But abruptly his expression changed, his face becoming closed and remote. Gideon slid his sunglasses on, eyes now hidden from her, shaking his head.
“Alright. Just don’t get pickpocketed, okay?” His brusque manner returned and whatever she’d seen in his expression was gone. Her mind tried to take in the mercurial changes she’d just seen. She’d never met anyone who could go through such a range of emotions in such a short span of time.
“Come on. We have a long way to go yet.”
Gideon led her back to the Range Rover, tossing his duffel behind the driver’s seat. They climbed back in and he started the vehicle, pulling ahead into traffic.
“What’s this?” Lainey pointed out the window at the building they were approaching, something that looked like a large transparent carwash.
“Fumigation. Roll up your window.”
She did as she was told and they passed slowly through the building, a cloud of spray engulfing the car, finally emerging on the other side. Gideon parked the Rover and once again they climbed out, walking toward a low building.
“This is the Guatemalan Customs, basically a repeat of the Belizean Customs that you just went through. Same routine, same reason for being here.”
“Got it.”
It took almost an hour to work their way through the officials and payments. Gideon took care of the money, surprising Lainey. His gruff demeanor had dissipated a little and she thought maybe he’d finally accepted she was part of this journey. Or more likely it would be harder to get rid of her in Guatemala than it had been in Belize.
They finally made their way back to the Range Rover. It was early evening but the sun had already begun to set, the sky above the jungle darkening.
“I’m surprised at how dark it is...it’s so early.”
Gideon nodded. “The sun sets early, even in the summer. And in the jungle it’s pretty much immediately dark, no lingering twilight.”
The headlights of the Rover lit a swath of asphalt ahead of them. Lainey had the sense of descending into a deep, dark, very humid – and completely foreign – world.
They drove for several hours along a paved road and then turned off onto a rutted track. The Rover bumped and jolted along, Gideon driving at a much slower speed. After an hour of bone jarring travel, the headlights splashed across a collection of dilapidated buildings. Gideon pulled up in front of a small shack and cut the engine.
A dim light was visible through a cloudy window. Gideon sat for a moment, absolutely still, eyes focused on the window. Then Lainey saw the light blink off and on and Gideon shifted in his seat.
“Stay here until I come back for you. This is where it gets dangerous. No one expects you, and I need to explain why I brought you along.”
Lainey swallowed hard. “Who are they?”
“One of my contacts. I told you, I work alone. And for a reason. Any more questions?” His voice was thick with sarcasm.
“No.” Aside from the faded patch of light cast on the ground beneath the window, the jungle was in complete darkness.
“I’ll be back. Don’t move. And lock the doors.”
Gideon stepped out of the Rover, watching Lainey as she leaned over and locked his door. She locked hers and watched as he walked toward the small sheet metal door set into the side of the building. He moved like a panther, a shadow among shadows. An involuntary shiver ran through her despite the heat inside the vehicle.
Lainey watched as he raised a hand to knock at the door. He waited a minute, then two, standing motionless on the edge of the shadows. Then the door opened, harsh light illuminating Gideon’s face. Lainey saw a figure in the doorway.
For a brief instant the door opened wider, the figure moving aside, disappearing from Lainey’s view. But Gideon remained outside. He gestured back toward the Rover. The figure came back into the opening, and Lainey had the distinct impression she was under scrutiny.
The figure in the door began gesticulating wildly and Lainey caught the raised voice that went along with those gestures. Gideon remained still, occasionally shaking his head.
Finally Gideon turned and walked back toward the vehicle as the door of the shack closed, cutting off the harsh light. Lainey reached across, unlocking the driver’s door, expecting Gideon to climb in and give her the lecture about working alone before driving away.
But he walked to her side of the Rover, knocking on the glass. She unlocked and opened her door and Gideon leaned in, one arm resting on the doorframe.
