Dead Reckoning (40 page)

Reece gathered Shiloh into his arms. “Let's move.” As he hurried out of the building, salty spray from the sea, stirred up by the helo, stung them.

A moan. Tensed, Shiloh lifted her head. “Reece?” The whoosh of her breath tickled his neck. She tensed more. “Where—”

“S’okay. You’re safe. I got you.”

She slumped into him. Her arm snaked around his neck. Her muscles constricted as she held him in a vise-grip. Aboard the chopper, she refused to release him as they lifted into the air and returned to base camp.

Sobs wracked her body as she remained cradled against him. He slumped against the hard seat, his head resting on the bulkhead. Eyes closed, he tried to ignore the trickle of her tears sliding down his chest and neck. Focused on getting Jude back. Killing Sajjadi.

But amid the thunderous
thwump
of the helo and the wind that roared through the bird, he realized … Shiloh had been left there for a reason.

Green Beret Camp
Northern India

Never negotiate out of fear.

Shiloh knew the rule backward and forward. Inside out. Upside down. Lying on the medic's bed in the Green Beret camp, she stared up at the cobwebs twinkling in the low lamplight. Amazing how rapidly the rule had vanished from her weak brain even though her father spent years hammering it into her head.

Fear drives us to do things we’d never contemplate in a right state of mind, Shiloh.

Got that right. She’d vowed over and over she would never become a spy, betray those who trusted her. Yet she’d just signed her name on the dotted line—with the blood of her father. Sure, she’d gone along with her father's plan, but secretly, she’d hoped to find a way to turn the tide on this nightmare. Naive and Foolish were her new names.

Images spun and skated through her mind, pinching her eyes shut. Seeing him writhing for his life. The demonic-like sound of him hurling. Coughing. Gagging. Drowning.

And that dripping. That blasted dripping that fried her synapses. Each droplet sizzling with haunting reminders of her mother's death.

It had cracked her pride. Her arrogance. Her hard heart.

She’d do anything to keep her father alive. That angered her because of the power Sajjadi now held over her, and because two weeks ago, she wouldn’t have cared whether her father lived or died.

Then she surrendered. Agreed to cooperate.

What scared her now was Reece. Somehow he always knew what she was thinking. Knew the
why
behind her actions. Would he figure this one out? Figure out what she had to do?

Outside voices drifted through the screen of the medic's hut. Amid them came Reece's. His tone now so different from last night … different from the words gentle with adamant reassurance that she’d be okay. Words as comforting as the warm flutter of his breath against her jaw and neck, as comforting as the concern etched into his rugged face. The heroic fury to settle the score with whoever had hurt her—yeah, she’d seen that clear as daylight in his beautiful blue irises.

Dull and heated, an ache kindled in her chest. Once he realized she’d aligned with Sajjadi, undone all his hard work, there’d be no forgiveness.

He abandoned you to the Brits. Didn’t think you could cut it.
No doubt he was thinking of Chloe. Compared her to someone who’d let pride get in the way.

Funny that. Her own pride and arrogance had blazed a path to where she was strung up on a wall and electrocuted. Tracing the raw flesh on her wrists from the shackles, she felt the tenuous strands of anger and knew that without them, she’d collapse in Reece's presence.

The screen door opened and closed.

This was it. She could sense his presence. Shiloh glanced up.

Reece edged closer, his expression guarded. “Hey.”

Prying herself upright, Shiloh worried a thread from the thin grey blanket.

Metal clanged as he dragged a doctor's stool toward her and straddled it. “Doc says you’re going to be okay.”

Shiloh fought the way the relief in his voice crumbled the perimeter of her resolve. Having him here, staring at her with the intensity she’d always loved, the intensity that said he didn’t do anything halfway … that he loved her …

If she didn’t push him away, she’d fail this mission before she ever started.

But … she didn’t want to lose Reece. She might even love him.

