Page 34 of Her Chosen Protector

“Don’t you dare.” The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She could almost feel the warm air of his voice as he rumbled into the phone.

Eden hesitated. Should she listen? Dammit, they needed a diversion. His team was probably all kitted out in little camo uniforms—they couldn’t divert Carlson, Patel, and Becker, but she could. She started to push the door open.

A big hand covered hers and yanked the door shut. “What the hell did you not understand about stay still?” Asher growled into her ear.

Eden shivered.

She turned slowly around and looked up to see blue eyes blazing down at her. There was nothing typical about this male. He was the antithesis of typical, but…

Oh.

My.

God.

He was male.

“I have a plan.” Was that squeaky voice hers?

“So, do I. It includes you getting your tushie down to the vault with the others and letting me and my men rescue the bankers and getting them safely on a plane,” he snapped down at her.

Eden sighed. They were back to typical.

“Nice to meet you too, Asher.”

“It would have been nicer to meet you if you’d been in the basement, Eden.” His sarcasm was hard to miss.

“Well, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

His lip twitched.

“Humor isn’t getting you downstairs any faster. Seriously, I need you to move your ass, so we can get our job done.”

She pointed her finger and twirled it up and down the front of his body. “So, tell me, Army boy, in all your fatigue finery, how are you planning on blending in and culling the herd without Patel, Carlson, and Becker taking notice?”

“We’ve got it covered, but you running around fucking things up with some cockamamie plan is not going to help things.”

“Really, that’s how they’re training special forces these days? Turning down help? Rigidly staying to plan instead adapting to changing circumstances.”

Asher’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting phraseology,” he drawled slowly, his eyes clearly assessing her in a different light.

Gotcha!

“You said there were only seven men. Seems to me that having Leland and me as extra hands would be a Godsend.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay, Ms. York, lay it on me.”

“Well, it’s a partial plan. It totally depends on who’s in the office. When I left, Carlson was in the office, and I passed Patel heading into the there too, as I took Suzanne to the stairway. Hell, I don’t know if they’re still there or not. God knows who’s where. But I thought I would gather them up in the office. Hopefully track down Becker while I was at it. I figured I could tell them that Suzanne had died, and that the real reason Maduro’s men wanted into the bank was the gold in the vault or some such shit.”

His eyes widened. It was that same incredulous look she’d seen on her dad’s face far too many times.

“We’re getting your tushie down to the basement.” His voice brooked no argument.

“But—”

“It’s a half-baked plan and you know it.”

She grabbed Asher’s arm. “You don’t understand, the best part of the plan is the ‘some such shit.’