Page 28 of Being Bold
Hurt weaseled into her chest, forming tears in her eyes that she refused to let fall. Gathering dignity like a coat, she wrapped it around herself, brushing past him without another word.
Something ate at him, and he was using it to push her away. The words he’d said about not being deserving . . . they made her heart ache.
She wanted to help him, but he had to let her.
???
Bo
What the fuck?
That’s not how that kiss was supposed to go. Bo leaned against the bathroom sink, gripping the edge hard enough to rip it from the wall. What had he done? He never should’ve kissed her because he couldn’t stop wanting to do it again.
She deserves better.
He’d kissed her with no finesse, intent on scaring her away. He’d expected a slap, and instead she’d come awake in his arms. The sounds she’d made . . .damn!Just thinking about them made him hard.
Bo gritted his teeth and shook the memory from his head. He couldn’t let it happen again. He didn’t do relationships, and there was no chance of this being a one-night stand when she was under his protection.
Damn it all to hell!
He needed to get his head on straight. Her life was at fucking stake. With a growl, Bo pushed off the sink. He had to call Victor and let TOP know what was going on. If he were lucky, they’d be able to help.
He slapped a bandage over his cut, refusing to think about the tender way she’d blown on it, while he waited for the line to connect.
“Bo?” surprise colored Victor’s voice when he answered.
Bo sighed. He’d never called his team lead. Usually, their conversations were a one-way street, with him getting a call from Victor whenever TOP had a job. Not the other way around. “Yeah.”
“We missed you last night.” Bo heard the smile in Victor’s voice, but he didn’t have time for pleasantries.
“I’ve got a situation.”
That’s all it took to transform Victor into the Delta Force troop leader he’d once been. He sounded all business as he said, “Report.”
Bo broke it down, catching him up to speed on everything he’d learned about Selene’s situation so far. Then he finished with, “Can TOP help, or am I on my own?”
“Fuck, frogman. You brought me a shit sandwich.” Victor blew an audible breath. “I’ll talk to HQ and let you know.”
The five people who made up TOP’s leadership were people Bo had only met once when he’d been hired. He was more than happy to leave reporting to them on Victor’s shoulders.
“In the meantime, I’ll send the team out,” he tacked on.
“Copy. But leave the newlyweds alone.” It was the least Bo could do for Crane and Rogue. Considering the rest of the team, he scratched at his beard. “It wouldn’t hurt to have Duke on standby in case we need him.” He was the team’s pilot. He’d been in the Air Force and managed to be a pain in the ass most of the time. “I’ve got to move on the apartment now, though. We don’t have time to wait for Romeo and Herc to get here.” Romeo had been a SEAL like him, and Herc was a former Green Beret. He’d appreciate the backup, but time wasn’t on his side. He lowered his voice. “This CIA chick’s not going to want to hand over the chip.”
Victor cursed. “If it contains what you said, it needs to be destroyed.”
“Agreed.” An AI weapon with the capabilities Yumi claimed was too damn dangerous to exist. He didn’t trust that even the CIA wouldn’t abuse its power. As soon as Bo had the opportunity, he’d dispose of it.
By the time he ended the call with Victor and emerged from the bathroom, the women were dressed and ready to go.
He cleared his throat. “Let me grab a shirt and we’ll get going.”
They didn’t say anything, so he headed for the loft. After he’d dressed appropriately for the conditions, they exited the cabin and he locked it behind them. The wind bit at his nose and the exposed skin of his cheeks. Riding on the sled was going to feel ten times worse. They needed to get moving before the temperature dropped anymore. He opened his mouth to tell Yumi the plan, but she spoke first.
“My car’s not far from here. I’ll meet you at the apartment.”
Bo frowned. He bet she’d like that, but it wasn’t going to happen. If they split up, she’d have the opportunity to reach the apartment first, get the chip, and disappear.
