Page 4 of Croatia Collateral

She leaned out, cocking an eyebrow. “Are you armed?”

“No,” he said.

“Well, they are.” She ducked back inside. “Suit yourself.” Her hand reached out to close the door.

Behind him, Dax could hear the muffled sound of footsteps pounding toward him.

He yanked open the car door and slid into the back seat, closing the door as the rear door of the bar burst open.

The car lurched forward, going from zero to really fast in a second. At the first corner, the driver whipped the vehicle to the right as bullets shattered the rear window.

Dax shoved the woman down on the seat and covered her with his body.

Once they were around the side of a building, the gunfire ceased.

He sat up and looked through the shattered back window. “That was close.”

The woman in the red dress sat up straight and raised a handgun from the folds of her dress, pointing it at his chest. “He’s entirely too gullible,” she said.

The driver grunted and kept driving.

Dax frowned down at the gun pointing at his chest.

In quick movement he’d perfected with some of his Marine Force Recon buddies when they’d been bored between missions, he yanked the gun from her hand and turned it on her.

“I’m hungry, tired and don’t have the patience to put up with bullshit.” To the driver, he gave the street address of the Brotherhood Protectors International Headquarters. “Take us there, or I’ll shoot the pretty lady.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me,” he dared.

For a long moment, she glared at him. Finally, she shrugged an elegant shoulder. “It would be a shame to destroy this dress. Where are you taking me?”

“The real question is, where were you taking me?” he asked.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Would you believe for a joy ride?”

“Try again.” His lips pressed into a thin line.

She crossed her arms over her full breasts peeking out of the plunging neckline. “You’ll know soon enough.”

It was his turn to glare at her. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” To the driver, she said, “Take him to where he wants to go.”

The driver nodded once and turned at the following street corner.

They completed the remainder of the ride in silence, Dax trying to decide if he was doing the right thing by taking her to the Brotherhood Protectors International headquarters building. He’d debated letting her go and keeping her gun. But what would stop her from trying to take him again, or some other poor fool?

He hoped Hammer would know what to do with the woman. Dax would at least like to know what her game was.

He kept his eye on her throughout the short drive. Staring at her wasn’t a hardship. He thought it was too bad she’d turned out to be one of the bad guys. He might have enjoyed having a drink with her if she hadn’t been trying to kill him.

The driver slowed the vehicle to a stop next to a curb and looked over his shoulder. “We have arrived.”

One dark eyebrow winged upward on the woman’s face. “What are you going to do with me?”

Using her words, he said, “You’ll know soon enough.” He nodded toward her door. “Get out.”

---