1941002110 (R) (23 page)

“Turov is on foot, the police are coming, and even if he did get to his car, he’s facing the opposite direction. It won’t take long for us to switch places.”

Sophie swallowed the knot in her throat. Her hands were shaking and her heart thrumming—maybe it was better if she let him drive. She found a spot and pulled over. Her legs were rubber as she got out of the car and ran around to get in the passenger seat.

“Watch the glass,” Chase ordered as she pulled the door closed.

She snatched at the seat belt, buckling it in place while Chase did the same. And then they were accelerating down the street, whipping through traffic at a breakneck pace. They hit a roundabout, spinning through it and out the other side while Sophie clung to the door handle.

“We have to get rid of the car,” Chase said.

“Okay.” As if she would argue that.

He glanced at her, and she realized he was talking to his guy on the other end of the line. “Can Hawk get me something else? Or do I need to borrow a car?”

She didn’t like the way he said
borrow
. Clearly it was a loose term meaning he would have to steal a car. She hoped he didn’t. It was bad enough she’d performed a hit-and-run on someone else’s bumper. Crossing over into grand theft auto was just a bit much.

Sophie spied the padded envelope on the floor and snatched it up. When she turned it over, relief coursed through her at the familiar handwriting. Chase shot her a grin as she clutched it to her chest.

“Told you,” he mouthed.

“Thanks,” she mouthed back.

He’d done it. He’d gotten her to Paris, retrieved the package, and they were still in one piece. But it wasn’t over yet. She knew that much. First they had to get to the safe house, and then they had to hope there was information they could use on the flash drive. Information that would stop Grigori from harming anyone else.

“Copy that,” Chase said. “Heading for the rendezvous point now. Will send over the information as soon as we reach shelter.”

I
T TOOK
about two hours to reach the safe house in Montmartre. First, they had to ditch the car, which they’d done in a garage in the financial district. The garage attendant hadn’t even blinked an eye when they’d driven inside. Obviously on Hawk’s payroll, or at least paid well enough to turn a blind eye when the time came.

A BMW had been waiting for them. Chase transferred all their gear to it in a flash, wiped down the Audi for prints, and then jumped into the Bimmer and took off. He’d taken a circuitous route across Paris, always looking in the rearview for pursuers. But there were none, and he’d finally started to relax. He found the new building, parked the car on the street because that’s all that was available, and then he and Sophie took everything into the building.

This apartment was on the top floor too, but there was no elevator, only five floors of narrow stairs. This place was smaller than the last, mustier, which meant it wasn’t used often. It was a studio with a kitchenette, a small bed, and a balcony. Unlike the last place, it lacked an exciting view even though it was on a quiet street.

Chase took out the secure laptop and booted it up. Then he took the package from Sophie and ripped it open. The flash drive was in a little Bubble Wrap pouch. He unfolded it and took it out. It was a black cylinder, perfectly ordinary looking.

Sophie twisted her fingers together as he inserted the drive into the USB port. Then he opened up the file manager to reveal the files on the drive.

“They’re in Russian,” Sophie said. He could hear the disappointment in her voice, the fear.

He tapped some keys. “We expected this. The software on this computer can copy the contents, including hidden folders, and then I’ll send everything to Hawk. Kid will decrypt it.”

“How long will it take?” she asked.

“Hours maybe. Or days. Open Sky isn’t a group of amateurs. Their code is pretty sophisticated.”

“Days?”

He looked up at her, at the worried expression she wore, and his heart kicked. “We have the information now, Sophie. That’s a step in the right direction—and the Kid is good at what he does, honest. If the delivery van hadn’t been delayed back there, Turov wouldn’t have caught up to us. He’d have come along after we left and found nothing.”

“It was close, Chase.”

“It was. But we’re here and we have the flash drive.”

He picked up his phone, dialed Hawk, and informed him the files were on the way.

“I’ve got you on a private jet,” Hawk said. “I’ll text over the details, but the flight’s at four a.m. Leave the car with the weapons in the trunk. Long-term parking.”

“Copy,” Chase said, rubbing his temples. Not quite twelve hours away. They talked for a few more minutes and then he hung up. For the first time in hours, he felt like he could breathe again. He’d gotten the flash drive, Sophie was safe, and they were on their way home soon.

He ejected the flash drive from the USB port and pocketed it, then stood and shrugged out of his jacket. He unstrapped the weapons and laid them on the table. When he took in the hunted look in Sophie’s gaze, he dragged her into his arms, squeezing her tight.

She squeezed him back.

“Sorry for the scare today,” he told her, his lips against her hair.

“Are you mad because I disobeyed you?”

He tilted her head back until he could look into her eyes. “I’m not happy about it. But you reacted to the situation and got us out of there. It’s over now.”

“I saw you jump out of the van, and then I saw Turov coming after you—I almost stayed in my seat, but it occurred to me that for you to go around the car and try to get inside with oncoming traffic would give them the chance to catch up.”

“Yeah, it would have.”

“So I threw open the door and climbed over the console. I knew you’d be mad, but I had no choice.”

“I’m pissed you risked it—but it worked, so I’m going to get over it. But Sophie…”

“Yes?”

“You got lucky. Next time, do exactly as I tell you. I wasn’t going to lead Turov to you. I would have kept going, and you could have safely driven away.”

Her eyes widened, her fingers curling in his shirt. “You would have left me there alone?”

“It was the safest option. Yeah, I would have left you there alone. You would have driven to the airport like I told you and called Hawk. He’d have gotten you out.”

She clung to him tighter. “Then I’m glad I didn’t do what you said. I’m glad we’re here together.”

