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His grin got wider and a flutter of a dimple teased one side of his mouth, but he didn’t keep his hands raised. “I’ve never been very good at following orders. You won’t shoot me.”
“I just pulled the trigger on a man who probably thought much the same thing. Why is it that men always underestimate what a woman is capable of?”
His face turned serious and a little bit grim. “I’ve read your file. I would never think of underestimating you.” He said it with such conviction she thought he actually might be telling the truth.
“You’re agency then.” She nodded, her suspicions suddenly confirmed. “I’m not interested in coming back. Sorry you had to make the trip. But you’re going to want to get out of my way. I’m in a hurry.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m here to help you. I’ve been known to move fast from time to time.”
“I don’t need help. And if you don’t move aside I’m going to put a bullet in you just on principle.”
“That would make my daughter unhappy. She doesn’t like it when I get shot.”
Eden let out a sigh and let the gun drop down to her side. “You’re determined to be a pain in my neck, aren’t you?”
“I guess that’s why my boss sent me for you. Though I don’t know what the hell Atticus hopes to do with you. And I overheard enough of the conversation between you and your comrades to know you’re going to need help. As far as everyone on the planet is concerned, Jonah Salt died in France. You, me, and the Russians are the only ones who know differently. Tracking Jonah Salt won’t be a cakewalk. But I can help you.”
“You said Atticus.” Her gaze narrowed on him. “Atticus Cameron?”
“Good.” He nodded. “It helps speed things up that you’ve heard of him.”
“Of course I’ve heard of him. Even when I was Mossad I knew who he was. Not to mention he’s been trying to track me down for the last year or so. He’s persistent, I’ll give him that. He’s left messages for me all over hell and back to return his calls. He’s a hard man to ignore. But I’ve managed.”
“I’ll make sure to tell himsomeonewas successful at ignoring him,” he said dryly.
Her lips wanted to twitch at the obvious good humor on the man’s face when he spoke of Atticus, but she forced herself to remain impassive. Emotions had no place in the field. That’s what had gotten her into trouble the last time.
“Make yourself useful and help me tie them up. I’d like to get at least a little bit of a head start before they come after me.”
“I live to serve,” he said.
Eden held the gun on him as he made short work of binding the Russians’ hands and feet, and then she made a motion with her weapon for him to move back outside. She leaned down and grabbed her jacket and then followed behind him, keeping her weapon ready just in case her instincts were off and he really was there to kill her. But her gut wasn’t tingling, and she thought he might really be there to do as he said.
Once they were outside and a good distance away from the warehouse, he turned and leaned casually against the hood of a Humvee.
“So why did the great Atticus Cameron send you to find me?” she asked.
“You’ve just been recruited by Dynamis Security. Congratulations and welcome to the team. And I wouldn’t even consider saying no. If you know Atticus’s reputation then you know he pretty much always gets what he wants. I’m sure there’s some kind of paperwork you’ll need to fill out. Life insurance policies and all that,” he said, grinning. “But as of this moment you’re on payroll, so it’s probably a good thing you only killed one of those Russians.”
Eden narrowed her eyes and tried to sift through all the possible scenarios of what could happen. And then she decided maybe she could use this man’s help after all. At least for a little while. Dynamis Security had a lot of power and unlimited resources.
“Do you have a name, or are you just Atticus Cameron’s mouthpiece?”
“Nate Locke,” he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. “And sweetheart, I’m nobody’s mouthpiece.”
Before Eden had time to blink he moved in fast, twisting the gun out of her hand. She countered the move, pivoting in the opposite direction. Their bodies were close enough that she could feel the heat of him as they went through the dance of close combat. He hit the small button on the side of the gun while she still held it and the magazine dropped into his hand. He pulled back the slide and ejected the bullet, letting it fall silently into the snow. Both of her arms were restrained and she was left defenseless—not unless she wanted to really hurt him—and the entire time he never once took his eyes from hers.
Her breath came in short pants, the blood drained from her face, and she immediately released her hold on the gun and fought to get out of his grasp. She hated being restrained, and she fought against the panic.
Nate immediately let her go and looked at her curiously. He held the gun out to her, butt end first. “You ready to go?” he asked as if nothing was out of the normal.
Eden took the gun and then held her hand out for the magazine, wondering if he’d give it to her. He placed it in her hand, looking at her with those dark eyes, and trusting her not to kill him. She wasn’t sure if she could’ve done the same. So she took the magazine and popped it back in before returning the weapon to the small of her back.
And then she did what she’d swore she’d never do again—take on another partner. “Let’s go.”
ChapterFive
Cold winds blew bitterly, cutting straight through the body and into the soul. Still, Eden preferred the Alaska cold over Russia any day of the week. There was a wild, untamed beauty about the land that inspired a mix of awe, fear, and respect.
