Chapter 7

Case waited for a summons to meet with Vargas.

Dinner had been wheeled into the room and cleared hours ago. He had the TV on again with the volume low. Nyx dozed beside him on the couch, and his gut churned. Case wanted to get things moving and the only way to do that was to talk to the drug lord. He could nearly hear a clock ticking in his head, counting down the minutes.

By now, the innkeeper would be worried about Nyx. The question wasn't if he would launch a rescue, the question was when. Case had a little time. Nothing could happen until morning. Alvarez would search the area by the ruins first, but when he didn't locate his missing guest, he'd start investigating.

How long did Case have?

And how long did Vargas plan to let Case sweat? That's what this delay was about. Making him anxious. It was working, too.

He glanced down at his brunette fireball. Once everything had blown up today, she'd been an asset. He hadn't needed to issue a warning or remind her they were playing roles. Despite the fact he knew firsthand she was a spitfire, Nyx had willingly followed his lead. It was unexpected, but Case appreciated it.

It was her calmness that tripped him up.

Her eyes opened, and she caught him studying her. "What time is it?" she asked, voice thick.

"Almost midnight."

"No word on a meeting."

It wasn't a question, but Case answered anyway. "Nothing."

"That makes tonight unlikely, yes?"

He nodded. "Unless he wants the element of surprise, very unlikely."

Stretching, she moved into a more upright sitting position. "I'm going to sleep then, okay?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Case realized they only had the clothes on their backs. "Did you want to wear my shirt to bed?"

Her lips curved. "I have my own sweaty shirt to sleep in but thank you."

"I meant the camo shirt." Case pushed to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. "The T-shirt absorbed most of the perspiration." When she was standing, he shrugged off the fatigue shirt and handed it to her. "If it doesn't stink, you're welcome to wear it."

"Thanks," Nyx said and headed to the bathroom via the bedroom.

Case stared after her. He should go to bed, too. Vargas might send for him bright and early, and he needed to be sharp to deal with the drug lord. But sleeping meant admitting there was nothing else he could do tonight. It meant there was no way to stop the innkeeper and his friends from setting things in motion. It meant there wasn't a single thing he could do to get Nyx out of here.

It meant accepting the thing he'd always hated. Being powerless.

Instead of dwelling on that, he considered Nyx. He hardly knew her. For damn sure sharing a table and talking for about fifteen minutes wasn't enough time to get the full measure of another person. But she hadn't been frightened of someone she believed was a mercenary. She hadn't asked permission. She hadn't been timid about it. She hadn't been apologetic either. Nyx needed to sit, so she'd made herself comfortable.

He'd tried to intimidate her into leaving. It didn't work. Maybe she'd felt safe surrounded by a market full of people, but she should have at least been a little unnerved by him. She hadn't been. Zero fear.

That complete lack of concern continued while they'd talked. She'd called him a wannabe merc and had speculated he was interested in either running guns or trafficking in narcotics. In other words, she was damn fucking savvy and good at reading people.

Today, Nyx had read the situation again, and when Case had stepped in to protect her, she hadn't hesitated for an instant before she'd picked up the ball he'd tossed and run with it. He'd lied to shield her. She'd lied to back him up, and she'd been convincing. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He wasn't sure what to make of her .

The lack of fear, the instant cooperation, the easy way she joined him in the lie, the silent agreement he was the leader. Case shook his head.

She seemed like someone who should be battling him to be in charge. It was clear she was used to calling the shots, but she had immediately allowed him to lead. She'd actually looked to him for guidance several times today. Rubbing his fingers over his chin, Case considered that for a moment. There was only one way to know for sure what she was thinking. Ask her. But the chance he'd missed a stray mic made it too dicey.

At least his team would know that his disappearance this time had nothing to do with the rebels. Oz was undercover as a low-level employee of Vargas. He'd get word to the captain.

Reaching down, Case grabbed the remote and turned off the television and then the lamps before walking into the bedroom. The shades were down. He'd pulled them as soon as it started to become dark, but the lamps on the two nightstands emitted a warm glow. He frowned. The bed was queen-size, not a king, and that meant Nyx would be much too close.

Case shook his head. Did he sleep on the side next to the door to the room or the door to the balcony? Which entry point did he need to worry about most?

The bathroom door opened, and he glanced over. She wore his camo shirt, sleeves rolled up, and while she was shorter than he was, she wasn't short enough. The shirt didn't even reach mid-thigh.

He tried not to stare, but her legs were as perfect as the rest of her. Lightly tanned with lots of tone. Yeah, she definitely didn't half-ass it on some elliptical. He wanted to ask her about running. It might be important information if they managed an escape. But a fiancé would know if his sweetheart was a runner, so Case swallowed the words.

Nyx put her clothes down on one of the chairs facing the bed and said, "Your shirt smelled better than mine." Her quirky little grin made her even more appealing. "I took a quick shower. I made sure to save enough water so you can shower, too."

"Thanks." He glanced back to the bed and decided that if Vargas sent men in, they'd use all the entrances, but the biggest number would come in through the hallway. "I'll sleep on this side," he said, pointing.

