Undercover Accomplice. Carol Ericson

think so, Mancini.”

      “What? Why? Major Denver’s life might depend on it, not to mention your safety.”

      “You and I working together? Spending days and nights together? Heads together?”

      “Yeah.” He couldn’t stop his mouth watering at the prospect, especially when she put it like that.

      “We both know that’s a prescription for disaster.”

      “Why is that?” He folded his arms and braced a shoulder against the window, knowing damn well why she thought his idea stunk but wanting to hear it from her lips.

      “I… We…” Her cheeks sported two red flags.

      He’d never seen Sue flustered before. Could he help it if it gave him a prick of satisfaction?

      A knock on the door broke the tension between them, and he silently cursed the hotel staff as Sue crawled back into bed.

      The knock repeated, accompanied by a male voice. “Housekeeping. Laundry.”

      Hunter stepped away from the window, his gait slow. Once Sue got her clothes and got the hell out of here, he’d never see her again. He knew how she operated.

      Denver had pegged the wrong man for the job if he wanted intel out of Sue. She wouldn’t give him the time of day—even after what they’d shared three years ago.

      He swung open the door. “Right on time.”

      The hotel worker charged into the room with Sue’s clothes bagged and draped over his arm. As he brushed past Hunter, the plastic covering the clothing crinkled.

      Hunter staggered back. “Whoa.”

      Before Hunter regained his balance, the clothes slid from the man’s arm…revealing a weapon clutched in his hand.

       Chapter Three

      Sue stared down the barrel of the .38. Her jaw tensed, along with every other muscle in her body.

      Hunter made a slight move, and the man with the gun leveled it at her head. “Stay back or I’ll take the shot, and it doesn’t have to end this way. We just want to talk to her.”

      “Who’s we?” Hunter’s voice came out in a growl that made the hair on the back of Sue’s neck stand on end.

      “You need to get lost. You don’t want to be involved with her—trust me.” The man’s lips curled into a lopsided sneer.

      Sue’s hands tightened into fists around the bed covers. She not only had to stop this guy from shooting her or abducting her; she had to stop him from outing her to Hunter.

      With his words, the man had made it clear he didn’t have the slightest idea he had a member of Delta Force looming behind him. Good. They’d use that to their advantage. She had to hope the same thought had occurred to Hunter at the same time.

      In one movement, Sue yanked the covers over her body and rolled off the bed, toward her would-be kidnapper’s knees. She barreled into his legs at about the same time she heard the whiz of his gun’s silencer right over her head.

      The man grunted and kneed her in the side of the face. Then she felt him go down with a thud, followed by a sickening crack. She yanked the bedspread from her head and came eye to bulging eye with the intruder as Hunter choked off his breath.

      The sleeper hold worked like a charm, and the man slumped to the side, his weapon inches from his useless hand.

      Panting, Sue scrambled to her feet. “Good work. I thought you’d take advantage of the situation.”

      “And I’m glad you made that situation possible, even though he could’ve shot right into those bunched-up covers and hit some part of you.” Hunter crouched beside the unconscious man and thumbed up one of his eyelids.

      “What now? He’s going to come to any minute.” And she didn’t want this guy talking. Sue dropped to her knees and reached across Hunter, grabbing the gun by the silencer.

      The man’s lids fluttered and he coughed. His eyes widened and his body bucked.

      Sue brought the butt of the gun down on the back of the man’s skull and he pitched forward again, a stream of blood spouting from his wound.

      Hunter cocked his head. “That’s one way to handle it.”

      “I’m the one he was aiming at. I didn’t want to take any chances.” She put two fingers against his neck. “I didn’t kill him.”

      “We definitely don’t want to leave any dead bodies behind.” He pointed at the gun, dangling from her fingers. “You wanna take care of that?”

      Rising to her feet, Sue kicked aside the last of the covers wrapped around her ankles and headed for the bathroom. She grabbed a hand towel from the rack and wrapped the gun in its folds.

      She returned to the bedroom, placed the gun on the nightstand and knelt across from Hunter, who was rummaging through the man’s pockets. “Any luck?”

      “A little cash and…this.” He held up a cell phone. Then he dropped it and tapped her cheek with his fingertip. “What happened? The side of your face is all red.”

      “He bashed me in the face on his way down.” The throbbing of her cheekbone turned into a tingle under Hunter’s gentle touch. “I’ll get some ice on it. Phone.”

      “I’m assuming you have no idea who this guy is or what he wanted?” Hunter’s blue eyes narrowed like a jungle cat’s.

      Had the man’s words advising Hunter not to get involved with her registered with Hunter?

      She shrugged. “No clue, but I’m guessing he’s connected to Jeffrey from last night or maybe the kidnapping in Istanbul or maybe even my suspension from the CIA.”

      Hunter’s head jerked up from the cell phone. “You didn’t tell me you’d been suspended. Why?”

      “Anonymous tips and emails. Sound familiar?”

      “Same tactics used against Major Denver.” He scratched his chin with the edge of the phone. “This is getting more and more tangled.”

       You have no idea, Hunter.

      She nudged the inert form on the carpet with her knuckle. “How much time do you think we have?”

      “That was a hard blow to the head. I think you bought us fifteen minutes at a minimum.” He jabbed his finger at the pile of clothes on the floor. “At least he brought your laundry.”

      “And look how you tipped him.”

      He held up one hand. “I just choked him out. You’re the one who delivered the lights-out.”

      Sue ripped the plastic from her slacks and blouse and clutched them to her chest as she backed up toward the bathroom. “I’m going to get dressed, and then we need to leave. I’m not going to explain this situation to hotel security.”

      “Neither is he.” Hunter made a move toward his suitcase parked by the door. “I’ll put the Do Not Disturb hanger on the doorknob to buy him some time. When he comes to, he’ll want to hightail it out of here.”

      “You’re right.” She tapped her cheek. “Can you grab some ice from the machine for my face while I’m getting dressed?”

      “I’m on it.”

      As she stepped into her slacks, she heard the door open and close, and she eased out a sigh. Who the hell was that in the other room? Was The Falcon right? Had she been made?

      She wouldn’t put those strong-arm tactics past the Agency, either, so it could be someone following up on her suspension. Her life was becoming more complex