Caught in the Crosshair (8 page)

Chapter Six

A loud crack shocked Jaden awake. He rubbed his eyes, trying to orient himself. The condo. He’d fallen asleep? No way.

He needed to get his bearings.

Gregory had said he called in their arrival. That meant headquarters and anyone else monitoring the networks knew. Since the cartel pinned his location on the boat, they might have been able to tap into other communications. The storm would slow them down. But he had to consider the possibility they’d upgraded their technology. The news that Gunner had been diverted before disappearing sat hard on his chest.

An unsettled feeling crept over him. How long had he been out?

His watch said not more than twenty minutes. Still. It wasn’t like Jaden to let his guard down around an asset.

No matter that protecting Lauren felt completely different from any other mission he’d been on. The others had been work. This was personal. There was something warm and comforting about her, drawing him toward her. He found himself wanting to know more than he could find in a manila folder … like where she grew up and what she did on Friday nights.
Where the hell did that come from?

He mentally slapped himself. Distraction could get them both killed.

They were safe
for now
. He tried reaching Gunner again. Nothing. Wasn’t like him to go off the grid like that. Damn. Jaden hoped like hell he was all right.

His body ached, but not as much as before.

Lauren was snuggled up to him, her face against his chest. There was a slight pout to her lips, and his body instantly reacted to her. He was growing hard nestled this close.

This was not the time for rogue hormones.

Besides, he had enough rest to think clearly. His second thought? Bryce. The third operative to be killed in a month.

At first blush, Jaden had figured the situation blew up back at the beach because he’d been spotted. If that were true, shouldn’t Jaden be dead and not his buddy? Unless Bryce accidently stepped in the way of a bullet marked for Jaden. Guilt knifed his chest. If Bryce was killed because of Jaden’s actions, he’d never forgive himself.
You don’t know that for sure. Stick to the facts.

Lauren had brought serious cash to the beach.

The cartel had shown up ready and armed to stage war. Brought serious metal, AR-15s, and enough ammo to wipe out a small island.
Why?

Why did they risk trying to kidnap Lauren so publicly? Did she give them a choice? She was smart. She would’ve insisted on being out in the open.

Still, why not take the money and run? She weighed all of a hundred and twenty pounds. They could have easily taken the damn overnight bag and disappeared.

Or, had kidnapping her been the plan all along? Which made even less sense. Why would they want her in the first place? There was no family money to extort.

When he really thought about it, why bring a five-man team to take down an amateur? Then again, his agency had been putting quite a bit of heat on the cartels, especially since Tim.

There had to be more to the story. With South Americans involved, he’d be willing to bet on it. No one else was going to die on his watch. Keeping Lauren safe until this ordeal was over became his number one priority.

She’s an asset.
He told himself that was the only reason he cared and not because she stirred feelings inside he didn’t want to acknowledge. Couldn’t acknowledge. If he acknowledged those, she’d be dead too. Jaden had no plans to tempt fate again.

Nursing his sore shoulder, Jaden slipped off the couch and moved to the window as rain pounded the pane. Thunder cracked overhead sounding like it was literally ripping the earth in two. If he were lucky, this would be the worst of the storm, but luck wasn’t something experience had taught him to depend on.

He flipped on the kitchen switch. The electricity worked. Light was good. Then again, he could think of a few intriguing ideas involving the woman on the couch and a dark room. He smiled to himself. It might be even more fun with the lights on. He shook off the thought and refocused.

Gregory was set up in the secondary bedroom monitoring the weather situation.

Crossing to the bathroom, Jaden peeled off both his wetsuit and jockeys. His new cell rang. He answered it, hoping like hell it was Gunner.

“What’s the plan?” Her voice was undeniable.

“Helena, I told you we’ve got this. I have Gregory right here if I need backup.” She must’ve leaned on all her contacts to figure out where he was. She was smart. How the hell was he going to keep her out of this fight?

“You already know how I feel about letting others fight my battles.”

