would have. Do you think I would have left the country knowing you had to wait for a passport and couldn’t get away if someone came after you?”
That was so sweet. Did she matter that much to him? Or would he have treated anyone the same? Yes. It wasn’t she who mattered, it was the principle. He had involved her in his problem and now he felt responsible for her safety.
His fingers under her chin made her realize she’d lowered her head with disappointment. She’d rather he cared for her, not his principles. And that desire was precisely why she’d gone with him. Meeting him had confused her judgment.
“Will you get in now?” he asked in a low, deep voice, wooing her, even though he wasn’t trying to.
Fighting off her warming response, she forced her concentration to the matter at hand. “Who knew you flew into Andoni International Airport?”
“Someone with a lot of power.”
“Someone like Armend Murati? Is that why you searched his house?” She was not going to stop asking until he gave up and told her what she needed to know.
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
“The Minister of the Interior,” he said.
It took her a moment to absorb that. If someone like Murati was friendly with whomever was after them, they were in far more danger than she could imagine.
“You can’t fight them, Calan. Clearly this is way over your head.”
“If I don’t do something now, it will only follow me wherever I go.” He looked at her. “And now you, too.”
Yes, and wasn’t that just her luck? “What kind of organization bribes a government official like that?”
He cocked his head and lifted his brow.
“Stop telling me not to ask questions.” She folded her arms and jutted a foot out.
“I didn’t.”
“You were thinking it.”
He grinned. “Get in, Sadie.”
Fighting a responding smile, she averted her attention from his handsome face. “You’re impossible.” But she got in the car, wondering if she was losing her mind altogether. Was this crazy attraction keeping her at his side?
There was a suitcase stuffed with enough money to get them killed. She had a fake passport and they were going to cross the border to get into Montenegro. Would she be arrested before someone started shooting at them again? She was afraid none of that mattered as long as she was with him.
Much later, Calan turned off the road they’d been following just before reaching Shkoder. It wouldn’t be long now before they reached the border. The closer they got, the more nervous Sadie became. Once she was there, she couldn’t turn back. She’d have to use her fake passport and cross—hopefully—into Montenegro.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “Can’t we stay in Albania? Won’t that make it easier to find out who’s after you?”
“Murati won’t be back for a few days. We need a safe place to stay until I can talk to him. You’ll be comfortable in Montenegro.”
She highly doubted that. Not with him around. As long as she kept having these sparks of attraction, she wouldn’t be comfortable. He was too secretive. She could hear her father coaching her on her inability to make wise choices when it came to men. No man she’d ever found had measured up to his standards. Men with money, men without money, even business executives. And every man she’d thought would gain his approval had dumped her. In retrospect, they’d been all wrong for her anyway.
She looked over at Calan. He was much different than any other man she’d met or considered dating. His profession was shadowy. How had he gotten to this point of his life? What had led him down such a dark path?
“Have you ever gone to college?” she asked.
“Yeah. I have a degree in business.”
“Business.” That explained why he chose “business analyst” for his fake title.
“I was in the Army, too.”
“Is that where you got your training to work for a black market bounty-hunting outfit?”
“I’m not a bounty hunter. I joined a
That was so sweet. Did she matter that much to him? Or would he have treated anyone the same? Yes. It wasn’t she who mattered, it was the principle. He had involved her in his problem and now he felt responsible for her safety.
His fingers under her chin made her realize she’d lowered her head with disappointment. She’d rather he cared for her, not his principles. And that desire was precisely why she’d gone with him. Meeting him had confused her judgment.
“Will you get in now?” he asked in a low, deep voice, wooing her, even though he wasn’t trying to.
Fighting off her warming response, she forced her concentration to the matter at hand. “Who knew you flew into Andoni International Airport?”
“Someone with a lot of power.”
“Someone like Armend Murati? Is that why you searched his house?” She was not going to stop asking until he gave up and told her what she needed to know.
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
“The Minister of the Interior,” he said.
It took her a moment to absorb that. If someone like Murati was friendly with whomever was after them, they were in far more danger than she could imagine.
“You can’t fight them, Calan. Clearly this is way over your head.”
“If I don’t do something now, it will only follow me wherever I go.” He looked at her. “And now you, too.”
Yes, and wasn’t that just her luck? “What kind of organization bribes a government official like that?”
He cocked his head and lifted his brow.
“Stop telling me not to ask questions.” She folded her arms and jutted a foot out.
“I didn’t.”
“You were thinking it.”
He grinned. “Get in, Sadie.”
Fighting a responding smile, she averted her attention from his handsome face. “You’re impossible.” But she got in the car, wondering if she was losing her mind altogether. Was this crazy attraction keeping her at his side?
There was a suitcase stuffed with enough money to get them killed. She had a fake passport and they were going to cross the border to get into Montenegro. Would she be arrested before someone started shooting at them again? She was afraid none of that mattered as long as she was with him.
Much later, Calan turned off the road they’d been following just before reaching Shkoder. It wouldn’t be long now before they reached the border. The closer they got, the more nervous Sadie became. Once she was there, she couldn’t turn back. She’d have to use her fake passport and cross—hopefully—into Montenegro.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “Can’t we stay in Albania? Won’t that make it easier to find out who’s after you?”
“Murati won’t be back for a few days. We need a safe place to stay until I can talk to him. You’ll be comfortable in Montenegro.”
She highly doubted that. Not with him around. As long as she kept having these sparks of attraction, she wouldn’t be comfortable. He was too secretive. She could hear her father coaching her on her inability to make wise choices when it came to men. No man she’d ever found had measured up to his standards. Men with money, men without money, even business executives. And every man she’d thought would gain his approval had dumped her. In retrospect, they’d been all wrong for her anyway.
She looked over at Calan. He was much different than any other man she’d met or considered dating. His profession was shadowy. How had he gotten to this point of his life? What had led him down such a dark path?
“Have you ever gone to college?” she asked.
“Yeah. I have a degree in business.”
“Business.” That explained why he chose “business analyst” for his fake title.
“I was in the Army, too.”
“Is that where you got your training to work for a black market bounty-hunting outfit?”
“I’m not a bounty hunter. I joined a
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