Page 48 of Escape You

15

If You Win, I Die

Mia

I never would have considered working with the ATF or the FBI, but this was Tyler. He was different in the fact that he had as much to lose in this as me. Our baby’s life was on the line. I faced the terrace and let my gaze wander across the horizon, admiring the cityscape and the perfect architecture of Central Park. When I shifted my body to turn to Tyler, a bright light shot in front of my lights and I lost my balance. Something like vertigo made me stumble sideways. In two beats, Tyler was beside me.

“What is it?” He picked me up and walked me to the bed.

I pushed him away, closing my eyes. The sunlight was so bright in the room all of a sudden. “I’m fine. Just lost my balance.”

“Is it the pregnancy, you think?” The worry in his voice made me want to cuddle with him. Christ, why did he have to be a uniform? In my book, ATF was as bad as being the devil’s spawn, or Rossi’s grandson.

“I think so. I just need to lie down for a minute.” I scooted away from him. Even as tired as I felt, the aching need between my legs hadn’t let up. Was that part of the preggo package deal? Because I’d never wanted someone this much.

He sat on the edge of the mattress, keeping his distance from me, but close enough that I could still feel his body heat. I curled my body around the pillow and hugged it tight. “You’re wasting time. You’re down to four minutes.”

He hissed and got comfortable next to me. “I can wait.”

“No. Talk.”

His deep and soothing voice made the room less bright. I opened my eyes, and the room didn’t feel so shaky anymore. The preggo spell had passed. I sat up and faced him.

He offered a warm smile, surveying my face. “Okay. I’ll start from the very beginning. A few months back, I took a leave of absence from the ATF to help my brothers Matt and Wesley. They’d been on assignment in Venezuela.” He swallowed, looking up toward the ceiling. Was he getting into classified territory? “Short of it is, they needed help. More specifically, they needed a getaway ride.”

“Okay.” I tucked my heels under my butt, sitting a little closer to him.

“I’m a pilot. I flew my plane in, and after looking for them for days in the jungle, I was able to get them out. But before then, I learned why they’d gone rogue.”

“What are they? Not ATF.” I knew ATF only had local jurisdiction. Criminal that I was and all.

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that in the time I was there, I met a woman, Rebecca Smith.”

“Is this where you tell me you’re married. For real.”

He beamed at me. “Would that bother you?”

“No. I don’t care. I’m married myself. Not what it’s all cracked up to be.” Why in the world was I flirting with him?

He moved up, sliding his thigh up on the covers. “I don’t know. Last night was everything I thought it would be.”

My cheeks burned at the memory of his hands on me. “So Rebecca?”

He let out a breath. “Right. She uncovered a scheme to set up a human trafficking ring with a family out of New York. In exchange for cooperation, I agreed to get her out along with my brothers. The information she provided led me to Rossi.”

“Of course. He has no respect for human life. Look at what he made us do.”

He nodded. “I went to the FBI. As ATF, this was outside of my scope. They denied me, claiming I didn’t have enough evidence. Now I know it was because Clifton had a different deal already cooking. Rebecca’s word wasn’t enough.”

“She was lucky. The FBI would’ve used her, then sent her back to Venezuela to die.” That was the FBI MO. Not much different from Rossi.

“They’re not the bad guys, Mia.”

“Depends which end you’re on, I suppose.” I shrugged. “Not everyone lives in your world, Tyler. Some of us have to do what we can to survive. Where is she?”

“She took off.”

“Why?”

---