Page 86 of Bad Rio

Becca shuddered, suddenly very cold. Harrison was planning murder.

She couldn’t look away from Rio. “We need to get Rio medical care,” she told Paxton. “His wound has reopened.”

“We’ll see he gets attention,” Paxton said, getting out a cell phone and calling for a doctor.

Scooting closer to him, Becca leaned into Rio. “Who was the man, anyway? That—that Harrison?”

Rio grimaced. “Believe it or not, he was my boss.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Drained and exhausted, Becca stumbled into her condo, saying she could think only of sleep.

Rio understood. They’d spent hours at the police station explaining matters, being interviewed. The federal agents they’d worked with before were called in. It was past dawn before they were released. Finally, he’d had to sit for a nurse, called in to re-stitch his injury and give him a new shot.

Behind her, Rio flipped closed the new deadbolt locks and followed her into the bedroom. Without talking, they stripped off clothing, and dropped it to the floor where they stood. He took two painkillers. Carefully minding his newly-stitched wound, they made love quietly. Their orgasms came in a short rush, and soon Becca fell into a deep slumber.

Holding her in his arms, Rio found sleep elusive. Now that Becca was safely out of danger, he was confident she would no longer need his protection. The threats had been neutralized and he was glad.

He guessed he’d go back to work for some government entity that could use his talents. He wasn’t a doctor, didn’t have a law degree, what else would he do for a living? Dig ditches? No, his skills earned in the elite Special Forces had served him well in civilian life, and he’d made money utilizing them. That was where his talents lay, and he’d continue on. He was a mercenary. His expertise was bought and paid for.

With a grim fatalism, he realized that his sort of life left no room for a woman like Becca. She’d expect, and she’ddeserve, someone reliable, someone steady. Not a man often sent to far-flung lands, constantly putting his life at risk.

Rio knew she and her brothers would figure out a way to continue running their father’s business. They liked the work and were proficient in that industry. The corporation would become theirs. Becca would be all right.

She wouldn’t need him anymore.

One day she’d find someone who answered to a nine-to-five, a nice, good guy who’d be home for dinner. He’d take care of her, take care of their kids.

The notion of her bearing another man’s children stabbed into him, and he took a hard breath. He didn’t like considering such an outcome. In fact, he hated it.

Without thinking, he tightened his hold around her naked, sleeping body. She stirred, and he made a conscious attempt to loosen his grip. The effort actually made him grimace.

In a moment, he got his head back on track. That other guy he imagined for her was the sort of man she needed, not a nomad like him. Not a man unaccustomed to a placid life devoid of interesting predicaments he must solve using both his brains and his brawn. He was a loner, a man apart. It was time to move on.

Tomorrow.

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