He didn’t like the sound in her voice. He wished he’d been able to see her, check on her for himself after the funeral. She had every right to be upset. He hadn’t been there for her in the way he should. He’d been shot and agency protocol required he be tucked away. He hated the way it felt like he’d turned his back on her when she needed his support most. Support? He stifled a laugh. Helena would see support as charity. She accepted charity from no one. “You heard from Gunner?”

“No.”

He paused. “We’ll get the guy who killed Tim.”

“No, I will.”

“How’d you know I was here?”

“I didn’t.”

Click.

She must’ve hacked into the system and started calling random cell numbers until she located him. She was determined, and he couldn’t blame her. On a primal level, he totally understood her need for revenge.

He checked his wounds. They amounted to a handful of scrapes and bruises, except for the golf ball sitting on top of his shoulder from the dislocation. He rotated his arm and shoulder outward slowly and steadily. He gripped the sink basin. With a primal grunt, he pushed up on his feet until his muscles and tendons stretched enough for the joint to slide into his shoulder socket.

Relief came instantly. He moved to the shower. The warm splash eased his weather-torn body. Closing his eyes, he let heat from warm water penetrate his sore muscles. Jaden faced another harsh reality; a storm like this would probably get worse. A lot worse. Hadn’t Bryce said something about a hurricane?

Bryce.
Someone from the agency would have to tell his girlfriend. Thinking about him tightened the muscles in Jaden’s chest. His fists clenched involuntarily.

If he could get Lauren and himself to the primary checkpoint safely, sophisticated communication equipment would be there. He could guarantee her safety. But when? How? The weather sure as hell wasn’t cooperating.

This was far better than being somewhere out there dodging bullets. He could protect Lauren in the condo. An image of the two of them, swimsuit clad, vacationing at the condo popped into his mind. And kids.
Yeah, dude, that makes about as much sense as Frosty the Snowman moving to Fiji.

Losing his friends played tricks with his psyche. Jaden shook water out of his hair. Not once had Jaden considered having children. His job was his life, and he was a damn good soldier. And yet, hadn’t he been feeling like something was missing from his life lately?

A minute later, he toweled off, wiping the thought from his brain permanently.

“What do you have for us to wear?” he asked, poking his head into Gregory’s room.

“In the next room. On the bed. I laid out clothes for both of you.”

“Cool. What’s the weather doing?”

“Stable for now. We’re cut off out here from the worst of it. But if this monster turns, we’re in bad shape.”

“Still no word from Gunner?”

Gregory shook his head.

“Keep trying to locate him. Use whatever means necessary.” He’d tell him to put a trace on Helena’s cell if it wouldn’t create a backdoor a smart hacker could breach. He needed to keep a closer eye on her. Her blind fury could cost her life.

Jaden found a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and fresh boxers laid out on the bed in the master. There were dry socks and tennis shoes, too. His version of Christmas morning.

He slipped them on.

The only clothes he found on the other side of the bed were horrible, sack-looking dresses. He stifled a laugh. He seriously doubted he could force those on Lauren. She’d look hot in anything she put on, but she wouldn’t think so. Suddenly, the image of her standing in the boat wearing nothing but a white lace bra and panties flashed in his brain. His earlier erection tried to revive itself.
Traitor.

Lauren awakened his emotions. Brought a glimpse of light into the darkest corners of his heart.
No. She’s an asset. Remember that.

Jaden seriously needed to control his hormones. This had never been a problem on an assignment before.

He shuffled through drawers until he found something suitable for her. A pair of jeans and T-shirt.

Sizing them up, he grinned. Practically looked like children’s clothes up next to him. She’d fit.

After folding the outfit and placing it on a chair in the living room, he dug around in the kitchen. They needed food. He was hungry, tired, and beaten. His shoulder still ached. All in all, a hell of a lot better than he’d been half an hour ago.

Surprisingly, none of it mattered. Jaden felt alive being back in the field. Even though the woman sleeping in the next room played tricks on his emotions. He couldn’t ignore the simple fact that she picked at the chinks in his armor. She threatened to bring parts of him back to the light that had long since been buried … and were better left dormant.
Where’s that food?

