Dangerous in Training (Aegis Group, #2) (4 page)

“And that’s seriously wrong. I mean, I know what my parents wanted for me, I understood why, but I feel like not being able to have these conversations about sex is part of the problem, regardless of faith. It’s a matter of health. Girls don’t know their own bodies, everything is taboo. I just can’t with it. God made sex, and sex is good.”

“Do your parents know?”

“That I’m not a nun? Probably. I haven’t come out and said it, but I’d be surprised if they couldn’t read between the lines. I never did well with the organized religion part of our lives. Faith? I have that in spades, but religion, not so much.”

Hannah nodded. It was a topic they discussed often, because who else would understand?

“Are you sure this is what you want? Is he what you want? Because I’m not going to lie, I’m not crazy about a guy who is totally into you, then ignores you, then is into you again.”

“Something happened to him. Something before I met him.”

“And that’s left him so scarred and incapable of being there for you? Not sure I’m buying it.”

“No, not like that. I just mean, I get it happening once. I get him running away that one time. But you’re right, if he can’t handle everything, he’s not who I want him to be, and we won’t work.” Hannah took a deep breath and sat up straight. Those were big words when she had zero resolve when it came to Mason.

M
ason pushed the door to Zain’s lair open. It was really their Intelligence and Technical department, both of which were under Zain’s purview.

“Dead man walking.” Gavin pushed his chair into Mason’s path.

“Go type something.” Mason shoved the chair and kid out of his way and kept going to the office in the back. Sweat broke out along his spine and his throat was a little dry. It was well and all to talk a good game when Hannah was in front of him, it was another to set about on a plan of insubordination.

Zain stood behind his desk, studying a tablet screen Mason couldn’t see. Zain glanced at him and nodded. Mason closed the door and took a seat, tapping out his frustration on the arm rests. Being Zain’s cousin wouldn’t get him anywhere, and Mason didn’t expect Zain to stick his neck out for him, either. From beginning to end, this was Mason’s mess.

“So, Hannah?” Zain didn’t look up.

“Yeah, what was I supposed to do?” Mason laced his fingers together to keep from fidgeting. It was one of the first things his lawyer had taught him going into the trial.

You can tell a guilty person by how many times they scratch their head or pick lint off their clothes. Don’t be a guilty person.

“I don’t know, man.” Zain put his tablet down and sat across from Mason. “Helping her move was the right thing to do, but her old man won’t see it like that.”

“I know.” And when Mr. Stevens found out about Mexico...things would get ugly. “Are you going to bust my chops?”

“I’m not saying jack shit. I don’t know what his deal is, or who he gets his intel from, but it’s not me. I never told him about what happened.”

Mason let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He’d never asked Zain outright if it was him or not. Mason hadn’t wanted to know if his cousin had spilled the beans. Because if it’d been Zain...well, it was a reality that would never happen. Zain wouldn’t lie.

“How’d he find out?” Mason stared at the desk.

“No clue. Some guys will tell their chaplain more than they should. Clearly someone out there fits that category.”

“Hannah’s going to Mexico.” Mason lifted his gaze to his cousin. “She won some tickets or something.”

Zain whistled. “Stevens will not like that.”

“I’m going with her.”

“Willingly?”

“She said she was going to go by herself. It seemed like a no-brainer.”

“There is no way Stevens will buy that you’re just going to look after her. Hell, I don’t believe it, and I know you know better than chasing that tail.”

“Would you rather her go by herself?”

“Can’t she take a friend or something?” Zain rubbed his forehead with his good hand. “Damn it. If I called and told him now, you know he’d either tell us to not let her leave—or assign a team to go and babysit her. We all know how that worked out last time.”

“I heard.”

Hannah and her father might get along like wet cats, but her old man had taught her how to shoot, defend herself, and hide. If Hannah wanted to shake a tail, her father had taught her how. Probably in the interests of giving her the tools to shake off guys like Mason, but it worked both ways. She could make it awfully hard to keep Daddy dearest from following her.

“Look, man, I don’t know which way the Admiral would go on this if things went to hell. Stevens was the first hire when we expanded. They’ve been buddies since forever. Crawford could not care—or you could be fired.”

