Page 84 of Bad Rio

“This will be a cozy party,” Becca said, as though they were headed for aménage a trois. Tugging her camisole top lower, leaving her breasts nearly bare, she leaned past Rio and gave the older man an impudent grin. When he boldly viewed what she offered, she smiled into his eyes. Taking advantage of his distraction, she slipped her arm across Rio’s back.

He knew instantly that she felt something sticky on his waist, his blood. His wound had reopened, begun to soak through his t-shirt, but not yet through his open button-down shirt.

He felt her fingers trace the outlines of his pistol.

Rio caught her gaze and held it.Take the gun, he tried to communicate silently. Had she gotten the message?

Harrison yanked Rio away from her and closer to him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got him. He’ll feel better once we get to my room.”

She smiled in agreement. “Do you have vodka up there?”

“You bet, honey.” His eyes glittered, and dropped again to her chest. She curled a lock of her hair around a finger and gave him a saucy smile.

An elevator opened, filled with people.

Their little party pressed inside and faced front.

With Harrison on Rio’s right, Becca maintained her position to his left. As the elevator doors closed, they jostled among others.

In the tight confines, Becca again wormed her hand around Rio’s back and eased up his shirt. Her fingers closing around the grip of his Glock, she slid it from his pants and held it close to her side. It disappeared into the folds of her sweater, still hung over her arm.

On the seventh floor, the elevator pinged and the doors opened. They stepped off, and behind them the doorswhooshedclosed. A long hallway stretched out. It was empty.

Rio scanned the area. With Harrison’s pistol still rammed in his wound, he could do little. He needed Becca to get him the weapon.

Had Paxton’s men followed them up? Where the fuck were they? If Harrison managed to get Rio and Becca into his locked hotel room, it would be too late. Harrison was bent on murder.

He needed his Glock.

Beside him, Becca had her hand down her shoulder bag and seemed to be scrounging around the bottom for something. He tried to catch her eye but she was looking into her bag. At the closed door, Harrison stopped and fished out a room card.

Alarm bells clanging, Rio knew they could not go into the enclosed place. Not with him bleeding and weakened, and absolutely not with Becca. In this state, he wouldn’t be able to physically overwhelm Harrison. Although an older man now, Harrison had been a Green Beret. He knew nasty moves they didn’t teach at boot camp or academy. His grip on Rio was strong, punishing. The pistol he kept shoved into his wound was agonizing, and kept him immobile. Harrison was no fool, and he’d be expecting Rio to try something.

Becca chose that moment to act.

Chapter Thirty-Six

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