Page 16 of Elite Metal: Warriors

For some reason, his snark made her furious. Or maybe it was the betrayal. Or maybe her anger was really aimed toward herself for being such a sentimental idiot. Whatever it was, it stole her capacity for lucid speech. The sound that emanated from her throat was not quite human.

“It doesn’t have to be that way, Roni,” he said in a deceptively silky voice. “Are you coming with me willingly, or do I need to find some duct tape?”

“You are a complete ass.”

“That’s what they tell me.”

She frowned at him. “Will I be coming back?”

It was chilling that he didn’t answer. Horrifying that a flicker of regret flashed over his hard, handsome features.

“You might want to get dressed. Make no mistake about it, Roni, I don’t have any compunction about taking you as you are. And, as charming as you look in nothing at all, the other guys might get ideas.”

A shiver ran through her at his bleak statement. “Other guys? What other guys?”

“You’ll meet them.” This, he said with a wintry acceptance that sent a chill into her soul. When he’d said she was in danger, she’d blown it off, but now she wasn’t so sure.

She didn’t know exactly what she’d wandered into, but she knew she was in trouble deep.

And not the least of it was the fact that she was being taken prisoner by a pitiless man with eyes that could melt the ice surrounding her heart.

* * *

As Roni dressed, Sterling tapped out a message on his cell for his bosses, letting them know he was coming in. Steele would be pissed. It was O-dark-thirty in the morning and he was probably curled up in some cozy bed, but this couldn’t wait. He’d be more pissed if Sterling didn’t wake him.

He watched Roni like a hawk as she dressed and collected her things. He had her grab everything. He didn’t know if she was coming back—and the fact that he couldn’t reassure her just about killed him. Beyond that, if she was to disappear, it had to be without a trace. He didn’t want her leaving any clues that could be tracked back to their base.

So when she went into the bathroom, he followed her—though this clearly annoyed her. He didn’t want her writing messages on the mirror in lipstick. When she had her bag packed, he took her arm in one hand and carried her things in the other, dropping them all in the backseat in a pile.

“Hey,” she snapped. “Careful with my computer.”

He opened the passenger door and frowned at her. “Get in.”

Her eyes flicked around and her muscles tensed, as though she was contemplating running.

“I’ll catch you,” he warned. “Don’t even try it.”

She glared at him and then, with a huff, threw herself into the seat.

He rounded the car, pulling her keys from his pocket. He’d made it a point to collect her cell phone and keys before their little confrontation. No point in giving her any hope that she could escape.

She couldn’t.

He couldn’t let her.

“Why are you doing this?” she muttered as he started the car.

He shot a glance at her. Her face seemed wan in the lights of the dash. “Orders.”

“Are you often ordered to kidnap women?”

“Often enough.”

The drive from town to the base was about half an hour, and in that time she didn’t say a word, but her annoyance washed over him in waves. She crossed her arms and stared out the window and occupied herself with making little noises of exasperation at extended intervals. It slayed him, how cute she was, because she had no idea how serious the situation was. She had no idea she’d just poked a hornet’s nest.

And the hornets were ruthless.

Chapter Five