Undercover With the Enemy

by Sharron McClellan

  Her eyes met his over the roof of the vehicle, and he gave her a slight nod. She slid into the passenger seat as he took the driver’s. “No seat belt,” he whispered as the mobsters took the backseat, guns out and pointed at their backs.

  There would be no more conversation.

  She gave a long, slow blink in reply, and he hoped to hell she understood what he planned to do. It wasn’t much—bail out of the moving car.

  Would she even do it?

  The laughable thought came, then left as fast as it appeared. Holly lived for the dare. She’d do it and without hesitation.

  He started the car but kept it in park. “Where to?”

  “Follow the car that just left,” Lucien said.

  They might not know Bravo had the necklace, but they suspected. Wonderful. “You’re the boss.” He headed down the drive. The longer they were in the car, the more likely someone would be shot. They’d have to jump as soon as possible.

  Reaching across the seat, he took Holly’s hand in his and squeezed. She squeezed back.

  “Why do you want the necklace?” Kane asked as he drove.

  “Why do you?” Lucien replied.

  “We don’t.”

  That earned him a snort of disbelief.

  He continued, “Did you ever think that it came off in the fight, and someone else picked it up?” He watched Lucien in the rearview mirror. The mobster didn’t look convinced—not that Kane expected he would. “How about Enzo?”

  Lucien chuckled. “He’s my son. I trust him a hell of a lot more than I trust you.”

  “Yeah? Did he tell you that we were in the room when he was banging Tammi Lynn?” Holly asked.

  “Shut up,” Enzo snapped.

  “That we caught him and threatened him with exposure?” Holly continued. “He cowered like a bitch.”

  Kane tried not to smile. She was laying it on thick, but it was working. The men were getting wound up. The trick was not to push them too far. He wanted them careless—not shooting.

  “I said, knock it off,” Enzo smacked the back of Holly’s head with the gun. The headrest prevented a full-force connection, but it was enough to make her cry out.

  Kane’s hand tightened on the wheel, and he chanced a look at his partner. Her eyes were wet with tears, but she didn’t cry.

  Good. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

  “Is this true?” Lucien asked.

  Using the mirror, he watched Lucien. His attention was on his son.

  No time like the present.

  He squeezed Holly’s hand. Once. Twice. He caught her attention and gave an almost imperceptible nod toward the door handle.

  She squeezed back, which seemed to be short code that she understood, and he prayed they were having the same conversation.

  On the steering wheel, he uncurled a finger. One. He slowed the car. Not much but enough to give them a better chance at survival.

  Her attention zeroed in on his hand.

  Another finger. Two. He edged the car closer to the side of the road so she’d land on dirt and not pavement.

  Three.

  He let her go, released the door handle and fell out of the car, tucking into a tumble as soon as he hit the road. The asphalt tore at his suit as he rolled. The world was a jumble of darkness, pain, and adrenaline. He stopped after a few feet and sat up. The car had continued on but was already slowing.

  They had seconds to escape. “Holly!”

  “Over here.”

  Stumbling to his feet, he ran toward her voice. She sat in the dirt, filthy, dazed, and her clothes torn.

  But she lived. “Anything broken?”

  “No,” she said, wincing as she tried to rise. “Just had the wind knocked out of me.”

  He hauled her to her feet. She groaned but stayed upright. The car came to a stop, and even at a few hundred feet down the road, he heard the doors slam.

  They weren’t going to hurt her. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Not now. Not ever. He was going to protect her no matter what. “Can you run?”

  …

  Holly held her side as they ran through the brush and the trees, heading farther into the interior of the island. She said a grateful prayer that she’d worn flat sandals. Sneakers would have been better, but at least she wasn’t in heels.

  Each breath ached. She didn’t think her ribs were broken, but they were bruised. A day or so and she’d be fine. Until then, she’d cope, since a single moment of rest might mean death. She tripped over a tree, and a grunt of pain escaped before she could stop herself.

  “Are you hurt?” Kane asked.

  “Fine,” she lied, glad that the darkness hid the grimace that she was sure distorted her features each time she inhaled.