“Come with me. My contact’s not happy having you here. But I said it was your brother, explained how you managed to get this far, and you got lucky. Family apparently meant enough to get you through the door.” He paused. “I’d tell you to get your bag, but well, that’s not going to happen.”
Gideon stepped back and she climbed out, waiting while he retrieved his duffel. She let him lead the way across the overgrown path to the door. As they approached, the door swung open, allowing them to slip inside.
The door closed behind them. Lainey turned and was startled to see a small, fierce-looking woman with a cascade of wavy black hair walking toward her, a clear look of disapproval on her face. Lainey took a step backward and bumped into Gideon, feeling his hand on her waist.
“Don’t show any fear. Don’t say anything. Just stay out of the way.” His voice was low, as if he were talking to a frightened horse. Then he stepped around her, moving between her and the woman
Gideon spoke a rapid stream of Spanish, hands raised in a placating gesture. The woman responded and she sounded angry. Lainey half expected blows to follow, or at least a prolonged argument. But to her surprise, the woman suddenly tipped her head back, laughing. She reached out, clapped Gideon on the arm, and smiled broadly at Lainey.
Gideon turned, eyebrows raised. “Well, apparently she’d decided that if you’re here, you’re tougher than most women. She respects your tenacity.”
Lainey was still caught up in fight or flight mode, completely blindsided by the unexpected laughter. She burst into nervous giggles, which earned her a sharp look from Gideon and another smile from the woman.
“Her name is Francesca.” Gideon’s look was still quizzical, his tone guarded. “She’s offered you a place to sleep, something to eat, but she has nothing that would fit you as far as clothes go.”
Lainey made the effort to control her giggles, finally succeeding. “Tell her thank you and it’s okay about the clothes. I’ll make do, I guess.”
“She’ll show you where you can sleep.” Gideon turned to Francesca and another conversation ensued. Francesca nodded, left the room briefly, then returned with a platter of fruit and a bottle of water. She led Lainey across the small room to a curtained doorway. Tugging the curtain aside, she pointed into the dim interior. Lainey squinted. The outline of a cot was visible in the far corner, the room lit by a small battery operated lantern. Francesca handed her the fruit and water then stood back, apparently waiting for some type of reply.
“Gracias.” Lainey cringed at the sound of her harsh mid-western accent. Francesca smiled then let the curtain drop.
Lainey set the fruit and water on a low table and looked at the cot. It held a pillow and a blanket. She picked up the pillow, sniffed it, and wrinkled her nose. It smelled like mildew and grease. But then she yawned, exhaustion washing over her. Suddenly she didn’t care so much.
She wondered where Gideon was going to sleep, the thought passing through her mind that maybe it was with Francesca. Maybe that was what prompted the angry response from the woman. Turning the lantern around, she found the switch and turned off the light.
In the humid darkness, she pulled off her jeans and t-shirt, dropping them on the floor before climbing into the cot. It sagged alarmingly in the middle and she moved cautiously, pulling the blanket over her shoulders. The blanket was scratchy and she kicked it off. The heat was relentless, the air in the room heavy and still.
She rolled over, punching the pillow, trying to find a comfortable pos
ition on the saggy cot. From the other room, she heard Gideon’s voice, the staccato replies from Francesca, and then her rich laugh.
Despite everything swirling through her mind and the unending heat, she drifted into a fitful sleep.
At some point she woke, aware the voices had stopped. Lainey wondered again about the relationship, if Francesca was just a contact or something more. Or if being a contact included sleeping with Gideon. Lainey frowned in the dark, the thought bothering her. And then it bothered her that she even cared. The image of the woman’s thick black hair cascading down her back, the fire in her eyes as they argued, popped up into Lainey’s mind. The woman was exotic and sexy, and the two obviously had a history.
Lainey rolled over again, facing the wall, wishing for sleep to come back. But then she was aware of movement behind her, the subtle swish of the curtain moving, a sliver of yellow light hitting the wall in front of her.
