Except he hadn’t died. Her friend had survived certain death only to be tortured to the point of becoming the enemy. And the CIA, in their all-mighty power, had done everything in their power to cover it up.
The minute they discovered his body wasn’t there, they could have initiated a search. She could have been back out there, looking to the ends of the earth for her friend. Instead, they chose to lie rather than admit the truth.
The agency had fed her and everyone else on their team the same bullshit story, claiming Julian had died heroically in the line of duty. And after, that same entity she’d sworn her allegiance to time and again had left her hanging by herself in the wind.
“That’s right, Tally Cat.” Her old nickname came out of his mouth as a snarl. “Guess I’m smarter than you gave me credit for, huh? Definitely smarter than that dipshit, Sinclair.”
Natalia couldn’t keep from poking the bear. “And greedier, apparently,” she snapped. “You said it yourself. This is all about the money, right?”
Julian sauntered closer, not stopping until he was squatted in front of her like he’d been before. “And the women.” He brought a hand toward her face and brushed some hair from her eyes. “Don’t forget about the women.”
Nausea churned to the point she thought she’d throw up but she quickly schooled her expression. This was it. If she was going to join in a fight to the death with this man…it had to be now.
A final search the friend she’d once loved left Natalia’s heart sinking even lower, because she could clearly make out the man’s resolve. The Julian she’d once known was gone, and in his place was a cold-blooded killer.
And unless she did something to alter his plans, she’d surely be his next victim.
I love you, Jagger.
Natalia sent up the silent message, praying it would somehow make its way to him. With the need to say those words aloud to him later, she used it as a source of energy to do what needed to be done.
The bait of her challenging words had put him in the very spot she needed. Slinging her head back, Natalia slammed her forehead against his face as fast and hard as she could.
She struck the bridge of Julian’s nose with perfect aim. He stumbled back, falling on his ass while his hands went to his gushing nose.
“Fucking bitch!” Julian’s voice was noticeably nasal. “You broke my fucking nose!”
That’s not all I’m going to break.
With a flip of her legs and an arch in her back, Natalia shot up to her feet. Her hands were still bound behind her back, so she was forced to rely on her legs instead.
Julian started for her, but she swung her heel up and around just in time to send the man’s head flying to the side. Blood and spit shot out from his mouth as he fell face-first onto the floor below.
The gun flew from his hand as he made his way down, sliding several feet away. When he made no move to retrieve it, and his eyes remained closed, Natalia knew the kick to Julian’s head had done its job by rendering him momentarily unconscious.
She considered searching him for keys to the cuffs but decided it would be too risky. As was wasting time she didn’t have trying to get herself free.
Instead, Natalia took off for the door with the plan to run as fast as she could. On her way past Julian, she decided her best bet would be the trees.
There would be plenty of places to help keep her concealed until she could make it to the lights she’d seen earlier. The plan played out in her head as she attempted to escape a killer.
Go out the front and double back to the rear of the building. From there, I’ll make my way to the trees. After that, I’ll?—
A meaty hand grabbed at her ankle.
“No!” Natalia screamed as a bloody Julian gave a hard yank.
Her footing was lost almost immediately, sending her flailing down to the floor. She lost her breath when the bulk of herweight landed on her injured shoulder. Black dots filled her vision, and Natalia had to fight to remain conscious.
Stay awake, darlin’. You can’t give up. You have to stay awake!
Jagger’s imagined voice offered a renewed sense of strength, forcing Natalia to open her eyes. Pushing through the pain, she rolled onto her back. In a swift and efficient move she learned those first weeks in CIA training, she wrapped her legs around Julian’s neck and squeezed with as much force as she could muster.
His hands flew up, his fingers clawing at her legs in an effort to free himself from her lethal grip. When he was seconds from losing consciousness, Julian stretched out a hand toward his fallen gun.
Calculating the distance, Natalia knew he’d reach the weapon before she could. With no other choice, she scrambled up to her feet and took off.
She got as far as the building’s entrance, flinging the door open and running outside. A bullet slammed into the wooden frame next to her head. Natalia ducked, ignoring a slight stinging in her cheek as she took off, away from the building. If she could get into the taller grass, she might actually have a chance to make it out of this mess alive.
