not analyze at the moment. In spite of it all, or maybe because of it, her feet moved her forward, toward the unknown. Toward this man who offered her everything and yet nothing at all.
He didn’t have to worry, she wouldn’t look back.
LESS THAN thirty minutes after liftoff from Atlanta’s PDK Airport, Erin Bailey was sleeping like a baby. That shouldn’t bother Logan, but it did. He’d seen the fear in her eyes the moment he offered her the deal. She’d hesitated, but the desire to have her freedom back was too great. She’d caved as readily as a sand-castle in the evening tide. Even the fact that he refused to answer her most elementary questions hadn’t dissuaded her for more than a fleeting moment.
He’d given her one last chance to change her mind before they boarded the aircraft and she’d refused. What happened from this point forward was no longer his responsibility.
Yeah, right.
Like he could change how he felt about the players or this mission. It was dangerous, even for a seasoned undercover field operative. For Erin Bailey it was a suicide mission. On some level she recognized that cold hard fact. He’d seen the truth in her eyes back there on that landing strip. But she’d reined in her fear and climbed aboard anyway.
She was made out of stronger stuff than he’d first given her credit. He’d ordered her to get some sleep as soon as they hit cruising altitude. She’d obeyed, probably more from exhaustion than motivation to please him.
The next six days would provide the rest of the story. There wasn’t time to teach her everything she needed to know. All Logan could hope for was to prevent a catastrophe by pushing her beyond all limits to see if she’d break. If she couldn’t tolerate the pressure, she would get them both killed and blow any future prospects of getting close to Esteban. Testing her mental and physical strength was Logan’s primary objective. He had to know just how much she could handle. Once she’d proven her ability to keep it together then he would give her an abbreviated course in illegal drugs and military weapons. It wasn’t necessary that she know as much as Jess had, but it was crucial that she appear knowledgeable.
One wrong word, one wrong move in Esteban’s or any of his people’s presence and she was dead.
Logan closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. God, he didn’t want to do this, but there was simply no other way. Jess would do the same if she were still alive. It didn’t seem right that she was gone. They’d worked together for three years. She was the best partner he’d ever had. He opened his eyes and turned his head toward his new, temporary partner whose looks and advanced computer skills had gotten her into this predicament.
Erin Bailey was pretty and soft in a more feminine way than Jess had been. But Bailey would never be able to match Jess’s extraordinary skill as an operative—not in a week, not in three years, nor in a thousand. Bailey knew nothing of this life except the nonsense she’d likely seen in movies or read about in books. The life of an international spy was not nearly so glamorous and was far more dangerous than the entertainment industry portrayed it. If Bailey thought she was merely going to play a role in the latest James Bond film, she had a rude awakening coming.
She had no idea just how much danger she was in already and the mission hadn’t even begun.
DAWN WAS STREAKING its way across the horizon as Erin half stumbled off the plane. Her legs felt weak and rubbery. It was hard to believe she’d slept the entire flight. She scrubbed the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes and tried to focus on her new, unfamiliar surroundings. Distant mountains were surrounded by desertlike terrain that sprawled for as far as the eye could see in the purple hues of dawn. The air smelled different. Fresher, yet thinner somehow.
“Where…” she cleared her throat “…where are we?”
Logan, sans briefcase, slowed his pace only long enough to toss a glance over his shoulder. “Mexico. A few kilometers from San Cristobal.”
Frowning her confusion, Erin followed him to the waiting Jeep. Mexico? What was in Mexico? she wondered. The mission, obviously, judging by his brisk determination to get the show on the road. She glanced around once more. The area was desolate. No houses, not even a gas station. She tried to calculate how long they’d been in the air, but couldn’t since she wasn’t sure what time they’d left the prison. Four or five hours, she supposed.
Logan had awakened her a few minutes before the pilot had started the descent. He’d suggested she have some coffee and use the facilities since they were in for a long ride when they hit the ground. Erin had obediently complied. The coffee had been to die for. If Logan had made it, he was a true master. Sweet rolls had also been available, but Erin had opted not to start the day off with a sugar rush. Then again, she eyed the alien surroundings once more, maybe she should have. She climbed into the back seat of the Jeep and suddenly felt utterly empty. But she was pretty sure the emptiness had more to do with anxiety than hunger.
She was in deep trouble here. Was her freedom really worth coming to a foreign country to help in an unknown capacity on a very dangerous secret mission? She remembered quite clearly, he’d said very dangerous. What if these guys weren’t even government agents? What if the credentials were fakes? Fear mushroomed inside her, making her chest tight. Why hadn’t she thought of that before?
Well, it was a little late to be considering turning back now. Logan had said that once she boarded that plane there was no going back. Though she’d known him less than twenty-four hours, she had the distinct impression he didn’t say anything he didn’t mean.
Her heart thudded harder, sending a new rush of adrenaline through her. Running wasn’t an option. She surveyed the desolate area once more. They’d catch her easily and even if by some stroke of luck they didn’t, she’d never survive long enough to find her way to civilization. Camping skills had never been her strong suit. Her sense of direction was nonexistent and she didn’t have a clue how to locate water in the desert or how to ignite a fire by rubbing sticks together. She was a city girl through and through.
The man who’d driven the SUV swung behind the wheel of the Jeep. “Here we go, then,” he offered in a tone far too chipper for the occasion. Erin saw no levity whatsoever in the situation. She was likely going to die very soon and there was nothing she could do about it since she was still a prisoner with no rights—and these two men were her new guards.
Logan slid a pair of expensive-looking sunglasses into place and said something to the driver that she couldn’t quite hear over the noisy engine. The driver nodded and pressed a little harder on the accelerator. Clutching the seat to keep from bouncing out of the vehicle, Erin studied John Logan for the first time. She’d been too shocked when they initially met at the prison to give him more than a cursory once-over, then it had been dark in the SUV on the way to the airport. Promptly falling asleep in flight had been nice, but had left her no time to consider the man who now basically owned her soul.
He was handsome. She’d noticed that before. Morning stubble further darkened his chiseled jaw, adding to his aura of danger. His skin was deeply tanned. She wondered if he spent most of his time in this type of climate. With his shirt sleeves rolled up she could see well-muscled forearms indicating strength. He was tall. She’d guess in the neighborhood of six-one or -two. Lean frame. He didn’t say a lot, at least not to her. But when he did speak his voice was deep, resonate. Commanding, yet not harsh.
His hair was cut in one of those short styles where it swept up and back nicely without any help from designer mousse or styling gel. He had good hair. Silky, but full-bodied. She inclined her head for a better view of his broad shoulders. Wide and strong. Dependable yet—
He
