Page 60 of Wicked Suspicion

Case put his hands on her hips, pulling Nyx close, and kissed her. He kept it light and easy because they were in a shitload of trouble and he couldn’t afford to get lost in her, but he needed the connection.

Nyx was everything he didn’t believe existed. At least not for him. She was brainy and beautiful. She understood him at a core level, and he could trust her. That was a big one. He’d grown up with a mother who lied about her drug use. He’d dated women who lied to him about different things. Then there’d been Hannah, the biggest liar of them all. At least his mom had her addiction as an excuse. Hannah had none.

When Nyx leaned into him, her hands teasing his nape, Case was forced to break the embrace and step back. She could make him forget everything if he wasn’t careful and he couldn’t afford the lapse.

“Not now, Fireball,” he said when he noticed her expression. “I can’t be distracted.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” she let her voice trail off.

“I know. You wanted to forget for a few minutes. It’s okay. What you need to keep in mind is that our situation is more precarious now than it was when we were guests of Señor Vargas.”

Nyx nodded. She walked back to her chair but stopped midway. “How are we going to sleep in this hammock tonight without ending up on the floor?”

Case grinned. “We’ll be fine once we get in it, but the floor is a real possibility tomorrow morning when we try to get back out.”

Despite her nerves, she returned the smile. “I’ll let you get on your feet first and you can help me out.”

“Deal. I’ll try my best not to send you to the floor when I struggle out of it.”

“Oh, bullshit.” There was a note of suppressed laughter in her voice. “You’re athletic and move with grace and an economy of motion. You’re not going to send the hammock swaying so wildly that I’m in any danger of falling out of it. Try again, hon.”

She did get him. He’d been teasing her, and expecting her to take him seriously, but she’d immediately known the truth. Damn, he enjoyed her.

The amusement faded. He wanted her safe in Los Angeles, but Case wasn’t ready to give her up. Maybe when the op was over, he could take leave and fly out to see her. He could tell her the truth then about who he really was and what he really did.

The distance between Tampa and LA was daunting. Even if she was interested, how did they manage any kind of relationship? He’d be out on other ops—she knew the score from growing up with her dad—and she’d be busy with school.

Seeing her once or twice a year wasn’t going to be enough. Not even close.

Fuck, he should have joined the Navy and become a SEAL. At least then he’d likely be stationed in San Diego and that wasn’t too far away from LA. Tampa might as well be on the other side of the world.

“You’re frowning,” Nyx said.

“Sorry. I’m thinking. Nothing you need to worry about, I promise,” he added. She knew him, but he knew her, too. She was an overthinker, which meant she worried about scenarios that most people never considered. Anticipating trouble was tactical, and he liked that she had that skill, but it wasn’t as if they could discuss a long-distance relationship while they were surrounded by men who thought they were engaged to be married.

Yelling interrupted his thoughts. Nyx tensed and he moved, putting himself between her and the door. He couldn’t make out the words, but something was happening outside the hut.

He was still on guard when the door opened and two soldiers came in, both wearing camo uniforms and carrying SCARs. One man pointed at him. “You will come with us.”

Case looked back at Nyx. “You’ll be okay. Sit tight.” He hoped she’d be okay. He didn’t know what was about to happen, not to her and not to himself. It seemed a good bet that they were finally going to talk to him, that he’d learn at last what the hell was going on with the rebels’ interest in him.

“Mueve tu trasero,” the man said harshly.

“My ass is moving,” Case said, same as the last time he’d gotten this order and headed toward the door. He did not want to risk them getting angry at him and using Nyx as a punching bag.

They led him across the center of camp. The other side had the largest hut, and he hoped that was where they were headed. It would mean that things were finally in motion.

That’s where they brought him. This hut had interior walls, although they were bamboo as well. “Wait here,” the man who did the talking said, and he disappeared through one of the doors, leaving Case with the quiet one.

It only took a moment before he reappeared. “This way,” he ordered, gesturing with his SCAR.

Case obeyed, and when he walked through the door, he stopped. There was a table that served as a desk and behind it sat a man. He was about thirty-five with dark, curly hair and a beard. His eyebrows were heavy over flat, brown eyes. He wore combat fatigues complete with rank insignia.

“What can I do for you, Colonel Ramirez?”

Chapter 25

Were the outlaws going to talk to Case or execute him? If they thought he could get them the new assault rifle, it would be a conversation. If they suspected he was more than who he was pretending to be— She cut that thought off. The odds were against his cover being blown.

---