Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,22

entire mission. I’d learned a long time ago to follow my instincts and they were screaming that we’d been set up in some manner. “Now, I’m going to check on our package then we’re going to make certain she understands what to expect.”

“Did you hear from Dante?”

Chuckling, I imagined the Italian was enjoying a fancy dinner right about now, his work done for the day. I’d also wondered how he’d gotten the job of being a handler. He was far too refined for the brutal operations we were tasked. It was a question I knew wouldn’t be answered. There were dozens of secrets within the Specialist organization. “He’ll communicate when the traffic has died down. We’re to keep our communications limited.”

“I hope he has enough intel on Calderone. One mistake and no one will ever be able to get to the doctor again.”

I shifted my gaze toward the open door, watching as the sun continued to fall. “Yeah, I know.” I moved toward the hallway, finding the room where Lindsey was resting.

Only she wasn’t there.

“Fuck. Lindsey. Where are you?” The bathroom door was closed but I didn’t bother knocking, bursting in as a combination of anger and frustration boiled into me. “Goddamn it.” Taking long strides, I moved toward where Diego had dropped the keys to the Jeep the contact had provided. They were fucking gone.

“What the hell is going on?” Diego demanded.

I rushed toward the door, tossing the words over my shoulder. “I told you not to trust her. She’s gone and so are the keys.”

“Oh, Christ.”

As I rushed down the stairs leading to the outside, I heard the roar of the engine, a jerk of the gears. If Lindsey managed to get away, there was no chance we would find her. None. Where in the hell did she think she was going to go? Night was approaching rapidly, but from what I’d seen on the drive here, there was little in the way of other people in close proximity.

Damn it. This was getting out of hand.

“Corner her!” I yelled, heading around the side of the house, able to see her figure sitting in the driver’s seat.

She looked over her shoulder then slammed down on the accelerator, the engine almost immediately sputtering as the Jeep jerked forward. Seconds later, it shut down. “No!” she screeched out of frustration, immediately turning over the key.

I no longer had to run, although I was glad to see Diego as a reinforcement flanking the other side of the carport. She obviously wasn’t used to driving a stick shift. I was furious, scanning the area around the house. The last thing we needed was to be caught outside. While there was no one around, my instincts remained on high alert.

“Get out of the Jeep, Lindsey,” I commanded.

She ignored me, turning the key once again.

As she flooded the engine in her attempt to get away, we moved easily to collect our ballsy but very naughty package.

I stood just outside the driver’s door, glaring down at her. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Let me go!” she hissed, still trying. “I’m not staying here. I’ll find my own way to get back to the States.”

Diego cursed under his breath as he closed the distance. “We need to get her inside. I don’t like being out in the open like this.”

I reached over her, wrapping my hand around hers. “And you will get home eventually, but not like this.” As I forced her to remove the key, she slunk further in the seat, unable to look either one of us in the eyes.

“What exactly did you think you were going to do, Doctor?” Diego asked.

“Barter my way back to the States.” Her answer was as haughty as it was ridiculous, and she knew it.

“Uh-huh. Not unless you can figure out how to operate a manual transmission,” I countered, taking a deep breath. I was shocked that a real pang of worry had entered my system. I hadn’t given a damn about anybody in years. Why her? Why was it suddenly important to me that we make certain she remained safe? An image floated into my mind, a past that I’d tried desperately to shove under a rock. The memories had surfaced with a vengeance. I was forced to shove aside the feelings, realizing that we’d have to get even tougher on her. She was taking the situation far too lightly.

“I would have figured out how to operate the Jeep,” she snapped. “If I can repair a