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“I just told you why.”
“No.” Kyle leaned back in his seat. “I want to see Natalie.”
“What?”
“Bring Natalie in here. I want to see her. Alone.”
Doug narrowed his gaze. “And if I allow you and Agent Matthews to speak, you’ll help us?”
From the way Doug kept checking his watch, their five minutes were almost done. Kyle leaned forward. “Yes.”
“Fine.” Doug got up and walked to the door. “Pleasure doing business with you, Lieutenant Commander.”
“Wish I could say the same.”
A few minutes later, the door opened again and in walked Natalie, looking pale and worried. She took the seat Doug had recently vacated, her gaze downcast. “I’m so sorry, Kyle. I swear I had nothing to do with this.”
Kyle reached across the table to take one of her hands in his, the metal shackles around his wrists clanging sharply. She jumped and tried to pull away, but he held fast, and she finally looked up, meeting his gaze. There were things that Kyle wanted to say—but as he stared into her eyes, all of them went straight out of his mind. God, what was it about her? How did she manage to get under his skin like no one ever had before?
Somehow he gathered his wits. “We have to work together on this, Natalie. My team’s got the best chance of catching Arrieta, and you know it. You want him? Get me out of here so we can do things my way, with my team.”
Before she could answer, the door opened, and Doug walked in again.
“Well, Lieutenant?” Doug asked. “Are you willing to work with Agent Matthews to apprehend Arrieta?”
Kyle held Natalie’s gaze, hoping what he saw in her eyes was agreement. He had to take a chance. He extended his hands toward Doug. “You boys got yourself a deal, as long as Natalie here acts as my Agency contact.”
Doug’s lips flattened, but he seemed to have other priorities on his mind. “You agree that once we locate Arrieta, the CIA takes charge of the operation—and we take him alive.”
Kyle had expected this, knew what he had to say to gain his freedom, yet the words still stuck in his throat. “He’s a cold-blooded murderer. You guys understand that, right?”
“Alive, or no deal.”
Miles Arrieta’s life was over, one way or another. Kyle would make sure of it. He wouldn’t lose any sleep over lying to a pissant like Doug. Not if it meant him getting free and back to his team. “Fine.”
“Unlock him,” Doug said, then left.
Natalie removed Kyle’s handcuffs, and he stood, rubbing the abraded skin. “Thank you.” They were so close together, bare inches between them, and he found himself leaning in, drinking her breath, anticipating the taste of her mouth… For a moment, time stopped, and he thought she swayed toward him.
“No,” Natalie said sharply, taking a step back. “Stop it, Kyle.”
“Stop what?”
“This. Whatever this is between us, it can’t happen,” she said, her tone breathy. “We can’t betray Nick’s memory like that.”
The mention of his big brother was like an ice-water shower. Kyle shook himself. “Of course not. This is all for Nick. Nothing else matters.”
“Agreed.” She took a deep breath. “And you’re right.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re right. About your team. Mobile is the way to go.”
“So you’ll let me take charge?”
“For now.” Natalie straightened and glanced over at the mirrored window. “But the same conditions apply. You run all plans by me for approval first, and we bring Arrieta in alive.”
Kyle stared at her across the span of several feet. “Fine. No tails, though. Just you. Alone.” He held out his hand.