She nodded, rounded the bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed in before Case realized he was standing, watching her. Frowning, he pivoted and headed for the bathroom. She had him acting stupid. He needed to get his head screwed on straight, pronto. But damn, seeing Nyx in his shirt?—

Case cut that thought off and stripped before starting the shower. She'd saved him water, but he didn't know how much they had. If the supply hadn't completely refilled, it might run out more quickly than it had this afternoon.

Drying off, his thoughts returned to Nyx. She was a puzzle he couldn't stop thinking about. She believed he was a mercenary. They'd already established she had a poor opinion of mercs, so why did she trust him enough to go along with him? He didn't know her well enough to make a guess.

After tying the towel around his waist, he went to the sink. The top drawer held wrapped toothbrushes. The one Nyx had used was stuck inside a cup between the two sinks. After brushing, Case put his with it.

Reluctantly, he reached for his briefs and pulled them on. He'd prefer to put on fresh clothing, but Vargas hadn't provided anything to wear.

Carrying the rest of his clothes, Case left the bathroom lights on and cracked the door, allowing a dim glow to fill the bedroom. Nyx had turned off her bedside lamp, but his remained on. She'd turned away from the light, facing the windows. He tossed his pants and T-shirt on the other chair at the foot of the bed, crawled in his side, and switched off the lamp.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but the soft glow from the bathroom gave him enough illumination. If someone came into the suite, Case would be able to see them. He'd been right. The queen-sized bed put her far too close. Even hugging the edge, he could feel her body heat.

Hugging the edge. Damn, if he'd missed a camera, that would look suspicious as hell and raise questions. Case shifted closer to the center, using a fake stretch to reposition himself.

Nyx rolled to face him, narrowing the space between them. His hormones hit overload. He pushed his desire aside. "Sorry I woke you," he said softly.

"I wasn't asleep yet." Her voice was every bit as quiet.

Case turned so he could see her better. It put her even closer, but something was going on. Nyx had been at the ruins early in the morning, making it a long day for her. Why wasn't she sound asleep?

"Do you think there are still men on the balcony?" she asked.

The expression that went with the question was gone so quickly that if Case wasn't paying attention, he would have missed it. Trepidation. He studied her again, this time looking deeper, going beneath the surface. Now he saw it.

Fear.

It was buried deep, hidden behind a mask of serenity—her brave face—but she was scared. It was the same expression she'd worn earlier when she claimed to be bored.

Memories of her trailing him through their suite popped into his head. If he left the bedroom and went into the sitting area, she followed him after a minute or two. Even if he was visible in the wide archway between the two rooms. If he headed to the bathroom, Case would find her waiting for him in the bedroom when he came out.

Yeah, she wasn't calm about any of this. She had a hell of a poker face, but he was onto her now.

Reaching out, Case pushed her braid behind her shoulder. "I think men will be stationed on the balcony around the clock. We'll have guards in the hallway, too."

"Why?" Her voice was quiet, less than a whisper and Case thought it had more to do with her fear than any attempt at discretion. "It's not as if we can make it past the wall surrounding the hacienda."

"Se?or Vargas is a cautious man," he told her. "A thorough man. He doesn't want to chance our wandering his house."

She considered that for a moment. "If he was concerned about us, why didn't he put us in the casita?"

She was observant. That might be something he could use depending on what kind of situation they found themselves in. "From what I've seen of it, the guest house would require a lot more manpower to secure. Up here, we have fewer exit points."

"Those men…" Her voice trailed off. Nyx drew a deep breath and asked, "Those men aren't going to enter while we sleep, are they?"

Now he knew what had her worried enough to remain awake.

"I doubt it," Case said. He found her hands under the blankets. They were curled into fists and he ran his thumb across the knuckles of her right hand. "But on the off chance that does happen, I'll hear it before they can open the door. I'll stand between you and any danger. I promise."

"I know you will." He liked her immediate assurance, but she stayed tense. She bit her lower lip.

"What, Fireball?"

"Do you think anyone knows we're being held prisoner?"

Case interpreted that question as will there be help coming. The answer to that was probably no. An elderly innkeeper and his friends were one more worry on his plate, not potential rescuers. There was no reason to expect his team to risk their lives trying to get inside the compound, not when Vargas needed Case alive.

He couldn't tell her any of that, though. "If someone doesn't know already, they will early tomorrow. The innkeeper will start asking questions. I'd be surprised if he wasn't aware before noon exactly where we are and why."

Nyx had more questions. He could see it in her eyes. Case squeezed her hand. It was a warning, a reminder that someone could be listening to them. He wished they could talk. They needed a conversation that lasted longer than the water supply in the shower, but he settled for giving her hand another squeeze.

"I'll keep you safe. I promise, Nyx."

"I know you will. I trust you." Her lips curved. "Good night, hon." Leaning forward, Nyx gave him a light kiss before freeing her hands and turning on her side away from him.

Case stared at her for a moment before he settled on his back and tucked a hand behind his head. She'd kissed him because if there was a camera it would look odd if she didn't. He understood that. What he didn't understand was why every cell in his body had come alive from the brief touch of her lips against his.

Or why his chest had tightened when she'd said, I trust you .