The men around the table got up and left. They were like robots, doing exactly as they were told, taking no interest in their surroundings. It was a bit creepy.
Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, what aren’t you saying?”
“Jeff worked for someone. I don’t know who, but I promise you someone that young and soft didn’t get to the point where SICA notices him at his age. Someone was running Jeff like a business, and we need to know who.” That person could be an asset, someone with real power and resources.
“Okay, how do we find this puppet master?”
Noah would be shocked if Andy didn’t know already. “Leave that to our people.”
“Then what’s next? Everyone in the UK will be gunning for the two of you.” Brandon glanced from one to the other.
“They have effectively cut off our means to go forward with our plan,” Lillian said.
“Which was?” Brandon asked. “We never got there.”
“We were hoping to present what we knew to the group and individuals to try to coordinate a cross agency sting, arresting people we believe work for SICA all at once.” Lillian stared at the timeline. She was right. That attack was a death sentence to their credibility.
“Wait—cross agency?” Brandon leaned forward.
“That’s what I was talking about with each agency. Our evidence that SICA is not just an American problem, they’re everywhere.” She gestured at a world map tacked to one wall.
“Fuck.” Brandon shook his head. “I’d guessed, but I liked thinking it was a contained problem.”
“We need to talk to the others. Put together a plan.” Lillian looked at Noah.
“Right.” He grimaced. They didn’t know what Brandon knew of their people, who he’d spoken with.
“I was supposed to touch base with Irene after I picked you two up. She’s expecting me.”
Well, that was one question down.
Brandon circled the stately table to a sideboard where yet another computer setup was located.
“You’ve got an awful lot going on here,” Lillian said.
“We’ve been trying to track these SICA bastards in real time. We’re hoping to get them to take some bait tonight. A contact of ours is sweating over moving some weapons we opted to not buy, but not before we planted a tracking device on them.”
“Why do you think SICA would want them?”
“Because our contact stole the shipment from SICA.” Brandon grinned.
“How do you know it was theirs?” Lillian asked.
“We identified one of their men and have been keeping tabs on him. More about him later.” Brandon gestured to the end of the table farthest from the doors. “Have a seat.”
Noah pulled out a seat for Lillian and took the chair next to her. He reached for her hand and squeezed.
It took Brandon a few moments for the call to go through. When it did, Noah only saw Irene. No Mitch. She was sitting with her back to a plain, white wall, her face in shadow.
“It’s good to see you three.” Irene shifted, leaning closer to the camera.
“Morning. You somewhere safe?” Noah asked.
“Yes.” Irene didn’t offer more information.
“We were just chatting about Jeff.” Brandon turned his attention to Noah.
“Who does—did—Jeff work for?” Noah asked.
“I don’t know who, but I know someone who will. Why?” Irene frowned.
“Because whoever they are could help us. I think Jeff might have helped us escape.” Noah squeezed her hand under the table.
“I see. I’ll dig into that. Right now, we need to get the two of you out of the country. The latest breaking news is that the two of you are part of a new terrorist group. That you were working with Mitch Fowler.” Irene’s brows rose. It was one of her tells. A little tick that told him to play along.
So Brandon did not know Mitch was one of them. Interesting.
“Leave that to me,” Brandon said.
“We have someone ready to create new documents for the both of you, but you’re going to have to do something about your appearance. Some dye isn’t going to cut it.”
“I’m on it,” Noah replied.
“I think that brings us to planning?” Lillian picked up a discarded pencil and tapped it on the table. “Our plan of a coordinated strike isn’t going to work anymore.”
“No, it’s not,” Irene replied.
“What is your fallback plan?” Brandon asked.
Irene sighed. “We don’t—”
“We hit SICA where it hurts,” Lillian said, surprising Noah. Where was she going with this? “We need to discredit SICA’s intelligence, damage their credibility, and disrupt their flow of cash. Brandon, you think they’ll take the bait tonight?”
He spread his hands. “That’s what we’re planning on.”
Noah nodded. God, she was brilliant. “What if we used that tracker to follow their shipment routes? Figure out where they’re housing people, resources, things we aren’t aware of?”
“Yes, exactly,” Lillian said. “We were hoping for an explosive short game, now we have to play the long game.”
“So long as I get to blow up their asses, I’m in,” Bandon said.
“I think I’m going to like you.” Noah grinned at the other man. He didn’t often get to say that about people.
…
Lillian sat back in her chair. She’d spitballed the only idea she had left. With her face in the papers and no resources, was she even useful to the team any longer? Unless she could come up with something that worked, she’d become dead weight and that didn’t sit right with her.
“I need to get the men back in here watching the shipment.” Brandon flipped the notebook closed. “I think it would be best if you two stayed out of sight as much as you can. There are rooms upstairs.” Brandon glanced between the two of them. “The guys who are here are trustworthy, but we still need to do something to help you two blend in.”
Noah looked at her. “Yeah, I was thinking about that.”
Brandon pushed to his feet and stretched. “Tell me what you need and I can get it for you.”
