Chapter Two
Athena tore out the laces from her boots before slipping them on. It would suck running with loose boots on, but with her injured arm in a sling, it was impossible to tie the laces. In the grand scheme of things, her footwear was the least of her worries.
The moment she stood, the door to her hospital room swung open with a bang.
“Stop, w-woman,” ordered the giant who entered in a firm baritone tone, a deep scowl wrinkling his forehead. He filled the doorway with his massive shoulders and bulging arms as he folded them over his chest. “Get back in b-bed.”
Her instinct to strike out eased the moment she recognized the soft stutter.
Her savior. Or so he claimed.
Hmm… So, this was the man who helped shoot their way out of the safe house. Did he have to be so seriously hot, with his angular features, pulsating muscles, and cool gray eyes?
Well, he was hot in that total badass, “I will fuck you up if you mess with me” way. Dear lord, even the scars carved into his cheek and over his forehead were sexy. And how could she forget the hard length of his thighs she had laid her head on during the ride to the clinic? The man was packing more than firearms, that was for certain.
Hey, she might be riding the mellow wave of painkillers, but she wasn’t blind, or a nun.
Despite his golden god looks, whether he was truly friend or foe remained to be seen. But if he truly wanted to kill her, he had had ample opportunity to do so.
Sure, he and his friends saved her ass and brought her to the clinic for medical attention, but who they were and what they wanted from her was a big unanswered question. To earn her trust was going to take more than keeping her from death’s door.
“Woman. I said get back into that bed now,” he growled and took a step closer.
“Get out of my way, kid. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”
His pale eyebrows rose and his gaze narrowed on the brace cradling her right arm. “Lady, I’d love to see you try. But you’re hurt and need your rest.”
“What I need is to disappear. Now move.”
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s try this again. Look, Mrs. Argyris, we’re here to help you. Agent Rodriguez notified my team, saying she was afraid someone in her d-d-depart—group fell prey to those who wanted to harm you. Our mission was to take you from WITSEC and keep you safe until the trial. Looks like we found you in the nick of time.”
“How do I know what you’re saying is true?”
“How else would I know about your code name, ‘Avenging Goddess’?” he replied with a knowing quirk of his brow.
He had her there. The secret codes she developed with Melinda Rodriguez had been the only thing that had kept their operation going for so long, and they would have protected those codes with their life. There were few people she trusted in this world, and Melinda was about it.
But still…
“How do I know she sent you? For all I know, you kidnapped her and tortured her for the information.”
“Logical question,” he replied with a nod. “But we didn’t.”
When nothing further was said, she propped her hand on her hip. “Awesome. I guess that settles everything, then. Nice meeting you, kid.”
He widened his stance, effectively cutting off her exit. “You’re not leaving.”
She bent her knees and prepared to barrel through him. “Watch me.”
Of course, if she tried such a maneuver, she’d probably bounce off all of those hard muscles and fall flat on her ass. Damn, the boy was built like a brick house, standing at least a foot taller than her, and with a chest so wide, he could fit the word Mississippi in big block letters across his shirt with ease.
Man, if she had been twenty-some years younger, she’d have made certain to put herself in his path at every opportunity until he got the hint and asked her out. There was a quiet strength about him that made her want to snuggle with him and burn in the heat of his body.
And burn she would. Her ex-husband had that same subtle intensity when they had first met in high school. Nicolai hadn’t been a full-on bad boy at the time, but he had been heading in that direction. A cool customer he had been, sitting in the back of the class, never speaking unless spoken to, and skipping school. All the while, he’d stare at her with undisguised desire whenever they passed each other.
To a girl of sixteen, whose parents had ignored her in favor of getting high from the moment she had learned how to feed herself, having an upperclassman show an interest in her had been its own version of handing crack to a junkie and she had quickly become addicted to Nicolai.
But she wasn’t a young girl anymore. And Mister Tall, Blond, and Scary could go fuck himself if he thought she’d blindly follow his directions.