Warily, she watched him. Waited. Listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing. Admired the way his eyes looked like crystals sparkling beneath the tease of the warm sun. Remembered the kiss—

Shiloh jolted to her feet.

Strong, gentle hands caught her as she wobbled. “Hey. What's wrong?”

She pushed against his toned abs. “Nothing. Get away.” Fire lit through her side and busted lip. “Just leave me alone.”

“Are you mad that I sent you away for safekeeping?”

“Is that what you call it?”

“So you’re still mad.”

“No.” Wait—there was her opportunity. “Yes.” She shoved him back. “You wanted me out of your life, then I’m gone. Done. No worries.”

He moved toward her. “Listen to me. Please.” Never had his voice elicited such power as it did right then, stilling her, drawing her gaze to his as he cupped her face. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I ran. Out of fear, I negotiated.”

Shiloh's heart thumped at hearing her father's words on Reece's lips.

“I negotiated with myself, convinced it wouldn’t bother me if I lost you because at least you’d be alive.”

Move. Think. Do something!
But she couldn’t think. Couldn’t move.

“I regret that my actions hurt you.”

“But you don’t regret
what
you did?”

“No. It kept you alive. That's what I wanted.”

“Yeah, and is
this
what you wanted?” She pointed to her injuries. “Me tortured?”

“No.” Vehemence speared his words and handsome face. “If you—” He clamped his mouth shut, and Shiloh knew what he
wanted to say. If she’d stayed where he put her, this wouldn’t have happened. And he was right. Which was why she had to fake this anger. She hated herself for fighting the painful attempt he’d made to protect her. Her rebellion cost her so much—maybe even her father.

“What about what I wanted, Reece? I wanted to get the men who killed Khalid.” She swallowed against the metallic taste in her mouth. “I thought we were going to work together. You said you believed in me.”

“I do. That's why I sent you away. I knew you’d stop at nothing to go after Sajjadi. But it's not as easy as you think to take him down. I’ve been trying for years.”

“Point and shoot. Not real hard.”

“And which of Sajjadi's seven guards do you hit first?”

“They have my father and you expect me to just sit here?”

“Jude Blake doesn’t go anywhere he's not prepared to go.”

Shiloh blinked. “What do you mean? He let himself get captured?”

“Think how he's stayed out of enemy hands for the last twenty-plus years. But suddenly, he's captured by the very man who has you?” He lowered his face. “We’ll get him back. He's too important, owns too many secrets.” He edged forward. “Do you really think I’m going to let my number one enemy kill anyone, let alone the father of the woman I love?”

“You still love me?” The words, unbidden, leapt from her mouth before she could catch them. She nudged him back. “No, stop—you’re just trying to confuse me. I—”

Reece pulled her into his arms.

She wrestled against him, but he locked his arms. Held her firm and tight. She gripped his shirt, and although her mind screamed to shove him away, she couldn’t. She wanted his strength. Needed it. She nestled in, the security a soothing balm to her wounded soul.

“We’re heading back to Mumbai.”

Shiloh eased out of his hold. “Mumbai?” She struggled to align the news of their return with her original mission objective. It was perfect. She had to get the codes from Abdul in a Mumbai prison. “Why? Why Mumbai?” It really couldn’t be this easy … could it? “Is that where they took my father?”

“I have contacts there.”

He didn’t answer her question about her father, and that wasn’t good. It meant they didn’t know where her father was.

Regardless they were returning to Mumbai. Exactly what she needed. She slumped against the small bed, slowly feeling the wedge of her choice sliding between them.

“Julia and Toby are packing up now.”

“Julia? Who's Julia?”

“My sister. She's …” He raked a hand through his short crop. “It's complicated.”

Wow. He would all but deliver her into her mission. This couldn’t get any more perfect—or worse! No doubt if they went back together, he’d want to keep an eye on her. There had to be an opportunity to get away from him in Mumbai. “What do I do? I mean, I don’t want to get in the way.”

A slow smile came to Reece's handsome face. “I want you in my way for the rest of my life, Shiloh.”

