“We don’t have time to debate. Do you want the fucking water or not?”
“Yes,” she hisses. “Remove the handcuffs, and I’ll drink it myself.”
“Not a fucking chance.” I heave her up a little, keeping my arm around her back as she sits up. Then I lift the opened bottle of water to her lips and tip some into her mouth.
“More,” she croaks, and we stay like this until she’s finished the bottle. “Where are we?” she asks as I set her back down.
“We crossed the border into Serbia. It’s forty minutes to the airfield where I have a plane waiting.”
“Leave me tied up if you have to, but at least let me sit in the back.”
“There isn’t room.”
“I can sit on someone’s lap.” Her eyes flare with challenge.
Over my dead body is she sitting on Anderson’s or Hunt’s lap. “Nice try but no.” I move to close the trunk.
“Wait, please.” Her eyes beseech me. “At least untie me. I swear I won’t try to escape. I have zero desire to be trapped in this country alone.”
“I’ll untie your feet,” I say, not trusting her words fully. She obviously has resources and contacts and that fucker Ares on speed dial. She wouldn’t be alone for long.
I unknot the rope from her ankles, staggering back and falling flat on my ass when her leg snaps out and she kicks me in the face with her booted foot.
Pain spreads across my nose and cheeks, and when I touch my face, little drops of blood coat the tips of my fingers.
“You deserved that,” she says, grinning gleefully as I climb to my feet and glare at her. She is lying on her side, making no move to run off, so maybe she was telling the truth, but I’ve got no more sympathy to give.
“Fuck you, slut,” I bark.
Her eyes widen as I slam the trunk down with force. I kick the side of the car a couple times before I slide behind the wheel.
“That went well,” Kai says as Charlie hands me a tissue, fighting a smile.
“Shut your face, Anderson, or I’ll shut it for you,” I snap, stuffing bits of tissue up my nose to halt the blood.
I tear out of the old gas station and get back on the road, digging my fingers into the steering wheel.
“She’s definitely hot for you,” Anderson says less than two minutes later.
“What part of shut the fuck up didn’t you understand?” I growl, eyeballing him through the mirror. “And how the fuck did you come to that conclusion?”
“Do you want me to answer or shut the fuck up?” Kai says, and a snarling sound rumbles from my chest.
“You have insane chemistry with her. We all saw it at dinner and during Thanksgiving.”
“We argue nonstop,” I blurt, cursing my stupid mouth. I should be ending this conversation not entertaining it.
“The hate sex will be awesome,” Hunt supplies.
“You could always tie her up and paddle her ass,” Charlie says, deciding to throw his lot in with the others.
“Or choke her out,” Kai adds.
“I vote for flogging,” Hunt says.
“I vote for borrowing Athena’s rifle and blowing a hole in each of your faces so you can’t spout any more shit.”
“Denial is not just a river in Egypt,” Hunt says.
