dying.”
He was taken aback by her fierce tone. He’d expect that from one of his three sisters or his mother, but not this young woman. He quipped, “If I do, you won’t have to listen me order you around anymore.”
“You are stubborn man.”
“Pot?”
“What?”
He fought a laugh. “Never mind.” She wouldn’t get the pot-meet-kettle reference. She was going to continue to fuss so he compromised. “I’ll use the straw—”
“Good.”
“But I carry you so you can keep your head above water. And if you say no, then I’m going without the straw.” That wasn’t much of a threat if she was only blowing smoke about keeping him alive.
“Okay.”
What did it mean that she agreed so quickly? That she cared? He brushed off the ridiculous thought. He was the hated American and even she’d said she needed him alive to get her out of this country.
A woman with an ulterior motive .
Now that he understood.
But he still had to give her a grudging respect for toughing her way through everything to this point . The DPRK would be vicious with any Americans captured while helping a local defect, but the local involved would face far worse. This government made examples of anyone who betrayed them and punished every person in their family plus future generations. Sent entire families to the labor camps for the rest of their lives.
Nick gave the nonverbal thumbs up to move out.
Tanner turned Jin to face him and picked her up.
She stuck the straw toward his mouth and poked him in the cheek.
He said, “You keep it until I tell you I need it. You’ll be able to hold it for me.”
“Do not step in a hole.”
Bossy thing. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her lips drew up on one side. Almost a smile.
He’d like to see a real smile and see her eyes in daylight . She huffed at him. “Are you moving your feet?”
“Yep.” So slowly and carefully she must not feel the water curling past her body . She shivered and he pulled her to him.
That turned her stiff as his mama’s ironing board.
Screw it. She was freezing. Her teeth were chattering.
“Hook your legs around me.”
When she didn’t do it fast enough, he wrapped an arm around her bottom, hoisting her up until her legs came around him. Damn. Now he was glad for the cold water, because Big John was thinking of braving the situation for her. Tanner thought of mucking out stables back on his mama’s ranch.
Anything to discourage growing a bulge in his pants.
Once he got moving along, Jin put her hands on his shoulders and stared at his face.
Water crept higher up his chest .
Her gaze flipped past him to look behind then came back to settle on his face . “Your men have tiny lights on their heads.”
“That’s for Pang and Har to see them.”
“Why don’t you have one?”
“You don’t need to see me.” But he felt like she was looking through him even in this inky darkness . The water now reached his shoulders.
“Pang and Har are slowing your men.”
“My men’ll handle them.”
That unwavering gaze pushed through the darkness, touching his face . He could feel the intensity of her thoughts and how she worked to keep them wrangled into place.
He asked, “Who helped you figure all this out?”
“Friends who will be in danger if you know their names.”
Fair enough . “Where’s your family, Jin?”
“My mother is dead . My sister is ... not here.”
That could mean anything, even that her sister had been sent to a prison camp. If that was the case, she was wise not to mention it and draw attention to herself or she might end up there, too .
“What about your father?” Tanner had a pretty good idea what her answer would sound like .
“He did not want children when he lay with my mother, only to be satisfied.”
Water reached Tanner’s chin, and he lifted it to keep his lips above the surface.
He shifted Jin higher on his chest to be sure that her head stayed above his . When the water swirled around his nose, Jin
He was taken aback by her fierce tone. He’d expect that from one of his three sisters or his mother, but not this young woman. He quipped, “If I do, you won’t have to listen me order you around anymore.”
“You are stubborn man.”
“Pot?”
“What?”
He fought a laugh. “Never mind.” She wouldn’t get the pot-meet-kettle reference. She was going to continue to fuss so he compromised. “I’ll use the straw—”
“Good.”
“But I carry you so you can keep your head above water. And if you say no, then I’m going without the straw.” That wasn’t much of a threat if she was only blowing smoke about keeping him alive.
“Okay.”
What did it mean that she agreed so quickly? That she cared? He brushed off the ridiculous thought. He was the hated American and even she’d said she needed him alive to get her out of this country.
A woman with an ulterior motive .
Now that he understood.
But he still had to give her a grudging respect for toughing her way through everything to this point . The DPRK would be vicious with any Americans captured while helping a local defect, but the local involved would face far worse. This government made examples of anyone who betrayed them and punished every person in their family plus future generations. Sent entire families to the labor camps for the rest of their lives.
Nick gave the nonverbal thumbs up to move out.
Tanner turned Jin to face him and picked her up.
She stuck the straw toward his mouth and poked him in the cheek.
He said, “You keep it until I tell you I need it. You’ll be able to hold it for me.”
“Do not step in a hole.”
Bossy thing. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her lips drew up on one side. Almost a smile.
He’d like to see a real smile and see her eyes in daylight . She huffed at him. “Are you moving your feet?”
“Yep.” So slowly and carefully she must not feel the water curling past her body . She shivered and he pulled her to him.
That turned her stiff as his mama’s ironing board.
Screw it. She was freezing. Her teeth were chattering.
“Hook your legs around me.”
When she didn’t do it fast enough, he wrapped an arm around her bottom, hoisting her up until her legs came around him. Damn. Now he was glad for the cold water, because Big John was thinking of braving the situation for her. Tanner thought of mucking out stables back on his mama’s ranch.
Anything to discourage growing a bulge in his pants.
Once he got moving along, Jin put her hands on his shoulders and stared at his face.
Water crept higher up his chest .
Her gaze flipped past him to look behind then came back to settle on his face . “Your men have tiny lights on their heads.”
“That’s for Pang and Har to see them.”
“Why don’t you have one?”
“You don’t need to see me.” But he felt like she was looking through him even in this inky darkness . The water now reached his shoulders.
“Pang and Har are slowing your men.”
“My men’ll handle them.”
That unwavering gaze pushed through the darkness, touching his face . He could feel the intensity of her thoughts and how she worked to keep them wrangled into place.
He asked, “Who helped you figure all this out?”
“Friends who will be in danger if you know their names.”
Fair enough . “Where’s your family, Jin?”
“My mother is dead . My sister is ... not here.”
That could mean anything, even that her sister had been sent to a prison camp. If that was the case, she was wise not to mention it and draw attention to herself or she might end up there, too .
“What about your father?” Tanner had a pretty good idea what her answer would sound like .
“He did not want children when he lay with my mother, only to be satisfied.”
Water reached Tanner’s chin, and he lifted it to keep his lips above the surface.
He shifted Jin higher on his chest to be sure that her head stayed above his . When the water swirled around his nose, Jin
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