“Even if we give the boy back unharmed, you’ve gained a dangerous enemy,” Hunt says, fastening his seat belt.
“I’ve been thinking maybe Athena can help us with that.”
Kai arches a brow.
“Whoever she’s working for, or with, is clearly well connected. Let’s give Petrov something else to worry about so he forgets all about me.”
“You’re assuming a lot,” Athena says, appearing in the aisle. Her hair is still up in a messy bun, but wispy blonde strands frame her stunning makeup-free face, and I’m instantly mesmerized. Charlie vacates the seat beside me so she can take it. “Thank you.” She offers him a smile, and a growl tumbles from my mouth.
Anderson’s lips twitch.
“How are you feeling?” Charlie asks, dropping into the seat across the aisle from us.
“Good.” Her arm brushes against mine as she sits.
I lean over and buckle her seat belt. “We’re landing soon.” She shivers, and I drape my blanket over her body before lifting my hand to summon the air steward. “Get me water, a snack, and some pain pills.”
“Please.” Athena smiles at the man as he gulps and nods before scurrying away.
“Assuming what exactly?” Hunt asks, crossing his feet at the ankles.
“That the men I work for aren’t already aware of Emil Petrov and the role he plays in the European trafficking network, for one. Secondly, that they’d be willing to do Drew a favor.”
“Who are they, and why were you sent to spy on me?” I ask as the plane begins its descent.
“I’m not at liberty to say on either count.”
I pierce her with a dark look. “You’re giving me the answers I need, Athena.”
“Or what, Mr. Manning? You’ll lock me away in your hotel and torture me?” She smiles sweetly, and I’m seconds away from putting her over my knee and spanking the arrogance out of her fine ass.
“I am particularly skilled at getting answers from people who don’t want to give them. I’d suggest you stop baiting me.”
“I’m aware of your specialist skills, Drew, and I hate to break it to you, but you don’t scare me.”
Kai chuckles, but I ignore him. “You think you know me, but you don’t have a clue what I’m capable of or the lengths I’ll go to to obtain the answers I seek.”
“This is connected to Jane, isn’t it?” She stares me straight in the eye. “She’s the reason you don’t fuck blondes. She’s the reason you’re targeting sex traffickers. What happened to her?” Compassion splays across her face as my heart beats furiously behind my rib cage.
“It’s none of your business,” I say in a clipped tone as I look out the window as the plane moves closer to the ground.
“Why are you targeting my brother?”
My head whips around. “What?”
“Arlo,” she says. “Do you mean him harm?” There’s a fierceness in her gaze as she eyeballs me.
“Of course not. I have no beef with your brother, and I’m not targeting him. Is that what your boss told you?”
She shakes her head. “It’s what my father said.”
“Who is your father?”
“Amos Martin,” she says without hesitation, and I’m glad she’s being honest about some things.
“Not Lewis?”
She shakes her head again. “Lewis is a fake name to hide my true identity.”
