Page 56 of Her Reluctant Hero
Chapter Ten
“What’s the signal?” Alex quizzed as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, layering on eye makeup. In the harsh bathroom light the dark eyeshadow made her look hard, but maybe that was only the determined look in her eyes.
She flicked her gaze to his in the mirror. “Seriously, Alex, I’m not an idiot.”
“No, but you’ve never done this before. You could get nervous. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, right?”
She gave her attention back to her mascara. “No, it’s not.”
“So the signal?”
“I pull on my bra.”
“Not the straps, but the band.” He inspected the peach-colored lacy garment critically. It cupped her full breasts, but allowed anyone looking to see her dark nipples beneath. “Are you going to take it off?”
“Not if I can get away with not,” she said. “I’ll have to see what the other girls are doing.”
“Because it will be hard to tug on it if some lecherous old guy has it wrapped around his head.”
“I know.”
“So if Jorge says he’s taking you to Santiago or Hector, you tug at the band.”
“I know,” she said through her teeth, tossing her eyeliner back in her makeup case. “I’ve got it.”
She pushed out the bathroom past him to go to the closet. She pulled out a cream-colored slinky knit dress, inspected it and slipped it on, tying it at her waist like a robe. As far as he could see, that was the only fastening.
“Nervous?”
She scooped her loose hair back from her face. “I haven’t danced in four years.”
“I’m sure it’ll come back to you, easy as riding a pole.”
Her body went rigid and she whipped her head around. “Can we call a halt to that? Just for tonight, can’t you be on my side?”
Her voice was choked, making him wonder when the last time anyone had been on her side. He nodded once, burying his concern. How come he could trust the men in his company but couldn’t bring himself to trust her?
“I don’t like this plan. It’s needlessly risky.”
“Noted.” She slipped her bare feet into incredibly high strappy sandals.
“Bella—”
“You can get back to me on this when someone you love is missing,” she said sharply. “Now, this is hard enough without me having to worry about you. Are you going to take me or not?”
Something in her voice had him reaching for her, curling his fingers into a fist and withdrawing before he said, “What you’re doing—it’s very brave.”
“I’ll do anything to get my son back,” was all she said.
He stepped back, toward the door. “Let’s go.”
She was silent on the ride over, but gave him a small smile before climbing out of the truck to go into the bar. Alex hung back, waited about fifteen minutes before he followed. They were the longest fifteen minutes, unable to track her and what trouble she could be getting into.
He paid his cover and passed through the metal detector. When he walked into the club, dark except for the lights around the bar and the spotlights on the stage, he scanned quickly for danger, aware that he was being scanned as well. He noted Julian in one corner, looking disreputable with a scruffy beard and Dave in a seat by the right stage, across the room from Julian. Dave had let his hair grow, so he didn’t look as military as Alex. Sergeant Major Danes was at the bar.
Jorge was nowhere in sight. Alex hoped he wasn’t in the back harassing Isabella. He hoped he wasn’t in the back doing anything else to her, either.
No, Isabella wouldn’t sleep with Jorge without knowing he had information. At least, Alex hoped she wasn’t that desperate.