  “You suck at lying right now,” Kane said. “What’s broken?”

  She did not suck at lying, but even a skilled manipulator had a hard time staying in character when running with an injury.

  “Nothing,” she said, forcing herself to smile. He might not be able to see it, but she knew it would translate into sound, making her seem more convincing.

  “I can’t help you if you lie.”

  Dammit. She sighed in surrender. “I landed hard. I think I hit a rock or something. Nothing’s broken, but breathing is a bitch.”

  “Which side?”

  “The right.”

  Moving to her left side, he put her arm over his shoulder. Maybe it was a placebo effect, but his physical support made her ribs ache less. “It helps.”

  “Just hold on,” he said. “I’ll take care of it.”

  She didn’t doubt him. Since she’d seen his scar in the locker room, she’d suspected there was more to Kane. He’d seen action. Possibly death.

  She was so grateful he was at her side and not Bravo. The other thief was handsome and skilled, but Kane… He was an enigma. Beneath the stick in the mud was a warrior.

  She tripped over a rock, and Kane caught her as she stumbled. “This is ridiculous,” he said, swinging her into his arms.

  Her breath hitched at the sudden pain, but then she relaxed, and the ache ebbed back to tolerable. “Let me know if I get too heavy,” she said.

  “Please. I’ve had groceries that weighed more than you.”

  She snickered. “Thanks.”

  “You know what I meant.”

  She did, but right now, she hurt too much to argue or correct. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let him take over. The world became darkness, his heartbeat against her ear, and the sensation of being cared for.

  But the fear was as strong. Fear of allowing him to care.

  Fear of being caught. Hurt. Of Kane risking his life for her. Of being helpless. Of his leaving. So much fear.

  Behind them, branches cracked as Lucien and Enzo took up the pursuit. She might be petite, but Kane could only carry her so far, and soon, they’d have nowhere to run.

  “We need to hide,” she said.

  “We need to get to safety.”

  “Not mutually exclusive ideas,” she countered. “If they catch us, we’re dead. We have to stop them. Be proactive.”

  “Shit.”

  There was nothing around them. Just trees damp ground and the chase. “Just hide,” she insisted. “Hide.”

  He stopped. “You’re right. We can’t keep running. I have no fucking idea where I am.” Carefully, he set her down at the base of a large oak.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Wait here. I’ll be back.” He kissed her, his mouth bruising and rough. She gripped the back of his head, keeping him close, savoring the taste and touch. Finally, he broke away. “Be quiet. Wait. I’ll be back.”

  He disappeared, branches breaking as he led the men away from her.

  Ribs aching, Holly took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. What the hell was happening? She was a thief—not an operative who got into actual danger. This was insane.

  When they got out of this situation, she was going to a have a few words with Mira
Burke.

  Pressing one hand against the bark of the tree for leverage, she stood and took a cautious breath.

  Better. Good. That meant nothing was broken.

  Leaves rustled. Branches snapped. Twenty feet. Ten. They were on her.

  Holly flattened out against the tree. Her pulse beat in her ears. She held her breath. I’m vapor. Air. Invisible.

  They moved past her, dark figures just a shade darker than the shadows, pursuing Kane, disappearing into the night. In the distance she heard Kane swear. He had to be doing it on purpose. To lure them away from her.

  What an ass. A brave, little bit-crazy, ass.

  Supporting her aching ribs, she followed the sound of Lucien and Enzo. Stay calm. Stay quiet.

  The sound of a car backfiring broke the silence. Not a car. A gun. Her heart slammed against her sternum, and she gasped. If Kane died. If he never knew how she felt—

  Knock it off. She snapped back to the present. Getting morose was not going to fix the situation, but action might.

  She broke into a careful trot, following the mobsters and Kane’s general direction.

  Shouting echoed back to her, then a cry of pain. There was no way to tell who screamed. Faster. Faster. Bushes raked at her bare skin as she plowed forward. The ground squished beneath her feet, sucking at her sandals.

