In Enemy Hands Read Online Free PDF Page B

car.”
    “I don’t know, man,” Dante said.
    “Come on.” Ronnie pushed a wave of sweaty brown hair out of his face. “It’s hot as hell out here. At least have a beer with us or something. Mr. B will want to meet you.”
    “Yes, come with us.” Nadia slipped her hand inside his. Her fingers were surprisingly cool, and when he stared down into those green eyes, Dante doubted he could’ve refused her anything at the moment.
    He helped her into the passenger seat of the Humvee and crawled in beside her. She sat close to him, so close that her long hair tickled his bare chest. That tickling intensified when Nadia turned the air conditioner up full blast.
    “Ahh, that feels so good,” she said, closing her eyes.
    A few moments later, she opened them and smiled up at him. A horrified Dante realized his hand was in her hair. Touching her was instinctive, and that scared him more than any gun pointed at his head.
    “Now you’re the one who’s bleeding,” she said, staring at his chest.
    He looked down in surprise. A row of scratches crisscrossed his skin. Magically, they began to sting.
    “They didn’t hurt until you said that,” he groused.
    “Sorry.”
    He winced when she dug an embedded briar out with her bright red nails.
    “Oops. Sorry again.”
    “Where you from?” Ronnie asked, then held up a hand. “No, wait. Let me guess. I know that accent. Queens, right?”
    Dante smiled. “The Bronx.”
    “I’m from Riverdale.”
    They talked about the old neighborhoods while Ronnie turned down a narrow gravel road. Dante was checking out Nadia’s head wound again when Ronnie groaned.
    “Aw, crap. Anderson’s working,” he muttered.
    They rolled to a stop at a huge black gate where an armed guard peered at them through the windshield. He tapped on Ronnie’s window.
    With a sigh, Ronnie lowered it.
    The guard gestured at Dante. “Who’s that guy?”
    “A friend of Nadia’s. He’s okay.”
    “Is he on the list?”
    Ronnie tapped his hand on the steering wheel. “No, but I think Mr. B will be interested in meeting the guy who helped Nadia escape back there.”
    “If he’s armed, he needs to check his weapon here.”
    “Waynie dumped it. I saw him.”
    “I still need the gun,” Anderson said.
    Rolling his eyes, Ronnie turned to Dante.
    “I don’t have it,” he said. “Waynie took it.”
    “Are you sure he’s not carrying another piece?” the guard asked. “Maybe I should search him again. No telling what Waynie missed.”
    “No telling,” Nadia agreed. “I think maybe we should strip search him.”
    Ronnie snorted. “Spare us your twisted fantasies.” Then he leaned out the window and whined, “C’mon, Anderson. Are you gonna open the gate or what? Mr. B’s probably going insane right now.”
    The guard shook his head. “Sorry, not on my watch. I have to search him.”
    Ronnie dropped his head against the wheel in exasperation, making the horn bleat like a sick lamb.
    “It’s okay.” Dante said with a resigned smile. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
    He climbed out of the Humvee, spread his legs and laced his fingers behind his head.
    “Hey!” Nadia said brightly. “You’re a natural. Have you done this before?”
    Dante made a sour face. “Yeah, about five minutes ago.”
    He jumped when Anderson got a little
too
thorough.
    “Watch it, Chief,” he warned, and Nadia giggled. She rolled down the window and leaned halfway out the Humvee to watch.
    Cupping a hand to her mouth, she called, “Hey, Anderson. You need any help, you just holler.”
    Anderson yelped and seized the lower right pocket of Dante’s cargo pants.
    “Phone. Don’t shoot, it’s only a phone,” Dante said quickly, earning another of Nadia’s throaty laughs.
    Finally, Anderson seemed satisfied. He motioned Dante toward the Humvee, then buzzed the gate open after Dante climbed back inside. Glancing over his shoulder, Dante saw Waynie roll up behind them in his GTO. He chuckled when Anderson stepped