HOT Addiction: A Hostile Operations Team Novel - Book 10 Read online

  “I thought you could protect me. I didn’t know where else to turn. Mr. Lyon said no police, and I saw you in town the other day…”

  Mr. Lyon? What a sick fuck. Eric’s body had been mauled by lions, which the caller surely knew. “You wanted a bodyguard? You could have called up any protection firm for that.”

  “I don’t know them. I know you.”

  “And you trusted me not to throw you to the wolves? Brave, Annabelle.”

  “You wouldn’t. You might hate me, but you wouldn’t let someone hurt me if you could stop it.”

  “I said no at first.”

  “I know—but you changed your mind or you wouldn’t be here now.”

  “I changed my mind because I found out you were involved in some serious shit.”

  “Did you think I’d lie?”

  “I have no idea what you’ll do. I don’t know you anymore.”

  She dragged in a breath. “Seeing you again isn’t any easier for me, you know. It’s not something I’d have done on purpose if I wasn’t desperate.”

  “Eric was making a deal to sell the technology to someone in Africa. What do you know about that?” Might as well hit her with it and see what happened.

  “What?” She had that deer-in-the-headlights look again. If she was faking it, she was damned good. “He couldn’t do that. We have a contract with the military.”

  “He did, Annabelle. He met with someone and received money, but either he didn’t deliver on the product or it doesn’t work.”

  “Oh my god.” She rocked back and forth in the seat until he thought she might explode. “It’s not even ready—or at least that’s what Eric and Marshall said. They needed more time.”

  “Who’s Marshall?”

  “Marshall Porter, the lead engineer. He and Eric were developing the technology together. It’s not a new idea, but it’s never been used for something this big. Eric and Marshall figured out how to do it though. We’ve tested it—it works as it should in the laboratory tests. But when we’ve tried live tests, it’s not consistent.”

  The hairs on Dex’s neck stood at attention. Was Eric that stupid? Had he really sold a faulty technology on the black market? And how faulty was it? Was it something a foreign government could finish if they had the basic idea to work with?

  “It’s treason, isn’t it?” Annabelle asked, making the leap to the heart of the matter. “Eric committed treason against the United States.”

  Dex wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the definition of treason. He conspired to sell a top secret military project to a foreign agent. And if you knew anything about what he was doing, you’re guilty too.”

  She sat up ramrod straight. He could feel the angry energy vibrating from her. She was shocked—and he’d bet his left nut it was genuine.

  “No. No way in hell would I do such a thing. If you think that— My god, do you really think I could do that? If you do, then fuck you, Dexter Davidson. Fuck you and your smug superiority!”

  “Calm down, Belle.”

  “I will not! How dare you? You think just because you went off to the military that you’re so much better than I am? You have no idea what I’ve been through—what I’ve endured over the past five years—and I won’t sit here and let you accuse me of something so heinous—”

  “Enough,” he barked. “I believe you.” What she’d endured? What the fuck did that mean?

  She subsided, arms folding over her middle, but she still crackled with energy. He thought if he touched her, he might suffer a lethal shock.

  “Asshole,” she muttered.

  Dex scowled into the darkening sky. Yeah, he’d fucked this one up. “You were his wife. It’s no stretch to think you might be involved.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Jesus, Belle. I’ve heard you cuss more in the last few miles than I’ve ever heard you cuss in your life.”

  “You bring out the best in me. And before you harass me another second, don’t forget I have a pistol in my purse. A traitor like me might just shoot your ass with it.”

  No question in his mind now. She wasn’t guilty of treason, and she hadn’t been helping Eric. “You aren’t a traitor.”

  “No, I’m not. But I still might shoot you if you mouth off to me one more time.”

  “Fine. I’m sorry I suggested you might be involved. But Belle, I won’t be the only one who thinks it. Clearly this Mr. Lyon believes it or he wouldn’t be after you for the money. There’ll be others who reach the same conclusion. Unless we get to the bottom of this.”

  She huffed. “Then we need to get to the bottom, don’t we?”

  7

  Exhaustion and worry clawed at Annabelle. They’d been driving for two hours, and though she shouldn’t be so worn out since it was still early, she was. Her life had been threatened, she’d been involved in a car chase, her child was being taken to a safe house, and the man she’d once loved had accused her of treason.

  Just your average day.

  Thinking about Eric made her stomach turn inside out. She’d already despised him, but this? My god. He’d planned to commit treason. She’d known he didn’t care about her or Charlotte—but what about his country? How much money did it take to make someone sell out their nation and all the people in it?

  And what about the people at Archer Industries? All those people who depended on him and the company, and he’d been willing to betray them like that—their hard work, their dreams, their jobs. Because the US government would come down hard if Eric had sold the technology to a foreign agent. Archer Industries would lose their contracts, their livelihood.

  A cold finger of dread skated up her spine. Dex was right. People would think she’d been involved. She could go to jail. Or did they execute traitors?

  Nausea swam in her blood, twisted her stomach. She hauled in a breath and tried to tamp down the sickness. Dex would help her. She hadn’t done anything wrong. The truth would come out when they found the money.

  She had to believe that or she’d sink into a pool of despair.

