Caught in the Crosshair (10 page)

He eased back to look Lauren square in the eyes as he pressed his index finger to his lips.

In barely a whisper, he said, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the boat. So, believe me, we’re going to finish this later.”

He re-adjusted his painfully stiff length.

The reality only headquarters and Gregory knew his location weighed heavily on his chest. And Helena, he corrected. Her call might’ve put him in jeopardy. Her phone could be hacked. Damn. That was exactly why he didn’t want her on this case.

Chapter Seven

Lauren fumbled for her jeans and T-shirt, her heart racing. She located a bra, which was a little too small but would do, quickly dressed, and crouched low on the side of the bed. Tension braided her nerves. Jaden had already proven he was more than competent at his job, but if something happened to him she’d be alone with
whomever
or
whatever
lurked on the other side of that wall.

If anything happened to her, where would that leave Max? The thought of being totally alone sent an icy chill up her back. Since being with Jaden, she hadn’t once felt all on her own.

Had she really become dependent on him this quickly? Granted, he had saved her life more times than she could count in the short time she’d known him.

Even so, it wouldn’t do any good to get too comfortable in the feeling Jaden would always be there to save her. He was a professional. This was his job. As soon as this was over, he’d be gone. Where would that leave her?

Heartbroken.
The admission startled her. She was allowing herself to get carried away with a man she shouldn’t trust.

The pure animal magnetism she felt when he was near couldn’t be denied. Hadn’t she read an article recently that said nothing got blood pumping and people wanting to mate like near-death experiences?

The attraction she felt was probably nothing more than primal instinct. Circumstantial appeal.

It would dissipate as fast as raindrops in sunshine once her life returned to normal, and her brother was home safe.

It was fine to count on Jaden a little now, especially when bullets flew past her head or sharks brushed against her leg, but the degree of confidence she’d handed him was borderline absurd.

Or was it?

His job was to keep people alive. He was very good at his chosen profession. But to really
trust
him? Expect him to make everything okay? Especially when everything about him turned her thoughts upside down, making her want the impossible dream of finding another human being she could actually rely on?

Lauren knew herself better than that. Besides, she’d gotten by all right in life depending on herself so far, hadn’t she?

Stick around long enough and he’d let her down eventually. His true colors would come shining through, and her heart wouldn’t be able to take the disappointment. Trusting people came with a price. She was always left holding the burning end of the candle in relationships. All men had secrets.

Her ideals wouldn’t change no matter how perfect Jaden Dean was. She caught herself before she laughed out loud, biting back the irony that she was worried about falling for this mystery person, and she didn’t even know his real name.

Jaden was a security expert. He was convinced her brother was still alive. And he was the one man who could help her find Max. And yes he was physically perfect in so many senses of the word with eyes she could look into for days. She would simply have to try harder not to lose her way in those perfect crystal blues.

“We have to move. Now.” His tone was hushed but clear as he rounded the side of bed.

A wave of relief washed over her at seeing him again.

“I heard noises,” she said, swallowing hard. “Is it
them
?”

His hand closed on hers protectively as he led her into the bathroom where they both slipped behind the door.

She clamped down the urge to ask about Gregory. Was he out there too?

The voices in the next room might be low, but they could have been standing over Lauren shouting, for the effect they had. Her stomach free-fell to her toes when she heard those terse South American accents. There were at least two.

And one of them was getting closer.

Jaden held up a steadying hand meant to calm her.

In his other hand, metal glinted. She couldn’t make it out, but prayed it was something useful, like his gun.

The sound of wet shoe clamping against the white tile floor echoed down the hall.

Other than that, everything was quiet.

Eerily quiet.

Lauren feared her heart beat so loudly the bad guys would hear it and she and Jaden would be caught.

Her heart stuttered when one of the intruders poked his head into the bathroom.

In a sweeping fluid motion, Jaden pulled the guy inside and knocked him unconscious with a powerful jab. Whatever Jaden had in his hand was blunt enough to knock a grown man out cold.

Lauren gasped despite herself.

As Jaden dragged him into the tub, Lauren saw he wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a white T. Jaden pulled out his cell, snapped a pick of the guy, and hit Send. Before she could blink, his phone was back in his pocket, and his attention was on the door.

Quick footsteps pressed the tile. The second prowler must’ve heard her.