Jesus, she did something to him. Something that twisted his guts into knots and made his heart ache. He dipped his head and kissed her. He only meant to kiss her, but of course it didn’t end there. Touching Sophie was like touching a match to gasoline. The flame was inevitable.

He stripped her quickly, and then he was inside her, moving hard and fast and taking them both to the edge of pleasure. When it was over, when she was limp and sated on the bed, her eyes drowsy with slumber, he got up and dragged on his jeans.

Her gaze instantly sharpened. “What are you doing?”

“Protecting you, Sophie. Go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

29

C
hase awoke with a start, straining his eyes in the darkness to make out where he was. He heard traffic below and remembered they were in Montmartre. Sophie slept beside him, her naked body lush and warm. He sat up, stretching.

He’d stayed awake earlier, watching over Sophie until she’d awakened and they’d ordered takeout. They’d eaten and talked, and then Sophie had dropped to her knees and shown him another side of pleasure with her. It was the first time she’d sucked him, and he’d loved the sight of it.

Sophie on her knees with his dick in her mouth was just about the most exciting thing he’d ever seen in his life. She gripped him with both hands, licked and sucked him like he was made of chocolate, and he thought the top of his head might blow off if she kept it up.

So he’d pulled her up, bent her over the bed, and slammed into her from behind. Damn, but her pussy was addictive.

Then he’d set an alarm and lain down in bed with her. Now he stood and pulled on his jeans—not the easiest of tasks when just thinking about Sophie made him hard—then walked to the glass door and peered outside. Nothing looked out of place. He turned and went back over to the bed. Sophie lay on her side, curled under the covers, and he wondered for a few moments how many more times he would see her like this.

One more time? Twice? Never?

That thought sat like a stone in his gut. He told himself it didn’t matter, that he’d be banging some new chick by this time next week and her pussy would be every bit as wonderful. It was just the circumstances making this so exciting.

That and the way they talked about anything and everything. Now that he’d miss.

Chase swore softly, then checked his phone in case he had any texts from Hawk. There was nothing.

“What time is it?” Sophie asked, her voice gravelly with sleep.

“Not quite midnight yet.”

She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. She yawned; then she got up from the bed. She was completely naked, her skin gleaming like pearls in the evening light. Her body was lush, full-figured. Her breasts swayed as she bent to retrieve her jeans from where she’d dragged them out of the suitcase and set them earlier. She didn’t try to hide her body as she began to get dressed. He knew that was a big deal, just as he knew if he were anyone else, she probably would have hidden herself from him.

The fact that she didn’t hit him in the gut and sucked away some of his air. Then she pushed her hair away from her face and he was hit again, this time by how beautiful and amazing she was. No self-consciousness there. Only a sultry kind of beauty and the satisfied look of a woman who’d had great orgasms.

Jesus, he was a lucky bastard that she’d shared all that beauty and sexiness with him.

“Hungry again?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Only he didn’t think she meant hungry for sex, which he definitely was—but he was also the other kind of hungry. It had been a few hours since they’d eaten, after all. “You?”

“Oh yes. Sex with you is like running ten miles on the treadmill. A month with you and I could totally rock a bikini.”

He knew she was joking, but the fact she was putting herself down pricked him anyway. “You could rock a bikini now. In fact, I’d like to see you in one. For my eyes only, of course.”

“Come to LA this summer and maybe I’ll wear one for you.”

He crossed his arms and regarded her. “Not going back to New York?”

She frowned. “I kind of want to go somewhere far away from New York right now.”

“I thought you had an audition next week.”

Her chin lifted. “I do… but it doesn’t matter. I’ll find something in LA when I’m ready.”

He hated that she felt like she had to run away, but he understood it. Doing what he did, he often saw the effects of posttraumatic stress on people. What Sophie had gone through could certainly cause a need for retreat and safety in familiar surroundings.

“They film television shows in DC and Baltimore.”

She stared at him for a long minute. Her throat moved as she swallowed. He cursed himself then because what the fuck was he doing? He couldn’t encourage this. Getting involved with Sophie would be bad. They’d have to hide their relationship—their familial relationship on paper, that is—and he’d have to lie to his mother.

It wasn’t worth it. But that thought made his chest constrict.
Why not? Why isn’t this worth it?

“I can’t go to DC, Chase.”

He shrugged even though there was an ache in the pit of his stomach. “It was just a thought.”

He tugged on a shirt. He wouldn’t sleep again before it was time to leave for the airport. He’d rested when it was safe to do so, but the closer they got to go-time, the less safe he felt. It was typical mission adrenaline. Once they were back in DC, he’d feel better about the whole thing.

A car’s brakes squealed to a stop outside and then doors slammed shut. He didn’t think much of it until the sound of multiple footsteps began to echo up the stairwell. He listened hard. It could be anything. It could be nothing. There was no way that Turov had found them. How could he?

But Chase’s instincts wouldn’t let him ignore it. He grabbed his jacket and then shouldered the bag with the weapons and ammo as he turned to Sophie. She was standing frozen near the bed, her head cocked as if she was listening too.

The footsteps grew louder. Too much purpose in them, too certain of their destination.

“Get your shoes and jacket on.
NOW!
” he told her.

She grabbed the motorcycle boots and pulled them on, zipping them up quickly. Chase went over and threw open the sliding door to the balcony. The night air was cool, but he wasn’t since adrenaline rushed in his veins.

“What’s going on?” Sophie asked as she hurried to his side.

“We’re leaving,” he ground out as he pushed her onto the balcony and shut the door.

Behind him, everything was quiet—until the sound of splintering wood cracked into the night.

Sophie gasped, her head turning toward the room they’d just left.