Hot Rebel (21 page)

And now she would pay the price, sitting in the dark until dawn and wishing like hell she could explore his body one more time.

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Nick slept soundly, only waking when the sun sent a shaft of light streaming into the room. It fell across his face, warming him. For a moment, he was disoriented. But only for a moment. The night before came back to him with blinding clarity.

Skin to skin, breaths mingling, bodies straining, soft limbs tangling with his own. He’d been so lost in her. So overwhelmed by the sweetness of her body. He’d thought he would wake up this morning and feel pleasantly sated.

Instead, a hot, hard hunger swept through him. His cock swelled, remembering. He wanted her again, and just as badly as he had last night.

He turned his head, intent on waking her and indulging this need, but Victoria wasn’t there. She’d stayed away all night.

He bolted upright, uncaring that he was naked, and grabbed his phone. Though it was late morning, there were no messages, no missed calls.
 

He tracked toward the open door.

He could hear Victoria’s voice. He stopped in the doorway and watched her. Her back was to him, her red hair flowing over her shoulders and almost to her waist. She was wearing the same clothes she’d worn last night. He remembered peeling those clothes off her, tasting and touching her before burying himself inside her.

He wanted to do it again. And again. His dick ached with the need to do so. He could go over, nibble the skin on her neck, strip her slowly before spreading her out for his pleasure…

She raked a hand through her hair, but she didn’t turn.
 

“Everything’s fine, Ian. It’d be better if you’d give me the target. … No, I’m not having fun. … I don’t give a fuck about Nick Brandon! He’s just a guy I once knew. … Yes, fine. … Roger.”

She dropped the phone to her side but still didn’t turn. Nick walked out into the living room, naked as fuck, and she turned when she heard the movement. Her eyes widened. And then she reddened and turned her head as if she were embarrassed.

What a fucking turn-on. She was hot and sassy, bolder than hell—and still virginally embarrassed.
 

“Don’t give a fuck, huh?” he said, his pride stinging just a little bit more than he would like. “I’m afraid you had me fooled last night, sugar.”

“You were listening to my call?”

“It’s a small apartment. Couldn’t help but hear it.” He walked over to the fridge and opened it. Taking out a bottle of water, he twisted the cap off and took a long swallow.

“Maybe you should put some clothes on.”

He leaned against the bar and grinned. His dick stood up like a flagpole. “Why? You saw it all last night. Licked quite a bit of it too, if I remember right. Would have sworn you gave a fuck then.”

“It’s none of Ian’s business, all right? I don’t want him knowing… uh…”

“That we’ve fucked? Yeah, probably not a good idea. He might get jealous over that one.”

The thought of her and Ian Black definitely made him feel a twinge of something that pissed him off.

She sucked in a breath. “He’s not getting jealous. Why would he? But he might just think there was something more to the story about how you came to be in the right place at the right time if he knew we were, uh, having sex.”

“Do you have any idea how red you get when you try to say what we did together? Yet you asked me if I was going to fuck you or talk all night. How did you manage that?”

She lifted her chin. “It was dark.” She waved a hand and then turned away. “Jesus, can you just put some clothes on?”

He sauntered toward her, stopping when he could feel the heat of her reaching out and burning him up. His hands itched to grab her, to turn her toward him and make her his again.

But there were other considerations, and he was decent enough to remember them.

“I’ll put on some clothes, but only because last night was your first time. But tell me you aren’t sore, even a little bit, and I’ll have you naked in about ten seconds.”

Her throat moved as she swallowed. “It’s not too bad, but yeah, I’m sore.”

“Figured that, unfortunately. I think we got a bit carried away. Or I did.”

She met his gaze again. Her cheeks were so delightfully red. He loved that about her.
 

“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

He grinned. “Guess I should get dressed. We have work to do.”

“Yes.”

He went back into the bedroom and dragged on his pants and T-shirt. When he returned, Victoria was standing with binoculars and looking across to the consulate. The guns were in position on the floor below the window. All they needed was to know who they were here for and why, and they’d be in business. He prayed it wasn’t something he couldn’t do, like let a Freedom Force terrorist walk when he had one in the scope.

Then again, that’s why he wasn’t the one taking the shot. He cast a glance at Victoria, wondering again how she could so easily take orders from Ian Black. The man was dirty through and through.

But Nick knew why she did—or why she said she did.
Emily
.
 

If HOT found Emily for her, then she wouldn’t have to take orders from Black ever again. She could go back to the States and start a new life. A life that didn’t involve Qu’rim, Ian Black… or him.

That thought sent a sharp feeling slicing into him, though he wasn’t sure what it was or why. She was just a woman he’d had sex with—a hot, amazing woman—and not anyone he needed in his life. Though he’d like to keep her for a while and have a lot of sex with her, no doubt.

He was thinking about when he might possibly be able to get her beneath him again when Victoria’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it tiredly—and then she made a little sound of shock as she swiped the screen and pressed it to her ear.

“Emily! My God, where have you been?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Victoria’s hands shook and her heart had shot into the danger zone the second she’d looked at her phone and seen Emily’s name. For months, Emily’s phone had simply rang and rang whenever she dialed the number, but now she was taking a call and praying it was really Emily on the other end.

The silence dragged on for long moments, but then there was a voice, very quiet and still.

“Victoria?”

“Yes, Em, it’s me! Where are you, sweetie? Where have you been? I’ve been so worried!”

“I’m fine. I just… I wanted to talk to you. It’s been so long, and I’ve been scared. Zaran…”

Victoria’s heart thumped. She glanced at Nick. He looked stony-faced. So different from the sensually teasing man who’d stood there a few seconds ago. “What about Zaran, Em?”

