He grasped her arm and she managed a weak smile. “Thank you. You frightened me.”

“You are American,” he said in a heavily accented voice. A voice that was heavy with approval. His eyes gleamed, and she could almost see him rubbing his hands together like she was some choice steak he was about to devour.

“Y-yes,” she stammered out.

She had no basis for her assumptions, but with the predilection for young girls his boss had, and that he likely had as well, she imagined him going for young and innocent. Even when he went for legal-aged women.

She stared up at him wide-eyed and nervous, and even as she did, his arm came around her protectively as he herded her back toward the ballroom.

They paused a moment as he collected drinks for them both. While she stood there, Nelson looked across the room. She followed his gaze to find Brumley staring intently at both of them. If Nelson’s earlier frank assessment had made her uncomfortable, then Brumley’s very blunt gaze made her feel naked in a room full of strangers. Then his eyes gleamed and he gave Nelson a short nod that made P.J. grow cold.

Nelson didn’t give her time to ponder the meaning behind Brumley’s acknowledgment. He urged her toward the patio doors and then out onto the terrace. The night air was chilly on her bare arms and legs. It was an excuse for him to get even closer to her, and he took it, wrapping a beefy arm around her, all but hauling her up to his side.

She positively itched to knee him in the balls and then kick his ass on the spot, but she managed to control those urges and instead glance shyly up at him.

“What’s an American girl like you doing here?” he demanded.

She raised an eyebrow. “Are Americans not welcome?”

He chuckled. “No, of course they are welcome.” He stared at her a long moment, obviously studying her with avid curiosity. “You’re different from the other girls. The man you came in with. You belong to him?”

“I don’t belong to anyone,” she said crisply. “I met him outside. I heard about the party and that it was a swanky affair. Thought it would be fun to crash. There were other women picking up dates at the gate.” She shrugged. “I figured why not? I made him look good coming in and now I’m free to mingle, eat good food and have as much as I want to drink.”

“You even sound American,” Nelson said with a chuckle. “So independent. I like American girls. They have fire.”

* * *

“DAMN, she even has me convinced,” Dolphin muttered.

The rest of the team had gathered outside a bar just half a block from the house where the party was being hosted. They were dressed casually. Like a group of guys out for a good time.

“She’s good,” Renshaw said. “Thinks quick on her feet. Smart girl.”

Steele held up his hand as the conversation between P.J. and Nelson resumed. Cole stood in the dark, hands shoved into his pockets as he listened in disgust while the creep came on to her with all the finesse of a rutting bull.

P.J. said and did all the appropriate things. She was believably hesitant and she sounded shy at his forceful proposition.

Nelson turned cajoling, seemingly more excited the more reluctant P.J. came across.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they came to an agreement that they would travel back to her hotel room.

“On my way out,” Donovan said in a low voice they could hear from the transmitter he carried. “I’m giving them a head start, so you’ll see them first. Tag them and make damn sure you keep on her tail. I don’t want anything going wrong.”

Cole swiveled sharply, looking for them to make their appearance.

“He’s taking her out the back. He likely has a car parked behind the house,” Donovan reported.

Cole started to clench his first, and as if sensing his agitation, Steele focused on him. “Stand down. We know where they’re going. We have her on GPS. Get in your vehicles and make the block.”

The others quickly spread out, fading into the evening crowds on the street as they went to their parked vehicles.

“I’ve got a visual,” Donovan said over the wire.

“I wish she wasn’t so damn quiet,” Cole muttered to Dolphin, who was paired with him.

They slid into the BMW and Cole immediately pulled into traffic, looking for Donovan’s car.

He executed a left turn and spotted Donovan’s vehicle just ahead. Some of the tension left him. The hotel was at least a twenty-minute drive across town depending on traffic. Cole wanted to be there yesterday, because he damn sure didn’t want P.J. alone with this asshole any longer than necessary.

As soon as she got him to talk, Cole was pulling the plug on this and he didn’t give a fuck what Donovan or Steele had to say on the matter.

Ahead, traffic slowed and flashing lights illuminated the area. Cole slammed on the brakes and then pounded a frustrated hand on the steering wheel.

“Are they still talking?” he demanded. “Are they caught in this snarl too or are they still heading to the hotel?”

