Page 107 of Killer Secrets (Tempting SEALs 5)

"Go." He pushed her away from him, dragging his hands through his hair and glaring at her. Damn her, he had no good sense when she was around. "And hurry back."

That perky little ponytail bobbed as she moved quickly away from him, the long strands of hair

falling from the crown of her head to the middle of her shoulder blades and tempting him to tear it down and spear his fingers through the soft, thick mass.

She glanced back at him as she reached the doorway, paused, and gave him a saucy wink before light laughter left her lips when he started for her again.

She escaped. Just in time. One more second and he would have said to hell with Sorrell and thrown her to the floor to bury the aching length of his cock deep inside that tight, soft velvet pussy. Damn her. Damn him. Because she overrode his control and reminded him, each second, of exactly what he could lose if this op managed to go to hell.

* * *

Twenty-seven

THE CALL CAME LATE THAT afternoon.

His voice was heavily accented, that of a man who rarely used English, and it was clipped with anger. He agreed to the meet on the condition that they would see the birthmark only, and not his face. He demanded that Ascarti be allowed to accompany him, as well as one bodyguard, and that his daughter be present during the negotiations.

Ian laughed. "I think not. The point between these negotiations is that we each get what we want, my friend." He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes as Diego smiled in satisfaction at the sound of Sorrell's voice on the conference call. "I'll have your identity and you'll have the girl. An even trade. Negotiations aren't worth shit if both parties aren't required to lay insurance on the table."

The silence that filled the line was telling. Ian hadn't allowed the call to be traced, though Macey had the equipment to do just that within a matter of minutes. But Sorrell could have the equipment to track the trace, and for now, they needed a measure of trust.

"I will show you the birthmark upon arrival. My face will remain shielded until negotiations are completed. And you will give your woman into the keeping of my bodyguard until things have been reasonably settled. My daughter will remain in the keeping of one of your men. We both have much to lose, as well as to gain."

He had known it would come to this. He had felt it crawling in his gut the minute he had known Kira was on Aruba, that when the final game came to be played, she would be used to stay his hand.

What Sorrell didn't know was that Kira was no man's weapon. He had to argue with himself, he had to force himself to be logical rather than to allow emotion to influence his decision. The emotion was winning though.

"Diego will be present. If you need insurance—"

Sorrell's laughter was faintly mocking. "Mr. Fuentes, as you and I both know, I have had my spies within your presence. Your relationship with your father is, how shall we say it, less than loving? He is not acceptable as insurance, though I do expect he will attend this meeting. Your woman will place herself on one side of the room with my man. Your man will hold my daughter similarly on the other side of the room. I and Gregor Ascarti will meet with you and your father after this exchange has been made. This is nonnegotiable."

She could protect herself, the logical part of his brain assured him. No one knew who she was, what she was, or how very capable she was in such situations. Ian knew. He had seen her on several missions, read the reports of the men who worked with the Chameleon. He knew she could do this.

But it was placing her at risk.

"Come, Mr. Fuentes, if I can trust my treasured asset in your protection, then you can trust yours within mine." Sorrell chuckled. "Unless you have plans to do other than negotiate."

"I definitely don't have plans to have my woman stolen and sold to line your coffers," Ian snorted.

Sorrell laughed at this. "She is too old. She would be too hard to train effectively, she is safe from such a fate. Young girls, girls who have not yet known the corruption of your society, are those I seek. And as beautiful as your woman is, she is no longer a virgin, nor does she still retain the flush of her youth. Do you agree to my demands as I have agreed to yours?"

"Agreed." The fact that he had no choice boiled in his gut.

Damn her, he had known better than to let her into this. His weakness. She was a weakness and Sorrell knew it. If she hadn't been here, in his life, in his bed, Sorrell would have accepted Diego as insurance, eliminating the chance that Sorrell would have even a measure of power over the negotiations.

"Ah, I can hear the anger in your tone." Satisfaction filled the Frenchman's voice. "Your woman is important to you. This is good. She is a willful, spoiled female though my friend. I fear you will not have a smooth path with this one. It would have been better had you found a more tractable woman."

"I'll take care of my life, Sorrell, you take care of yours." Ian fought for a measure of distance, a place to push back the rage until this was finished. "We meet at midnight—"

"Your woman will be waiting inside the gates of your villa. We will then exit the vehicle and proceed inside. Once again, nonnegotiable. I do not walk into traps, Mr. Fuentes. She will be alone."

"No deal."

Sorrell was quiet.

"You forget, I have something you want, not the other way around," Ian reminded him. "I can kill your daughter as easily as Liss and Muriel were killed. Without regret. Or, I could contact the DEA. I'm sure they'll be quite forgiving of several of my crimes for a chance at your daughter. Perhaps I could get that nasty little treason charge dropped." He let the suggestion trail off there.

He could hear the tension across the line then. The waves of anger pouring from the Frenchman.

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