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are you doing in South America?”

Chapter 4
    F or a moment, Nick considered playing dumb, but Rebecca must have read his mind, because she crossed her arms and scowled at him. “Don’t you dare insult my intelligence by denying it.” She smirked. “Mr. Barrett. ”
    A sigh lodged in his throat. He’d known showing up to a place that was crawling with American journalists would be risky, but the alternative had meant letting Tate or Sebastian handle it, and Nick wouldn’t have felt right about that. Tate and Seb had more to lose nowadays—women they loved, and in Tate’s case, a three-year-old boy to protect.
    Nick, on the other hand, was not as emotionally encumbered. No woman or children to mourn him if he died, just his father and older sister, Vivian.
    Of course, his father was the reason he was currently facing off with this too-smart-for-her-own-good news correspondent. He’d been making an effort to stay out of sight and avoid the journalists covering the election. The only reason he’d made contact with Rebecca in the first place was because the foolish woman had decided to almost get herself killed.
    But because he couldn’t un rescue her, he had no choice but to deal with the consequences of his hero complex.
    “No response?” Rebecca arched her brow.
    Nick just shrugged. “What do you want me to say? You’ve got my number. Give yourself a gold star.”
    “So you’re confirming that you are Nick Barrett?”
    He appreciated that she lowered her voice when she posed the question. A glance around told him that nobody was particularly interested in him and Rebecca, but he kept his voice equally soft as he replied with, “I am. But I would be grateful if you didn’t mention to anyone that I’m in town.”
    That sassy little smirk made another appearance. “Only if you promise me an exclusive.”
    He stifled a groan. “I’m not giving you an exclusive—because there’s no story here.”
    “Yeah, then why are you in Cortega?” she challenged.
    “It’s personal.”
    “Why did you lie about your name?”
    “I always use a fake name when I’m traveling.”
    “And do you always lie about your profession?” Defiance flickered in her eyes. “Is this about the election? Did your father send you here as a representative of sorts? Maybe to talk to President Garza or General Alves about...” She furrowed her brow. “About what? What could your presence possibly accomplish?”
    “Exactly,” Nick said triumphantly. “Nothing. My presence is totally unrelated to this travesty of an election, okay?”
    She went quiet. He could see that sharp brain of hers working, dissecting, dismissing. Her pretty face conveyed both curiosity and suspicion, the latter becoming more prominent the longer she remained silent.
    “This has to be political,” she announced.
    “It’s not.”
    Her chin lifted stubbornly. “I don’t believe you.”
    A grin sprang to his lips but it didn’t stay there long. He didn’t like the predatory gleam that entered her expression. It told him that she wasn’t going to let it go. She’d sunk her teeth into this “story” and Nick suspected that nothing short of death would persuade her to drop it.
    Unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly kill the woman. All he could do was placate her, try to steer her away from this potentially dangerous path.
    “Look,” he spoke in a quiet voice, “obviously you know who I am. But can you tell me what I’ve been doing the past nine years?”
    Rebecca looked baffled. “Um...well...”
    “Exactly,” he said again. “I’ve been off the political radar. Why? Because I’m no politician, darling. Aside from a few obligatory appearances I make with my dad, I avoid that whole scene, and these last five years, I’ve been off the media grid completely.”
    “Why?”
    “Because public appearances weren’t conducive to the unit I served on.”
    “Army?” When he nodded, her eyes narrowed. “Special Forces?”
    Although he hated