“I know.” Mason scrubbed a hand across his jaw. There was no telling how it would go, but he was not expecting anything good to come from it.

“Is she worth it?”

“I think so.”

“You have to know so.”

“How would you know?” Mason glared at his cousin. The last girl he’d seen Zain with predated his need for a prosthetic.

Zain stared back, not a single crack in his composure. “It’s my job to watch people. I know the signs.”

“What should I do?” Mason wanted it all, the job, the girl, a life. But things hadn’t worked out for him yet. Why should they start now?

“If it were me, treat the trip like a job. Watch her. Hang with her. Let her trust you. Don’t touch her, though. Don’t cross that line. Come home and let her down easy. Say you don’t think anything is there. Man, I don’t want to see you cut off or worse...”

Zain’s stare held meaning.

Mason grimaced. He hadn’t wanted to go there. Consider that Mr. Stevens could set out to put him on point, dole out the crap jobs, the ones where it was just a matter of time until a guy died. Judging by Zain’s pointed stare, Mason had to rethink the possibility there.

What if Mr. Stevens wanted him dead for being near his daughter?

“I could go home. Parents are talking to me again.” Mason slumped in the chair. The reality of his situation was not a kind one.

“Yeah, and do what? Flip burgers?” Zain shook his head. “You’re a SEAL, man. Doesn’t matter you don’t have the uniform on. It’s who you are. Giving this up and going civvie will wreck you. I don’t want to see that happen over a girl. A nice girl. I like Hannah. If things were different, I’d be happy for you. But she’s Steven’s daughter, man. He won’t rest until he puts as much space between the two of you that he can. He’ll either make the Admiral fire you...or he’ll figure out how to make you quit. And that’s the nice way this ends. I’ve been around here for a long time, and Stevens isn’t a bad guy, but where Hannah is concerned...I wouldn’t want to chance it.”

Stevens had the power to put Mason in the kind of situation that would get him killed. What they did, the jobs they took, they weren’t safe. People died. Not often, because the Aegis Group was good at their job. But men died. Good men. And Mason could be one of them.

Was his life worth one weekend with Hannah?

Dylan cringed and glanced at his phone.

The name Cruz pulsed on the screen.

Shit.

Rogelio must have run his mouth.

Dylan briefly considered not answering the call. Most of the time it wasn’t Cruz calling anyway, it was a lackey or some other peon. Dylan could put the conversation off a little while longer until he had Hannah in his grasp. But what if it was Cruz? Did he really want to ignore the man and risk his life?

Damn the bitch.

Dylan flicked his thumb across the green Answer button.

“Hello?” He prayed it was someone else.

“Dylan.”

Fuck his luck.

Cruz.

“Hey, boss, how’s the weather?” Dylan opened the fridge, wishing he’d stashed some beer at the holding house. Instead he had a couple bottles of sedatives, some tranqs, and a few bags of designer drugs for when he’d hit a club and go fishing.

“Why is my merchandize not in the air?”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Dylan ran his hand through his hair, took a deep breath, and seized on the first thought.

“The virgin wasn’t ever part of today’s pick-up.” He paced through the house, peeking out of windows.

“What happened, Dylan?” There was a deadly edge to the calm tone. Cruz was pissed because Rogelio threw Dylan under the bus.

“There was a hiccup. It’s not a problem. She’ll be at the plane on Thursday.”

“No, she won’t. She just called and spoke to Luis to arrange her rooms and commented that she was getting her own flight.” Cruz’s voice rose steadily until he was almost yelling through the phone, the false calm shattered. “Why isn’t she on that plane, Dylan?”

Dylan winced. Fuck his luck.

“She’ll be there though. Rogelio and the others can grab her from the resort. They do that sort of thing.” It was already an established part of the business. Besides, who’d miss one more girl?

“There are already two girls scheduled for pick-up from the resort. She will make a third. That is too many. Don’t you understand, you idiot? No more than two girls can go missing from the same place or the American authorities get suspicious. How many did you send with Rogelio today? How many?”

“Three.” Dylan gulped down oxygen, his lungs burning.

