Page 54 of Exposed
“Dude, that’s perfect. Just drop down to my balcony and you’re home free.”
He eased the glass door open further and stepped onto the smooth wooden deck. Glass encased the length of the patio, providing an unobstructed view of the ocean.
Something he could do without.
He reached into the suite and closed the curtains, and then eased the door shut in case someone decided to close it.
A soft whistle echoed in the night. He inched his way to the railing and peered over. Dylan waved at him, his white teeth flashed mischievously. He thought this was funny. The fucking bastard.
“Hurry up, I can see your vagina from here.”
Nate’s hands dug into the metal rail. In a minute, Dylan wasn’t going to be happy to be face-to-face with him. He shot him the finger, glanced over his shoulder, and then heaved himself up onto the railing. The salty wind swirled around him and the bright white of the full moon illuminated his way down… all the way to the black sea.
He swallowed, swung his legs over, and balanced his toes on the edge of the overhang. All he had to do was drop down, hang from the overhang, and swing onto the deck below.
Not an easy feat for the average person, but for him, it should be no sweat. His military training had been intense, and recon put that to shame. Difference was, none of that had been with the ocean beneath him. Since when had he become such a pussy? Dylan was right.
A soft grunt sounded from his throat as he crouched down, grasped the smooth overhang in his hands, and lowered himself over the abyss. Sweat collected between his traps and trickled down his spine. The edge of the overhang dug deeply into his palms, his weight bearing down even harder. His shoulders bunched, the muscles straining to hold onto the sharp edge. Dylan’s hand grasped his ankle and guided his foot to the rail below.
The balls of his feet balanced on the curved surface. His teeth ground together, shooting pain through his jaw as his limbs stretched. Dylan grasped the back of his knee.
“Let go and jump, bro. I’ve got you,” he whispered.
Nate released his death grip on the ledge and leaped forward. His feet connected with the deck below, the impact vibrated through his bones. But he’d made it. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist and straightened.
Dylan clapped him on the shoulder. “C’mon. We gotta listen in to Carlos, they’re bringing Maddie in. It’s not good.”
Nate breathed a curse as he followed Dylan through the patio door. His heart constricted in his chest and his stomach clenched. He should have stayed in their damn suite.
CHAPTER 18
Alight flickeredin the brightly lit hallway as Maddie moved slowly toward her suite. She swallowed. Please, God. Don’t let the power go out again. If it did, she’d have a stroke. Her heart beat frantically against her chest like the wings of a hummingbird.
Carlos’s voice had been rough and demanding when he’d requested she come up to their room. Now. Though he hadn’t shouted, he’d hovered on the brink of losing his temper like a coiled snake ready to pounce.
Her breath strangled in her throat and she forced air into her lungs. This was stupid. What could he want to talk to her about? She had the encrypted phone tucked into the lining of her clutch, so he hadn’t discovered it. She had nothing else that could incriminate her.
Where the hell was Nate? She’d called him the second she’d hung up with Carlos and he hadn’t answered. That wasn’t like him. She’d sent a text, explaining that Carlos had demanded she return to the room—no response.
Icy fingers of fear curled around her heart. Had something happened to him? Had Carlos discovered their relationship and—
Oh, God.
Could he have planted a camera or bug in their room and seen her screw Nate on the desk? Blood pounded through her veins and hammered against her temples. She blew air out through her lips. Whatever he wanted, she would deal with it. As long as she wasn’t wound like a spring she could talk herself outof anything. And if she couldn’t… well, she could at least kick his ass.
The door yanked open. Her hand fluttered to her chest and she staggered backward. Hector’s big, meaty fingers curled around her wrist and he towed her inside. His mouth was set into a thin, grim line. His greasy hair curled around his ears and the heavy scent of body odor burned her nostrils.
She tore her arm from his grasp and curled her lip. She didn’t need to put on a show for this asshole, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him manhandle her.
“Where’s Carlos?”
“I’m in here,” he called from the office doorway. He still wore his neatly pressed navy-blue suit and white checkered shirt. A bright red tie brought out the deep olive tone of his skin and his green eyes flashed at her. He might be a creep, but he knew how to dress.
His jaw bore thick stubble below his full bottom lip. He shoved his hands in his pockets and jerked his head toward the inside of the office.
“Come in here please, darling. There’s something I’d like to show you.” He turned his back and disappeared inside the office.
She pressed her tongue to the back of her teeth and curled her fingers at her sides. She moved passed Hector, ignoring the salacious smirk at the corner of his mouth. She lifted her chin and her high-heels clicked on the floor as she breezed down the hallway.
