Into the Lair (Falcon Mercenary Group #2)(19)

She stopped when he sucked in an angry breath.

“I don’t deal in instincts, Braden. I look at irrefutable evidence, and I’m sorry, but so far, I’m not seeing anything that screams to me I can trust you. I’ve been burned and burned bad. If you think I’m going to put my life in your hands because you say Gabe sent you then you’re out of luck.”

Much like the Taser Ricardo had used on her, sudden remembrance hit her with enough force to knock the breath from her. Her hands flew to the back of her neck, frantically feeling for the protrusion.

“Oh f**k. Fuck, f**k, f**k,” she breathed.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Braden demanded.

All the blood squeezed itself from her cheeks until they grew tight. She was an idiot, and she deserved to die for such stupidity.

Her fingertips fumbled over her nape until finally she found the thin piece of metal.

Braden’s hand circled her wrist, and he yanked downward. “What are you doing?”

“Tracking device,” she croaked. “I f**ked up. I found it but left it in because I intended to use it to throw them off my trail. That’s why they backed off, I’m sure. Because they know how to find us.”

Braden chuckled.

“What the hell is so funny?” she demanded.

“Ian and I planted the tracking device. I’m surprised you found it.”

“You what?”

She jerked her hand out of his grasp and reached for the device again.

“Leave it,” he ordered.

She stared at him in astonishment. “You’re out of your mind. Like I want you knowing my every movement? Don’t you get the whole point of escape?”

He laughed again, much to her irritation.

“You’re not escaping, Katie. But that tracking device has already saved your damn life once. How do you think we knew where to find you when Ricardo swooped in and carried you off to his love nest?”

She threw up her hands in exasperation. “You didn’t save shit!”

“Ricardo is not your only concern,” Braden said quietly. “In fact, I’d go so far as to say he’s a little fish compared to what else you’re up against.”

She made a rude noise. “If this is some sort of bullshit attempt to scare me into sticking around, save it.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Braden said in a clipped tone.

A dart of fear scurried from her belly into her throat.

Braden’s hands tightened around the steering wheel as he navigated back onto the highway. She waited in silence for him to explain, to give her something other than a tersely worded dictate.

It pissed her off that he had the power to frighten her, but she’d long given up trying to deny her fears. Being helpless and powerless did scare the hell out of her.

When it was clear he wasn’t going to offer anything further, she reached over to touch his arm. He flinched and quickly glanced over at her. She retracted her hand in silent apology.

“What were you talking about, Braden? Why did Gabe send you when he’s told me under no circumstances was I to ever trust anyone? No exceptions.”

“And why is that, Katie? What the hell is going on between you and Ricardo?”

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about Ricardo. You wanted to talk about Gabe earlier, so talk. Why did he send you after me, and what else am I up against?”

His eyes narrowed in the dim glow of the headlights. “Seems to me we both have information the other wants. You up for a trade?”

A trade. He had to be joking. Like this was some game. Her life was on the line, damn it, and that wasn’t something she took lightly.

But still, uncertainty warred with her determination not to offer him anything at all. What if Gabe really had sent them? What could possibly be worse than being pursued by Ricardo and company?

She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Look, Katie, I get that you don’t trust me and Ian. I don’t expect you to. But believe it or not, we’re trying to help you. Now, you can accept that, and we can work together, or you can keep fighting, which only puts you in more danger. We can’t protect you if we’re constantly having to chase you down.”

She sighed and looked away to stare out her window at the passing scenery. He was asking her to trust him even while saying he understood her not trusting him.

If only Gabe hadn’t died.

That was a stupid thing to say. His being alive wouldn’t change her present circumstances. He’d taught her a lot, but she’d been on her own for years. Dead or alive, Gabe wouldn’t save her. It was up to her to save herself.

“We’re not adversaries, Katie, despite what you might believe. You don’t have to trust us, but it would be stupid not to take the help we’re offering.”

And that was it in a nutshell. Stupid. She had a lot of experience in being stupid. She made such a big deal over not trusting her instincts. Well, her instincts screamed for her not to have anything to do with Ian or Braden.

God, what a mess.

She looked at what was concrete, what was tangible. Ian and Braden hadn’t tried to hurt her, and they had done their best to keep her away from Ricardo, despite her early confusion that they worked together.

She couldn’t believe she was even contemplating going along with this.