“Athena,” he barked so loudly she jumped. “My job is to protect you. No harm will come to you under my watch. I swear on my life.”
“What if you have a death wish?”
The corner of his mouth lifted and the gray in his eyes sparkled in a way that cut through the pain meds and sent a thrill through her body.
Please, girl. Keep your hormones in check.
“You don’t trust anyone, do you?” he asked.
“Do you?”
He snorted at that. “I see we’re going to get along just fine. Now get back into b-bed and sleep. As soon as the doc gives the okay, we’re out of here.”
“And going where?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Woul—”
“No.” He stopped her by placing a finger over her lips. “I understand. You’re scared and running for your life. Trust me. P-please.”
Maybe it was the cute stutter, or the sincerity in his eyes, but she wanted to trust him. She wanted to lie down on the hard hospital bed and allow him to watch over her like a guardian angel. She was so damn tired of running that at times she contemplated lying down for good. But that would mean those fuckers would win. They had already taken her family. Her livelihood. No way was she going let those cock-sucking one percenters take anymore.
Did she dare trust this man with her life?
At the moment, it didn’t appear as if she had a choice.
“Do you have a name, kid?”
“Thallium.”
“Gesundheit.”
He chuckled and his massive shoulders shook. “That wasn’t a sneeze. My name is Thallium. And I’m not a kid.”
“Yeah, right. I’m old enough to be your mother.”
“Aunt, maybe.” He winked. “My hot, young aunt.”
“Oh God,” she groaned and rolled her eyes. “And you’re a flirt. I’m doomed.”
His smile widened, and her tummy did a flip at the sight of those pearly white teeth. “I never flirt. With me, what you see is what you get.”
Was that supposed to put her at ease?
“Who are you?” she asked, shaking her head as a tremor that had nothing to do with having a price on her head snaked down her back.
She was intrigued by this young man. Sexually intrigued. A reaction she had absolutely no business in spending a fraction of a second contemplating. But when he looked at her as if she were a tasty morsel and he was a starved man, she couldn’t help but imagine how those big hands of his would feel running over her skin.
“For now, consider me your shadow. You don’t—”
A loud boom followed by the rat-tat-tat of gunfire made them both look toward the hallway.
Thallium motioned for her to stay put as he inched toward the open door.
He pressed on the device in his ear. “What is it?” A few seconds passed before he looked in her direction. “I’m with her now. I’m on it.”
As he spoke, he whipped his bulletproof vest over his head and slipped it over her torso, trapping her injured arm underneath the heavy material.
“Stick by me and don’t do anything s-stupid,” he said as he palmed a pistol he withdrew from the holster strapped to his thigh and checked it for readiness.
“What’s going on?”
“We’ve been tracked by the bad guys. My guess is someone on s-staff here sold us out. They’re trying to get in through the front door, and my team is keeping them at bay.”
“What do we do?”
“We’re getting out of here.” He reached for the backpack he had set on the floor near the door and withdrew a pair of goggles and a combat helmet. The goggles he positioned over his eyes, and the helmet he dropped on her head so hard her teeth rattled.
“Stick to my tail,” he ordered and wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her just behind him as he peered into the hall.
The lights flickered a few times then went out, plunging them into near darkness as they began their journey away from the sound of gunfire and shouting. With it being long past closing hours, the clinic was mostly empty, save for Thallium’s team and the two doctors who had treated her and the injured marshal.
Thanks to his goggles, Thallium was able to lead them past a maze of corridors, a nurse’s station, and a few wheelchairs without incident until he stopped them outside of a closed office door. He directed her to stand to the side, and then with his huge booted foot, he kicked the door in.
“Agh!” She sucked in a gasp as he threw himself against her, trapping her between the wall and his solid body. For several minutes, the only things she was aware of were his heat, his scent of man and gunpowder, and the blood rushing through her veins.
It’s just adrenaline from running for your life. Again. You are not tempted to kiss his neck. You are not aroused in any way. Understand?
