Lock and Load (SEAL EXtreme Team) (16 page)

Looking over Amber’s head, Charlie quickly scanned the deck, taking in the team’s positions. Mack head, bent over the LSAT, jerked up the moment Amber stepped on deck. Tavon’s humongous shoulder muscles twitched, but he didn’t take his dark eyes off the binoculars he had trained out at sea. Jenna was curled up on one of the chairs, snoring softly. Ty was still scouting the ocean perimeter. Willy was…Charlie’s gaze shot around the boat…and found him. Willy was playing Mr. Invisible.

“What’s going on?” Mack didn’t ask, he barked, the question. What Mack really wanted to know was why he’d released the prisoner.

Charlie didn’t slow, but continued to maneuver Amber toward the edge of the boat. “Miss Fitz and I are going for a ride. I assume the
sampan
is available?”

“Not advisable.” Tavon’s usual growl rumbled through the floorboards. Being flat on his belly, focus out to sea, did nothing to diminish his powerful persona. “I haven’t spotted hostile activity, yet. Doesn’t mean they won’t return for her.”

“Yeah, but will they be looking for a couple on a
sampan
?” Charlie picked up an extra pistol for the road, locked and loaded, and tucked it in his waist belt.  “Keep eyes on us. If you see trouble, we’ll circle back. I’ll have the
comm on.”

“Where exactly are you going?” Mack demanded.

He faced Amber. She chewed her lip and flashed him a warning with her fiery blue eyes. She didn’t want him to say where they were going or why. Fine. He’d play it her way.

“For a ride. To clear the air.”

“A joy ride, brother? Doesn’t sound like you.” Willy’s whisper came from other side of the deck. If anyone passed by the
junk
they wouldn’t have seen him. He was in perfect stealth mode as he spied on the neighboring boats. Mr. Invisible.

“We won’t be gone long.” Charlie stepped onto the
sampan
and offered Amber his hand.

“Thank you.” Her words were heavy as if she meant them. She took his hand, that rasp of hers lighting fires within him. Fires he had no idea how to put out.

He pulled her onboard, until she was pressed into his chest. Much closer than he needed to be and still not close enough. Not be a long shot.

“Charlie…”

“Wait.” He ran his fingers through her spiky hair and gently smoothed it back. Shit, he wanted to kiss her. Bad. But with everyone watching?

“Not advisable,” Tavon would say.

Instead, he took a pale blue bandana out of his vest pocket and wrapped it around her hair. He added a pair of dark rimmed glasses to her cute nose. “There. No one will recognize you now.”

She pressed the glasses further up her nose. “Do I look like a librarian? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a librarian. They’re smart and get to tell everyone to shut up inside the library.”

“Whatever floats your
sampan,
sweetheart. Personally, I’d like to pretend we are newlyweds touring Aberdeen.”

Her eyebrow cocked, heading north of her dark rims. “Newlyweds?”

She looked way too hot in glasses. Suddenly, he was imagining her with those rims on and nothing else. He was seriously in trouble here. “It’s my job to protect you, Amber. I’ve got to keep you close. Pretending to be lovers is our best defensive action. Got a problem with that?”

Her gaze took a quick trip down his body and back up again. If she’d seen the hard-on he was sporting, her expression did not register it. “Nope. No problem with that.”

“Good. Come on.” He tucked her in front of him, and put her hands on the wheel. “I’ll let you steer.”

After the
sampan
pulled away, Mack smiled. “She took the bait.”

“Do you think he’ll get the Frenchman’s contacts from her?” Tavon asked.

“He’d better,” Willy whispered. “Or we’ll have to go with the Good Cop, Bad Cop routine. You can play the bad one, Mack.” He raised a finger. “I volunteer for the Good…scratch that…Sexy Cop. I’ll get her to talk, as well as scream my name. I always do.”

Jenna stopped her fake snoring and sat up. “Pretty cocky, Willy. But I think Charlie can handle this. Amber likes him. A lot. Never underestimate a woman in love.”

“Love?” Mack asked. “They hardly know each other.”

“When has that mattered?” She rose up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “I fell in love with you the moment you gave me the keys to your Harley.”

“Babe, I don’t let anyone drive my bike.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “Except you.”

“So you think she likes, Charlie, huh? This is perfect.” Willy rubbed his hands together and. “Competition is fun. Let’s see which one of us she chooses.”

Jenna shook her finger at him. “Stay out of it, Handly.”

Tavon shook his head. “Wow, Jenna. You even sound like Mack. Scary shit. You two get any closer we won’t be able to tell you apart.”

“Shut up, Tavon.” Mack shot him a dirty look. The big man let loose a deep rumble of laughter. Turning back to Willy, Mack growled, “Stay the
hell
out of it, Handly. She’s our boss’s daughter. We are not going to repeat past mistakes. Copy that?”

“Yes, sir. But I’m thinking it might be a good idea to keep Ms. Fitz off balance. You know, play with her a bit. A signature Handly tug-of-war might be just the thing to shake her up. Who knows what intel will fall out.”

