Part 8 (1/2)

Get a grip, she said to herself. He doesn't give a s.h.i.+t. She leaned back and in a cool voice said, ”Fine. Thank you for your a.s.sistance. Good-bye.”

She stared straight ahead, ignoring his start of surprise.

He backed up and slammed the door shut with a little too much force. She sniffled, trying to hold back the tears as Cooper started up the vehicle.

Suddenly her door opened. Mason leaned in. ”It's not okay,” he snapped. ”But it's the job. I'll contact you later.”

And he kissed her. As in he placed his lips on hers, her body temperature shot up ten degrees and curled her toes.

Then he backed up and slammed the door in her face.

She gave a happy sigh and settled back for the trip.

He did care.

”HA. d.a.m.n WELL time.” Hawk looped an arm around Mason's shoulders. ”Told you he wasn't stupid.”

Swede smirked. ”Of course if he doesn't follow through there's still a chance for us.”

The others all agreed.

”She's not up for grabs,” Mason snapped. Something was bugging him, but he couldn't place it. Except she was gone and d.a.m.n if his life didn't seem a little darker. A little cloudier. As if a ray of suns.h.i.+ne had just gone behind a cloud.

Foolish thoughts. He'd get over her like he'd gotten over every other woman he'd met. She was no d.a.m.n different.

Liar. Christ she was different.

”Let's go. We have things to do and places to be.”

”We do indeed.” They all stood in place and watched the dark SUV drive away. Dust clouded the air in front of them.

As they watched, another dark SUV pulled out of a hiding spot from deep in the tree-lined road and pulled in behind them.

”No.” Mason stared, his heart beating against his chest. ”No, please not.”

”Oh, Christ,” the men whispered in horror.

”Wheels. We need wheels.” Swede was already on the phone. ”Skip the wheels. I'm bringing in the helicopter.”

The men scattered. Except Mason. He watched the two vehicles head down the road.

Then he remembered the old dirt bike he'd seen in the back of the shed. In ten seconds he'd ripped to the shed, flung the door open so hard it came off the hinge and pulled it out. The tank was half full. Good enough. He turned the key sitting in the engine, she fired up. Good baby.

Without giving a second thought, he spun her around and raced off behind Tesla.

Like h.e.l.l he was going to lose her now.

Chapter 11.

SHE SLUMPED INTO the b.u.t.tery leather seat. Tears were clinging to the corner of her eyelids. She sniffled them back. There was no way she was going to let them fall. She didn't dare. The dam would break and she'd bawl like a baby. So not good for her strong-can-handle-anything look. She had one like that... Didn't she? h.e.l.l no. She'd had one like that way back. Her initial reserve on meeting someone often gave them that impression of her. Cool. Unaffected. Disinterested. And she'd done nothing to break that barrier down to make it easier for everyone. Her father would say show them who's boss right from the get go. Then you could pick and choose who to befriend. That was after you figured out who were your enemies.

His method clearly hadn't worked so well in high school and just added to her cool edge.

She stared down at her ragged nails. They'd been perfect pale ovals once. Now they were short, jagged and b.l.o.o.d.y. She had a couple she could still use as weapons if she had to. But her fighting days were over. Hopefully.

On that reminder, she glanced out the windows. Good-bye small town. Good-bye jaunt in the back woods. h.e.l.lo more scary helicopter ride and more military.

The military she'd take any day. Now getting back into another helicopter so not.

Her stomach knotted at the reminder of her free-fall the last time. It would be good to go back in, just like falling off a bike. You had to get back on again immediately.

This was a whole different story. She'd do the bike thing any day. The helicopter, however... She took one deep breath, then another deep breath. The third one almost felt natural.

Until she noticed the driver keeping a careful eye on the road. She knew Mason wouldn't have let her leave if he didn't think it was safe to do so. But what if they were being followed? What if someone had tracked them to the house and was waiting to make their move.

Mason really shouldn't have let her leave alone. She hated that she only felt safe with him beside her. It was understandable after what she'd been through but...that was going to be difficult in the future.

d.a.m.n it, her mind was back on Mason again. And that long lovely expanse of bare skin she'd woken up to. She'd always been a morning person. To think he'd been there in her bed, and she didn't have the right to touch. She could have persuaded him...maybe, but she didn't want a ten minute bounce in bed. She wanted to get to know him. Yeah right. She wanted to jump his bones. But she couldn't have handled rejection this morning, and he would have turned her down.

With a groan she leaned her head back, determined to forget the man. And that wicked kiss he'd laid on her.

”You all right, ma'am?” Cooper asked her, concern written on his face.

She mustered up a bright smile. They were all lovely men. ”I'm fine. Just not looking forward to going on another helicopter.”

”You'll be fine.”

Right. She was pretty d.a.m.n sure she'd been told that right before the last helicopter blew up. But there was no point in bringing that up again.

”I'm sure I will.”

The second man pointed at something in his rearview mirror. He had some kind of phone in his hand, but it looked big, odd. More like a GPS unit but with other capabilities. Interesting. She loved technology. She and Harry had both been big on computers growing up.

Now she wished she had something in her hands. She had no phone, or purse, so no ID. She felt cut off from the world.

Especially without Mason.

Then her world exploded.

The first shot shattered the rear window and punctured a hole right through the front winds.h.i.+eld.

She screamed and leaned over. That was when she realized Johann's blood was all over the front dash. And Cooper was swearing a blue streak.

Oh no. Oh c.r.a.p. Oh Lord. Please not again. She unbuckled her seatbelt and hit the floor.