Red Zone (Red Zone 1)

He put his hand over hers and brushed her knuckles with his thumb. “The hardest part is over, chère. You made it past Enforcement and through the Red Zone. All you’ve got to deal with now is the EMP barrier and a trek to La Paz. Three days is more than enough time.”

She swallowed hard as she looked back down at the faded sheet covering her. “You’re right.” It had to be enough time. It wasn’t like she could ask for an extension. She either made it or she didn’t.

“Come on.” He tugged at her hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up. Everybody turn around,” he ordered, and the men complied.

With help, Friday wrapped the sheet around herself.

“You okay to walk?” He lifted her and placed her on her feet, ready to catch her if she began to fall.

“I’m fine. I don’t feel weak. I can definitely walk.”

He didn’t seem convinced, but he turned toward the back of the cave and she followed. “We’ve got a few smaller rooms back here. The cave system is a labyrinth. We’ve only mapped a fraction of it.” He pointed to a large, well-lit space on the left. “That’s the training room.” There were mats on the floor and various weights and weapons dotted around the cavern. “This is the lab.” The large area had metal benches set up with various lab equipment.

“Who works the lab?” And would they let her in to see what they were doing? For no other reason than professional curiosity. She glanced up at her host. Probably not. She couldn’t exactly be trusted around their secrets. Not until her data chips were removed and the monitoring chip was implanted. She forced thoughts of being monitored from her mind. She’d volunteered to have the implant, and she’d take responsibility for that decision. Even if it meant she’d have to give up hope of ever experiencing freedom.

If she lived.

“Doc works the lab.” He put his hand on the small of her back to lead her into another tunnel. “He trained as a pharmacist before signing up for the military. He isn’t just good-looking.” He cocked the eyebrow over

his unpatched eye. “Don’t bother denying it, I saw you notice.”

She cocked an eyebrow back at him. “I don’t remember our agreement including a clause telling me I couldn’t look at other men.”

His hand skimmed down her back to rest on the curve of her hip.

“I think I’m gonna add that clause now.” His eye seemed to glow.

She stared at him, wondering if she was seeing things and the poison in her system had started to kick in earlier than expected. No, his eye was definitely glowing, and it also looked more yellow than usual.

“I was teasing,” she said softly. That strange, intense eye of his was mesmerizing.

“I like teasing.” His voice lowered, the drawl a lazy purr. “I like playing. You can play with me anytime.” He nuzzled against the side of her head before moving closer to her ear. She stopped breathing when his lips touched the sensitive shell. “But just me, bébé, okay?”

She was afraid to move, to breathe, to think. She clutched the sheet tight to her body and waited to see what he would do next.

“You bewitch me.” He whispered the words against her ear, making her shiver. “I close my eyes and dream of how you might taste. Will you taste like sunshine, all warm and light, like your hair? Or will you taste like an aged bourbon, all passion in a concentrated bottle, ready to blow my mind with one little sip?”

A tiny whimper escaped at his words. He had it wrong. He wasn’t the one who was bewitched. It was her. He’d somehow entranced her, and she was under his spell. His hand threaded into her hair, gently caressing, running the silken stands through his fingers.

She leaned into him as her eyes fluttered closed at his touch. She desperately wanted to ask him to kiss her, to dare him to discover what she tasted like, but the words stuck in her throat, trapped by her own lack of courage.

“Boss man,” an amused voice penetrated the daze in Friday’s head. “You sure you want to fool around with the client in the corridor?”

Striker growled his annoyance and stepped back from Friday, leaving her cold.

He turned toward the intruder. “What do you want, Sandi?”

“Well, mainly I want to make sure you keep it in your pants until the mission is over. Or, at least until you get to your room. I’m fairly certain none of us could cope with the trauma of seeing you go at it in the tunnel.”

“Smart-ass,” he grumbled with a smile.

Friday looked past him to find the woman from the alley. The one who’d acted as her decoy with Enforcement. She was tall, muscled, and dressed in black, with a weapon strapped to her thigh. She studied Friday in a way that made her wonder if she should feel intimidated. She almost snorted at the thought. After a lifetime dealing with CommTECH, it would take more than a female mercenary to intimidate her.

“I’m taking Friday to the showers,” Striker said.

“So I see,” Sandi drawled. “I’ll do it. You’re wanted in comms.”

He hesitated, running his knuckles down her cheek. “I’ll see you once you’re sorted. Sandi’ll take care of you.”