He resisted the urge to chuckle. It’d only piss her off more.
“And you live in New York,” he casually commented, “but you’re not planning on staying at your estate on Long Island this evening. You rented a suite at the Plaza Hotel.”
A chill visibly skittered through her. “You know where I live? Where I intended to stay tonight?”
“That is my job, Ms. Kane.”
“What do I have to do to prove to you that I know absolutely nothing about what you’re talking about?”
“There’s only one way to prove you’re innocent.”
“Fuck you, Castillo,” she snapped. “I am innocent.”
“Then hand over your laptop.”
She gasped. “Oh, my God. Oh…my God.” Her eyes widened. “Holy shit. No. Sooo, no.”
“It’s imperative,” he insisted, now deathly serious.
She was equally grave as she retorted, “Not. In. A. Fucking. Million.”
His gaze locked with hers. “Come on, Nikki. You’ve heard the saying… We can do this the hard way, or we can do this my way. Just let me see your computer.”
Tears suddenly sprang to her emerald eyes. “Absolutely not, Castillo. Not ever. My entire life is on that computer.”
“I can have a judicial order waiting for us when we land, allowing me to seize all assets and—”
“You wouldn’t! You son of a bitch,” she hissed out. “Every single piece of me…is on that laptop. I cannot…even…fathom…”
She was having trouble breathing.
“Nikki,” he calmly said, keeping his tone low.
She turned away. Stared out the window. Gasped for air.
“Just breathe,” he coaxed.
“You don’t…understand.” She pulled in splintered breaths. “My pictures, my letters, my emails… My husband—” Her voice cracked.
Glancing beyond her shoulder, he could see in the reflection of the window that she was silently crying.
Damen knew about her husband, Conner Kane. He knew Conner had been killed following a rescue mission. The man had saved a lot of lives, but had lost his when his helicopter had crashed in a canyon engulfed by flames—and no one could get to him. No one could get to his remains. Not for days after the blaze had died…right along with him.
“I’m not an asshole, Nikki,” Damen murmured. “I’m trying to save lives, too.”
4
“The problem is,” Agent Castillo said from behind her as Nikki tried to draw in even a sliver of air that didn’t feel like razorblades down her throat, “You’re the key.”
Nikki swept her hands over her face, whisking away tears. She jerked around in her seat. “I swear to you,” she said with absolute conviction, “I have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then prove it to me. Right here. Right now.”
She stared into his deep-blue eyes. His amazingly deep-blue eyes. They were gorgeous and mesmeric against his bronze skin and his onyx hair.
Yes…he was ridiculously handsome. Cloaked in expensive cologne—just the perfect faint, yet rich aroma to entice the senses and make the blood hum through her veins.
He hypnotized and electrified her.