“We are in a hurry, Mack,” Tavon agreed. “Jacques’s contacts might fly out of Asia when they realize he’s been taken out. The clock is ticking.”

Mack looked over his shoulder. “Babe, what do you think?”

Jenna’s mouth dropped open. Tavon mumbled something under his breath that Mack chose to ignore.

She blinked away her surprise. “You’re asking me about team strategy?”

He fought the grin sneaking into his lips. “We’re a team, right?”

Lifting her shoulders, she put on her game face. “Yes, we are. I like Willy’s idea. Amber is hiding something. I assume it’s the memory card, but what if it is something else? We need to know what we’re up against to protect her, and, as Dad ordered, keep the data out of enemy hands. Maybe the handsome Handly duo can coax it out of her. But don’t you dare hurt her, got that, Willy?”

“Got it, Jenna. No one gets hurt.” Willy flashed his woman-killer dimples. “And I always knew you liked me. It’s not too late to trade up. Mack is cute, but not as good lookin’ or hung as a Handly.”

Jenna threw a towel at him.

Willy caught it easily and chuckled. “I’m going to listen in on my brother’s conversation. Gather ammo, so to speak. Amber Fitz won’t know what hit her.”

“Are you going to fill Charlie in on your evil plan?” Tavon asked.

“Why? It’ll be more realistic if he doesn’t know. And way more fun.” Willy shut the door behind him.

“Hell, those boys are going to give me a coronary,” Mack groaned.

Jenna rubbed his shoulders. “No they won’t. This is their chance to make amends. Let them do it.”

“Sure, babe. Let the horny Handlys run the mission. What could go wrong with that plan?”

The
sampan
cruised around the boat village.

“Nice and easy. We take her slow until we pass the Tonkas. Once we’re in open water we’ll open her up,” Charlie whispered in her ear. “Pretend like we’re sightseeing.”

His hard body was wrapped around her like a shield. He was so comforting. So sexy. She had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t really a newlywed on vacation. She was on a secret mission to recover the memory card.

A man on a junk waved as they passed by, “
Wǎnshàng hǎo
.”

“Good evening.” Amber lifted her hand in greeting.

A little boy ran toward the edge of the boat waving like crazy. His mom raced after him to pull him away from the edge. She scooped him into her arms and kissed his cheek. Amber could almost feel that kiss. Her own mom had been a big believer in cuddles. Her skin was so soft and warm, her arms a safe haven, and her lips were coated with magic.

When Mom pressed her lips to Amber’s skin, all the boo-boos felt better, even the ones no one could see. That’s what had sucked so badly when Mom passed on. No one had magic lips to kiss away a little girl’s pain. Nothing had been the same after Mom died. It was as if a big chunk of sweetness had been torn out of the universe and buried six feet down. The sweetness in Amber died then too. She was slowly trying to get a bit of goodness back. That was her mom’s doing too.

Before Amber left for Hong Kong, she’d found the music box in her mom’s personal belongings. Inside was a letter Mom had written to her eleven-year-old daughter.

Today, my dearest Amber, you turn eleven. I cannot believe how big you are getting. So pretty! And how smart you are. Wow, you will do great things in your life, I just know it! I am so proud to be your mom. I wish for you nothing but great things, but mostly I wish you love. Lots and lots of love. You deserve so much. Stay as sweet and as precious as you are today, my angel. Love you with all my heart, Mom.

It was as if mom had known her days were numbered when she wrote those words. She’d died a few days later. Finding that letter had knocked the air out of Amber’s lungs. Why hadn’t she found it earlier? It might have made a difference, kept her out of jail. Then again, maybe Mom had directed her to find it at the perfect time—when Amber was ready to make a change.

That’s one of the reasons why she was trying to get a legitimate job as a gamer at Global Games. She wanted to do good things with her life, take a job that couldn’t hurt anyone. And it all had gone so horribly wrong.

I’m sorry Mom. I let you down. Again.

She turned her head away, tucking her cheek against Charlie’s solid chest.

“Are you all right?”

What a crazy thing to ask. Would she ever be all right again? “What happens when we get to Mr. Lee’s?”

“That’s where the music box is hidden? At the tea shop?”

She bit her lip. “Yes.”

“Shit, Amber. Those triad bastards did a real number on the old man. Are you saying they were looking for your mother’s music box? Who tortures people for a music box? What’s inside?”

“Treasures?” No matter how hard she tried, she could not make her voice sound convincing.

He rubbed her arm. “You said you’d try to trust me.”

She let out a deep breath. “I’m afraid, Charlie. This isn’t a game.”

“I’m not playing, sweetheart.”

There were no two ways around it. She needed Charlie’s help and he deserved to know the truth. She held her tongue until they passed the last Tonka boat. Open water was just up ahead.

“You aren’t going to like it,” she heard herself say. There was no turning back now.

“Tell me everything.” His voice was soft. He wasn’t angry. Not yet, anyway. He slowed the
sampan
down.