Shit
.

Jaden slid behind the shower curtain as assailant number two rounded the corner and faced Lauren.

He was tall and muscular. She had to look up to see his face. Lightning flashed. Black, beady eyes stared at her. His wicked half grin said he didn’t mind them being alone. An icy chill ran down her spine.

The floral shower curtain must’ve shielded his buddy and Jaden from view. Beady Eyes holstered his gun and made a move toward Lauren.

The power surged, and lights blinked on.

Beady Eyes’ expression tensed as Jaden appeared from behind the curtain, gun drawn and pointed directly at a spot on the Latino’s forehead.

His facial expression immediately changed from triumph to panic. His pupils dilated from fear. His hands came up in surrender. “I’m not here to make trouble.”

“Too late for that,” Jaden said to Beady Eyes.

Lauren fought the urge to panic. “I recognize his voice. He’s one of the men who hurt my brother,” she said, still stunned, her own voice thin and scared. “It’s him.”

“You better start talking faster than a preacher on collection plate Sunday,” Jaden said.

Beady Eyes sneered. “I won’t tell you shit.”

Jaden’s finger twitched on the trigger. “You want to do this the hard way? Fine. Hands against the wall, sonofabitch.”

Beady Eyes hesitated.

“If you think you can pull that gun from your holster before I can squeeze this trigger, go for it.”

A look of resignation crossed his otherwise emotionless face. He placed his hands against the wall.

Lauren took a step back into the tub and plastered her back against the wall, hoping it would hold her upright. The palpable smell of blood made her knees weak. Her stomach dry-heaved. “Where’s Gregory?”

Jaden’s head shook.

“Get a gun,” he said to Lauren, cocking his head toward the crumpled guy at her feet.

Her heartbeat kicked up another notch, pounding painfully in her chest. She had no idea what to do with a weapon. Her gaze shifted from Beady Eyes to the man at her feet. Jaden needed her help. Never mind that she was fighting the urge to faint. These men hurt Max, and would kill her if they had the chance. She held her breath, bent over, and fumbled around for a weapon.

“Good job,” Jaden said to Lauren as she palmed a gun with a shaky hand and pointed it at Beady Eyes.

“If he so much as flinches, shoot.”

Could she kill a man? Even
this
man? A man who’d beaten her brother? Possibly killed him? Anger rose in her throat burning a hot trail. She said a little prayer it wouldn’t come to that.

Jaden disarmed Beady Eyes, and then thrust his arms behind his back. “Who was responsible for what happened on the beach? Where’s Max?”

The anger in his voice startled Lauren. Then she remembered his friend was dead. Given Jaden’s background, he was most likely showing remarkable restraint.

Beady Eye’s head turned, and he winced as his face was shoved against the door.

Lauren kept her gun trained on him.

His gaze narrowed as he focused on her. “
Chuparla
, bitch.”

Beady Eyes whirled around, and Jaden slammed his knee into the guy’s gut. Before Beady Eyes could react, the Latino ended up flat on his back on the ground in the hallway with Jaden straddling his torso. Arms tight to his side, trapped by Jaden’s unyielding thighs.

Jaden’s gaze swept the hallway, reminding Lauren other bad guys could be lurking nearby.

She stepped over the unconscious guy in the tub and stood over Beady Eyes. “Where’s my brother? What have you done to him?”

He grinned. Teeth too straight and white contrasted against his dark brown skin.

“You heard the lady. Where’s her brother?” Jaden demanded, shoving the barrel of his gun into the guy’s forehead hard enough to leave a mark.

Beady Eyes glared at them. “Do you see him here?” He paused a beat. “Me, either.”

“Right. You’re nothing. Your bosses would never trust you with important information,” Jaden taunted.

“Do you think he knows where Max is?”

“You sure this is the guy?”

“Yes. I think. I mean I was so freaked out on the phone I can’t be sure, but it sounds like him.” Hearing his voice again had her shaking with a mix of fear, anger, and resentment.

With one hand, Jaden pulled his cell from his back pocket, snapped a pic, and hit Send. His other held the insurance Beady Eyes wouldn’t move to his forehead. “Gotcha.”

He returned his cell, and then jerked Beady Eyes to his feet, forcing him to walk in front of them. “Move.”

