was terrifying. The glint in his eyes was as sharp as the knife in his hand. Her stomach dropped and her lungs felt as useless now as they had in the smoke filled apartment.
"Calm down, Jeremy."
"Give it to me."
"I don't have it." She hated the tremor in her voice.
He sneered. "We had a deal, Miss Vaccaro."
"I know." She held up her hands in surrender. "I had it I swear, but someone stole my purse."
Jeremy advanced and she took a cautious step backwards, hoping Adam could deal with the stone-faced man in the dining area.
"And so you went out for a coffee to celebrate your bright idea?" The vile oath that followed proved he didn't spend all of his time in posh locations. "How sweet. No elaborate story will change the outcome for you and your cousin now. Hand it over and I might spare your beloved uncle."
She told herself Torry could hold his own against this bastard. "I don't have it to give. My purse was stolen," she repeated.
"Yes, yes, by your friend out there, I'm sure. You knew what would happen if you didn't deliver as promised."
His assessment, given as he raised the knife, just pissed her off. "You didn't bring Renata. You weren't at the showroom!" Her Italian heritage surged forward, to hell with common sense. "I didn't promise willingly, you bullied me." When he sneered, she advanced, ready to take a strip out of his hide if only with her words. Her Sicilian upbringing meant that knife or not, she wasn't completely helpless here. "I went in there and got what you wanted, and got attacked for my trouble. I held up my end of the bargain you miserable fu –"
He lunged, but she'd kept her gaze on his chest, not the blade, as the men in her family had taught her. She dodged the swing and in her mind she saw the rest of it work out perfectly.
But instead of rolling into his legs, she was yanked down and away, her body crashing into someone else. Two against one! "Vigliacco! Coward!" she spat, fighting against the unwelcome hold until she recognized Adam's scent, the firm and gentle touch.
/> She heard Jeremy swearing as Adam jerked her away. She stared in awe as he plowed a boot right into Jeremy's midsection when the double-crossing jerk lunged at her again.
"This way." Adam caught her hand and urged her back toward the front of the coffee shop.
The table where they'd been sharing the cookies was crushed, apparently by the body lying on top of it. The aroma of fresh coffee and cocoa was tainted with the sharp coppery scent of blood.
She tried to ask Adam what happened, but he guided her around the service counter and into the kitchen.
"Move. Move. Move."
She did. As fast as she could, she dodged racks and equipment filling the narrow space until they were through the kitchen and out into the alley.
"Left," he barked from behind her. His hand, heavy on her shoulder reminded her of the man who'd snatched her purse. Jeremy was messing with her head. Adam and the purse snatcher were not the same man. Naturally, she doubted her intuition after everything going so wrong, but there hadn't been time for Adam to steal her purse wearing gym pants, change into jeans, and then rescue her from what she'd thought was a fire.
Jeremy could cart himself straight to hell.
Behind them a door banged open and Jeremy's shouts and violent promises bounced off the buildings lining the alley. Her rapid breathing created vapor clouds in the cold night air and she feared their trail was clear to Jeremy. They would never outrun him.
"We have to go to the police," she said.
"Not an option."
It was the only option she could see. "It must be."
He turned a corner, put his finger to his lips in a signal for silence and stared hard in the direction they'd come.
When he shifted his gaze back to her, she shivered. "Are you hurt?"
"No, but as victims the cops should side with us."
"No."
"We can't outrun him."
"We can," Adam insisted. "If you trust me."
Right. Like that was going to happen anytime soon.
"Why were you in the apartment tonight?"
"To check the plants," she replied.
He swore and gave her a quick shake. "The real reason."
"I went to borrow some of my cousin's jewelry to round out the display for next week."
He rolled his eyes. "Guess that's close enough." He peered around the corner of the building.
Heart hammering in her chest, she could only stare in the other direction – at the dead end of the alley. Hopelessness swamped her, despite the strength in his touch. He was only one man and life kept proving she was in way over her head this time.
"You lied to Jeremy, right?"
"How do you –"
He cut her off. "You still have the item you went in to that apartment to get right?"
She nodded, giving in seemed the most expedient choice.
"Stolen property equals no cops. Got it?"
"Got it," she said through clenched teeth. "Who are you?"
"Where is it?" he countered, ignoring her question.
She patted her pocket, her voice unwilling to cooperate. How did he know?
"Good." He released her so abruptly she swayed. "Do you want to surrender it to Galloway?"
"No," she whispered.
"Good answer," he said.
"But –"
Her voice died at his dark look. She'd never wanted to steal the watch to begin with. "He kidnapped my cousin. We were supposed to trade Renata for the watch at my showroom tonight.
"I won't let that happen. He cannot have that watch."
"He can't keep my cousin," she argued.
"Agreed." Even in the poor lighting of the alley she knew he was giving her that smile again. "Trust me?"
"How?" She wanted to trust him but she couldn't. Not really. After the twists and turns of the last hours, she barely trusted herself. "You're not just a food vendor from Kansas are you?"
That gold-flecked hazel gaze slid her way, he smoothed her bangs aside. "No, Selena," he replied, his deep, quiet voice raising the hair on the back of her neck. "But I'm your best hope of getting you and your cousin out of this."