  She forced herself to concentrate on the good stuff. Charlotte, Molly, and Becca were out of harm’s way. They’d made it to a safe house and they were being guarded by a government agent. They had nothing to worry about. Annabelle pictured the three of them—Molly on her computer, Charlotte and Becca playing—and felt immensely better.

  Her eyes grew heavy after a while and she closed them. When the truck jerked hard, she bolted upright, heart pounding. She blinked in confusion. Had she slept? She must have. They’d turned off the main road and seemed to be on a dirt track running through a forest. She hooked a hand into the strap over the door while her insides churned.

  “Sorry to wake you,” Dex said.

  “Where are we?”

  “West Virginia.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Mr. Lyon won’t think to look here. Because it’s safe.”

  “Why couldn’t we have gone with Molly and the girls?”

  “Best to separate you for now.”

  A structure materialized out of the gloom. “Is that where we’re going?”

  It was a small log cabin, plain, with two rockers on a porch that ran the length of the building, and a door with two windows, one on either side of the door.

  “Yeah. It’s a hunting cabin, so don’t expect anything fancy.”

  “Is it yours?”

  “Nope. Belongs to a buddy.”

  “What if he’s here?”

  “He isn’t.”

  “And if he shows up?”

  “He won’t.”

  “Dammit, Dex, could you speak in complete sentences?”

  “Pretty sure I was.”

  Annabelle wanted to scream. “Fine. So why here? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Precisely.”

  “That’s not how they do it on NCIS.”

  He chuckled. She didn’t think he’d meant to. “This isn’t NCIS. But tell me, what do they do?”
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  The heat of embarrassment surged through her. What had she been thinking to tell a military guy how the military worked in Hollywood?

  “They usually have an apartment somewhere in the city. The agents take turns watching whoever needs protecting. Someone delivers food.”

  “Yeah, and I’m gonna bet that the bad guys always find the civilian at some point, am I right? They bust in and take the poor bastard—or it happens when the agents are moving to another location. Then someone has to rescue the same guy all over again.”

  Annabelle cleared her throat. “Fine, yes, that’s usually what happens. But NCIS saves the day in the end.”

  “I’ll save the day, but the goal is for you to stay right here. No surprise visits from the bad guys if we can help it.”

  “How long are we staying?”

  “As long as we have to.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “It’s the best one I have.”

  He pulled around and parked the truck in a carport behind the house. Then he shut off the engine and studied her. Her heart skipped like it always had when Dex Davidson looked at her, but there was no emotion in his expression. Not anymore. She was no more important to him than the average stranger.

  And that was a disheartening thing to know.

  “I didn’t bring much,” she said. “I didn’t realize we’d be away for more than a day or so.”

  “Doesn’t matter. The place is stocked with essentials. There’s a washer and dryer. Hand me your phone, Annabelle.”

  “Why? I turned it off like you told me—”

  “Hand it to me.”

  She did. He pocketed the phone. Then he threw open the door and climbed out. After a moment of staring after him, she followed.

  “Hey,” she called, “give me back my phone!”

  “Sorry, no can do. You can’t use it out here. There’s no signal anyway.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “Then why take it?”

  He turned to her, his dark eyes unreadable in the dim light from the exterior lantern. “Because I wanted to see if you’d still do what I said.”

  Anger twisted in her belly. Heat skipped from her lips to her breasts, melting downward when she thought about the kinds of things he’d once told her to do. Kiss me, Belle… Spread your legs, Belle…

  She forced herself to breathe. “This isn’t a contest, Dex. I trust your expertise to keep me safe and help me find the money. But if you’re going to play games with me, I’ll think twice about following orders.”

  “Best not to,” he deadpanned. “I’m the one keeping you alive.”

  And that was the crux of the matter. Without him, she would die.

  “Can we go inside? I’m hungry.”

  “Give me a minute to clear the place.”

  “I thought you said no one was here.”

  He reached behind him. The click of his trigger echoed in the night. “Still have to check.”

  He disappeared in the shadow of the house. A door creaked open. Then a small light appeared in front of him and Dex went inside. He was back soon after, switching on the interior lights and holstering his weapon.

  “It’s clear.” He came down the steps and sauntered over to the truck. After he opened the rear door, he shouldered a bag. Not her bag. She reached inside and grabbed hers, shutting the door with a kick and following him into the house.

  It was almost like that time they’d gone camping—except for the good parts. They’d pitched a tent in the woods and spent the entire weekend fishing, grilling out, roasting marshmallows, and making love. She’d emerged sore but happy, and so in love she’d thought nothing would ever change.

  That was before she’d realized how cruel the world could be or how the actions of others could change your life forever. If she’d refused to help her parents, what would have happened?

  She’d be married to Dex, but her father would be in jail or dead. Her mother would be alone and broke. She’d done the only thing she could do—and she was still paying for it.

  The cabin was small and stuffy from being closed up. The living room and kitchen were all one room. There were three doors on the far wall and a loft. A ladder leaned against the wall.

  “Middle door’s the bathroom,” Dex said, pointing. “The other two are bedrooms. Take whichever one you want.”