Lauren followed closely behind as Jaden led them into the living room. She gasped when she saw Gregory slumped over in the corner. His lifeless eyes were open and a wire wrapped around his neck.

Jaden made quick work of tying Beady Eyes to a chair before moving to Lauren.

His presence brought a sense of calm it shouldn’t have as his hand closed around her arm reassuringly, moving her out of earshot.

“If he doesn’t know where my brother is, does that mean he’s …?” she couldn’t bring herself to finish the question.

“They most likely transferred Max to another location. The guys heading operations like these don’t take chances. They move victims around, using different people each time. I doubt this scumbag would know where the new location is. But he’d know if he handed Max off alive.”

Alive? Oh, God.
Lauren thought she might be sick.

His attention turned to the screen on his phone. “The first scumbag has been identified. He works for the Menendez cartel out of Venezuela. We know a few of their hiding spots. One of our female agents, Helena, has been working with them for months. She’ll know where to look.”

“Won’t matter if they think they don’t need Max, right?”

“I’m sure he’s okay,” Jaden said as though he read her thoughts. “We haven’t figured out the real reason they took him. It wasn’t money. We already know he’s on the move.”

“Sounds like an operation they have down pat,” Lauren said, hating the panic in her voice.

“These are the same guys who smuggle little girls out of our country and sell them into the sex trade. When they’re not doing that, they’re funneling money in. They have sophisticated channels set up like you wouldn’t believe.”

Lauren’s shoulders dropped forward. “It sounds so hopeless.”

With effort, she forced her back straight, refusing to let them win. She wouldn’t cry anywhere near those jerks. They didn’t deserve the satisfaction.

“Not hopeless, sweetheart. We’ll find him. I can’t figure out one thing though. Why are they looking for you? They must want you something awful to come looking in a hurricane.”

A shiver ran down Lauren’s spine. Why would they want her? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d never once so much as cheated on her tax return. She drove the speed limit. “They don’t know me, except that I’m related to Max. I haven’t broken any rules or gotten mixed up with anyone bad that I know of. Work is my life.” She searched his face, needing him to believe her. “Is it the money?”

He shrugged. “None of it makes sense. You’re not involved. So why keep coming at you?”

“How on earth did they find us here? And Gregory …” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“He could’ve been involved. We find Max and we’ll get answers to both our questions,” Jaden said quickly.

Did something warm flicker in his eyes?
Now I’m seeing things.

“Don’t you mean
if
he’s still alive?” she asked.

“He is,” Jaden said confidently.

It was confidence Lauren wished she had, but didn’t. Max’s situation had never felt more hopeless to her. A hot tear broke loose and raced down her cheek. “How can you be so sure?”

“Professional hunch,” he said calmly.

How he was being so cool, she had no clue. The whole situation had her nerves jittery. One glance in the corner toward Gregory had her stomach churning. “Your instincts always right?”

“I’ve only been wrong once before.”

“Let’s hope this doesn’t make twice,” she said, but he didn’t hear. He’d already moved back to the South American.

“Where’d you take the gringo?”

Beady Eyes’ lips thinned. He said nothing.

“Oh, you want to do this the hard way? That works too,” Jaden said. He palmed a set of matches, lit the first one, and held it against the guy’s hairline.

He shook his head, and then huffed out a breath. The flame flickered and extinguished. His black, beady eyes were unreadable.

Jaden lit another match and waved it close to the Latino’s eyes. “He still alive?”

Beady Eyes nodded.

“Where then?”

“I already said I don’t know.”

“Fine.” Jaden balled up a piece of paper before setting it on fire. He dropped it in the Latino’s lap.

He bucked, trying to knock it off. “Damn. I told you everything I know. I swear.”

“I’m slow. Give me a recap.”

“He’s alive. I handed him off this morning.” His black eyes now wider with panic. “Now get that thing off my lap before you fry my nuts.”

“You the one who beat him?”

Beady Eyes squirmed, the heat obviously becoming too much for him. “Hurry up. This ain’t cool. Take it off.”

“Okay. If you say so. One thing first.” Jaden dealt a blow that left the guy unconscious. He picked up the ball of fire and threw it in the sink. A second later, he stripped the Latin guy’s weapons, moved to the patio, and tossed all but one of the guns over the sea wall. “Insurance.”