Running Read Free Page A

rugged looking. Wilder.
And she’d always compared Sebastian to a cat, the way he moved. But
this guy—this guy was more like a wolf.
    But they were related,
she’d bet money on it.
    And keeping that knowledge
to herself could only work in her and Carrie’s favor.
    “ Just drive, Red. No
questions, toots. And put the radio on, will you? I hate car rides
without some music. And no country. I can’t stand it.” He sat back,
seeming to relax. But he never took his eyes off Al.
    The next two hours were
quiet, except for him occasionally giving Carrie driving orders as
she navigated through the steadily increasing snow. Al just watched
him. The longer they drove the more convinced she was that he was
injured in some way. His eyes were pained, and he’d paled a bit
beneath the tan. But his hand was tight and steady on his
gun.
    Once they hit the
interstate out of the city and headed toward Texas he relaxed a
bit.
    “ When are you going to let
us go?” Al asked. His knee was touching hers, the heat of him
scorching her through her jeans. “We didn’t do anything to
you.”
    “ No. You didn’t. And I’m
sorry to involve you in this. But your lot in this is not going to
change. I need to get where I need to go, and then the two of you
can go about your merry way.”
    “ I need to use the
restroom,” Carrie said, the first she’d spoken in a long
while.
    “ We’ve only been in the car
ten minutes!” He said it with fake exasperation. “I told you to go
before I kidnapped you!”
    “ Al—”
    “ Give it a rest, pal. We’re
not in the mood for teasing.” Al did have to go, too. And she was
so tired it was a fight to keep her eyes open. She hadn’t slept for
close to thirty something hours, she was bruised and sore from her
last case, and her adrenaline was wearing off. Fast. And the motion
of the car was starting to lull her more than she wanted. “We need
a bathroom, water, and something to eat. Or do you plan on denying
us the basics?”
    “ I plan on meeting all of
your needs, eventually, baby. Red here, gets an exception, seeing
as how she’s got that dog husband of hers.” He grinned at her as he
said it, and if she looked at him just right it was Sebastian
Lorcan there beside her.
    “ Sure you
do. I’m so looking forward to it.” She stared at him for a long
moment. “At least tell us your name. And stop calling me baby , and toots , and calling
her Red . We have
names. I’m sure you do, too.” What would he say? Would he
say Lorcan ? If he
did, should she tell him about Sebastian? Would Carrie? Was it
Carrie’s place to out herself, if he didn’t already recognize
him?
    “ Sweetheart, sexy women
like you and Red here deserve pet names. But you can call me honey,
or whatever you want.”
    “ How
about your real name.”
    “ That would be Seth, Al.
What’s it short for? I’ve known a few Al’s in my life—none looked
quite like you.”
    Al fought the urge to roll
her eyes when he leered at her. He thought he was being funny,
didn’t he? Like she’d not been leered out before. Like she’d not
been leered at in the last thirty-six hours even. “It’s short for
Alessandra. Supervisory Special Agent Alessandra Brockman, with
PAVAD. She’s Special Agent Carrie Sparks L—”
    “ He can
call me Agent Sparks. Nothing else.” Carrie was looking at her, Al realized.
With intent. Carrie knew something, something that Al didn’t. And
for whatever reason Carrie didn’t want her last name revealed.
Why?
    Whatever it was, Al would
follow Carrie’s lead.
    For now.

Chapter Six
    ***
     
    Paige was sleeping at her
desk when the alarm was sounded, and it ripped her awake within
seconds. No surprise; the alarm was designed to alert the entire
division when something was wrong. It was Ed Dennis’s specific
all-hands-on-deck bell. The director of PAVAD had had Carrie and
J.T. specifically design the system for his use, and he’d secured
the funding for its installation pretty fast after his