Absolutely. But she’d understand a lot better if she knew whether the hard length pressing into her belly was a weapon or his erection. At the moment, she wasn’t sure which one she wanted it to be.
After several moments passed with nothing happening, he swept into the room with his weapon drawn, still holding her behind him.
“Keep low,” he ordered and strode to the window to peer through the glass for a moment.
Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because he reached for the knife attached to his belt and smashed the windowpane with the butt of the hilt. He dusted most of the shards of glass off the windowsill then gestured for her to come closer.
“Up and out, keep low,” he said a second before he gripped her around the waist and all but tossed her out the window into the thin space between the building and shrubs below.
She swallowed a shout as the thin branches scraped her face and tangled in her hair as her backside hit the dirt with a solid thump that knocked the wind right out of her.
Thallium landed gracefully on his feet by her side and crouched low to whisper in her ear. “Stay. I’m going to get transportation.”
“I’m fine,” she whispered back with a wheeze. “Thanks for asking.”
In the dark, his teeth flashed white with his brief smile, and he ran the tip of his finger over her cheek.
“Take this. Just in case.” He handed her the pistol as he reached for a second gun strapped to his leg.
Her fingers had barely closed around the weapon before he was up and running through the cluster of shrubbery.
The foliage was so thick, she couldn’t see shit through the densely packed branches, so she craned her neck far enough to see Thallium run across the parking lot to the closest vehicle. Her gut clenched in empathy for the owner of the Audi as Thallium deftly turned and drove his elbow through the driver’s window. In less than five seconds, he had the engine purring and he was accelerating in her direction.
The passenger door popped open as he approached and he shouted, “Get in.”
Apparently it was too much for him to stop, because he barely slowed enough for her to jump from her place in the bushes and sprint to the car. The closing door nearly hit her feet as Thallium stepped on the gas.
“Fuck this,” she muttered and set the gun on the floorboard. She wiggled her right arm out from the sling and vest, then reached for the car door to pull it completely shut.
Fire burned up her arm as stitches tore open, but it was better than falling out of the car and becoming roadkill.
“We have company,” Thallium said with a jerk of his chin at the rearview mirror. “Stay down.”
“Stay down. Keep low. I know! You’re big, strong protector. I’m the weak female.” She picked up the gun and climbed to her knees. “Just keep driving.”
Dirty Harry, she wasn’t. But she was a pissed off, forty-some year-old woman who was having one of the worst nights of her life. Yes, she knew when she agreed to work with the Feds it could mean her death, but the Grim Reaper could just fuck off. Enough was enough.
“Ma’am? What are you doing?” Thallium shouted as she rolled down her window.
“Just doing what I can to assist,” she replied and leaned out just enough to take aim at the black SUV barreling down on them. “Slow down a little.”
The Audi swerved in response. “What? No.”
“Do it! I need a bigger target.”
A passenger leaned out of the chasing vehicle. Light from the passing streetlamps illuminated the rifle in his hands. At this time of night, the roads were clear of traffic, leaving the Audi wide open to assault.
“Dammit, Thallium. I can do this.”
His lips tightened as if he wanted to argue, but the car slowed just enough to bring the SUV within those few precious yards she needed to make her efforts worthwhile.
Holding the weapon with both hands, she took aim and shot at the windshield, not even flinching when the assailant returned fire. Funny how a flak jacket and a helmet inspired a sense of invincibility.
Tiny sparks of light erupted off the SUV’s front grill and the asphalt around them exploded into little puffs of debris.
She lost count of how many times she pulled the trigger, but she knew her ammo had to be getting low and their time was running out.
“Come on,” she gritted out between her teeth.
Her next three shots punched a hole in the windshield and the SUV swerved in an erratic line as the gunman ducked back inside. As she watched, the vehicle took a hard left, hopped the sidewalk, then collided with an electrical pole.
“Fucking A,” she sighed and slid back into her seat. Her hands shook as she took off the helmet and wiped at her brow. Adrenaline made her heart pound so hard, she swore she felt it trying to crawl up her throat.
“Nice shooting,” Thallium said.
