Karen Anders - Deliciously Dangerous

Yet in his heart, that’s what it was. They were a team. But his head knew they were something totally different. Something he couldn’t define or categorize.

Her defiant pose lasted another moment, then her shoulders dipped slightly as she pulled away from him and stood up. “Okay, Jammer. Have it your way. I’m not going to wait until the morning, if you don’t mind. I’m leaving now.” Her tone was still defensive, even if her posture said otherwise.

It was as if the light went out of his life-just died, and he felt that big chasm open up inside him. The one that Gina filled to the brim. His throat closed and he forced himself to turn away from her. He wanted to shout his pain to the full moon, but kept his mouth closed. He’d kept his mouth closed, his identity hidden, for three long years, all for one goal. He couldn’t fail to achieve that goal or he would surely become the Ghost he pretended to be, consumed from the inside out by his guilt and his desire for vengeance.

He couldn’t rest until Fuentes had paid, one way or the other. He wouldn’t be a good companion or anything else for Gina.

“Thank you for all your help.”

“Jammer, go to hell,” she said, softly but firmly.

The door closed with a snap and he picked up his cup, only to find that his coffee was as stone-cold as his heart.

CALLIE PACKED HER BAGS haphazardly, the Gina clothes flung inside in a fit of pique. Damn him. Why did he have to get all noble on her? He was supposed to be a fucking gunrunner, for Pete’s sake. Why did he care about her? Why? It made her life twice as difficult. Her eyes filled suddenly and without warning. Her hands trembled as she turned and sat down on the edge of the bed to get herself under control. It wouldn’t do to lose her cool now. She was a government agent-a Watchdog agent-and she was made of better stuff than this.

No way was she going to let this fall apart. She couldn’t. Her plan just had to be altered a bit. She was going to Amsterdam whether Jammer liked it or not.

She’d just be going there separately. Once the deal was complete, she’d figure out a way to worm herself back into the final exchange. She’d have to.

She called down to the desk to have her luggage picked up, and bit her lip. Should she try one more time to repair her undercover mission, or go a different route?

She decided to let him stew. Let him miss her, because although she wouldn’t acknowledge it before, Jammer had a serious jones on for her. It was something she could use to her advantage. She grabbed a cab to the airport and paid as she exited.

Distracted by the situation with Jammer, Callie noticed the dark sedan only when a man stepped out in front of her. He ordered her in heavily accented English to get inside. She declined.

That’s when three other doors opened and three other men climbed out. Oh, crap.

She brought down the first man with a move her brother, Max, had shown her. Although the second man got a few good hits in, she took him out with a combo Drew had taught her.

But when the third pulled a gun on her, she had no choice.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“Americans. Always kicking the butt first and asking the questions second.”

Was this guy for real? Was he making a joke? If so, it was most definitely at her expense.

“Joost wants some leverage against the Ghost. You, I’m afraid, are that leverage.”

“You’re wrong. We’re just business associates. He doesn’t give a damn about me.”

“That’s too bad for you, then, isn’t it, mijn vriend.”

“I’m not your friend.”

“That is also too bad for you.”

IN THE MORNING, Jammer packed up. He was feeling the loss of Gina acutely, but he pushed it aside and boarded the plane for Amsterdam.

The flight was short, just one hour and change, but once he landed in Schiphol Airport, the passport lines were long and it took him a bit to get through.

He grabbed a cab and found himself at the Sofitel. Now it was a waiting game.

When his phone rang three hours later, Jammer answered with a clipped hello. He was at the whim of a conscienceless bastard. What had he expected? Courtesy?

“Go out to the front of the hotel. There’s a car waiting for you.”

Jammer immediately left the room. Once this deal was complete, he’d be going back to Napa to wrap up all the transportation and storing details, and then off to Colombia to reap the fruits of his labor.

The only piece of information he needed from Fuentes was where and when the Defensores de la Libertad would be assembled for an easy and complete takedown.

It was fitting. An ambush for the ambusher.

At the street, Jammer looked for the car. He saw a black Mercedes parked at the curb, and refrained from rolling his eyes; just about every bad guy in every movie that involved international espionage drove a black Mercedes.

The door opened for him. Jammer settled inside and sighed when a blindfold was placed over his eyes. It was all part of the Joost dog and pony show.

He endured the ride without comment, derisive as the ones in his head were. He wanted to get in, get the goods, close the deal and move on.

Just like he’d moved on with Gina?

In the dark behind this blindfold wasn’t where he wanted to be. It gave him much too much time to think about Gina, the warmth of her skin, her witty and often amusing comebacks, her out-there personality and her wicked grin.

Finally the car came to a halt. He began to remove the blindfold, but was stopped. “Not yet.”

He allowed one of the errand boys to steer him toward his meeting place with Joost.

When his blindfold was removed, he found himself standing outside a windmill, one that was evidently used as a sawmill. He could hear the saws going in the background and wondered briefly if Joost had made an investment in a legitimate business, just as Jammer himself had.

One of Joost’s goons shoved him in the back, and they entered the main part of the mill. They passed an office without stopping, and ended up in an open area beyond it. No one but Joost was there. Jammer wondered all of a sudden where Dieter was. Dieter was never far from Joost’s side. “Jammer, mijn vriend.”

“Joost. Are we ready to do this? As soon as we seal the deal and I take a look at the merchandise, we can both be on our merry way.”

“Ah, Americans, ever the businessmen. There is never the time for preliminaries.”

“Preliminaries? What do you want to do? Dine together? I’m on a tight schedule, as I’m sure Ms. Callahan told you.”

“Yes, Ms. Callahan did give this information to me. She was very clear.”

As soon as Gina’s name was mentioned, Jammer got a tight feeling in his gut. Joost’s eyes took on a knowing gleam, one that did not bode well for either Jammer or Gina.

“Often we have made deals. Is this not so?”

“We have. It’s been very profitable for everyone concerned.”

“Ja. That is true, but profits are not all that concern me. It is the constant disrespect from your employer that has caused this concern.”

Jammer wanted to groan and rub his temple, but didn’t. It was important to remain unaffected and in control. “Joost, the Ghost has employed me to handle these situations. It’s my job-”

Looking bored, Joost raised his arm and snapped his fingers.

That’s when Jammer found out exactly where Dieter was. He came out of the office, his meaty hand clamped around Gina’s upper arm.

He could see that her lip was cut and she had a doozy of a black eye. He could only imagine how bad the other guys’ were.

“Join us, Ms. Callahan. We were just talking about your associate’s employer. Ah, but now that I see how he looks at you, I’m convinced that you are much more than his associate. Ja.”