Page 20 of Rebel Protector

He stared straight ahead. “There’s not a lot of work for guys like me. I take what I can get, and Markov pays well.”

“Really? I thought that in this part of the world, there was a lot of work for a good gunslinger.”

He didn’t reply.

CHAPTER 7

Ghost led the way to the pickup point. Carlos would be here any moment. It was a busy street and the traffic whizzed by in a motion blur. He could feel the heat of the engines on his legs.

“Becca.” He turned to face her.

She glanced up at him. “Yes?”

“Your bag.” He suddenly remembered he was still carrying it.

She took it with a little nod. “Thanks.”

He hesitated. Today had not gone according to plan. The explosion had thrown him off kilter, but at the same time, it had given him the perfect opportunity to take her for a drink. But being alone with her, getting to know her, had given him something else to worry about.

Her.

She was in way over her head. Either she had no idea what Markov was up to, in which case she was unknowingly putting herself at risk, or she did know, and she was in danger of being dragged down with him when the shit hit the fan.

She was still looking at him, her head tilted to the side. Waiting for him to say something. Sensing that he had something to say.

Spit it out, man.

“Hey, Becca. I just want you to know… If anything happens to you, or you need my help, you just have to call.” Now he wished he could take it back. She was staring at him like he’d declared his undying love for her.

“Why do you think something’s going to happen to me?” she whispered. Fear tickled the edges of her eyes.

When he didn’t immediately reply, she said, “Dom, is something going to happen?”

He averted his gaze. “No, of course not.”

Yes. Eventually.

When we take down your crooked boss.

He tried to brush it off. “It’s just in case, that’s all. This isn’t the safest country in the world, and we live in a complex surrounded by armed guards. I wanted you to know you could count on me.”

“Like you took care of me today?” Her voice was soft.

The way she was looking at him made him want to kiss her so bad it hurt. His gaze dropped to her lips. “I did what anyone in my position would have done.”

She moved closer to him, and his heart skipped a beat. “I think you went way beyond what a gun for hire would do.”

His breath caught in his throat. Those eyes. Those lips. He was about to lift his hand to her face when Markov’s black SUV with Carlos in the passenger seat swooped down the street.

She hurriedly stepped back.

“I haven’t got your number,” she whispered, as reality came to a halt beside them and Carlos gestured for them to get in.

“I’ve got yours,” he murmured, before opening the back door for her. “I’ll call you tonight, then you’ll have mine.”

“Okay.” She climbed into the car.

He got in beside her.