A footstep, then two, and she froze. Someone was in the room with her and she was naked and alone. Should she scream? Yell for Gideon? Her heart beat loudly against her chest, her breathing fast.
“If you’re not going to use that blanket, can I have it?”
At the sound of Gideon’s voice, Lainey sat up, wide-eyed. Gideon was backlit, standing in the doorway.
“Turn around! And close the curtain. And no, you can’t have the blanket.” Lainey groped over the edge of the low cot, feeling on the floor for the blanket. She snatched it up, struggling to cover herself.
“I closed my eyes. Does that count?” The smile in his voice was unmistakable, and it irritated her.
“Not funny. You shouldn’t sneak up on people when they’re sleeping.” She sat up on the cot, pulling her legs beneath the blanket.
“Sorry about that. But I wasn’t expecting to find a naked woman lying on my cot.”
“I’m not naked... And I didn’t know it was your cot.”
Gideon moved further into the room and the curtain fell behind him, cutting off the light, throwing the room into darkness again.
“Wait. Are you sleeping here? With me?” Lainey hugged her knees to her chest, the blanket wrapped tightly around her body. Sweat was already trickling down her sides and the back of her knees.
“There aren’t too many choices here. And as appealing as it sounds, I’m not sleeping with you. I’m sleeping on the floor.”
His words – the slight slurring of those words – took her off guard. Her heart rate had slowed, but now, with the thought of Gideon in the same room, it skittered along in a totally different way, an unexpected shiver running down her spine.
“Are you drunk?”
“I’ve had some wine, yes. But not too much. Part of Francesca’s fee involves alcohol. And she insists we share.” He began moving around the small room. There was the scrape of a chair on wood followed by the thud of Gideon’s boots hitting the floor.
“Don’t worry though. I only do one thing at a time, and right now, you hired me to find your brother. Besides, you’re off the market, even if I was off the job and we were in slightly better accommodations.”
Lainey’s mind was racing, none of Gideon’s words making sense to her. He despised her, or at the very least, tolerated her. He’d been trying to get rid of her every step of the way. And now this revelation, that the only reason he wasn’t making a move was because he thought she was in a relationship.
“Wait, what? What do you mean, I’m off the market?”
The sound of a zipper seemed overly loud in the heavy dark. Lainey closed her eyes even though she couldn’t see anything. The thought of Gideon taking off his clothes was suddenly too much. Then there was the sound of fabric rustling and something soft hitting the floor.
“You have a boyfriend.” His voice was muffled.
“I do not have a boyfriend. Who told you that I did?”
“Scott Navarro.” Gideon’s words came to her from somewhere near the floor, and she assumed he was lying down on the rough wood. A momentary pang of guilt shot through her, but not enough to give up her blanket for him.
“Scott told you I had a boyfriend?”
“No, Scott told me he was your boyfriend.”
Lainey sat up in stunned silence. The blanket slipped off her shoulder and pooled in her lap. She stared in the dark at the spot on the floor where she thought Gideon lay. Why would Scott say that?
“I take it by your silence that’s the truth.” Gideon’s comment was more statement than question.
Lainey finally found her voice. “No, it’s not. He’s not, I mean, not anymore. He used to be a long time ago. But we broke up. It’s been a long, long time.”
Now Gideon was silent. Lainey lay back, tugging the blanket over her shoulder, finally deciding he’d fallen asleep, either because he was drunk or he’d lost interest in the topic. How could he do that? He’d basically admitted he wanted to sleep with her, something so unexpected she had no way to even think about it. And then he’d fallen asleep.
After a long time, there was a grunt from the floor, the sound of Gideon turning over.
“I guess I’m working with the wrong intel then. It’s rare that I do that. I must be slipping.” Gideon paused. “Even more odd that Scott would lie. Makes me wonder what else he’s lied about.” Gideon shifted again. “Apparently he’s still carrying a torch for you, Lainey. A pretty hefty torch.”