“Three. Three. Where were they from?”

“They were college girls.”

“You’re fucking this up Dylan. College girls have families who care where they are. This is not what we discussed.”

“I get it, I get it, boss. I’ll fix this.”

“I want your ass here, tomorrow. You’d better have a solution or it’ll be your ass on the block. I’ve promised to deliver a virgin because you said you could make it happen.”

“She’ll be there.” One piece of ass was not worth dying over.

“You get one chance, Dylan. One. Understand?”

“Got it.”

The line went dead.

Dylan shoved his phone into his pocket and continued to pace. Hannah would go. He’d set the hook too well, and if she was confirming room reservations, she had all intent to go. She just wouldn’t be getting on a charter plane bound directly for Cruz’s facility. Details, really. But something could always go wrong.

He didn’t doubt Cruz’s threat to put his ass on the auction block. Cruz dealt primarily in women, but there were typically some younger men for the more deviant tastes. Dylan would need to make sure they grabbed Hannah without incident.

Hannah leaned across Mason, her breast brushing his arm. Her body tingled at the accidental touch, far too aware of him, the space he took up, and that he hadn’t said a single thing to her since take-off. She took the soft drink from the flight attendant, her smile firmly in place.

She would not blush.

She wouldn’t do it.

It was an accident.

But it was him.

And she had the most extreme reactions to anything involving this man.

There was the tiniest flex of Mason’s muscles, but it was the set of his jaw that gave him away. Melissa had tried to explain the kind of power that gave a woman, but words were nothing in comparison to the giddy thrill of
knowing
.

Other men had been attracted to her over the years, though never at the right time or when she was interested in them.

Mason liked her.

He wanted her.

And she knew it.

So why the silent treatment?

“Sleep okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. You?”

“Barely slept. I was up unpacking and packing.” Well, at least he hadn’t forgotten how to use those lips. She wanted to give them a real workout. Later.

“Dylan give you any trouble?” Mason sipped from his cup of water before sitting it on the tray table, still staring straight ahead. What was his deal?

“I haven’t heard from him. He’s probably moved on to someone else.” She crossed her legs and didn’t bother to tug her stretchy knit skirt down when it rode up on her thigh.

Other girls her age were having healthy sexual relationships. Why not her? She’d allowed her parents’ expectations and then her shame to keep her from living life to its fullest. Well, not anymore. She wanted to have wild, passionate sex. With Mason. And it was her choice.

She peered out through the window, mesmerized by the white, fluffy clouds.

“This is so cool,” she said.

“Have you never been on a plane before?”

“Once. When Dad took us to Canada for a thing.” She practically pressed her nose to the glass to get a peek through the clouds at the ground below. The memory of that last flight was so old, she could barely recall how her belly had flip-flopped or the pressure in her ears.

“Are you serious? You never flew to visit your dad or anything?”

“No, Dad never let us. He always said it was too dangerous, or we were better off staying home. When he was gone—he was gone and that was it.”

“What about when he was in Osaka?”

“He didn’t want us out there.” She’d given up being bitter over the time apart years ago. Her father had reasons, and she didn’t have to agree with them.

“How long would he be gone for?”

“Years, months, a lot of time was spent without him.” She shrugged. “It was usually just Mom and me.”

“Wow.”

“Considering how alike my dad and I are, it’s probably a good thing we were kept apart.” Hannah shrugged.

“Why do you say that?”

“Come on, you’ve seen us together.” She leaned on the armrest and sipped her soda.

“Only once.”

“What did it remind you of?”

“Two alley cats screaming at each other.”

“That’s how it always is. I mean, he’s my dad and I love him, but I can’t stand him, his rules or any of it.”

“Why’d you never move away?”

“Mom. When Dad uprooted her from that sleepy little town they grew up in and brought her here, she never really found where she belonged. I can’t leave her. It’s always been mom and me.” Where her father was unyielding, Hannah’s mother was kind and gentle. Hannah had learned more about being a good person simply by watching how her mother treated others than she had at a hundred Sunday school lessons her father conducted. Some people needed a book with rules to tell them how to live. All Hannah needed was her mother.