  She opened the door to the first room. It was narrow and cramped and she threw her bag in. Dex arched an eyebrow when she emerged.

  “You don’t want to see the other one?”

  “Not really.”

  “It might be bigger. Or have a better bed.”

  “I don’t care. I just want to find the money and get rid of it so I can have my life back.” She went back into the room to dig out Eric’s computer. “And speaking of getting my life back, you’re going to need this.”

  Dex took the computer when she handed it over. He set it on the table in the kitchen and fired it up. The screen saver blinked at him with that same blank box, daring him to sign in.

  “Any ideas?” he asked.

  “No. I tried, but I didn’t want to get locked out, so I stopped.”

  He snapped the lid closed. “I’ll call my guys in a little while. First, food.”

  He opened the cabinets and pulled out a box of macaroni and cheese. She went over to the fridge and opened it. There was milk, cheese, meat, hot dogs, and some veggies and butter. There was also cream, thank God. She could drink black coffee, but she preferred cream.

  The freezer revealed a few frozen dinners, some pizza rolls, and ice cream. There was also some steak and chicken and something labeled deer sausage. When she turned around, Dex had ripped into the macaroni box.

  “Is that for you or do you plan to share?”

  He shrugged. “We can share if you fix some hot dogs.”

  “I can do that.”

  They worked in silence. When the food was done, they sat at the table with their paper plates and plastic forks. Annabelle forked creamy macaroni into her mouth and wanted to moan. She never ate macaroni and cheese these days. Too fattening.

  But it was heavenly even if it came from a box. She could eat the whole damned pan if she were alone and had no one to judge her.

  “A bit of a letdown, isn’t it?”

  Dex was watching her. It never failed to amaze her how beautiful he was. Her belly clenched with longing as she let her gaze wander over those sensual lips. Lips she’d never get to kiss again.

  Oh my, you so fucked this up for yourself, girl.

  His gaze narrowed and she fixed her eyes on his, refusing to let them stray again. Then she shrugged. “I like macaroni and cheese. And I like hot dogs. You forget that I have a four-year-old.”

  He went still. “Four? Your daughter is four?”

  Liquid fear rolled through her. He could do math as well as anyone. “Yes,” she said, her throat tight. “She is.”

  “You and Eric didn’t waste any time. But I guess that shouldn’t surprise me.”

  Annabelle’s stomach turned over and she set the fork down. “It happens sometimes.”

  “Guess so.”

  There were so many things she wanted to say, but her throat was too tight. Besides, none of it was a good idea.

  I think she’s yours, Dex. But I don’t know for certain, and I’m too scared to find out. Because what will you think of me then?

  She couldn’t add that kind of uncertainty to her child’s life. To the world, Charlotte was Eric’s daughter—even if he’d questioned it himself from time to time. She dropped her gaze, unable to handle the flood of bitter memories just now. The ugliness when Eric went into his rages. The accusations. The nights when she took Charlotte and went to Molly’s because Eric was so volatile.

  “You stopped eating,” Dex said. “Why?”

  Leave it to Dex to notice the things she didn’t want him to see. “Full, I guess.”

  “You didn’t touch the hot dog and you took about three bites of macaroni.”


  “Then I guess I’ve lost my appetite,” she snapped. “Maybe if you’d leave the past alone—” She couldn’t finish the sentence. She choked it off and dropped her head to the side, staring at the linoleum and willing herself not to cry. It wasn’t his fault. It was hers.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Her head came up. That wasn’t what she’d expected. She met his gaze. His dark eyes were troubled. She wanted to run her palm over his jaw, feel the scruff and his warm skin. She wanted to close her eyes and press her lips to his, wanted to go back in time.

  Impossible.

  “I’m over you, Annabelle,” he said, and she felt as if he’d shoved a dagger into her chest. “But I’m not over what happened. It was… pivotal in my life. And seeing you now, well, I wonder where we’d be if you’d showed up that day. It’s not hard to imagine we’d have a kid of our own.”

  Her heart was breaking. Simply breaking. She wanted to throw herself on his mercy and tell him everything. But it wouldn’t solve a damned thing. She’d made this bed and she had to lie in it.

  “I didn’t know you wanted kids,” she said softly.

  “We talked about it. Did you forget?”

  “No. But it was always a someday kind of thing. Not right now. And who knows if it would have happened? Some people never have kids.”

  She didn’t add that some people probably shouldn’t have kids. Her parents, for instance. Oh, they’d never been cruel, but they’d been more focused on themselves than her. So long as she was fed and clothed and alive, they didn’t bother putting her needs first.

  Which was why she’d vowed to be different. Charlotte was her world and always would be. She could bear the loss of this man with her daughter in her life. If she never married again, never kissed a man or felt any tenderness for a partner—she could live with it. She didn’t miss sex at all—strike that. She didn’t miss sex with Eric. With Dex?

  Well, she was no doubt remembering it with rose-colored glasses. It couldn’t have been as fantastic as she’d thought it was. That was youth and nostalgia, right?

  “Yeah, who knows?” He leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. She tried not to notice how his biceps popped out or how broad his chest was. Dex had always been fit. But now? Holy wow. He looked like he could bench-press the refrigerator.