“I know how to use a pistol,” she drawled and popped out the spent magazine.
Maybe it was her hormones, or the narrow escape from death. Perhaps she was just plain crazy, but the blood pounding in her veins amped up the sensation of reckless abandon and provoked her into outrageous impulses.
Reaching across the center console, she opened the side pocket of his pants and made a show out of reaching in and exploring with her fingers the hard length of thigh beneath the fabric before pulling out a new magazine for her gun with a slow glide of her hand. She pouted and added, “And other…weapons too.”
A smile curled his lips. “I b-bet you do.”
She nodded at the dashboard. “Nice work with the hot wire. That was pretty quick.”
His smile widened. “I know how to turn things on.”
Of that she had no doubt, but she let the innuendo slide. “Where are we heading to now?”
“We need a new ride. Luckily, I know where to pick one up. How is your arm?”
Burns like a motherfucker. “Fine.”
“So why is there blood seeping through the bandage?”
“Just get us to safety and we’ll worry about my arm later.”
Doubt furrowed his brow. “If you say so, Mrs. Argyris.”
“If you call me ‘Mrs. Argyris’ one more time, I will cut you. I swear to God.”
“As you wish,” he said with a chuckle that was cut short as he sucked in a breath and reached for his ear. He pressed on the device and said, “Go ahead.”
Block after block passed with him saying nothing more than a simple, “Yes, sir. No, sir. She is secure, sir. No.” Then his brow lowered and in the light coming from the dashboard, a dangerous glint sparked in his eyes and made her breath catch. “No, sir. I repeat, no, sir. This is a one-man op now. You will see us in two weeks.” He ripped the device out of his ear and tossed it out the open window.
“What’s going on?”
“P-punch me in the face. Right here.” He tapped on his cheek.
“Are you insane? I will do no such thing. What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain later. Just punch me.”
“No fucking way.”
He growled then made a fist and punched himself in the jaw, once then twice.
Oh my God. I’m trapped with a crazy man. A deadly, badass, crazy man.
He worked his jaw from side to side then spat a chunk of tooth into his palm, which he threw out of the window as well.
“GPS tracker,” he mumbled, rubbing at his swelling jaw. “They implanted tracking devices under the skin where they thought we couldn't get at them.” He began to grin then winced. “I got to mine and replanted it in a false tooth so they wouldn’t know I discovered it.”
“Who’s they? Are they the same people who are after me?”
“They are my handlers. The ones after you are just as scary. Have you ever heard of Red Wolf?” When she shook her head, he continued. “Arms dealer, drug trafficker, all-around massive fuckhead. Apparently, your boys were tight with him and his crew. If you put your husband away, Red Wolf loses a gateway from the U.S. to Mexico. He’s willing to kill you to protect it.”
Of course. Nicolai. It always came back to that bastard.
She sat back with a weary sigh. “And what does that have to do with your self-mutilation?”
“Red Wolf has connections. As we’ve just witnessed. The fewer people who know where you are, the safer you will be. As of now, the only one who knows where you are is me.”
“Why you?”
“You are my mission. My mission is to get you to that trial safe and sound. I will not fail my mission.”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened and the skin over his cheeks stretched as determination set his features into stone. The speed with which he switched from gentle, playful giant to stone-cold killer fascinated her. It also scared the shit out of her.
Could she really put her trust and faith in this man? Or would she be better off jumping out of the moving vehicle and taking her chances out in the wild?
As if he sensed her train of thought, he reached out and placed a hand on her knee, giving her a light squeeze that sent a rush of heat up her leg.
“We’re almost there,” he said.
“There” was the parking lot of a grocery store. He opened the driver’s door and gestured with a nod to the fence behind them. “Storage unit. Supplies.”
She followed him to the gate and waited while he punched in a few numbers into a keypad and the gate opened. Three aisles down, he stopped outside of a locked garage door. With each clang and bang of metal on metal as he freed the padlock, she expected more bad guys to come bounding from behind the buildings and drop on them from above. Each rattle sounded like mini explosions in the dark, especially when he lifted the articulated door.
