No Escape From War (Trouble for Hire #1) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,21
juice. Maybe the Vitamin C would pep her up. “I’m Rose. Though you already knew that.”
He inclined his head.
She drank the orange juice. He didn’t say more.
Just stared at her.
So…this isn’t fun. Slowly, she put down her empty glass. Her fingers tapped on the counter as she stared at him. “You’ve been crashing here, hmm?”
A nod.
“Where were you before you crashed?”
“Finishing my duty.”
“Ah. Another SEAL?” The guy had military written all over him. That short blond, no-nonsense cut. The way he held his body so alertly. The strength that she could see clinging to him—
“Delta Force.”
It was like pulling teeth to get responses. “You were way chattier in the bedroom.”
“That’s because I thought my best friend had just committed a colossal mistake. I was worried.”
She stopped tapping her fingers and strolled toward him. “You were wrong.”
“I already admitted that. I said—”
“I meant when you called yourself a charmer. I don’t know who told you that lie, but it was mean. You should know, you have not been very charming so far in our relationship.”
One eyebrow crooked up. “No? I’ll try to work on that.”
The bedroom door opened. “You two getting along?”
“Fabulously,” Rose assured him. Her gaze automatically darted toward War. He’d tugged on a white t-shirt and jeans. Battered boots. His hair was shoved back. He looked tough, dangerous, and sexy. Three things that tended to turn her on way too much.
Yesterday’s news.
That insult slithered through her mind and made her spine stiffen. She’d show him yesterday’s news. She had a new mission, and it was to make War beg before their forty-eight hours were done. In fact, she’d see just how fast she could get him eating out of her hand—
“Need these?” Odin lifted a pair of handcuffs.
She slanted him an unamused glance. “Not charming.”
“No?”
War took the cuffs.
“Why the hell are you getting those?” Suspicion knifed through her. “You promised me that you’d give me forty-eight hours. There is no way you are cuffing me again.”
“Relax.”
Telling a person to relax never made anyone actually relax. How did War not know that?
“I don’t know what we might find on our hunt. I have to be prepared. I’m taking the cuffs. I’ve got my knife strapped inside my boot. And I’ll make sure that my gun is with us, too.” He closed in on her. “The cuffs are for the bastard we’re after, but, if you try to leave me, if you try to run away on your own, I will cuff you to me.”
“Threats aren’t the way to make friends,” Rose chided him even as nerves had her stomach fluttering. He looked all mad, bad, dangerous…and sexy.
“I’m not interested in being your friend.”
Her gaze cut away from him. Mostly because his words had hurt. For a while there, she had thought they were friends. Friends. Lovers.
Back to the plan of having him beg…
“Rose?” His hand lifted toward her.
She stepped back. “I know where our first stop should be.”
“By all means, do share that info.”
“Billy was a no-show at the restaurant last night. He, ah, he was supposed to help me find a new safe house for crashing.”
“And this Billy is…?” War prompted.
“Someone I trust. Billy has lots of connections in this area. He’s helped me. I’ve helped him.”
“He’s an informant for her,” Odin supplied.
“He’s a friend,” Rose corrected. “A friend who passes on information when he has it. He’s an information trader, and he should have been there last night. Billy has never let me down before, and I-I have to check on him. After I left you at the restaurant, I darted by his place, but he wasn’t there. I’m hoping he’s back by now. We need to check on him.”
“Damn straight, we do.” War’s voice was curt. “Because you might consider him a friend, but from where I stand, the guy could have set you up.”
She started to shake her head.
“Maybe he sold you out, Rose. Gave the perp after you a tip that you’d be at the restaurant. Then the freak followed you back to your motel. Only I was there, too. The perp waited until I slipped out, and he attacked.”
A lump lodged in her throat. She choked it down. “Billy wouldn’t do that to me.”
War didn’t look convinced. “Does this Billy happen to have a record? Any run-ins with the law?”
Her lips pressed together.
“Right. Yeah. That’s what I thought. Let’s definitely go make a stop by his place.” He caught her hand in his. “Time to get the show rolling.”