  Movement ahead of her made her slow. If Kane was in trouble, she’d need to help, and getting caught didn’t factor into the scenario.

  There were only two men in sight. Moonlight poured down through the leaves and into a clearing. Two men struggled. She squinted, finally seeing a flash of paler hair. A glimpse of broad shoulders. Kane.

  The relief at seeing him alive almost knocked her over, but her heart didn’t slow its racing beat. Her partner fought Enzo. So where was Lucien? She scanned the edge of the clearing, watching for movement. A silhouette. Anything that didn’t belong.

  He had to be here somewhere. Probably waiting to see who won the battle. If it were Kane, she knew he’d shoot her partner before he could escape.

  Her partner took a hit to the gut that made him double over, but he recovered, snapping upward, and landing an uppercut to Enzo’s jaw.

  Slowly, she melted back into the trees and began circling the open space.

  She’d only gone one third of the way around when she spotted Lucien. Crouched down next to a tree, he hid in the shadows like the monster she knew him to be. Just beyond him, Kane and Enzo continued to battle.

  Enzo landed a jab to Kane’s jaw, making his head snap back. Holly flinched but kept quiet, waiting for the outcome. Kane returned the punch with one of his own, and Enzo stumbled sideways with the force of the blow. Her partner kept on him, and Enzo tried to block hit after hit, but Kane was relentless in his attack.

  Enzo wavered on his feet, and Holly held her breath, still edging toward Lucien, being careful not to attract attention. Her partner took a step backward and landed a roundhouse kick to the side of Enzo’s head. Enzo swayed on his feet and then fell over. The battle was finished with Kane as the victor. Lucien raised his weapon.

  “Get down,” Holly screamed at Kane as she crashed through the remaining brush toward the mobster, tackling him to the ground. The gun went off, a deafening boom next to her ear.

  Lucien might be her senior, but he was strong and toughened by his line of work. Before she could land a punch, Holly found herself on her back, Lucien straddling her, his fist raised. Her ribs screamed at the weight of his body.

  She covered her face with her forearm to help deflect the blow.

  There was the familiar sound of flesh hitting flesh.

  Then nothing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Why is the floor moving?

  Holly tried to force her consciousness to return, but her head ached and her brain felt like it was wrapped in layers of wool. She grabbed bits of reality and clung to them, refusing to slip back into nothingness.

  She blinked, but wherever she was, it was too dark to make out anything.

  She only knew that she was on her side, and…

  “Holly?”

  Kane. The evening’s event came flooding back. The necklace. The desperate dive from the car. The fight in the clearing. Lucien. “I’m here,” she said, relieved to know he was still alive. Trying to sit up, she realized her hands were tied behind her back as she lost balance and tumbled back to the floor with a thud. Holly groaned, her ribs aching.

  “You okay?” Kane asked.

  “Fine.” she replied, though her ribs begged to differ. “What’s going on?”

  “Lucien knocked you out,” he explained. “By the time I got him under control and to you, Enzo recovered the gun, and we ended up here.”

  “Where’s here?”

  “The Glory.”

  Enzo’s boat? She shuddered. That explained why the ground kept moving beneath her. Between the movement and her aching head, she wanted to barf. “Are we at the dock?” she asked, sure she knew the answer but hoping she was wrong.

  “No,” was Kane’s brief reply.

  Wonderful. She tried to sit up again, this time making sure she took her time. Her head continued to clear now that she was upright. She leaned against the wall, grateful they left her ankles free, but then, where was she going to run?

  “Do you know that they have planned?” she asked.

  “No, but I’m fairly sure it doesn’t involve cookies and crumpets.”

  She managed a weak laugh, wishing she could see him but the dark was absolute. “You think?”

  The door to the cockpit opened, and Holly looked up to see Enzo standing at the top of the stairs. Behind him, the night sky was bright with stars.

  He flicked on a light, and she blinked at the sudden brightness. Kane sat across from her—both his wrists and ankles bound with zip ties.

  “I see you’re awake,” Enzo said, the steps creaking as he walked down into the berthing area. “That’s good. Because we need to talk.”