“I’ll have Lily make us a list.”
“Sounds good.” Brandon cocked his head to one side. A bell rang through the house. “The team’s here. If it’s a vehicle that’s not ours, you’ll know the sound.”
“Should we head upstairs now?” she asked.
“Probably a good idea.”
“We could do with a rest.” Noah threaded his fingers between hers then stood, tugging her to her feet.
Brandon pointed at another set of doors. “Through those doors, up the stairs and help yourself to any unoccupied room.”
“Thanks, man.” Noah reached across and shook Brandon’s hand.
Lillian let Noah lead her out into what must be the entry to the home. A set of wooden, ornate stairs led up to the second floor. She trudged up the stairs. A nap didn’t sound like such a bad idea. The night spent in the city hadn’t exactly been refreshing.
They reached the second-floor landing. The sound of a baby crying was louder now.
Lillian peered left then right. The house was larger than she’d realized, with a T hallway dividing the house down the middle.
A door at the end of the hall ahead of them opened and the woman who must be Brandon’s girlfriend Mol stepped out, baby in arms.
“Can I help you?” the woman called out.
“Spare room for us to crash in for a while?” Noah asked.
“Oh, right.” The woman pointed to Lillian’s right. “Second from the end at the rear is free.”
“Thanks.” Noah tugged on Lillian’s hand and together they retreated down the hall to their room for the moment.
Noah opened the door Mol had indicated and nudged Lillian inside. The tiny bedroom was utilitarian and neat. The door shut behind her, blocking out most of the noise from downstairs.
“Come here.” Noah wrapped his arms around her and
pulled her in for a hug.
She leaned into him and shut her eyes.
They were safe. For now. She doubted they could completely trust Brandon’s people, but for now they were in this together.
“You’ve done fantastic,” Noah murmured.
“You think?”
He leaned back and looked down at her. “I know.”
“Thanks.”
He let go of her and she peeled the sweatshirt off, then another layer, until she was down to the T-shirt.
Noah perched on the edge of the bed, watching her.
Last night he’d held her and in the darkness he’d whispered things to her. Told her he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her.
She’d gone from not trusting this man to needing him. He’d left everything for her sake. She wasn’t entirely sure she deserved that kind of sacrifice.
“Do you want to take a nap?” He patted the pillow.
“Not really.”
She took a step closer.
“Lily…”
Whatever he was thinking he didn’t say.
She bent and kissed him, letting her lips linger.
They were on the run together. Things were complicated, but right now, in this moment, they were simple. At some point she’d let down her guard and begun trusting him. More than that, she cared for him now. Deeply so.
Noah grasped her by the waist and pulled her toward him, guiding her to sit across his lap. Her arms wound around his shoulders and she leaned into him, her insides quivering. Right now, she just wanted to be safe. With him.
He continued to kiss her, his tongue teasing hers, wreaking havoc on her insides.
She cared about him. This man she’d thought was a nuisance and a bother was now one of the most important people in her life.
A small voice tried to argue that it was their situation, the stress of it all that had her diving into his arms. Stress didn’t make her feel wanted. When she reached for Noah’s hand it wasn’t because she was scared. It was because she trusted him.
Noah cradled her to his chest and rolled with her. He stretched out on the bed, taking her with him.
She broke the kiss, sucking down air, and buried her face against his shoulder.
Caring for Noah came at a price. What if she lost him? What then? How badly would that destroy her?
She understood his sentiment that caring for people was a weakness.
He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.
“How long do you think we have?” she whispered.
“A few hours.” He swept a piece of hair off her cheek and behind her ear.
“Can we just…stay here?” The peace they’d found wouldn’t last, but she wanted it to.
“I’d like that.”
She lifted her chin and looked up at Noah staring down at her. A line wrinkled his brow. She reached up and smoothed her thumb over the sign of his unease, willing it away.
“I wouldn’t mind if you kept kissing me.”
“Wouldn’t you now?” He lowered his head, a mischievous half smile curling his lips.
He kissed her again, taking his time and exploring her mouth. She held onto his shoulders, aware that she was in danger of being swept over the edge of sanity and into something deeper and more consuming. His hand coasted down her body. He gripped the back of her knee and hoisted her leg up over his. His thigh pressed against her, the warmth of him sinking into every fiber of her being.
Was this smart?
Did she care?
She didn’t want to resist. Not when they weren’t promised another minute on this planet.
Noah’s hand slid up her shirt, coming to a stop against her side.
“You can tell me to stop,” he said.
“I don’t want to.”
His hand slid up her ribs to her chest. She leaned away from him, giving his hand more room to play. His finger traced the edge of her bra over the swell of her breast. She shifted, her nipples tightening at the promise of his touch.
One finger delved past the fabric to tease her flesh. She groaned and covered his hand with hers. She was on the knife edge of arousal before she’d realized it was there. Even that little touch was too much.
The more this went on, the more intertwined with him she’d become. And she didn’t care.
