Defenseless (Salvation, #5)(21)

Once we’re airborne, I give the pilot instructions, then head back to the bedroom. I lie back, pull her in my arms and close my eyes.

“Where the hell are you taking me?” Charlie’s unhappy voice wakes me. She’s pointing a knife in my face. Well, that’s one way to wake up.

“Good morning, princess.”

“Fuck you. Why am I in the air and still in the dress I was wearing last night?”

“Anyone ever tell you that you curse a lot?”

She glares.

“You have less than a second to explain.” She shifts and I wonder if she would really stab me. Yeah, she would.

“You were drugged.”

“What? No. I couldn’t!” She presses the heel of her hand to her temple after getting a little too loud. “Ugh!”

“Headache?” I ask. I’m sure she’s been drugged before in training; she knows how it feels.

“How? Who?”

“I knew it! Son of a bitch! The waiter, did you get a good look?” I ask as she walks the floor.

“The waiter?” Her brow furrows as she shakes her head. “How am I okay right now?”

“I gave you an IV when we got in the air. Just one bag of fluid to flush your system. There was no way you would go from sober to that drunk just from champagne.”

“I don’t remember much. Shit! How did I not notice?” She throws the knife and it impales the wall.

“That’ll cost me,” I mutter offhandedly.

“How could I be so stupid?” she asks more to herself than anything. “You!” She turns to me. “You do this to me! You mess with my head and then I suck at my damn job. It’s you!” Her eyes close as her hands fly to her temples.

“Sure, blame the guy. That’s new.” I smirk, and lean back against the headboard. I’m beat. I start to catalogue everything in my mind, replay it. It couldn’t have been the same two guys who followed us before—I would recognize them. So, either it’s new people, or it’s the agency watching her. However, it wouldn’t make sense for them to drug her.

“My head,” she groans before flopping onto the pillow.

“We’ll figure it out. I’ve got someone looking into it and he’ll turn something up.”

She sits up, placing her head in her hands before she turns to me. “You’ll never find anything if they’re after me. These people aren’t small time, Mark. To go after an operative isn’t a child’s mission. They’re skilled and more than willing to do what they need to.”

I know she’s right, but I’ll try. Liam isn’t a child or unskilled. He knows this is important. He knows Charlie as well. He’ll come through.

“We’ll see. I’ll check in with them when we get there.”

“I need to know where you’re taking me, why, and what the plan is.”

Her hand rests on her lap while her mouth sets in a pouty face. I want to kiss her lips, demand her to submit to me and just do what the hell I tell her. But that’s not her. She’d probably bite my tongue off.

“We’re going to Bahrain to meet a buddy who’s a SEAL. The plan is—I don’t have one. We do whatever we need to do. Chances are we’re heading to Egypt too, so either you choose to work with me and do it my way, or I’ll tie you up and leave you here.”

“The hell you will. I’ll knock your teeth out.”

I let my voice drop. I use the one that gets all the panties dropping. “Sounds like foreplay.” She scowls. Talk about infuriating females.

“You need to fly into another country. We’re not flying directly to Bahrain.”

I lift my brow. “I’m sorry.” I look around. “There’s no way you’re telling me how we’re running this. I didn’t have to bring you in.”

She shifts forward slowly on the bed. “Mark” Her tender tone goes straight to my nuts. Her tiny hand rests on my forearm. “I’m telling you we can’t fly in where anyone knows we were planning to go. I’m saying that if it’s someone we know or someone who knows your plan . . . we can’t.”

Why does she have to be so good at her job?

“Tell me your name,” I plead.

Her head snaps back. “What?”

“Tell me your name and I’ll go anywhere you want.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You’ll eventually tell me.”

She lets out a deep breath. “Let’s go see the pilot, shimmer boy. I’ve got to plan.”

Charlie squeezes my forearms and then stalks off toward the cockpit. She may have won this round, but we have a very long flight—time enough for another bout. Time to see who comes out victorious.



“Rise and shine, Twilight.” She slaps my stomach to wake me.

“Good morning to you, Chastity.” I groan, rolling over. “Sleep well? Or do blood sucking evil demons only use coffins?”

“You’re the expert, I hear. You’re the one named after a vampire.”

I groan while I sit up and pull the drawer open next to me. I remove the contents, and toss an envelope at her. “Here’s a passport and new ID.” She opens it, looking suspicious—as always. “Memorize it. We don’t have time to get tripped up because you’re unable to remember.”