She blinked. “You don’t mean that.”

“With everything that I am.”

Only then did she feel those tenuous strands of anger slipping from her fingers. Strands she desperately had had to hold onto. But … was he saying he wanted to marry her?

His smile broadened. “That's exactly what I’m saying.”

Shark's fins! If he knew these simple thoughts, did he know what she planned to do? “H-how do you always know what I’m thinking?”

Tracing the line of her jaw, he smiled. “I know where you’ve come from, what you’ve done. Knowing your heart, the woman
I’ve fallen in love with and the way she thinks,” he said, tapping her temple, “I can figure out the rest.”

He leaned closer, the smile lingering in his expression. “I’ve never been this clear on anyone, Shiloh. I know what you’re thinking. I know what you’re planning to do.” The intensity in his gaze ratcheted.

A silent understanding passed between them as she nodded. “Dead reckoning.”

“Yeah.” He craned his neck forward. Then, warm and gentle, he kissed her. Once. Twice. Deepened the kiss as he pulled her into his arms.

When he figured out her plan—and she knew now that he would figure it out eventually—there was no telling where he’d send her. Since this was their last kiss, Shiloh wanted it to last.

Clap!
“Whoa. Okay. Never mind.” The screen door shut again as the doctor left. Despite the intrusion, neither of them broke the kiss.

Then Reece eased back. His smile vanished. Something slipped through his features—a challenge. Clear as day. Louder than the clap of the screen door that ushered in the good doctor.

Trembling from the kiss, she shuddered. “What?”

“I’m calling your game, Shiloh.”

Y
EAH, WHAT GAME IS THAT?” CHIN JUTTED, SHE BROUGHT HERSELF UP
straight.

One degree. Scientists said that if the Earth had been one degree off its orbit around the sun, the Earth would have ceased to exist. A cosmic collision. Earth and sun.

In the same way, Reece's world had shifted—in particular, Shiloh had changed. Subtly, but definitely noticeable. It awoke in him an awareness of imminent danger. If he didn’t end this— and now—she’d end up just like Chloe.

Reece narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t believe she was really going to ditch him and head out on a covert mission untrained and ill-prepared. “You’ve done and said a lot, but you’ve never lied to me before.” He tightened his grip on his anger and panic. “Don’t start now.”

“What?” Her defiance flared. “What is it you think I’m lying about?”

Disappointment peeked around the edges of his anger. “Tell me why Sajjadi left you in the warehouse alive.”

She drew back—not much, but enough to signal her admission. “How am I supposed to know what that loon was thinking?”

“Calling him names doesn’t dumb him down,” Reece said, trying to tap down his frustration. “What's your mission objective?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to step around him.

No, he wasn’t letting her off that easy. He blocked her. “Come on. You aren’t trained, you only have a cursory knowledge of the language, yet you seriously think you can pull off some harebrained stunt?”

Shiloh pushed him. “Leave me alone.”

“Why?” He bounced back at her. “Does that make it easier to be a traitor?”

Crimson patches spread over her face and neck. “How dare you …” Tears turned her blue-grey eyes into pools of liquid silver.

“How dare I?” He moved in on her. “Quite easily when an amateur thinks she can go up against one of the deadliest terrorists.” Staving off the panic proved harder than he thought. He had to stop her. “You do this, and you’ll end up dead.”

“Just like Chloe?”

Her words hit like an anvil. “This isn’t about Chloe.” So why was his pulse racing like a rocket out of a silo? “This is about you. About you thinking you can pull this off .”

“What?” She tossed her hands up. “What exactly am I supposed to pull off ?”

“Cooperation with Sajjadi.”

Flames flickered through her stormy eyes. “You’re out of your mind.”

Those weak words of hers told him he was right. “The only reason you were left alive in that warehouse is because you’re working with him now.” Hearing his words broke the levee that held back the agony. “Shiloh, it isn’t going to save your father.”