His pulse was racing too hard to get a handle on what was coming through his earpiece. They were all wearing a receiver so they all could hear what transpired with P.J.

“Calm down. They aren’t saying much. Oh wait, okay, yeah, they must be ahead of it. P.J.’s doing good. She’s keeping us posted on her whereabouts without being obvious. Sounds like they’re just pulling into the hotel.”

“Son of a bitch,” Cole fumed. “Do your magic on this fucking GPS and find us a way around this goddamn traffic. I’m not leaving her alone with that slimy little bastard.”

“Relax, Cole. Our P.J. can take out one guy with her hands tied behind her back. She’s a badass.”

“He’s a hell of a lot bigger than her and he’s trained too,” Cole said gruffly.

“Yeah, well my money’s still on our girl. Okay, make a U-turn and then take the next side street to the right. We can circle around by detouring four blocks. Will take a few extra minutes but we should be through.”

Cole and Dolphin both strained to hear the conversation between P.J. and Nelson. It was obvious that she’d just let him into her room, and Cole was growing more nervous by the minute.

“I have a better idea,” Nelson said smoothly. “I have a house not far from here. Every kind of wine you can imagine plus whatever your heart desires to eat.”

“I’m more interested in something a little stronger,” P.J. said coolly.

“Thata girl,” Dolphin said approvingly. “Keep him there and keep him talking.”

“Name your poison,” Nelson said in an amused tone. He was likely thinking that a nice, young American girl had no chance of ever standing up after a few shots.

“Tequila, and I just happen to have a bottle in the liquor cabinet. This hotel is remarkably well stocked. Shall we have a drink to get . . . comfortable?”

“Damn she sounds sexy,” Dolphin said as they flew down the city streets.

“Shut the fuck up,” Cole growled.

Things went completely silent. Cole tapped his earpiece. “Hey, are you hearing anything, Dolphin? Things have gone too quiet.”

Dolphin was silent a moment. “No, not hearing anything, but they might be making drinks.”

Damn it. They were getting closer but the evening traffic sucked ass. Still too many damn pedestrians in the streets. Cole swerved to miss one crossing and kept going, bearing down on the hotel still eight blocks ahead.

He picked up his secure cell, planning to call Donovan or Steele, but he was likely ahead of them and would be on scene first anyway. No point in asking them what they were hearing, because he’d had enough of this bullshit.

He was going in and dragging P.J. out. He could claim to be a jealous boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. Whatever didn’t get her cover blown, but he was pulling the plug because his gut was screaming that this was all wrong and that P.J. was in serious danger.

Five minutes later, he finally screeched into the parking lot of the hotel and parked underneath the awning in front.

“Whoa, wait a minute, Cole, what the fuck are you doing?” Dolphin demanded.

Cole was already out and running into the lobby. Dolphin caught up to him at the elevator and pinned him against the wall while the elevator rose to the top floor.

“I’m going in and taking her out of there,” Cole said. “She’s gone radio silent. This mission is over.”

Just then her voice slid like silk over Cole’s ears.

“I much preferred my hotel,” she said crossly. “I don’t know why it was so important for you to take me somewhere else.”

“Whoa, what?” Dolphin asked.

“Hell no. She’s not leaving this hotel. Check your GPS. Give me her location.”

Dolphin and Cole stepped off the elevator and quietly went to the room next to P.J.’s as Dolphin brought up the handheld GPS.

“It says she’s right there. Next door.”

“But she said why it was so important. Not is,” Cole said as his gut tightened even more. “I don’t like this, Dolphin.”

“The city is beautiful,” P.J. said, once more coming in clearly. “Even the bridge is quaint looking. What river are we crossing?”

Cole and Dolphin exchanged looks and then at the same time hit the adjoining door with enough force to knock it down. They rushed into the hotel room only to find it empty.

The liquor cabinet was open but everything else was exactly as P.J. had left it.

Their gazes tracked downward, and lying on the floor was the jewelry that P.J. had been wearing. The necklace was carelessly strewn and the earrings were scattered as if they’d been ripped off her and discarded. Just as they took in the glittering bracelet that was broken into three pieces, P.J.’s voice came over the wire once more.