Bulletproof Seal. Carol Ericson

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СКАЧАТЬ clenched his stomach muscles. She’d been checking him out despite all the tough talk. “North Korea?”

      “My partner, David Dawson, got intel that Vlad was meeting with the North Koreans.”

      Quinn raised his eyebrows. “Vlad?”

      “I knew that would get your attention.” She took a sip of beer. “David had a way into the country across the DMZ and tagged me to go with him.”

      “Under the radar of the CIA. They didn’t know why you were there.”

      “David didn’t trust anyone, and it turns out he was right.” Rikki sniffled and wiped the hand holding the beer bottle across her nose.

      “The CIA didn’t kill David. They thought you had a hand in his death.”

      “I know, but they were wrong. The North Koreans killed David and captured me. I had already been their...guest for several days before you spotted me marching along.”

      “They killed David and were sending you to a labor camp.” Quinn bumped his manacled hands against his forehead. “If I had been faster, had taken out the soldier holding you first, you might’ve had a chance.”

      “I had no chance, not there. I figured I was a dead woman when I went for the soldier’s gun anyway. The area was crawling with North Koreans. You saw that after you took your shot.” She dragged her fingernail down the bottle’s damp label, ripping a line through it. “I-I thought the person out there was trying to save me and I didn’t even know it was you—not until later. And then I found out it was you and you were trying to assassinate me.”

      He clanged the bracelets against the radiator. “Not when I killed that soldier. I’d changed my mind already. I was trying to help you, Rikki, but I failed, and I’ve been punishing myself ever since.”

      Her gaze swept over his unkempt apartment, his tousled hair, the stubble on his face. “Maybe the navy punished you for failing in your duty, for failing to take out the rogue CIA operative.”

      “They didn’t. They figured you were dead and one way or the other, I was the cause of your death.” Closing his eyes, he lowered his backside to the floor and drew his knees to his chest. “I’d figured the same thing.”

      “That’s why neither the CIA nor the navy can know I’m still alive.” She pinged her fingernail against the bottle. “Not until I can sort all of this out.”

      “How did you escape from the labor camp?”

      “The kindness of strangers.”

      “The kindness of strangers and a will to survive. I know you, too, Rikki.”

      “I had a lot to live for.”

      “Because you got information on Vlad?”

      “Yeah, Vlad.” Her eyelashes fluttered. “And now I’m going to bring him down and clear my name.”

      “I’ll help you.”

      She chugged some beer, eyeing him over the bottle. “How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you’re not going to run back to your commanding officers and tell them I’m still alive?”

      Quinn lifted his hands. “Do you really think I couldn’t get out of these if I wanted?”

      She sputtered and slammed her bottle on the counter. “Try it.”

      “I don’t want to.” He hunched his shoulders. “That’s the point. I want you to feel secure. I’m no threat to you, Rikki. I wanna help you.”

      Someone banged on the front door, and Rikki jumped from the stool, grabbing her weapon. “Who’d you call?”

      “Nobody.”

      “Quinn? Quinn, buddy? You alive in there?”

      Rikki took three steps toward the radiator, raising her brows and her gun in his direction.

      Quinn whispered, “It’s just a friend, an acquaintance from the bar.”

      Leaning over him, Rikki pushed open the window. As she clambered onto the sill above him, she said over her shoulder, “Get rid of him.”

      “You’re crazy.” Quinn tried to grab her ankle with his manacled hand, but she slipped out the window and onto the ledge outside the building.

      “Quinn? I know you’re in there, buddy. You left your hat at the bar.”

      A knock followed his words, and a woman’s voice came through the door. “C’mon, sugar. Open up, and we can continue the party.”

      His hat. Damn it. He didn’t care about the hat.

      Alice’s singsong voice continued. “Little pig, little pig, let me in, or I’ll huff and puff and blow.”

      The doorknob rattled, and Quinn’s stomach sank when the door started to ease open. He’d forgotten to lock it. He rose from the floor and stuck his head out the window. “Rikki. Give me those keys.”

      In response, she slid the window half-closed and left him to his fate.

       Chapter Three

      Rikki heard the door bang open all the way, and the woman with the Southern accent let out a whoop.

      “Whatcha doin’ there, sugar?”

      The man, who seemed a bit more sober, said, “This isn’t a burglary or anything, is it?”

      Quinn rattled the handcuffs. “Just a little...fun that got out of hand.”

      The man swore and chuckled. “Is the little lady still here?”

      Rikki held her breath as she pressed the palms of her hands against the rough siding of Quinn’s apartment building.

      “Long gone. Can I get some help here, Elvin?”

      “I don’t know about that, sugar. I like what I’m seein’.”

      Rikki didn’t blame Ms. Southern Belle. She’d liked what she’d seen of Quinn, too. His slide into despair over her supposed death couldn’t have been that dire, given the condition of his hard body. Hard all over. Hard for her.

      Elvin grunted. “Alice, if you think I’m going to hang around while you torture Quinn here, you’ve been drinkin’ too many Hurricanes.”

      “Who said anything about torture, and who said anything about you hanging around?” Alice must’ve walked toward Quinn, as her words carried right out the gap in the window.

      Rikki shuffled a few steps on the ledge to the left.

      “I finally got Quinn right where I want him, as soon as he loses that underwear.”

      Quinn cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, СКАЧАТЬ