“He’s… different these days.” Her voice broke off in a sudden sob. “I want to leave, Victoria. But I can’t get away. He took my phone, but I found it this morning, and I had to call you.”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been traveling. We reached a city, but I don’t know where it is.” Emily sniffled. “I just want to go home. I want to go back to New Orleans and start again.”

Victoria gripped the phone tightly. “We’re going to do that, baby. I swear we are. I’m going to get you away from him.”

“I don’t know how you can.” Her voice sank to a whisper. “He hates you, Victoria. He keeps telling me he’ll kill you if I don’t stay with him. So I stay—but I want to go.”

Victoria closed her eyes. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. Nick’s arms snaked around her from behind. He held her close, his solid body pressed against hers, and she felt his strength seep into her. It was just what she needed right now. She always handled everything alone, but it was nice to have someone hold her. Be there for her.

“Don’t worry about me, Em. Just walk away whenever you can. He won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know him. He’ll kill you if I leave. And then he’ll kill me.”

Victoria’s throat ached. “Not if I kill him first. Just hang on, Emily. I’m going to find you, I swear.”

“I wish you could, but— Shit, I have to go!”

The line went dead and Victoria’s blood turned to ice. “Emily? Emily!”

She knew her sister was gone, but the adrenaline rush made her furious and jumpy. Her eyes blurred with tears—there was no holding them back now. They welled and spilled over, and she turned in Nick’s arms to bury her head against his chest. All the tears and frustration she’d felt for so long came rushing out. She fisted her hands in Nick’s T-shirt and cried while he rubbed her back and didn’t say anything.

She didn’t know how long they stood like that before she lifted her head and gazed up into his eyes. His brows were drawn low, and his expression was thunderous. It made her heart catch and then speed up again.

“I’m sorry, Victoria.”

She pushed herself away from him and swiped beneath her eyes. Fresh embarrassment set in, heating her skin and making her wish she could go hide in the other room for a few hours. But hiding from Nick was impossible. She’d learned that last night.

“It’s okay. She’s alive, and that’s a good thing.” She pulled in a deep breath and let it out again in a rush. She had to get her equilibrium back. “We have to find her, Nick. She’s in danger—and your colonel promised he’d get her out of here.”

He looked torn, and her belly began to ache. Nothing had changed after last night. She’d known it was the truth, but to see it so blatantly after all they’d done together in the darkness of the night—after all they’d shared—made her feel more alone than ever.

“Victoria—”

“No!” Because she couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t stand here and listen to him tell her that until they knew what Ian was doing and who he was working for they wouldn’t do a thing for Emily. She knew what the bargain was, but dammit, they could alter it. She’d do anything they wanted if they just got Emily away from Zaran bin Yusuf. “She’s scared and she wants to leave, but he’s threatened to kill me if she does—and her.”

“Did she tell you where she’s being held?”

“She doesn’t know. She’s with him, though. Traveling with him. They could be anywhere…” Her gut churned as sudden understanding rocked through her. “They could be
here
, Nick! Right here in Ras al-Dura! You said he was coming this way.”

It wasn’t impossible. If Zaran were coming to meet with someone, then why not? Emily could even now be nearby. It made her frantic, but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t have the technology to find Emily.

But Nick did. His people did.

Nick took his phone from his pocket and dialed. She had no idea what he planned to say to his people, but her pulse skipped and fresh adrenaline swirled through her, making her tremble with the desire to act
now.

His eyes didn’t leave hers as he started to speak. “Got a situation here, Richie. Emily Royal just called—and she’s in danger.”

Victoria waited while he filled in the guy on the other end of the phone. She didn’t know what she expected, but for him to say “Copy” and hang up a few minutes later wasn’t quite it.

She balled her hands into fists at her side. “That’s all?”

Nick’s hazel eyes were somber. “There’ve been no new reports on bin Yusuf’s whereabouts. We’re keeping an eye out for him, but he’s not surfaced yet.”

Victoria wanted to scream. “So basically it’s business as usual and never mind that my sister is scared and wants to go home.”

Nick blew out an explosive breath. “It’s the best I can do! The team knows Emily’s with him instead of in a camp somewhere, and that’s a good thing. But we don’t know what he’s planning, so there’s nowhere to look for him. We just have to wait for him to reveal himself. When he does, they’ll move.”

Bitterness swelled in her throat. “Will they? Or is that just what you’ve been told to say in order to keep me compliant?”

He took a step toward her, his expression angry. And then he grabbed her arms and yanked her toward him. She should fight him, but a part of her didn’t want to. A part of her wanted him to touch her, no matter what.

“Goddammit, I’m on
your
side, Victoria. I’m trying to help you. I’ve been trying to help you since the moment you dropped your ass into the middle of my op and shot it all to hell.”

She searched his gaze, her breath hitching. He’d been so furious with her that day. But he’d helped her get out, and she’d been wondering why ever since.

“Why? Why would you do that?”

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He’d been asking himself the same question for the past couple of weeks. He’d been pissed as shit with her and ready to haul her back to Mendez and HOT HQ when she’d fucked up his mission, but somewhere along the way he’d lost his conviction. Instead of wanting to punish her, he’d wanted to know what the hell was going on with her.

If he thought about it, he knew the moment it had happened. When they thought the roof was coming down on their heads and he’d rolled her beneath him to protect her. She’d been so tough and hard up until then, but in that moment she’d been small, soft, and she’d trembled as he’d held her. She’d tucked her face against his chest, and every last protective instinct he’d had—as well as every last ounce of testosterone—had roared to life inside him.