Dare Me (Take Me 2)

A complete and utter no-win for her?

As in…she’d never even had a chance at a winning scenario. The fate of her computer, of her files, had been predetermined and sealed before she’d even boarded that plane.

Because Agent Garcia had shoved a fucking dongle into a USB port on Nikki’s computer!

She was furious. No lie.

Her rage boiled and her frustration mounted over having no say in any of this, of having no options to present, no reasonable way to approach this situation. The burning sensations within her not only warred further with her emotions, but also with her very nature. Her ability to work through problems; her training in emergency situations; her vast network of friends and colleagues… None of that—or them—could help her solve this issue or save her computer.

What the hell else was Nikki supposed to do, other than give up?

And get the hell out.

Turning back to Damen, she said, “Once my computer gets blown to bits, that’s it, right? I’m in the clear? The terrorists will know you have the data and I have absolutely nothing that will connect me to them, nothing for them to try to retrieve from me. I will literally have nothing,” she said in an edgy tone. “And I can fucking leave, right? Go do what it is that I’m supposed to do—what I should have been doing all along? Go to Switzerland.”

“Nik—”

“Just tell me I can leave the very second this is done, Damen. That’s all I fucking want to hear.”

Anything to drown out the sound of her own heart breaking.

Shattering.

Times two.

One, for everything she was about to lose on her hard drive.

And two… Because this had to be the end of her and Damen.

His jaw worked vigorously. Clearly, he knew the direction in which her thoughts ran.

And he countered in a desperate tone, saying, “Just let me—”

36

“This is it,” Nikki suddenly said. “I’m out.”

She could practically hear the camel’s back break and the straw fall to the floor.

For the love of God. Every single second she remained standing here only shredded her more, ripping her apart piece by painful piece. Until she’d reached the end of her rapidly fraying rope.

She didn’t care what age-old adage was used: She. Was. Done.

“I literally cannot take anymore,” she announced. Effectively cutting off Damen so that his mouth snapped shut.

Garcia made a move toward her, but rethought that plan and actually retreated by two steps, holding her hands up in the air. As though in surrender, as though waving a white flag. Not saying a word.

Nikki was exasperated. She was exhausted.

And she fucking gave up.

Sometimes, it was better to cut your losses and get the hell out, before you got pulled deeper into the undertow, until you were drowning and couldn’t save yourself.

This was clearly one of those times.

There were a million flashing signs telling her this—all pointing toward the exit.

Which she headed to.