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And all I could think about was her delicious scent that had wafted into my system. Fuck me. The craving for her continued.
I let out a long exhale, forcing myself to turn away. The filthy things I could do to her would get me in one hell of a lot of trouble.
Let alone losing the million-dollar-a-mission gig. Although money had never meant anything to me.
Thank God I seemed to have gotten through to her, although it was necessary to provide photographs in order for her to fully understand what we were facing. She had no idea how lucky she’d been. I stared at the door for almost a full minute before returning to the kitchen in search of anything to keep her calm.
Liquor sounded like a good idea at this point.
What in God’s name was wrong with me? I’d actually told the mark I was going to fuck her. I had to be out of my fucking mind. That was never going to happen. The only rule that if broken would result in termination—developing a relationship. I could kill indiscriminately, use whatever methods of torture were necessary. Hell, I could steal a plane if that’s what it took to ensure the mission was fulfilled. But fucking her? Not a chance.
I’d always been good at shutting down my feelings. This time was different, but I had no idea why. Was it because she seemed vulnerable, a woman with tremendous potential who’d been shadowed by her powerful father all her life? Yeah, I’d always been a sucker for saving lost puppy dogs. Maybe this was no exception. That wasn’t a good enough excuse for my behavior. She was off limits and that’s where she’d remain. The first objective was getting through the night. However, a drink might calm my freaking libido.
And my anger.
I had the distinct feeling I hadn’t been told everything about the mission. That wouldn’t surprise me given the secrecy of the off the grid department and the mark involved. Still, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was another form of evil lurking in the shadows, including Isabella’s attitude.
I found whiskey under the cabinet, yanking it onto the counter. Then I flexed the hand I’d spanked her with. I’d pushed my luck punishing her, but goddamn it, the prima donna attitude had to end now. We were in for a long haul.
There was no clear indication of how long I’d need to keep her secured, although with the presidential election only two weeks away, I had a feeling that the people responsible for hunting her would also use her capture for political gain. That made the mission shift to a higher plane. I didn’t like the odds or the thought of carrying through with the operation alone, but I had no choice.
The communications unit in my bag beeped. I grabbed the duffle immediately, yanking on the zipper. An incoming text. The vice president was running at least thirty minutes late. Huffing, I threw the device into the bag. I had a feeling this was going to be a very long night.
I poured two glasses, immediately shifting against the edge of the counter, thinking about the assailants who’d approached. They’d been tipped off that she was at the club. The question was by whom? I was the kind of man who’d survived on his instincts and right now, they were telling me there was an operative working within the White House. Even with all the stringent levels of security, the background checks, it was entirely possible for one to slip through.
But not without extensive planning. My next thought was a member close to the second family had been compromised. After she went to sleep, I’d spend time on the computer systems, learning as much as I could about everyone involved with the vice president and his family.
Where we were going, we’d be off the grid for a significant amount of time, internet access all but impossible. I’d calculated where to take her, and the place left to me by an old friend seemed like the logical choice. There were no connections, a fake name used for the purchase. I’d wanted to become completely anonymous after leaving the fuck show I’d gone through.
Sighing, I rolled the glass across my head, finally moving to the icemaker for a few cubes. She appeared out of nowhere, standing in the doorway as if she’d transformed into an entirely different person. I hadn’t known what was being provided for her and certainly hadn’t given a damn, but as sexy as she’d been in the body-hugging dress, right now she took my breath away.
Wearing jeans and a form-fitting sweater, she’d unpinned her hair, allowing the soft blonde curls to roll past her shoulders. She’d washed off the majority of makeup, now appearing more like the girl next door than the hellion I’d had to toss over my shoulder like some Neanderthal.
She remained nervous, her arms folded, and as she walked into the kitchen, her eyes never left me until she noticed the glass in my hand. After reaching for the one I’d poured for her, she moved to one of the barstools by the island, sitting down as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“Are you ever going to tell me your real name?” she asked.
“For now, it’s safer if you only know my codename.”
“Because I’m not trustworthy.”
“I’m not worried about you, Isabella. However, I might be your lifeline in case you’re captured.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Captured. You mean by another source.”
“Exactly.”
“If you’re in this position then you’re ex-military, special ops of some kind. Can you at least tell me that?”
“If you’re looking for my qualifications in order to make you more comfortable, then you’re correct.”
“We’re not staying here.”
To see the change in her was surprising. “No. Even though this is a highly secured facility, we need to go off the grid for a significant period of time.”
“With you.”
Snorting, I polished off my drink, allowing myself a second. “Yes.”
