Exposed. Samantha Keith

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СКАЧАТЬ the bar.

      The warm ocean air caressed her skin as the heavy metal door slammed behind her. She stepped onto the smooth concrete of the parking lot and strode toward her vehicle. It was a nice night, and the soft, earthy scent of rain hung in the air. She missed the rainy nights in Seattle.

      A pebble skidded across the pavement. Her heart hurled into her throat. She whirled around, the keys braced in front of her. Tony moved out from behind a truck and closed the distance between them. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

      “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. His voice was smooth and even, but her gut twisted violently. “You’re awfully jumpy.” The outside light caught the onyx in his coal-like eyes. She took a step back, and lowered her hand to her side.

      Don’t let him see your fear.

      “Tony, what’s up?” She pressed the unlock button on her key fob. His body stopped inches from hers. The sharp scent of vodka filled her nostrils. He wavered on his feet and pulled his hand from his pocket. His gaze dropped and slid down her body with the slimy texture of a snake’s tongue. His knuckles brushed down the side of her bare arm.

      “I saw you looking at me inside. Figured you could use some company.” The edge of his wide mouth lifted, revealing his stained teeth. Revulsion coiled inside her. Cigarette smoke carried on a wave of his breath. She tilted her head out of harm’s way and gripped the door handle of her car. She swallowed to prevent the curdle of disgust from creeping up her throat.

      “I’m not interested.” She gave him a tense smile, and opened the driver’s side door. A shadow crossed over his face. His palm slammed against the window, forcing the door shut. His hands pressed against the car on either side of her, closing her in. His face dipped low and his hot breath invaded her space.

      “I have a deal for you,” he began. The smooth tone of his voice turned harsh and ragged. “I won’t tell Carlos that you came on to me if you treat me nice.”

      Fire scorched up her back and burned her face. His palm dropped to the side of her bare thigh and slithered under her dress. His mouth crushed over hers and his teeth bit into her bottom lip. Rage coursed through her veins. She shot her leg up between his thighs. Her knee connected sharply with his manhood. He cried out and slumped against her, pinning her to the car. She shoved him off her and he stumbled back a few steps.

      His hands opened and closed at his sides. “You fucking bitch,” he ground out. Her teeth gnashed. He charged at her.

      The muscles in her body grew taut as she jabbed her closed fist into his Adam’s apple. Tony stopped short, air wheezed out of his lungs like a whoopee cushion, and he dropped to his knees. His hands grasped his throat, and his eyes bulged as he sucked in short, sharp breaths.

      Satisfaction settled over her. Her chest rose and fell and her fingernails dug into her palms. His chest crumpled forward over his knees, and his palms rested on the pavement. She stepped closer to him and nudged his shoulder with her foot.

      “If you ever come near me again, I’ll kill you. Got it?” She spoke through her teeth.

      Tony’s head lifted and his eyes flashed. He shot his hand out and circled her ankle. Her foot tore out from under her, but she caught herself on the car before she hit the pavement. Tony got to his feet and his hands closed around her throat. He lifted her to her toes and pressed her back against the car.

      “That was a lucky shot, and you’re going to pay for it.” Spit fired through the thin line of his lips. Fear tickled her spine. She clenched her jaw. As it stood, Tony thought she couldn’t fight. If she overpowered him and broke free, he’d know she was trained.

      But she’d be damned if she’d let him touch her.

      His knee slid between her legs and a smile slithered over his face. Her blood thundered through her veins with the force of a fire hose. With his leg between hers, her mobility was at a disadvantage.

      Nate’s voice rang in her ears. If anything happens, forget the case.

      A growl tore through her throat. She raised her right arm over both of his, threw her weight to the side, and broke his hold on her throat, trapping his wrists under her arm. She drove her elbow back and it crunched into his nose. Blood shot out and splattered her driver’s side window.

      “Goddamn it!” he yelped. He backed away from her, tripped over his feet, and landed with a thud to the ground.

      Her fingers traced her neck where his hold had been. She swallowed and moved her shaking hand to her side. Kicking his ass had put her in more danger. She bent and picked up her keys and purse from the ground and opened the driver’s side door.

      “Save yourself the embarrassment and go home, Tony. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Carlos about this. I’m pretty sure he’d fire you, if only for the reason that I just kicked the shit out of you without breaking a sweat.”

      She dropped into her seat, closed the door, and punched the lock button. She buckled her seatbelt and peeled out of the parking lot. Her gaze swung to her rear view mirror. Tony stood in the parking lot awash in shadows. His hands were clenched in fists at his sides, staring after her. She turned her eyes to the road and focused on her breath. Ever so slowly, her heartrate returned to normal.

      She pressed her back against the cool leather seat and turned the air conditioning up. Her throat ached from where his hands had gripped her, and her back throbbed. The streets were dark and quiet. Her gaze flicked to the rear view mirror again. Dammit, what kind of car did he drive? Could he be following her? No. She’d gotten a good head start. If he were tailing her, he would’ve had to speed to catch up.

      Dryness settled over her eyes, making every blink scratch like sandpaper. She wasn’t used to late nights. Her previous position with the Criminal Investigations Unit had been laid back—and it had been boring as hell. Years ago she’d tried out for the FBI, and had made the mistake of telling Ethan. At that time, he’d still been working as an agent and had pulled strings to get her off the list.

      Back then, she’d been eager and ready to take on the world. She’d had her criminal justice bachelor’s degree behind her and nearly a year of experience with the Seattle police force… And after what she’d encountered in the last week, had she made it into the FBI then, her twenty-four-year-old self probably would have been killed by now. So maybe Ethan had been right to do what he’d done.

      But now, four years later, he was wrong and she wouldn’t let him lord over her life.

      After the heist against Carlos, she’d try out for the FBI again. Only this time, she’d have a hell of a record after bringing down a drug lord like Carlos Santiago. Excitement bubbled through her. Ethan and Nate would have to admit that they had been wrong about her. It would be quite the accomplishment, but that wasn’t the only thing that fueled her. Carlos was an evil man and his drug ring had taken the lives of many innocent people.

      If it weren’t for Carlos, Leila would still be alive. Instead, her best friend’s little sister had died in an alleyway in Miami from a drug overdose—drugs Carlos had provided her. He was the scum of the earth and didn’t care about the young lives he’d stolen.

      A few minutes later, she pulled into the parking stall at her apartment building. She darted her gaze around the dark lot. It was quiet. Too quiet. She shook her head. She was still on edge. She needed a tall glass of wine and a hot shower.

      She stepped out of the car, СКАЧАТЬ