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“True, this could just be a new way he’s going about it.” The idea was unsettling and made me want to vomit. “Did Shannon talk? Confirm Brant’s behind this?” Why hadn’t I asked that yet? That was an important detail.
“Camila’s working on it. Using her own form of a lie detector test on her,” Gray shared with a smirk.
“Polygraph the polygrapher,” Gwen murmured, catching Carter’s eyes for a moment. “If Camila doesn’t get her to talk, I’m sure our resident Iron Man will.” She winked, then angled her head toward the house.
Carter muttered something too low for me to hear as I asked, “If Camila knows things somehow, can’t she put her hand on Shannon’s arm or something and just see the future? I have no clue how that works, but . . .” That worked in movies, and we were practically in one, so why not?
“She can’t get a read on Shannon. And Camila doesn’t, um, see into the past,” Carter explained, his shoulders relaxing; although, I had a feeling no part of that man was ever truly relaxed.
“And that means?” Lucy asked before I could.
“Camila not being able to get a read on Shannon’s future probably means Shannon doesn’t have one,” Gwen said, interpreting Carter’s cryptic words.
“Does that mean you all plan to kill Shannon?” I folded my arms, unsure how I felt about that. Yeah, she helped the cartel track us down, and she was more than likely involved in the women going missing as well, but . . .?
“I’m not planning to kill her, no,” Carter said flatly, then he motioned toward the house. “Let’s get inside. Once Camila’s team is here, they’ll secure the perimeter for us. In the meantime, we have cameras and alarms if anyone gets within five hundred feet of the house.”
“And how’d you happen to come across this place? Even Iron Man has limits,” Lucy quipped, her tone playful.
“It belongs to a friend of a friend who owes me a favor,” Carter answered from the side door of the home near the detached garage. He typed in an access code and the light on the panel turned green. “I arranged to have clothes and toiletries brought here for us. All the closets and bathrooms have everything you need,” he said while opening the door. “And the kitchen has been fully stocked with food.”
Carter walked through the door, and everyone immediately followed. With Jack in tow, we entered the house, making our way down a long hall that emptied into the grand foyer. The outside had been breathtaking, but the inside was next level with a fountain gurgling near the marble staircase.
Oh, so this is how the other half lives? Glancing over at Lucy, she shot me a quick look and I could tell despite how she seemed these past few minutes with everyone, she was upset with me. Upset that I had kept secrets from her this entire time. Oh, Luce, I only did it to protect you. I subtly shook my head to clear the emotion rising in my throat and focused back on Carter. “So, can you trust this friend of a friend not to tell the FBI or cartel we’re here?” I had to assume the answer was yes, but I needed him to spell it out for me before I’d allow my body to relax and exit the fight-or-flight mode I’d been in since yesterday morning.
Carter’s brows stitched together, clearly disturbed by my lack of trust in his judgment. “Yeah, the man who owns this property hates both the cartel and the Feds.”
“And he’s probably more scared of you than both of those groups,” Gwen tossed out, patting Carter’s shoulder. “Well, I don’t know about everyone else, but I need a shower.” She pointed to the stairs. “Let me know when Camila’s here.”
“Second bedroom should work for you. It’ll have what you need,” Carter told her, speaking through barely parted lips for some reason.
Gwen whirled back, her gaze skating up and down Carter’s body. His clothes looked as rough as all of ours after the day in the jungle yesterday. “And what is it that I need exactly?” Despite the playful smile from Gwen, I’d swear there was a hint of allure in her tone that I had to chalk up to fatigue. Because she couldn’t be flirting with him, right?
Gray stepped around Carter, blocking Gwen’s line of sight of the man, but bringing him close enough for me to catch the strong grit of his jawline. “Gwen,” he rasped.
I remembered Jack telling me Gray’s brother-in-law was her father; so, he was Gwen’s uncle. Of course he wouldn’t want his twentysomething-year-old niece making eyes at his co-team leader. Heads would probably roll back home if her dad was anything like these guys.
“I was teasing. Relax.” Gwen yawned and then resumed her trek up the stairs, disappearing a moment later.
“Why do I feel like Gwen’s flir—”
“Don’t say it,” Carter cut Oliver off, and he couldn’t mask the agitated look on his face. Well, maybe it was less distress and more . . .
. . . Frustration. Ohhh, you need to get laid. Yup. I recognized that look. He just didn’t want it to be with Gwen. Good call, big man.
Gray faced Carter, that tight line of his jaw still there. “Something happen back at the lodge I should know about?”
And Gray just read the room.
“You had eyes on us while we were there.” Carter angled his head, the challenge clear in his eyes. His Ray-Bans may have survived the jungle, but they were about to get crushed by his palm. “You tell me.”
“Okay, boys.” Mya stepped between them and stretched out her arms. “Neither of you slept on the way here. You’re way grumpier than normal. Just go clean up. Our attitudes are not the only things that stink around here right now.”
“Yeah, you definitely need a shower,” Oliver said to her, obviously trying to break the tension that was still heavy in the air between their team leaders.
“Same here. I’m offending myself,” I piped up, trying to join Oliver’s attempts to stop a possible face-off by two tired operators. Plus, I really did need to wash up. My hair was wild over my shoulders, and I’d also lost my “nipple coverage” when I’d removed the bikini top to get comfortable during my nap on the way there. And based on Jack’s clenched jaw, eyes on my chest, we both realized I was braless in front of a bunch of men at the same time.
My arms flew across my breasts, but of course Jack seemed to be the only one who noticed since all other eyes were on the Carter-Gray standoff.
