Wild heat

felt diff

ie

dange

his presence still clung to the air like s

ulse still racing. She could feel Kai's eyes on h

ed. "Are we gonn

ng blood from his

. "The part where Migue

ightened. "

think to mention it before

eyes were unreadable, but something flickered t

face, but he wasn't

ust think Mi

him fo

omach

hat happened?" she ask

e looked away, running a hand down his f

na w

ng sharp beneath it. "We were on a mission high-value target, off-the-books operation. Everything went to

rowned.

ne. "Meaning we were supposed to

ung between

twisted. "And h

e didn't like that." A humorless chuckle

inhaled

the desert, thinking he wouldn't make it o

res the ruthless mercenary, the man who just

Kai's

d. "So he's a

nd he doesn't

retched be

roke it.

owned.

l recognized me." She hesit

s darkene

e first time, she was

e the

't just fro

from he

Kai kne

r trust h

dark eyes searching hers. "H

ome the second she heard Miguel's voice. But now, wi

ng her words carefully.

ghtened. "No

rough her damp hair. "He wasn

always a bastard. He

itated. Ye

ce quieter now. "I w

pression

m that life. I was running jobs for people who could pay. Fast, clean work.

step forward. "W

I didn't kill people, if t

move, did

ce. "Intel jobs. Smuggling. Sometimes

ll watching

r chuckle. "You're

voice was steady. "I just need

twisted. "I was

haled

But I wasn't aga

le

way. "I cut ties with him years ago.

t laugh. But there

e reme

met h

mething dark. "Miguel doesn't

swal

her. And the look in h

just rec

finished

he jungle snapped t

nto the cover of the trees. His voic

ripping her gun. "You thin

was grim. "I thin

pulse k

if that

already in

ed low, her gun firm in her grip as she scanned the dense fo

never

nt he was

is voice was barely above a whisper. "We need to get to

ighter. "And if we move, we could

ply. "It's a gam

er ru

os

cl

esitate. She pi

over hers, forcin

a

body close. "Don't." Hi

d her eyes. "H

ws beyond the trees. "But if he wanted to

swallow

was

n't just h

laying w

tance. Then another. Not

a si

htened. "He's

ammered. "We nee

ing through the dense underbrush, keeping

, but nothing human. No mercena

s there.

it

chi

from their past. He was calculated, methodical. H

omach

he didn'

etting t

they thought

be

toward a rocky ridge. The climb would be rough, bu

get up there, we can see

And if Miguel's

ere was no humor in it. "T

s and jagged rock for leverage. The higher t

nced over

fr

eme

a

fa

th caugh

arp

ck beside h

ip

essing against t

rist and yanking her behind cover. Ano

nded. "Sniper? Sin

on darkened. "

were

Mi

st gettin

ing through her veins. The sniper had them

lculating. He was calm, but his jaw was tight,

ded. "No shit. You

ely twitched.

past, chipping the ro

ed her jaw. "

was too exposed, the jungle below t

e spot

visible through the thick

murmured, tilting

. It was tight, but if they could

ed. "You

he sprinted toward the crevice. Another crack split the a

aled sharp

self, heart hamm

o

staying as l

She felt the heat of the bull

nd hot, but she didn

g her into the crevice just as another s

the gro

and to her arm. Blood slicked her fingers. Th

the wound, his jaw ti

breathless chuckl

pecting the wound. His touch was firm

arply, shaking his

her arm throbbed. "Wou

hing flickering beneath the inten

from his pack, wrapping it around h

, his focus entirely on her. The jungle, the sn

hudded agai

ust a beat too long. Then he leaned back, his voice l

a nod, tearing

ting killed

the only d

age around her arm. The sting of the wound was nothin

still feel

his voice had softened

. Focus, Cole. You don't

is expression dark. "The sniper's

d. "You think

cking us off from a distance." His jaw tightened.

't an exaggeration. That wa

iper wasn't him it

at was

d brought backup, th

an ex

ve two options. We either wait

snorted

make a run for the jungle and disappea

nd her gun. "How much cover

led. "No

e. "Then we don

w lifted.

pate movement. If we're err

s quirked

ed. "I have

ething unreadable flickering there then h

tensed.

oice was firm. "I'm f

ched. "I can

xhaled. "But l

voice something almost so

t it made her

t if you get shot, I'm

irked.

could respo

on then a crac

s heart

ard the trees. The sniper's next shot mi

o

eft, then right, sprinting toward

brush just as Kai

ac

er's fir

le

lancing at Kai. He was stil

xhaled. "

shaky breath. "Th

his lips curving sl

t her pulse was still r

m h

ser, his voice quie

wallowed

looking at her th

ifferent kin

't sure she'