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“Ms. Adams. Time is of the essence,” I insisted, leaning in closer
“I don’t think I like your tone. You need to tell me who the hell you are, buddy, or so help me God I’m going to scream bloody murder.”
This would have been so much easier if she hadn’t ditched the Secret Service men assigned to her, but the stunning woman obviously had her methods down to a science. While she’d been cagey in her method of leaving her apartment through a second story window, changing clothes in Jennifer’s car on the way over, the woman hadn’t noticed I’d been following them the entire time, planning on taking her as soon as she left the club. Now this bullshit. I might as well launch into the spiel I’d been provided to say in case of a public situation.
“Isabella Adams. I’ve been ordered by the federal government to take you to a secure location for your safety. It is vital that you come with me.” As soon as I issued the words, I tossed them from my vocabulary forever. What crap.
While her eyes opened wide, she tried to pull away a second time. “Excuse me?” She tossed her long, dark hair, straightening up to her full height.
“This is a serious situation, ma’am. I have less than two minutes to get you out of here safely.” I was already losing my patience.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, at least until you dance with me,” she said with less conviction. “Even if you are one hunk of a hero. A girl’s ultimate fantasy.”
This was a new tactic. “Yes, I’m afraid youaregoing to follow my orders to the letter. We need to leave now.”
“And why should I?” She brushed her hand down my chest, moving dangerously close to my crotch. We were both shocked by the heavy jolt of current flowing from one to the other, her eyes opening wide.
I removed her hand, lowering my head.
“You need to listen to me carefully. Because it’s what your father requested. We have little time. Come with me quietly and I’ll get you to a safe location.” I flashed her the identification I’d been given, although the limited information provided little more than my operational name and rank, the tagline indicating the government agency was falsified for security purposes.
She barely glanced at the laminated card. “Over my dead body, Cobra. I don’t care if you are a venomous snake; I’m not leaving this club with you.” Without any hesitation, she attempted to bolt into the crowd, creating the kind of scene that would immediately get us noticed.
Goddamn it.
Hissing, I moved quickly, yanking her against me and heading for the rear exit. That’s when she turned into a hellcat, elbowing me in the chest, the blow hard enough she broke the hold. When she threw a hard punch to my jaw, several members of the crowd gasped. There was no doubt her antics had been noticed.
With the clock almost out of time, I moved swiftly, grabbing and tossing her over my shoulder, taking long strides toward the exit. The moment a bouncer stepped in front of me, I yanked my weapon into view, daring him to get in my way. This was the last thing I’d wanted to happen. My fucking skills needed honing. Two years of retirement and I’d lost the ability to make an extraction without causing unwanted attention.
Why had I been chosen for this mission? Maybe because the man in charge of the program figured I’d have a fighting chance to deal with the likes of Ms. Adams.
Isabella fought me as I slammed my hand against the door, managing to exit the facility without incident. As I headed for the van, I kept my gun positioned in my hand, sensing enemies were already in pursuit. As soon as I rounded the corner, a single shot was fired. I took off running, making it to the van in less than fifteen seconds. Every moment had been timed, but her interference might cost us.
As soon as I tried to place her in the back, she managed to throw another punch, scrambling to get out of my hold.
Goddamn it. The second she slipped out of my fingers, her wig falling to the side of the road, another shot was fired.
Then all hell seemed to break loose.
While she was faster than anticipated, her long legs pumping, within eight seconds I was able to retrieve her, but by then our method of extraction had been discovered.
The mercenaries I’d hired appeared, firing off several shots as assailants swept in from the shadows.
She screamed, forcing me to shove my hand across her mouth. There was no time to explain the situation, the only thing on my mind getting her behind the bulletproof metal of the vehicle. The second I shoved her inside, one of the soldiers I’d hired was gunned down, the bullets he’d taken likely saving her life.
The extraction had been well planned, the soldiers arriving in a second vehicle. Another member would stay behind, providing assistance for the fallen man. The others would remain by my side until we reached the designated drop-off point. Then they’d wait for their ride.
As other men jumped inside, I pushed her further into the van, forced to fire off several shots, killing at least three of the men heading in our direction. As the driver pressed down on the accelerator, I slammed the door, finally taking a deep breath.
The extraction had been unacceptable, messy and violent. That could become a serious problem. Unfortunately, I’d had no other choice, her usual evening activities differing on this single night.
“A little rough. Aren’t you?” she huffed, scampering to crawl further away.
“Sit the fuck down.” I grabbed her purse, yanking her phone into my hand.
“What the hell are you doing? That’s mine!” She tried to grab it from my fingers, but I smashed it on the floor of the van, using my boot to grind the components into fragments. The last thing I needed was for her to be tracked by the use of her phone.
“Protecting you,” I snarled.
