Page 30 of Rogue Voice

He nodded. “It should have happened by now, but I haven’t heard anything from my team.”

Fear made her shiver. If her uncle caught up with them, he would make both of them wish they were dead.

Rogue’s square jaw was clenched tighter than she’d ever seen it before, his full lips pursed in thought. He probably didn’t realize how formidable he looked, but looking at him now it seemed ridiculous that she’d ever believed him to be one of her uncle’s men. He was a tough man, full of edges, but he was nothing like them.

Yet she had to remember he was a good actor. He’d proven that, back at thehacienda. She believed him when he said he’d get her out, but she had no idea what would happen then. Perhaps … perhaps the military wouldn’t want to let her go.

You might have exchanged one prison for another.The fear inside her grew, thick as the night around them. Soon, her breaths were coming in little pants. She kept going, one foot in front of another, but she wasn’t getting enough oxygen into her lungs. She put out her hand in the darkness—felt herself sway, would have fallen, but something stopped her. Someone.

Rogue’s arms went around her, her back pressed tight against his chest, close enough that she could feel his strong, steady heartbeat. Leaning back against his strength, she couldn’t help but trust him. Slowly, she felt herself begin to relax. Her lungs filled with air once again.

Bea turned her head to look at him, needing to see his face. “Call them,” she said. “Call your friends.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do. I haven’t been able to get a signal yet, but I think we’re high enough now that—” As if on cue, his phone buzzed lightly. He didn’t get to say anything before a man started speaking in a crisp British accent, loud enough for her to make out the words.

“Abort, Rogue. You’re going to have to stay in character a bit longer. The Colombian Army delayed the attack. We’re working with them, but it’s going to take some time to?—”

“Fuck. Fuck,” Rogue said. For once, he didn’t look confident. He looked at her, and his eyes were full of worry.

Worry for me.

“I can’t abort. I’m no longer at thehacienda. I left a few hours ago.”

The British voice gave an exasperated sigh. “Okay. Hide in the jungle. It will be a day at most. We will find you.”

Rogue’s hand gripped the phone so tightly, she was sure the plastic was about to crack. “I have Cruz’s niece with me. She’s in trouble. I couldn’t leave her behind.” The pause this time was long enough for Bea to wonder if they’d lost the connection.

“Tell me you’re fucking kidding me.”

Bea shrank back at the icy tone coming from the phone.

“Does it sound like I’m kidding, Thorne?” Rogue said angrily. His Australian accent was stronger now that he was angry.

Thorne.Bea committed the name to memory. She wasn’t liking the guy much, so far.

“Fuck,” Rogue repeated. A series of emotions flitted through his deep, gray eyes. Fear. Worry. Despair. Then he blinked, and his eyes were ice again. He turned around and walked away from her, still gripping the phone in his hand.

Rogue

He’d been so stupid.So fucking stupid.He should have realized plans could change. He should have waited for the attack to be confirmed before making his getaway, but he’d been worried about getting Bea caught in the crossfire. And he’d been cocky.I wanted a head start.

“What were you thinking of?” Thorne asked. Rogue could hear the contained anger in the man’s voice. Thorne was not a man to mess with, and Rogue knew this certainly counted as messing with him.

“What’s going on?” Another voice. American accent.It was Dark.

“Rogue walked out of thehaciendawith a girl. And not just any girl—Cruz’s niece.”

“But we’re not ready?—”

“I know. We need more time.”

He looked at Bea, standing in the clearing. Far enough that she wouldn’t be able to hear the conversation, but not so far that he couldn’t reach her if he needed to. He didn’t like the thought of her out in the jungle alone. Her dark eyes were wide with fear, and Rogue felt the undeniable urge to take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay.

“How much time?” he growled in a low voice.

“It’s not happening tonight, Rogue,” Dark said, his voice laden with feeling.

Rogue had been told once, by an American girlfriend, that Australians used the wordfucktoo much. She was probably right. But, sometimes, there was no better word in the English language.

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