  “About what?” Kane asked.

  “Not you,” Enzo said, his full attention on Holly. “Her.”

  He took a seat across from her, his gaze traveling from her feet to her legs where he lingered. “Tell me what you know about the necklace.” He said, still looking at the spot where her dress hiked up to show a generous amount of thigh.

  She swallowed hard, not sure what to do. She had training on what to do if caught, but it had never actually happened. “It’s expensive?” she offered.

  “Wrong answer,” Enzo said. Pulling a gun from the back of his waistband, he pointed it at Kane, his gaze still on Holly.

  “What do you know about the necklace?”

  She glanced at Kane, and he shook his head.

  “Uh, I don’t know what you mean. Can you be more specific?”

  Enzo cocked the gun, and finally, he tore his gaze from her legs. When his eyes met hers, there was no pity in them. No remorse.

  It was like looking into the eyes of a shark.

  “One more lie, and I’m sure you can figure out the next move,” he said.

  Her gaze narrowed in on the gun, then back to Kane. He shook his head again. Was he insane? Did he want to die?

  “Well?” Enzo pushed.

  She knew what she had to do. They may not know what was so important about the necklace, but it wasn’t worth dying for. “Nothing, but we know it’s not just a necklace.”

  Enzo hesitated, seemed to come to a decision, uncocked the gun, and laid it on his lap. “Finally, some truth.”

  Holly’s racing pulse slowed a notch, but she seemed incapable of taking her attention off of the weapon.

  “Where is it now?” Enzo asked. “We know it’s not in the car.”

  “Our partner took it.” Holly replied. There was no point in lying. There was no way he could get to Bravo. Too much time had passed, and by now, the other agent was either on his way to the Atlanta airport or had already arrived.

  “Don’t tell him anything else,” Kane snapped.<
br />
  Enzo turned, glaring at Kane. “She saved your life. You might want to shut the fuck up.”

  “You tell him more, and he’ll kill us anyway,” Kane said, glaring at Holly.

  With a sigh, Enzo rose and grabbed a roll of duct tape from underneath the sink. “That’s enough of you,” he said putting a generous slice over Kane’s mouth.

  He took his seat again. “Now, where did your partner go?”

  “Los Angeles.”

  Enzo gave a thoughtful nod. Holly cocked her head, surprised. He seemed so calm—not at all like the angry monster that wrecked their boat just yesterday. What was different? Was it his father?

  “And who sent you?” Enzo asked. “How did you know about the necklace?”

  “Mira Burke.”

  He rubbed a large hand over his scruffy face. “Dad will not be pleased,” he said.

  Bingo. He wanted to impress Daddy, so he behaved. That was good to know.

  His mouth pressed into a tight line, he patted her knee, taking a moment to slide his hand up her thigh. Holly clamped her legs shut. “No.”

  He pulled his hand away. “You wait here. We’re not done yet,” Enzo said, grinning.

  There’s the monster I remember.

  And he went back to the cockpit and shut the door, leaving them alone.

  She looked at Kane and shrugged. Even with the groping, she’d expected more questions. More intimidation. More something.

  Then again, he’d asked the important questions. The Who. The What. The Where. Maybe it was all he and his father needed.

  On the other side of the cabin, Kane stared at her, but his expression was unreadable. Was he angry that she’d divulged the information or upset that Enzo touched her? Perhaps a bit of both? One way to find out.

  Holly staggered to her feet and made her way over to Kane. “Hang on,” she said. “Give me a minute and you can go back to yelling at me,” Dropping to her knees with her back facing him, she searched for the duct tape with her fingers and ripped it off.

  “Damn,” he said.

  “Sorry,” she replied, letting herself fall sideways so she could sit on the floor.

  “I swear, I am going to kill him,” Kane said, his voice low.

  She’d never seen him so angry, but she didn’t need angry Kane. He was irrational. She needed the guy that knew how to make a plan. “I’m okay,” she assured him. “And I believe you, but the killing will have to wait. Right now, we need to escape.”