Defenseless (Salvation, #5)(24)

Mark’s closeness rattles me. I want us to remain professional. “Caught is the word I hear in your statement, Charlie. I’m aware of your ability to dazzle and confuse. Not working this time.”

“I dazzle you, huh?”

“Every f*cking minute.”

I take a second as his words seep in. It’s kind of exciting to have him admit that he’s affected as well.

Then he ruins it. “Until you open your mouth. Then I wonder what could possibly be wrong with me.”

“I’m sure the list is long.”

He laughs and grabs my hand. “Come on. Let’s go to work.”

Knowing we’ll be without air transportation leaves me feeling a little uneasy. There’s comfort in knowing you can get into trouble but are able to get out of the country quickly if you need to. We head toward the outskirts of Cairo. He has a contact he wants to meet to learn about the mission where his guys have missed their checkpoints. He explains their last communication, where it went down, and what he thinks happened. I’m not sure I agree, but right now that’s the last thing he needs to hear.

Once we get a little farther, we buy the burner phones, change, and search for a place to get a room. We agree to play the role of husband and wife on a Middle Eastern adventure. It’s the best cover, considering he seems hell bent on kissing me all the damn time.

He tilts his head to indicate a rundown hotel. It’s central enough for us to monitor the area easily but far enough out of the way that it won’t seem conspicuous. “Let’s check that one out. I’d like to have a room facing this side of the street,” he says as he takes my hand. “Don’t you think the view is great, darling?”

“I already regret this.”

“I think we should consummate the marriage.”

“I think you try it and you’ll have a new nickname, and it won’t be about vampires or glitter.”

He laughs and pulls me close. “You’re going to admit how much you love me really soon. I can feel it.”

“You feel something all right.”

“Charleston, you and I will be married one day. Mark my words.”

He’s so insane it’s beyond normal. I never plan to marry because my life is too unpredictable. There’s no way I want to give up my career, and that’s what happens to women in my field. They meet some guy, fall in love, get married, and then they leave the life. Sure, they stay in the agency and work a desk job. Become a handler, like Mandi did, and for what? Some * who will probably cheat on her. No, thanks.

“Marcus, the world could never handle us together.” I play on his name since he keeps having fun with mine. Not that he knows what my real name is.





Luckily, the motel has a room in the location we want. It has a view of the street, and it gives us an escape out the window in case we need one. “What was the last contact you had with your guys?” I ask as we set up our gear.

Mark brought a bunch of stuff. It’s all small and can be compacted, but it’s still a lot. I’m not used to having so much tech stuff on assignment. Usually, I’d have Mandi run the intel I needed, and then she’d relay what she found so I could stay off the grid as much as possible. This will be my first time working without her.

“This location is where they should’ve ended up. That’s why I’m here. Maybe they went silent for a reason. They could’ve realized they were being tracked or targeted and decided to cut off communication. I’ve done it before.”

“What’s the company protocol?”

He looks at me with a grin. “None of us dictate protocol to our field guys. They’re all highly trained and able to make decisions on their own. I’m not here to babysit. I’m here to support them with the best equipment and training possible.”

I take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, so basically they have carte blanche?”

“No, they have permission to do what’s necessary to carry out the mission. One thing both Jackson and I hated about the Navy was worrying about politics. These guys know what to do. They’re keen, loyal, and can decide right from wrong. Jackson set parameters and these guys respect that. They wouldn’t break that code because they respect him.”

I raise my hands in surrender. “I’m not accusing.”

Mark sits next to me with a reassuring smile. “I know. I just get a little defensive about my men.”

“Understandable. I feel the same about my work.”

He nods. “Yeah, tell me about the mission where you found Aaron.” His request somehow seems like a demand.

I’m not accustomed to speaking freely. While I’ve debriefed the agency on everything, Mark doesn’t hold the clearance for all of this—at least I don’t think he does. However, there’s a part of me that doesn’t care about that. The agency took that from me when they gave the case to Vanessa. They took away years of my life. So I decide to give a tiny bit and go over the info I’m sure Aaron has already disclosed to him.

“I was on assignment to gather information about a terrorist who is dealing arms. I was very deep and in that camp for a long time gaining their trust. I’m very persuasive.”

He laughs. “I’m sure of that. I don’t know many men who would look at your dark hair and blue eyes and tell you no.”