Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries #11)(14)

“Yes, just like you.”

His blue eyes narrowed, staring her down. “I was trying to make sure you weren’t working for the people who murdered my brother.”

“And I was trying to do the same damn thing for my friend. When I started this, I thought Jared murdered my friend and Kai and your family were covering for him.” It was what she truly couldn’t understand. They’d both done the same thing for roughly the same reasons, but he wouldn’t even look at her much less get back to that moment when he’d kissed her.

God, that had felt so real. It killed her that he’d been playing a game.

“Supposition, and ridiculous supposition at that. We’ll have to agree to disagree, Mia. Could you forward me all the material you have?”

He hadn’t changed at all in the months they’d been apart. He still wasn’t willing to listen to her or give her a chance to change his mind. “This is all the material I have.”

He held a hand out. “All right. I thank you for this. I need to get to Ian’s.”

She held the folder out for him. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a copy. “Did you hear a word I said?”

Going to his eldest brother was the last thing she thought they should do. Ian Taggart would take over and he wouldn’t care that the situation was delicate.

“Heard and understood. You’re not going to Colombia. Go back to Austin. If you really want me to, I’ll update you when I can.” He started back to the living room.

She followed hard on his heels. “You’re not leaving me behind. I meant what I said, Case. Tony won’t talk to you.”

“I’m pretty damn good at making people talk, darlin’.”

The way he said darlin’ made her heart pound, but now she realized he used that deep tone of voice on every female. She wasn’t special.

And it didn’t matter. She was doing this for a little boy who might never know his father. “Not Tony. He’s ex-CIA and if he even gets a hint that someone’s after him, he’ll run and you won’t find him.”

His eyes narrowed. “Or you’re lying to me again in a desperate attempt to get what you want. What is it this time, Mia? Is it another story? Or is this a play for attention? Is big brother ignoring you?”

She stopped, finally getting it through her thick skull that he didn’t want her.

She’d brought him the best lead she could find. From what she could tell, this was the best lead anyone had found on his brother and it didn’t matter. She stared at him for a moment. She was insanely crazy about this man and he couldn’t give her the time of day.

Did she want to be this girl? The one who begged and pleaded and took the scraps?

Without another word, she moved to the door. He didn’t want to have anything to do with her, then she would have to move on. No matter how much it hurt.

She walked toward his door. She could be at the private airfield in twenty minutes and Cartagena roughly six hours later. Seven, depending on when they could take off. She would get to Tony long before the Taggarts could do their damage and she would send them all the information she uncovered.

Then she would move on.

If Case Taggart couldn’t see that she was the right woman for him, she wasn’t about to waste more time on the man.

God, why did her heart ache? Why was it so hard to keep her feet moving?

In her head she did a mental checklist. She had everything she needed. When she got to Colombia, she would hire a car and go to the hotel. She’d already sent the message to Tony. He would send her a time and meet place.

Hopefully she could get it all done before the Taggarts put boots on the ground in South America.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Case was the one following her now.

She stopped in the middle of his living room, turning on him. The sight of his living space alone should have proven to her they wouldn’t work. It was too neat, Spartan. There was nothing of the man himself in this place. No photos, no little mementos. There was utilitarian furniture, a massive TV, and an Xbox. Mia’s apartment was messy and filled with sentimental crap. He would hate it.

Like he hated her.

“Does it matter?” She was suddenly so tired. She’d dreamed of seeing him again and while she hadn’t expected him to welcome her with open arms, she also hadn’t thought he would show her outright hostility.

“It does if you’re planning on chasing this lead yourself and f*cking over what might be my only shot at saving my brother.”

This was the moment she should walk away. The Taggarts could rise or fall on their own. She’d done enough.

If she thought for one second that they could not only find Tony, but also get him to talk, she would walk. The problem was she was the only person who could do this job. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place and it was obviously time to get to work on her own.

This trip had been a fool’s errand and she wouldn’t make the same mistake again. She would move forward. When it came time to turn the investigation over, she would do it, but until then she was on her own.

“Go home, Mia.”

She understood what he meant. He didn’t care where she went as long as she wasn’t bugging him. “Good-bye, Case.”

She started to turn, but he was right there, his big hand on her elbow. He twisted her around and she stumbled slightly, landing against his chest.