Lauren stirred. He glanced over.

Her even breathing said she was still asleep.

The winds kicked up so strong it sounded as though the walls groaned. This location was up against the sea wall. He had to prepare himself mentally for the fact they might have to bolt before they were ready.

Better wake up Lauren to give her time to shower and dress. First, she needed food.

There was fruit in the kitchen and rolls. He fixed a plate, set it down on the coffee table, and eased onto the edge of the sofa.

She was so close his fingers tensed from wanting to go rogue and trail the curves of her back, get lost in that fiery mane. He swallowed hard as he strained painfully inside his shorts. The traitor was back.

“Wake up, sweetheart. Not sure how much longer we’ll be able to stick around here.” The weather most likely made it impossible for anyone at the agency to extract them.

She looked groggy and small as she sat up. He quirked a smile. Small was the furthest word from his mind when it came to describing her personality.

“Has to be safer than out there, right?” she asked through a sleepy yawn.

She stretched those long, lean runners legs, looking sexy as hell.

A sudden urge to kiss the small freckle above her lip overcame him.
This is not the time.
He needed to maintain focus. Pointing to clothes neatly stacked on a side chair, he said, “Wasn’t sure about your size. Looks like they’ll fit.”

Her focus bounced from the pile of clothes back to meet his. “They’ll be fine. At least they’re dry. Where’d you find them?”

Jaden bent forward to rest his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. He didn’t blame her for looking at him like that. Especially when they were back on the rocks and he’d all but accused her of working with the cartel. The pain of his accusation had sizzled in her eyes ever since.

Regret formed a lump in his throat. Why was it easier to push her away than to admit he had feelings for her?

He motioned toward the plate of food. He didn’t dare make eye contact with her this close, unsure of what his libido might do. “Eat something.”

“Those windows don’t look safe,” she said taking a bite of the roll as if it were a steak dinner. “Think they’ll hold?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Guess we’ll figure it out soon enough.”

Her gaze appraised him suspiciously. He deserved it. Didn’t like it. But he couldn’t deny he deserved it. If he trusted her, he would’ve told her the truth already about her brother.

Gaining her trust was mission-critical. He’d had no problem any whatever means at his disposal to turn an asset before. So why all of a sudden was he developing a conscience?

“I was honest with you before,” he said. “I really don’t know who ultimately hired me. I don’t always know.”

“Then how can you be sure you’re working for one of the good guys?”

“That much I can tell you. We take assignments from the government and large corporations. We bring down cartels, terrorists, governments, and bad guys.”

She repositioned herself, sitting a bit straighter against the couch as she stopped chewing. “Criminals like my brother?”

“Yes. Like Max. And a lot of other types of evil.”

She dropped the piece of pineapple, didn’t speak.

“I’m sorry. You might be related, but he’s one of them.”

“I know. Believe me, I know. I hate what he’s become. I do. It’s just hard to hear. I’ve turned my back on it for so long now. Pretended it wasn’t happening. And look where that got me.” She glanced around, wincing when thunder clapped loudly. “I’d still rather not know, to be honest.”

“Look. There’s something else I need to tell you about Max.”

She sat up, rigid, her back ramrod straight now, her brown-gold eyes wide. “Which is?”

“Word on the street said he got out.” Why did he feel the need to tell her this? He’d always played his hand close to his chest.

“What do you mean by
got out
? As in quit?” A look of pure disbelief darkened her features. “And you didn’t tell me that before?”

Her reaction couldn’t have hurt more than a knife to Jaden’s heart. “Which bothers me because it makes even less sense why they kidnapped him,” he continued, resisting the urge to take her in his arms and take her confusion away. Or do a dozen other things his body wanted to do with her. She’d probably fight back anyway. And he deserved it. He momentarily forgot she was part of a case again, which wasn’t like him at all. He’d never compromised an assignment by getting emotional with an asset.

“Can you actually get away from bad men like these?”

He nodded. “It’s rare though.”