“Why don’t you just set off a pack of fireworks while you’re at it?” she whispered.
“Shhh,” he replied with a wink. He produced a small flashlight, clicked it on, and ushered her inside.
All thoughts of arguing died a quick death when she caught sight of the intriguing shape hidden underneath a cream-colored tarpaulin.
“Holy shit,” she breathed. “Is that a Camaro?”
With a wiggle of his eyebrows he slowly tugged on the fabric, revealing the prettiest, shiniest, sexiest automobile she had ever seen.
Flecks of silver in the gray paint sparkled like diamonds, even in the low light, and a black band encircled the nose of the ‘69 beauty. The girl looked fast, powerful, and perfect for climbing into the backseat for lots of sweaty, animalistic sex.
“Pretty,” she sighed. “She’s so pretty. Please tell me we’re not stealing her. I’d be so sad if she belonged to me and someone snatched her in the night.”
“She’s mine,” he said with unabashed possessiveness.
“You lucky son of a bitch.”
Oh, how she longed to lay across the hood and luxuriate in the curves of the big-block beast, but she knew it was a death wish to touch a man’s classic car without permission. It was like the equivalent of knocking over a biker’s ride. Only a fool would dare do such a thing.
But just because she couldn’t touch, didn’t mean she couldn’t look her fill. She snatched the light out of his hands and lovingly ran the beam along the car’s sleek lines.
“Look later.” He snatched the light right back from her and gestured with his free hand for her to take action. “Vest.”
“What?”
“Take off the vest. There may be a GPS chip in the lining.”
“Please,” she said.
“Puh-puh.” He pinched his lips together for a moment then repeated. “Vest.”
Ah. So the “p” sound was a sore subject.
“You can still ask without being bossy,” she said, and with his help, worked the heavy garment over her head.
The corner of his lips kicked up, and she wished there was enough light to properly see his face. “Get in the car. P-please.”
“Yes, sir,” she said. Damn, he was cute.
When she held out her hand for the keys, he snorted and pressed the fob on the key chain and the thunk of the locks disengaging rang out.
“For shame.” She shook her head. “You dare desecrate a classic with modern locks?”
“Makes for speedier getaways. Don’t worry. The only other mods are under the hood. Now get in.”
“Going, going,” she grumbled, but her annoyance was only in jest.
It didn’t matter that there were some serious bad guys on their tails. She opened the door and breathed in the heady scent of soft leather and Armor All before sliding inside the dark cocoon.
“Aww, baby,” she sighed and melted into the bucket seat. Being kidnapped from WITSEC might not be so bad after all.
While she luxuriated in the sexy interior, Thallium raced around the storage space, opening and shutting boxes and arming himself with various firearms. In minutes, he tossed the few items that were in the unit, including a duffle bag and other thick, plastic containers into the back seat before he joined her up front.
Her heart beat faster as the key neared the ignition, anticipating the catch of the engine. It was silly, really, the way she was so enamored with this vehicle. But after decades spent riding on the back of a hog, she loved riding in classic muscle cars that felt as if they were a mile wide, ate up the road with a voracious appetite, and left nothing but tire tread and exhaust in its wake.
The engine roared to life and rumbled with so much power, the seat vibrated beneath her and the windows rattled.
Holy hell. She bit her lip to hold back an orgasmic moan. “V-8?”
“V-12.” And with that, Thallium stepped on the gas and they shot out of the storage unit, into the parking lot, and careened around the corner on two wheels, leaving nothing but tire tread and a plume of exhaust behind them.
“As much as I am loving the ride,” she said as she gripped the sides of her seat as if they were oh-shit handles, “aren’t we a little conspicuous?”
“Maybe. It’s fast and powerful. And nobody knows this car exists.”
“Not even the people you work with, who trust you so much they planted a microchip in your body?”
“Not even them,” he said and rolled down his window to dump the vest and helmet onto the side of the road.
