Free Deep Rising (An Outside the Lines Novel) (Entangled Select) by N.R. Rhodes Page B

and ages of the vehicles in the employee parking area, he immediately discerned that the people working at the private airport lacked the affluence of the wealthy patrons utilizing it.
    Pressing the button on the remote key, Jared listened intently. He guided Lana over two rows then cut left. The SUV remained standard issue for a surveillance mission: large, tinted, nondescript in color and model. It would serve its purpose. He cut around to the passenger door and unlocked it. Holding the door open, he waited for Lana to climb inside the vehicle. He crossed around the front of the truck, got in, and buckled up.
    A navigation system in the dashboard flickered on. A female voice instructed him to turn right onto the highway.
    “I love technology,” Jared admitted as he pulled onto the main roadway.
    Lana smiled. She leaned back in the seat and stared at the lush, verdant landscape of the Big Island.
    “A couple of places would make particularly good targets,” she said.
    “If they’re the ones you noted in your thesis, teams are in place at them already. It’s the ones you didn’t mention or areas that weren’t accessible or available at the time you wrote your paper that I need to investigate.”
    “I can think of a few offhand, but I was pretty general in my predictions. Any spot along the flanks of Kilauea can work, if you dig deep enough. Miles of lava fields are completely deserted and unprotected. Getting the proper drilling equipment into position wouldn’t be easy, but it would certainly allow for ease of opportunity.”
    Jared grunted. Although he kept his eyes on the road, he frequently checked the rearview mirror. Thus far, they remained alone. Leaning over the passenger seat, he reached for the glove compartment. Lana’s sharp intake of breath caused him to focus his attention on her face. He studied her expression.
    “Tense, Lana?” he asked.
    “Er, no. You startled me is all.”
    There it was again, that teensy little spark of vulnerability—and awareness—that made him want to touch her. As if he needed any reminders. Problem was, when she responded, when she gasped or gaped or stared at him with those pretty eyes, something neolithic kicked in, and his thoughts took a decidedly less-civilized turn. So rather than reaching for the glove box, he wanted to reach for her .
    Cut the crap, Caldwell .
    He opened the glove compartment and extracted a gun.
    At her raised brow, he said, “Another gun can’t hurt.”
    “How many are you carrying? Forget it. I don’t want to know.” She tilted her head as though a thought had just occurred to her. “If you notified the government and they have military teams in position, what are we doing here?”
    “You cooked up this whole scenario,” he reminded her. “It’s what you didn’t mention in your thesis that we’re here to investigate. And the jury’s still out on you. For all I know, you might be in league with your brother and working with us only to lead our forces astray.”
    “That’s ridiculous!”
    “It is a distinct possibility. In a situation like this, no one is beyond suspicion. Too much is at risk to chance making a mistake. We’ve gone through this already. I’m banking on your innocence. But that truly remains to be seen.”
    “You’re tedious. And if I finally convince you, then what? I get a gun of my own and you show me the secret handshake?”
    His lips curved. “I was thinking more along the lines of acting on all the fantasies I’ve been weaving since I first set eyes on you.”
    She sputtered before blurting, “And what happens if you decide I’m guilty?”
    The sexy smile evaporated. “You don’t want to know.”

Chapter Nine
    “ What ? ” Lana shrieked.
    Jared kept his eyes on the road. “I’d probably just bring you in.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    “Don’t thank me. If you’re responsible and the Company gets a hold of you…” He shrugged. “I’m the lesser evil.”
    For a second, she allowed herself to