"Yeah. I'm starting to see that." She sighed. "Tell me what to do."
Chapter Seven
Adam watched her carefully in the dim light, gauging her sincerity. In his standard vision she was all shadows with soft pale highlights. If circumstances were different, he might have made a move – she was that tempting.
It was nice to have a motive for her cooperation, but there'd been no mention of a kidnapping in the UI file. He wondered if Messenger withheld that detail. More likely Galloway had effectively hidden it, or even faked it. Adam hoped for the latter.
He didn't want to lie to Selena about rescuing her cousin, but it had to come after he secured the data and destroyed Galloway. As soon as they were out of this alley, he'd send the information up the line and hope Messenger handled it quickly.
"We'll talk more about all of it when we're out of here."
She nodded.
He gave her bonus points for bravery. The first flash-bang grenade would have reduced most people to quivering, useless lumps. She'd endured two, managed to get what he needed after all, and still tried to pull off the rescue of her cousin. And the way she'd gone after Galloway in that hallway, well that just made him admire her more.
"What's your plan?"
He covered her lips with his finger, to silence her this time, then wished he hadn't. An unmistakable sensual current arced between them as if their bodies were misinterpreting the root cause of their racing hearts.
He didn't know what enhanced skills – if any – the man with the gun had, only that Adam's ability to accurately anticipate his opponent had saved his skin at the crux of the fight. In hand to hand combat, there had been only one question: how had Galloway managed to secure the assistance of a UI program Cleaner?
He hoped like hell the Cleaner was pulling double duty as Player Three, a.k.a. the purse snatcher. They were screwed if Galloway, the sneaky bastard, had managed to recruit more people to help him achieve his goal.
With his thermal vision dialed in, it was clear Jeremy and the Cleaner were advancing unerringly on their position.
Adam leaned close so he wouldn't be overheard. That's what he told himself anyway. The stark reality was he wanted another whiff of the delicate floral perfume behind her ear.
"When I draw their attention, you head for the subway. I'll meet you there." He cut off her automatic protest the easiest way he knew how. He pressed his mouth to hers.
A kiss used as a shushing tactic shouldn't stir things inside him, but this one did. No matter that it had been the most brief and unromantic of kisses.
Her eyes were wide, sparkling. He shrugged. "No time to argue. On three."
He held up his hand and silently counted with his fingers. Her gaze was mutinous, but she didn't stop him when he stepped out into the alley.
Through his thermal vision he watched Galloway and the Cleaner approach another few paces before he stepped out to intercept them.
"Would you look at this," Galloway said. "Santa brought me a present."
"You should leave while you still have both legs working." Adam moved forward, giving Selena more room to get away.
He couldn't shoot her a look without giving away her position, but he knew she hadn't moved yet. Christ. What was she waiting for?
"Hand her over and I'll give you a pass, Carter."
Carter? Adam did a double take at the sound of his former name. The UI program had given him the benefit of a clean slate. While other candidates had been frustrated giving up who they'd been, if Adam hadn't let go, he'd be serving time as Inmate Carter in a federal penitentiary now.
Messenger's invitation to join UI had been a blessing – twisted as it turned out.
"You need to let this one go. It's a no-win situation." Because he was looking for it, Adam caught the unspoken signal as Galloway directed the Cleaner to cut off the escape route.
>
Times like this, Adam enjoyed the simplicity of predictable people. And Galloway hadn't changed a bit.
"Not an option," Galloway said. "The intel she's holding is important."
"I'm sure. Just as I'm sure it will never be yours." Adam kept his voice calm despite the urge to shout at Selena. She needed to move – now – or the Cleaner would definitely intercept her. "Why not make up something new and sell that to your buyer. You're good at that."
"Aww. Poor little Carter is bitter."
Adam caught a shift in the shadows near the wall where Selena was hiding. About time, he thought, taking another step toward Galloway.
"She's nothing to you," Galloway said. "Or me. I just want my fucking watch."
Anticipation lit Adam's nerves. His nemesis, the man who'd ruined his career stood just beyond arm's reach. He scanned the area with his thermal vision, getting a clearer picture of his options, reworking the escape plan since Selena had not moved in time to reach the subway safely.
He couldn't take the Cleaner, but he could take the man's eyes off of Selena.
"I'm not letting you ruin another innocent life," he declared reaching into his jacket.
"Stop bitching about the past. You were never innocent."
Ignoring that, Adam moved as if pulling a weapon and shifted his stance to make it look like he was about to fire.
As expected, Galloway lunged behind the shelter of a dumpster to avoid the assault. Right where the double-crossing rat belonged, Adam thought.
The Cleaner had two choices, carry out Galloway's direction and go for Selena, or guard Galloway. He changed direction to protect Galloway.
Adam had put odds that he'd go for Selena, but this was better. Filing away the reaction for later analysis, he advanced on Galloway's position. It didn't require thermal vision to know the Cleaner was gaining on him.
Every second he could give Selena would help them both. He heard her boot heels clacking against the asphalt. Go, he urged silently. Go!
When the Cleaner turned toward the noise of her footsteps, Adam grabbed the man's overcoat, planning to use the leverage to toss the taller man on top of Galloway.
Instead another thermal image appeared behind the Cleaner and leaped onto his back.
