Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Where are you taking me?” Fox asked, his voice once again eerily devoid of emotion.
“Away from here.”
“It’s time to start explaining.”
I intended to put that off as long as I could. “Not while I’m driving. I’ll get us several miles down the road, then I’ll stop.”
“There’s no reason to wait.”
“I need to concentrate, and so do you. We need to be sure we’re not being followed. That’s more important than you having a hissy fit because Xavier asked me to keep you alive.”
“Fuck you. I can take care of myself, and both of you know it.”
“This isn’t something you can handle alone.”
“Right, and I bet you’re the poster child for working well with others.”
I snorted. “Hardly. I just have the misfortune of owing Xavier a big favor.”
Knowing how much he hated keeping still, I thought Fox might lose his mind as we drove down the road, but he kept a constant lookout. I knew he took his job seriously, and he was well aware of how much danger we were in. In his mind, he was still there to protect me.
Why did I find that sweet? Jesus, this man had me fucked up. I needed this mission to end as soon as possible.
I supposed a normal person would want to take out the enemy so they would be safe. I was never safe. I had far too many enemies for that. I just wanted to get away from Fox before I did something I was going to regret.
When I saw a busy exit ahead, I took it and pulled into the parking lot of a large shopping center. Once I’d eased into a space at the back of the lot, Fox exploded.
“I was the one in danger, and you kept that from me?”
There were so many arguments I could make, but I simply said, “Yes.”
“And you thought that was just fine. You thought it was fine to leave me with a target on my back.”
“Only because I was watching your back every second.”
“By tricking me into thinking I was watching yours.”
I wanted to remind him Xavier was the one he should be mad at, but I wasn’t going to bother with that argument. I figured the best way to get him to wind down was to simply sit and listen, not letting him know I was bothered at all. The last thing on earth I wanted was for him to think I had a conscience.
“I was watching out for someone coming after you. X had a whole story for me about why you needed protection.”
“That story is true actually.”
“You mean to tell me that in the midst of this you’re carrying some stolen information that could lead to the end of the world or something.”
“No, I’m not carrying it with me. It’s in the care of my assistant, and it’s important but not quite world-ending.”
“But that shit could blow up in our faces too?”
“No, that situation is under control.”
He huffed. “Just like you, the way you’re always under control.”
“Not always apparently.” Not around him anyway.
“I like you better when you’re not, or I did before I knew that nothing was what I thought. I don’t like playing games.”
“Surely you’ve been in situations like this before. You’re a black-ops agent.”
“This psychological bullshit isn’t what I do. I go in, and I take care of a problem.”
“You’re really the charge forth type, aren’t you?”
“And you’re all about cool control and backroom deception.”
I was seething with rage on the inside. I was so much more than that, but he didn’t need to know it. He didn’t need to know anything about me. “We need a plan. We need another place to go.”
“You’re actually expecting me to have input instead of just telling me where we’re going?”
“Would you listen if I did?”
“Fuck no.”
“Just like you didn’t listen leaving the hotel.”
“It worked. It was a good plan, and you would never have agreed to it if I’d explained it to you.”
That was true, but the last thing I needed was Fox thinking he could just pick me up and run off whenever he decided to. “No more jumping into plans we haven’t discussed.”
“We’re not partners. I’m going to do everything I can to get rid of these men. If you choose to stick with me, then I expect you to do as I say.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“I’m tired of this, Darren. I don’t operate like this.”
He was tired of it? “Do you mean following rules?”
“You don’t follow the rules either.”
He had me there. “No, and I don’t follow orders.”
“Then we’ve got a problem. It would best be solved by you going your own way.”
“I don’t think it would. Your enemies have seen me now. I’m stuck in this with you.”
“You have your own resources. If X thinks you’re capable of protecting me, then you’re capable of protecting yourself. I don’t need you here, and I don’t want you.”