Undercover Texas - By Robin Perini Page 0,8

back over his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure they’re hired by terrorists.”

“What? Why?”

“You really should’ve listened to me in Santorini. Why’d you go and finish that prototype?”

Chapter Two

“Terrorists want my nanorobots? They’re medical devices. Not weapons.”

“They can be adapted for military purposes.”

Hunter ignored Erin’s gasp as he considered the next phase of his plan. He’d hoped Erin would be a bit more amenable to coming with him, but he shouldn’t have been surprised. In Santorini, she’d shown she had plenty of fiery passion hidden behind that cool scientist facade.

He studied the fire in the rearview mirror. The raging conflagration and plumes of thick black smoke had centered above the kitchen area. Natural gas explosion, no doubt. The neighbors were lucky the whole block hadn’t gone up.

The gas leak would probably be labeled an accident.

Not a bad plan by Terence and his lackey. They weren’t complete idiots. Arrogant, perhaps, and vicious, but apparently not stupid. One of them had major computer skills, based on the hits Leona had discovered on Erin’s bank transactions. His handler had been impressed when she’d traced the activity and it had led to a dead end. Impressed, but not happy.

Hunter was counting on the computer guy to be good enough to tap into Erin’s credit card usage to track her movement. The guy’s skill could mean that the risky plan Hunter and Leona had devised might succeed.

“Did you hear me?” Erin snapped. “I need to be able to protect my son, and I can’t without full disclosure.”

Brandon was his son, too. “I’m kind of busy right now. We’ll talk when we’re safer.” Hunter ripped the Hummer around a sharp corner, then maneuvered down little-used roads, driving evasively for a few more miles. Once they were clear, he pulled the Hummer over. He glanced at the pair bundled on the floorboard. He’d almost lost them. Five minutes later and Terence would have had them on their way to the handoff.

Hunter longed to tuck Erin and Brandon in his arms and protect them from the world, but he couldn’t afford to let his guard down, even for a minute. Terence was right. Erin was Hunter’s weakness, and his world hadn’t changed. If anything, it had become more dangerous, and her nanorobotic prototype made everything worse.

“Those men were killers. We need to go to the police, Clay.”

Hunter sighed. He was still Clay to her. A fictional computer security consultant who had vacationed on Santorini, made love to her and was essentially harmless—except to her heart. And now her life. She didn’t know anything about him. Didn’t know he sometimes killed people for a living.

“The police can’t help,” he said. “These people are out of their league. You’re stuck with me.”

“Great. I didn’t realize you were a superhero. What if something happens to you? I go to the police then? Even though I don’t know anything?”

Whoa, she knew how to skewer him on target. If he died, she and Brandon would be captive or dead. Hunter ignored the twist in his gut. Despite what he wished for in his stupid dreams, he had to keep his emotions in check. Erin’s and Brandon’s survival depended on his experience in high-risk operations. He couldn’t let them down.

“I said that we’ll talk. You can get up now.”

Erin crawled onto the leather backseat, a worn-out Brandon in her arms. Hunter couldn’t keep his gaze away from the sleepy baby as she rocked him, whispering words of comfort. The baby burrowed against the curve of her breast and settled in. He stuck his thumb in his mouth, closed his eyes and nodded off.

Hunter shifted his attention back to the road. “Will he be okay?”

“My son will be fine. I’ll take care of him.” She glared at Hunter. “I’ve been doing it on my own for quite a while.”

“I guess we’re going to skip the thank-you-for-saving-my-life part of this conversation, huh, Erin?”

She shot him a look. “Clay, I’m grateful. I’d be stupid if I wasn’t, but I wish I was sure what you were really doing at my house. You have a car seat. Did you get it because you intended to rescue us, or did you plan to take Brandon the entire time?”

Hunter’s throat closed off. He’d wanted to do just that so many times, but he wanted more than Brandon. He wanted them both. Hunter shook off the regrets. He couldn’t afford to think of what could have been. “Instead of griping at me, why don’t you put Brandon in the car seat and strap