Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries #11)(73)

Tony had told her more than one group wanted to get their hands on McDonald’s research. What would hostile governments do with it? Hell, what would her own government do with it?

The ex-soldier’s jaw hardened and she noticed the way his left hand twitched ever so slightly. “I don’t…I need to do my job. You’re very pretty. I would like to spend some time with you, but I can’t sneak you back to our room. They watch us. She watches us.”

He grimaced and put a hand to his earpiece, as though something was happening to it.

His words had been stilted, as though he was fighting some kind of instinct.

“Robert, I think we should go,” a deep voice said. “We’ve been called back into base. Apparently there’s a problem coming our way.”

She turned and there was another dark-suited bodyguard standing behind her. He was dark-haired and beautifully built. Mia had to hand it to Hope McDonald. The woman liked a handsome man. Mia was surrounded by big, gorgeous men all of the sudden and she realized it was likely time to retreat. Two was one too many to deal with on her own.

“Mia, if you don’t show up outside in thirty seconds I’m going to come in, and you won’t like how I’ll come in,” Case promised.

Definitely time to move. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll pick up a signal outside. Hope you have a nice night.”

She turned, her hair swinging as she tried to put some distance between her and the big guys. She stopped right in her tracks because Case was already here.

“Hello,” he said. “I think we should talk, don’t you?”

“I’m not kidding, Mia,” the same voice said in her ear. “You better get your sweet ass out here.”

She wasn’t staring at Case. She’d found Theo and he had a gun on her.





CHAPTER TEN





Case watched as Michael opened the door to the hotel room he’d rented earlier this afternoon when he’d decided on his course of action. He nodded Michael’s way, not bothering to take the earbud out of his ear.

“Everything all right?” Case asked as Michael walked in. He could hear the sounds of the party through the link he shared with Mia and Hutch. Mia’s voice came over loud and clear in his right ear as she introduced herself to the director and asked for a tour. “Is Fain on his way back?”

Michael put a bottle of water in front of him and sank into his seat. “He’s parking on the street. He has to find a space. He doesn’t feel comfortable leaving them behind without a quick getaway. He’ll be up in a few minutes.”

Fain was being a bit of a drama queen about the whole thing. It was obvious that the ex-soldier was planning on riding his new job as far as he could. Case intended to explain to him again that it would be a very short-lived position.

Mia was being stubborn but he would make her see reason once everything was over.

“Good for him,” Case muttered and turned back to his computer, though he didn’t have visual on them. That rankled. He felt blind. He was blind.

“I see security cameras,” a low voice said in his ear. Hutch. “They’re American made. I’ve got protocols on my system for how to break into the feed.”

Case prayed the kid knew what he was doing. “Okay. When Fain gets up here, I’ll put him on the computer with your instructions. Let’s hope he’s got some skill.”

“He’s the only one who has shown any skill at all tonight,” Michael muttered as he picked up his own headset. Michael would be able to listen in.

Case turned off the microphone. Mia was asking the director questions about the charity. She was safe enough for now. “I assume you have something you want to say to me.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I know when you’re pissed. I’ve worked with you for most of my adult life.”

Michael’s emerald eyes pinned him. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing? Because I think you think you do, but you don’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you are seriously f*cking with that girl and I didn’t think you were that kind of guy.”

Another reason for Mia to go home. He never had to have relationship talks with his best friend in the field before Mia had come along. “What kind of guy? The kind of guy who wants to see his girl safe? Because that’s the guy I am right now.”

“Are you? Because she’s safe here. She’s got a bodyguard and she’s actually quite calm under pressure. She knows how to shoot, too. I would take her in as backup, but you’re pushing her out even though she could bring you the very intel that leads us to your brother. I have to wonder why you would do that.”

He did not want to have a relationship talk now. Maybe never. He didn’t do relationships, but he found himself in one with Mia and it would have to wait. “How about you do your job and I’ll worry about Mia.”

Michael shook his head and turned back to the monitor in front of him. “You’re not going to have to worry about Mia at all after this.”

When had Michael gotten so f*cking chatty? It had been way easier when they’d been dumb grunts getting their asses shot at in Afghanistan. No time to think about girls when extracting a high-value target under cover of night. No chatting like teens when blowing up a munitions factory.