Delta: Retribution Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Why?”
    “You know why they had you. I don’t. You’re high value. You’re worth dying for—for them and for us. I’ve got plans after this job is over, so it won’t be me dying today.” He slammed to a halt again and pressed her against a tree, covering her from the dangers that lurked around them. Pops fired, and bark from the tree exploded around her. “You good?”
    She didn’t know if it was the memory or the moment that made her flush. “I’m sorry.” The tree’s bark and branches scratched into her back. “About before.”
    He laughed. “Never been ditched like that before, babe. You made that night unforgettable.”
    If he could see her cheeks, he would’ve seen red. White-hot embarrassment crept through her, choking her, and she dropped her chin. She had made one mistake, taken a chance—really, a risk—one time of random sex with a stranger, and it had to turn out like this. Cringing, her body tried to cave in on itself.
    “Hey, Cinderella.” He touched her chin, bringing her gaze back to him. “I wasn’t trying to be a dick.”
    “I’ve never pulled a move like that.”
    “Ditching a man when he hit the shower? Or getting wild with someone you’ve never met.”
    Oh my God. She groaned. “This is humiliating.”
    “Nah, I got a kick out of it.” He lofted her back into his arms. “Alright, time to get you back home.”
    Home. What did that mean anymore? After Brian continued to show up at her door, embarrassing her and belittling her when he needed a fix, she had moved to a shabby-chic apartment and hoped he wouldn’t find her. It wasn’t her favorite place, but it was convenient to school and to the local military base that she went to every so often.
    Fine, the sexy stranger could bring her back to the United States, where she could bunker down until she was called to do her patriotic duty again and hope to God she didn’t end up someplace like this.

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Trace located the rendezvous point on the river minutes before a rickety fishing boat drifted by. A light flashed two times, and he flashed a response—two quick and one long. The boat veered off the murky, marshy river, and Trace put Marlena in and hopped in behind her.
    Roman and Ryder, who manned the shitty vessel, nodded their hellos. Marlena acted unsure of them, maybe of the boat, and definitely of their plan to take their time in meeting the rest of the team and getting the hell out of South America.
    She sat on her bottom, looking small and unassuming. “The man who took me—”
    “Romatar,” Roman jumped in.
    She nodded. “He has a lot of money invested in a project. They won’t be happy about this, and they have a lot of men with guns.”
    Trace sat on a bench next to her. “There’s a lot of money invested in you coming home. I’d bet on us any day of the week.”
    “Oh.”
    They floated down the slowly winding river. Mosquitoes the size of baseballs hovered around, and if they hadn’t been in stealth mode, Trace would’ve wasted the time picking them off as target practice.
    Mallory-Marlena—whatever her name was—moved from the bench to the floorboards and was asleep in five minutes. Her back pressed against his shin, and there was nothing better to do than keep an eye on her. She was far more interesting than the scenery, anyway.
    As high-value targets went, she didn’t look like much. Not deadly or dangerous. With dark-brown hair that had fiery red highlights, lips that looked used to being shiny and pink, and days-old eye makeup smudged around her dark, almond eyes, she was damn sure the best-looking HVT he’d ever picked up. So, it hadn’t been a few too many drinks, back in Germany, that had told him she was well past a solid ten.
    Ryder and Roman sat on the boat’s bench on the lookout. Their trigger fingers were at the ready, but Trace also knew they were watching him watch her as the minutes dragged by. The incoming questions would arrive soon enough. They’d all been privy