Hide and Seek - Lara Adrian Page 0,102

key to it in her pocket. But Stingray probably had a second one on him.

“Hop in, quickly!” Nick demanded, helping her into the van and jumping in behind her, then slamming the door shut.

The van was already in motion, making her stumble before she was able to sit on the bench.

“Get us outta here, Stingray!” Nick sat on the bench beside her and pulled her into his arms.

His erratic breathing and heaving chest mirrored her own.

“I thought I’d be too late.”

Michelle buried her head in his chest, still not being able to comprehend how she’d escaped certain death. “You came. You killed him before he could kill me.”

“Shame the guy’s dead. Would have loved to question him about this Smith character. Guess we blew our chance there,” Stingray threw in.

“Yeah, well, I had no choice,” Nick answered.

He put his hand under her chin and tipped her face up. His mouth was on hers a moment later, kissing her with a desperation she’d never felt from him before. When he released her moments later, he stroked his hand over her hair.

“You scared the shit out of me, Michelle.”

“I didn’t know he was gonna send an assassin. And I couldn’t know he’d be an hour early.” Then she looked around the van for the first time and a twinge of panic raced through her. “Where are Ranger and Lisa? Are they okay?”

Stingray answered in Nick’s stead, catching her eye in the rearview mirror. “They’re in the Toyota, making sure nobody’s following us. They’ll meet us at the safe house once the coast is clear.”

Relieved, Michelle exhaled. Then she looked at Nick. “What happened at Langley? Did you get the file?”

Nick grinned and patted his jacket pocket. “We got it, baby.”

24

After arriving at the safe house, they’d analyzed the files Nick had copied, which turned out to be a veritable treasure trove of information. The files identified over thirty Phoenix agents. Mostly codenames, real names, and pictures were there, but the files didn’t contain any mention of relatives or where the agents were from. However, there were other useful tidbits: hobbies, special skills, as well as the professions the agents had previously held. It would help Nick and his two new friends in their search for the others.

Several hours after rescuing Michelle from the assassin and analyzing the files in the safe house, Nick kicked his apartment door shut with the heel of his boot and trained his eyes on Michelle who’d entered ahead of him.

She walked toward the sofa, sashaying her sweet ass for his benefit, making it hard for him to concentrate on what he had to get off his chest. When she turned and let herself sink into the cushions, resting her head against the backrest and blowing out a breath, Nick marched toward her.

His heart was still pounding out of control at the recollection of what had happened this morning. It had been close. Too damn close. And it had made him realize one thing: that he didn’t want to lose Michelle. Which was why it was so hard to do what he’d promised her. To help her get away. But a promise was a promise. She’d upheld her part of the bargain, and he had to uphold his.

She smiled at him, clearly oblivious to the turmoil raging inside him. And how should she know? He hadn’t told her even once what he’d started feeling.

“Something wrong?” she murmured, reaching for him.

Nick remained standing in front of her, searching for the right words. “I don’t think I’m able to uphold my end of the bargain about getting you out of the country.”

She shifted on the sofa. “But you promised to give me a new identity.”

“I did. But I can’t help you disappear.” He shook his head. “Not the way you were hoping to anyway. Smith has you in his crosshairs. And knowing what I know now, that one of our own turned bad and worked for our enemies, I have to assume that Talon wasn’t the only one. Smith might have other Phoenix on their side.”

“But what’s that got to do with you giving me a new identity?”

“Everything. Any of those Phoenix who’ve gone bad can have a premonition about you, where you are, what you’re doing. If I send you away to South America on your own, you’ll be without protection if one of them comes after you.”

“But the chances of that happening—”

“—are real,” he cut her off. And that made his blood curdle.

“But if I stay here as