For whatever cosmic reason, they’d been thrown together. Right now, she wasn’t going to think about it too much. They had plenty of problems. This one thing could be good for both of them.
Noah wiggled his fingers under her palm, sending electric jolts of awareness through her body. She groaned and covered her eyes. They were so far beyond the clear cut lines and she wanted this, now, with him. She pulled her shirt up and over her head.
He pushed up onto his elbow, looking down at her. His hand pressed against her stomach while his eyes focused on her face.
“Some things are worth savoring,” he said.
Lillian bit her lip to keep from groaning.
He pushed up to kneel on the bed. He kissed the place where her ribs flared, then her stomach and her hip. She pressed her fingers into the comforter while he took his time.
Noah unbuttoned her pants with a flick of his fingers. He sat up, his eyes twinkling with that mischief she knew so well.
He was back with her, here in this moment.
He crawled over her until he stood next to the bed and then dragged her jeans down her body, leaving her in the bra and panties she’d put on in the darkness to go to their fateful meeting. She reached for him, barely able to hook her fingers in his pocket and tug him the crucial few inches closer.
Lillian slid his belt free of the catch while he tossed his T-shirt off and onto the floor. The simmering arousal was beginning to burn in her veins. She wanted to feel him, to forget the world for just a few moments.
Noah pushed her hands away and unfastened his jeans himself.
An urgency settled into her. She needed Noah now. She didn’t know why, but waiting wasn’t an option.
She sat up and released the catch on her bra. His clothes hit the floor. She tossed her bra over the side of the bed.
Noah pushed her back until she lay there, almost naked. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her underwear and drew them down her thighs. She kicked them off and reached for him, pulling him onto the bed.
He hit the mattress, wrapped his arms around her and rolled until she was sprawled over his chest. She kissed him, drinking him in. She straddled his thighs, his erection pressing against her stomach.
She didn’t know what it was about him that made her feel this way, but she wasn’t going to overthink it. There were too many things to labor over, her feelings for Noah weren’t going to be one of them.
“Condom?” she whispered against his lips.
“Wallet.”
He groped on the nightstand for where he’d tossed it during their race to disrobe. He opened the leather wallet, a gold foil packet tucked between a few pound notes and his metro card. She plucked the condom out of his wallet and sat up. She ripped it open then grasped his cock.
Noah took the condom out of the wrapper and rolled it on. She glanced at his face and found him looking at her. Not her breasts or anywhere else. He was watching her face.
What did he see? Did he know she’d gone and fallen for him?
She felt the blunt head of his cock against her. She shifted her hips and shut out the little, nervous voices.
Right now this was about living. Being together. Feeling whatever the hell she wanted to feel.
There.
Lillian pressed down and he slid inside of her. She gasped for breath. Noah’s hands grasped hers, steadying her as her body stretched and her balance wobbled. Her eyes slid shut as she rocked her hips.
Noah placed her hands against his chest then grasped her by the hips. She opened her eyes and looked down at him still watching her.
What did he see when he looked at her? In these moments? Did he care about her the same way she was g
rowing to care about him?
He thrust up into her and she gasped, her muscles turning to jelly for the span of a few moments. She went down to her forearms, their bodies fully joined. He dug a hand into her hair and dragged her mouth to his. While she struggled to catch her breath, he rocked his hips, grinding against her.
She broke the kiss and pushed up, relishing the slight tug on her hair as he was forced to let go. Noah would never be what she’d call a gentle lover. He was rough in more places than his edges, and he didn’t hide that from her. She wasn’t sure if there was anything they were hiding at this point—except her feelings.
Lillian rose, her thighs quivering a bit. Despite her effort to keep her eyes open, her lids drifted shut as he slid from her channel. She sat back down, driving him into her, sending fissures of pleasure through herself.
One thing was clear, she wasn’t going to last long.
Noah wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down again, only this time he rolled until she was under him. He grasped her hands, threading their fingers together, and kissed her. His tongue slipped into her mouth and he thrust, filling her with him.
The twisted, complicated sense of attraction, lust and whatever else made up the knot in her chest tightened. It seemed as though everything else were being squeezed out of her. All the things that didn’t matter had no place, because she was full of him.
Noah broke the kiss. His breath warmed her cheek and his grip on her hands tightened. He surged into her, all the while murmuring words she couldn’t hear. She hooked her calf around his thigh and moved with him, losing herself in the feel of his skin sliding against hers, the way he seemed to touch all the parts of her body and soul.
She stared up at him. It was as though everything else, the whole world, had ceased to exist outside of this moment. Whatever this was, she wasn’t alone in it. Noah might not care for her the same way, but he felt something. She could see it shining back at her.
He drove deeper, harder, triggering an internal spiral into pleasure. She finally squeezed her eyes shut, groaning as release swept through her, unleashing a sense of longing so deep tears prickled her eyes.
Lillian didn’t know how long she could hold onto Noah. Whatever time they were granted wouldn’t be enough.
Chapter Fourteen
Traitor Games Page 18
