additional message would promise death to anyone spreading ugly rumors or any other surviving video about Callie. If something happened to Risto, SSI would back that promise up for Keely’s sake alone.
Callie gasped. Her face went ashen, her eyes, distressed. She turned her hand under his and gripped it tightly. “It isn’t worth risking your life. I don’t mind about the videos.”
“I do.” Risto squeezed her cold hand.
“Don’t risk yourself … whatever the bastard has recorded can’t hurt me. I’m not going to be in the public eye any longer. I’ll either be employed in the basement at NSA or possibly at Sanctuary with SSI. It’s hard to embarrass a person who doesn’t care what the public thinks about her any longer.”
He cared. He cared a hell of a lot more than he should.
“You’ve already been hurt. I saw the expression on your face when I told you about the cameras. I wanted to kill Cruz right then and there.” What was on those tapes? Had Callie been attacked by Cruz in her room and not in public as she had told him? Had she had some other man in her room since her arrival?
He had to know. Bottom line, he didn’t want any risqué tapes of Callie out there.
“Risto?” Callie stared at him, her eyes pleading. “Please tell me you aren’t going.”
“I’m going.” Callie stiffened and opened her mouth, probably to argue even further.
He wasn’t having it. He pulled her into his arms and nudged her head to his chest. “Shh.
I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.” He stroked her hair and looked up at Tom, who nodded. At least a fellow marine agreed with him.
“Callie can count on me and, I suspect, Conn?” Tom asked. Risto nodded. “We’ll make sure she gets to safety if something happens to you.” Callie sniffed then glared at Tom. “I need him . Alive. Period.”
“Understood, darlin’,” Tom said. “But once a marine sets his mind on something, he doesn’t back down.”
“Hell, Callie, Cruz will never know I’m there.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“Just fucking trust me. Now, call Evan, baby. Set up the meet.”
“God, I hate this.” She rubbed her forehead on his chest. He soothed the back of her neck. “If I’d checked Cruz out when he first bothered me in Chicago, I’d never have taken the job here—and none of this would be happening.”
“No. You can’t think that way.” Risto practically growled the words. “Cruz would’ve found another way. A way which could have put you in a worse position. By luring you here and revealing himself, he played his hand too soon—and allowed you to get help. A dumb-ass move on his part. We’re smart—you and me.” He tipped up her chin and looked her firmly in the eye. “We’ll beat him and on his own turf. Just think how humiliating it will be. He’ll lose even more face. Who knows? Maybe one of his rivals will use our distraction to wrest power from him?” That was a very great possibility and one he, Trey, Ren and Keely had kicked around when planning the mission.
“Fine. Go to the hotel. Send the bastard a message. I hope he chokes on it.” She glared, silver sparks glistening in her eyes. “And, dammit, come back to me or I’ll get really pissed.”
Risto threw back his head and laughed, hugging her to him. “Count on it. Hoo-rah.”
“Hoo-rah.” Callie and Tom echoed simultaneously.
Chapter Six
Callie paced the small, but luxurious, suite she and Risto had been shown to several hours earlier. The rooms were located in a private residence which was a quasi-bed-and-breakfast operated by SSI for private covert operatives. The mansion was situated in a quiet neighborhood adjacent to the old city. The place was definitely not open to the public. The grounds had safety and security measures to rival some embassies she’d visited. From the outside it looked like every other palatial residence on the quiet, tree-lined boulevard. The manager for SSI and an operative himself was Conn
Callie gasped. Her face went ashen, her eyes, distressed. She turned her hand under his and gripped it tightly. “It isn’t worth risking your life. I don’t mind about the videos.”
“I do.” Risto squeezed her cold hand.
“Don’t risk yourself … whatever the bastard has recorded can’t hurt me. I’m not going to be in the public eye any longer. I’ll either be employed in the basement at NSA or possibly at Sanctuary with SSI. It’s hard to embarrass a person who doesn’t care what the public thinks about her any longer.”
He cared. He cared a hell of a lot more than he should.
“You’ve already been hurt. I saw the expression on your face when I told you about the cameras. I wanted to kill Cruz right then and there.” What was on those tapes? Had Callie been attacked by Cruz in her room and not in public as she had told him? Had she had some other man in her room since her arrival?
He had to know. Bottom line, he didn’t want any risqué tapes of Callie out there.
“Risto?” Callie stared at him, her eyes pleading. “Please tell me you aren’t going.”
“I’m going.” Callie stiffened and opened her mouth, probably to argue even further.
He wasn’t having it. He pulled her into his arms and nudged her head to his chest. “Shh.
I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.” He stroked her hair and looked up at Tom, who nodded. At least a fellow marine agreed with him.
“Callie can count on me and, I suspect, Conn?” Tom asked. Risto nodded. “We’ll make sure she gets to safety if something happens to you.” Callie sniffed then glared at Tom. “I need him . Alive. Period.”
“Understood, darlin’,” Tom said. “But once a marine sets his mind on something, he doesn’t back down.”
“Hell, Callie, Cruz will never know I’m there.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“Just fucking trust me. Now, call Evan, baby. Set up the meet.”
“God, I hate this.” She rubbed her forehead on his chest. He soothed the back of her neck. “If I’d checked Cruz out when he first bothered me in Chicago, I’d never have taken the job here—and none of this would be happening.”
“No. You can’t think that way.” Risto practically growled the words. “Cruz would’ve found another way. A way which could have put you in a worse position. By luring you here and revealing himself, he played his hand too soon—and allowed you to get help. A dumb-ass move on his part. We’re smart—you and me.” He tipped up her chin and looked her firmly in the eye. “We’ll beat him and on his own turf. Just think how humiliating it will be. He’ll lose even more face. Who knows? Maybe one of his rivals will use our distraction to wrest power from him?” That was a very great possibility and one he, Trey, Ren and Keely had kicked around when planning the mission.
“Fine. Go to the hotel. Send the bastard a message. I hope he chokes on it.” She glared, silver sparks glistening in her eyes. “And, dammit, come back to me or I’ll get really pissed.”
Risto threw back his head and laughed, hugging her to him. “Count on it. Hoo-rah.”
“Hoo-rah.” Callie and Tom echoed simultaneously.
Chapter Six
Callie paced the small, but luxurious, suite she and Risto had been shown to several hours earlier. The rooms were located in a private residence which was a quasi-bed-and-breakfast operated by SSI for private covert operatives. The mansion was situated in a quiet neighborhood adjacent to the old city. The place was definitely not open to the public. The grounds had safety and security measures to rival some embassies she’d visited. From the outside it looked like every other palatial residence on the quiet, tree-lined boulevard. The manager for SSI and an operative himself was Conn
Similar Books
