Reckless (Benson Security 1)

Blah, blah, blah, let the big boys play. She was so tired of hearing the same old tune. It was time to change the radio station.

“Right,” Dimitri said. “I’m going to drive round and come in from the other end.”

“Why can’t I just wait in the car? It’s cold and it stinks here.”

“Because…” He stretched the word out. “You’re supposed to be my hostage. I can’t just let you hang out in the car.”

“I can pretend to be drugged.”

“No. Too dangerous. He might spot you, know who you are and that Rudi wants you. Then what would stop him deciding to eliminate me and take you to Rudi himself?”

She stamped her feet to get her blood circulating before the chill removed her toes. “Why didn’t you just take me back to the office?”

“You’re my backup.” There was a silent ‘idiot’ attached to that sentence, she just knew it.

“The backup that hides in dumpsters?”

“The backup that phones for help if it looks like things are going south.”

Megan blushed, grateful he couldn’t see it in the dark. “So, I need my phone?”

He put his hands on his hips and looked skyward for a moment. “Where is it?”

“Car.” She gave him what she hoped was an apologetic smile.

He stomped off, cursing under his breath and came back a few minutes later with the phone. “Sorted now?”

Megan nodded. It probably wasn’t the best time to tell him she really needed to use the bathroom. She could hold it. How long did it take to have a covert meeting in an alley anyway?

She gave him a thumbs up and watched him march back to the car. Leaving her alone in a stinky, dark alley. Alone and not thinking about how good Dimitri’s lips felt against hers. Nope. She wasn’t thinking about that at all. She was a professional—nearly. She had a job to do. She backed into the shadows and tried to become invisible. Ninja Megan. She could do it. It was all about the power of the mind. She closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths.

That’s when her stomach rumbled. Her hand smacked flat on it as she bit her lip. Maybe all that fried food wasn’t such a great idea after all. Not that she would ever admit that to Dimitri. She was still mad at the man. Sure she’d been the first to say they weren’t in a relationship, but he didn’t have to agree so enthusiastically. He’d sounded affronted. As though she was the last person on earth he’d consider dating. It was insulting. Her stomach made a strange bubbling sound as she saw Dimitri’s SUV pull up at the other end of the alley. He got out and stood under the yellow glow of the street lamp. Waiting. Alert. Moody.

Megan’s stomach rumbled again. Loudly. This wasn’t good. So much for not making a sound. Her own body was working against her. She crouched down in an attempt to dull the noise, and hoped it worked. She closed her eyes, tried to calm her stomach and think thoughts that made her invisible.

That’s when she farted.

It wasn’t silent.

Megan dropped her head to her knees. If the bad guys didn’t get her, she’d die of humiliation.

And then her stomach rumbled again.

Dimitri glanced at his watch. Johnny was three minutes late. Three minutes wasn’t much. It wasn’t time to worry, just yet. He scanned the area continually, looking for the slightest thing out of place. He worked to keep his mind on the job and not on Megan’s kiss. He could still taste her. A hot, sensual delight he wanted to taste again. But he wouldn’t. Apart from the fact it would be a seriously bad idea, apparently he was just fucking adequate. He wanted to storm over to her and show her exactly how far from adequate he was, which made him mad. Here he was, on the most important job of his life and he was thinking with his dick. He needed to shut this crap down and fast. Before he got them both killed.

It was quiet, for this neck of the woods. They were off the tourist track, near an industrial park that was closed for the evening. There were no pubs nearby, no restaurants, no homes. Just closed businesses and dark alleys.

He checked his watch again. Five minutes. He was starting to get antsy. He should have brought some proper backup. What the hell he was doing coming here with Megan, he didn’t know. It was a dumb move and proof he couldn’t think straight when she was around. But he couldn’t blame it all on her—he was used to handling situations like this by himself. Being part of a team again took some getting used to. He glanced up the alley, but all he could see was blackness. He was going to give the guy five more minutes, then he’d call it a bust.

A car drove past. It didn’t slow. It didn’t stop. Not Johnny. And then he heard a foot shuffle behind him.

Dimitri spun fast, reaching for the gun in the small of his back.

“Don’t bother.” A raspy male voice. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

A man appeared out of the dark alley, dressed top to toe in black. He held a Beretta 9mm in his right hand. And Megan’s hair in his left.

Dimitri’s world stopped in a heartbeat and he had to fight to get it moving again.