“What are you? FBI? DEA?”
He began laughing so hard and so loud, she jumped in surprise. For a moment she was afraid she was going to have to take control of the wheel to keep the car moving in a straight line.
“No,” he said after catching his breath. “I’m no Jack Fed.”
“Then who are you?”
He shot her a sideways glance, and the muscles around his swollen jaw ticked. Finally he replied, “I’m a ghost. My whole team are ghosts. Former m-military. Presumed dead. We’d like to keep it that way.”
“So you’re a mercenary? A hired gun?” He nodded with a sharp jerk. “Then how did you get involved in my case?”
“Agent Rodriguez is a friendly with a new member of our team. She asked us to get involved.”
“Just like that?” Somehow she didn’t believe his team would put their lives on the line just to do Melinda a solid. “What’s in it for you?”
The muscles in his face jumped again and the glint in his eyes sharpened. “Red Wolf is the reason why we’re thought dead.”
“How much trouble are you going to be in by going rogue?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he answered without hesitation.
Was he insane? From the way he made it sound, her testimony was more like a matter of national security than putting her former blood brothers behind bars. And based on what she’d seen of Thallium’s crew so far, her disappearance was going to create a shit storm situation of epic proportions. “I think it does matter.”
“No.” He turned and nailed her with the stare so hot and so intense her heart skipped a beat. “Nothing matters but keeping you safe. Nothing.”
Why?
Why was he so determined to protect her? Was it merely professional? Nothing more than that alpha male instinct to do whatever it took to succeed? Was she just another notch on his gun belt, or a mark added to a tattoo of accomplishments he had inked somewhere on his person?
Or was his determination an indication of something else altogether? Something that had jack squat to do with professionalism and everything to do with those hot glances and flirty banter?
The questions burned on her tongue, but she didn’t dare voice them, for it was a toss-up as to which reason she wanted it to be.
Perhaps the better thing to do was to order him to take her directly to the loony bin. What possible explanation, other than she was suffering from some type of mental disorder, could there be for having any kind of hope that this young kid found her attractive, maybe even sexually appealing? And for fuck’s sake, she had no business getting involved with anyone, let alone a mercenary who probably knew a hundred different ways to kill someone without getting caught.
However, he did have excellent taste in automobiles. And she was dying to find out if his ass was as tight as it looked.
Good God. She closed her eyes on a mental groan. She was so fucked in the head.
“Rest,” he said, oblivious to her inner turmoil, and turned the radio on low.
Son of a bitch. Of course, he’d have the radio set to a 1970s station that played some old-school rock ‘n roll. Was he trying to get her all hot and bothered by setting the scene of her favorite car-sex fantasy? Why didn’t he just reach over and palm her pussy and bite her neck while he was at it?
Figures. And here she was, dirty, exhausted, and covered in blood as her arm burned with what was probably a staph infection getting ready to fester. This was probably the fates getting their jollies.
“We still have a ways to go.” He slid his hand over her face. “Close your eyes. Sleep.”
“I’m fine. Really,” she said, stifling a yawn.
She didn’t want to sleep, truly she didn’t. The night had been one surprise after another, and her adrenaline had yet to sort itself out enough for her to relax in any capacity.
But the one-two combo of a Styx power ballad on the radio and the gentle rock of the Camaro gliding over pavement started to work its magic, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, no matter how hard she fought to keep them open.
For how long she hovered between waking and sleep, she hadn’t a clue. But before she was ready, there was a nudge against her shoulder and Thallium’s raspy voice in her ear.
“Do you need me to carry you?”
Hmmm, now that sounded nice. Too nice.
“Carry me where?” she mumbled, still half asleep.
“Inside.”
She forced her eyes open to see a tiny log cabin wrapped in the embrace of gray predawn shadows. It was so cute. So charming. So…tiny. It couldn’t have been more than six or seven hundred square feet total. Six or seven hundred square feet. For the two of them. Alone.
“Where are we?”
His smile softened with a mix of pride and joy. “My home.”