‘What’s awkward for you is painful for me.’ Scott’s words echoed in her head. Was that why he offered to help with the money for Gideon? Did he want to try to get back into some kind of relationship with her, even if it meant her being in his debt?
“He told you that when he delivered the money, right? That we were together?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Why did you ask to meet with him? Didn’t you trust me?”
“I didn’t ask to meet him. He asked to meet with me.”
Why the hell would Scott set it all up this way? Did Gideon typically hit on his clients or was Scott hedging his bets?
Lainey shifted restlessly on the narrow cot. “None of this matters anyway. I’m only concerned with bringing my brother home. Nothing else.” She fought to steady the quiver in her voice.
“Good. That’s all that should matter.” His voice was gruff, his tone serious.
There was movement on the floor and when he spoke, Gideon’s voice was very close, his breath against her ear.
“Listen, what I said, maybe I was out of line.” He drew a breath and then let out a deep sigh. “Maybe I had a little too much of Francesca’s wine. Maybe I’m getting too old for this. I don’t know.” He voice had a weary tone. Lainey held her breath.
In the dark the cot shook briefly, and then the warmth of Gideon’s hand slid down her arm, fingers brushing against her blanket-covered breast. Lainey jerked, goose bumps prickling her skin. But his hand moved lower, his fingers finding hers. He grabbed her hand and gave it a brief squeeze.
“I’m sorry.” He released her hand and settled back on the floor. “Now get some sleep.”
* * *
“Lainey, wake up.”
Gideon’s voice was close, his hand very warm on her bare shoulder. The room was still hot and stuffy. She must have fallen asleep during their conversation.
“I accept your apology.” She mumbled the words, patting his hand.
He laughed briefly. “That’s good. Thanks. But it’s time to get up. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”
Lainey opened her eyes. Furry gray light filled the windowless room. The curtain over the door was pulled aside, the space beyond only slightly brighter. She looked up to see Gideon leaning over her.
“Awake?” His eyes were fixed on hers, darker gray in the subdued light. She nodded and he took his hand away. “Get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes.”
He turned and she watched him leave the room. Her blanket had been tossed aside again sometime during the night, leaving half of her curvy frame uncovered. She wondered how long he’d stood there bef
ore he woke her. The anger she wanted to feel at the liberty he took wasn’t there. What was there was a tiny tingling that ran up her spine, and that confused her.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her clothes were still in a pile on the floor and she stared at them for a minute. They were all she had and she cringed at the thought of wearing day old clothes. But it was her own damn fault for not paying attention. She decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to ask Gideon if there was any place she could wash her clothes.
Lainey found Gideon outside, loading the ever-present duffel bag into the back of the Rover. It looked bulkier and as he set it down, it landed with a very distinct clanking noise that hadn’t been present yesterday. He glanced at her as she approached.
“Ready? I’ve got fruit, water, and a loaf of bread for you. You can eat on the way.” He closed the back door of the Rover. When he turned to her, his face was serious.
“I’ve got a pretty solid lead on where your brother is being held and who has him. It’s not drug traffickers; it’s a small group of local bandits. It’s not clear why they took him, other than they could. If he had a camera, they might have pegged him as a rich tourist. At any rate, Francesca gave me the general area where he’s being held. They might move him, but I doubt it. They’re not that organized from what she’s been told.”
“So what now? How do...what’s it even called? Rescue? Extraction? How do we get him back?”
Gideon smiled briefly. “You’ve been reading too many thriller novels. And it’s me getting him back, not we. If I had my way...you’d still be in Chicago. Or I’d leave you here with Francesca. Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind, to just drive off without you this morning.”
Lainey scowled, lifting her chin to glare up at Gideon, lips parted, ready with angry words. But he surprised her with a low laugh, leaning against the Rover. He reached out, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, gently tipping her face down.
“You can put your chin back down and get that belligerent look off your face. I said I thought about it. I didn’t do it. For one thing, Francesca would kill me.”
Crazy About Curves: 10 Luscious Reads Page 4
