Page 2 of Going Rogue
Crane lost the teasing expression, and she covered her ears. With a nod, he blew open the door to her cage. At the same time, a closer explosion shook their building. Whatever he’d done, there was a good chance the noise from it covered the detonation on her door. She could give him props for the distraction—later.
Through the haze of smoke and debris, Crane appeared. As he cut her hands free, the smell of diesel and a hint of burnt plastic filled her nose but layered within it; his distinct masculine scent penetrated—infuriating and comforting all at once.
Staring into the honey of his eyes, something in her wavered, desperate to leaninto his woodsy smell and the broad chest it came from, but she walled off those thoughts before they became more dangerous.
Rogue shook her head as a shockwave from another explosion hit the cell. Then, distant yelling reached her ears.
Crane heard it, too, because he morphed into rescuer mode. “Time to go.”
Before she could stop him, he’d lifted and slung her over his shoulder like she weighed less than a feather.
“Hey!” She beat her fists against his back, and it felt like pounding on a rock. “I can walk, you know!” At a muscular five feet, eight inches, she topped out at 160 pounds, but she almost felt light, anchored on his six-five frame.
“No need, squirrel.” He slapped her ass with a playful smack. “We’re going to fly.”
???
Crane
“This is what you call flying?”
Rogue’s question mocked him as he replaced the magazine in his Glock, butMiles “Crane” Burkhart didn’t mind the ribbing. He was just happy she remained alive to give it to him. When she’d been captured . . . he feared the worst.
“Not exactly.” He gave her a wink despite the snag in his rescue mission. The plane he’d been going to charter was late. A glance at his disposable phone showed what he already knew—radio silence. “But I have a Plan B.”
Always leave yourself an out.It was their team’s motto, and when Rogue had gotten captured, they’d taken it.
The fact they had twisted in Crane’s gut like sour meat as he secured his spent clip to his tactical vest. He and Rogue worked for Tactical Operations & Protection, or TOP, as it was known in the business. They were modern-day soldiers for hire, so he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised the rest of the team had viewed her capture as an acceptable loss for the sake of the operation.
But Crane hadn’t been able to let Rogue go so easily. He’d tried the ‘every man for himself’ thing, but his years as a Marine were too ingrained. You don’t leave your brothers—or sisters, in this case—behind.
Sister. Right.He had a lot of thoughts about Rogue but none of them were brotherly. As the middle child with an older brother and baby sister, he knew a thing or two about siblings. And that’snothow he viewed Rogue.
Crane glanced over at her, where she knelt behind a stack of packing crates.
Filled with assault rifles, no doubt.
He didn’t know this rag-tag group of militants, but it was clear to him they wanted to join the terrorists desolating the rest of Iraq. He figured the cargo he and Rogue hid behind, plus the other crates he’d blown sky high, had been a buy-in. Since the fuckers had kept her alive, he gathered she’d been meant as part of the bargain.
Even in her roughed-up state, she was gorgeous. Though he sweltered under the balaclava, she glowed with the early evening sun beating down on her. Her pale golden strands reminded him of the angel Christmas tree topper he’d grown up with.
The thought made him smile, which she caught when she glared at him. “What thehell is Plan B?”
Her hair might be angelic, but those eyes were all sin—like a deep, dark rum he wanted to taste. He’d been dying to kiss her since she’d walked into TOP headquarters two years ago. Of course, she’d shot down any advance he’d made. But he got it.
She didn’t want to shit where she ate.
Even if sex with her would be off the charts, she was right. Sex led to entanglements, and in their business, those could get you killed.
An uncommon frown pulled at the corners of Crane’s mouth. His coming back for herwasan entanglement . . . and they hadn’t even experienced the good parts yet.Fuck.
He didn’t know what this meant for either of their positions on the team or if they’d even be allowed back in after he disobeyed orders to get the hell out of Dodge.
“Earth to Crane.” Rogue poked the center of his forehead, and he blinked to see she’d moved much closer.
Damn.Underneath the dirt and sweat, he could still smell her signaturescent. It always made him think of cinnamon or spicy vanilla. The fragrance lingered in his thoughts and never failed to make him ache.
“If you’re not going to use that, I’ll take it.”
