Free Hard to Hold by Incy Black Page A

head, and then reached for
     her phone. “Meet me,” she snapped when Nick answered his phone. “One hour from now
     at Club Nadir , or by God, I’ll call in every favor I’m owed and stage the biggest Freedom of Information
     demonstration outside the Cube, you won’t have to worry about explaining what goes
     on it there to the public, because the whole bloody Service will be forced to relocate.
     Abroad!”
    …
    In exactly fifty-nine minutes, Nick arrived at the shabby nightclub. Still, she’d
     beaten him to it, and just to rub in the past, she’d occupied their old table. The one in the corner. Private but affording the best view of the dance
     floor. Not that he danced—well, maybe once or twice with Anna, but each time it had
     damn near gotten them chucked out of the club. Some heat was better shared in private—but
     he’d never regretted spending many a hot hour, hard as rock, watching her gyrate.
    He sucked in a breath and stole a moment just to stare at the only woman who’d damn
     near bought him to his knees. She’d driven him insane most of the time, but fuck,
     it had been worth every recklessly, dangerous second. And he missed the chaos. The
     raw tension of never knowing what she’d do next. And most of all, her wicked laugh,
     impossible to resist. Not that he’d be hearing much of that tonight. He could tell
     she was sorely pissed from the set of her shoulders, and as he drew nearer, weaving
     his way through the bodies pulsing to the heavy beat of music, from the dangerous
     blaze in her eyes.
    This was going to be fun. Not.
    He plunked two bottles on the table—a soda for Anna, a beer for him—and took a seat
     opposite her. “Not exactly the easiest place in the world to talk.”
    “That’s the point. You’re not here to talk, Nick, you’re here to listen.”
    He couldn’t help wondering how, given the din. Rather than respond, he reached for
     his bottle, saluted her with it, and took a long, cold draw, looking at her the entire
     time.
    Undeterred, she shifted her bottle to the side and leaned in close. “First off, you’re
     going to withdraw every last member of the security detail you got on me, and then
     you, and the bloody Service if you’ve involved them, are going to back right off…”
    He slow-blinked her, then leaned back against the spine of his chair and tightened
     his lips. He’d let her continue, uninterrupted for now.
    “And then, when you’ve done all that, you can apologize for interfering in my goddamn
     life without my say so.”
    “Have you finished?”
    “Depends on whether you’ve listened or not.”
    God, and to think he’d almost forgotten that sulky pout of hers. Wiped it from his
     memory with more bottles of whisky than he cared to count. “I heard you.”
    “Good, now if you’ll excuse me.” She was on her feet for a fast escape before he could
     draw breath.
    He snaked out his hand and wrapped it around her wrist like a handcuff. He tugged
     just hard enough to return her to her seat. “At least have the courtesy of allowing
     me to respond. No. No. And as for an apology, hell no.”
    “I wasn’t giving you a choice, Nick. I don’t want you in my life.”
    Too bad. As long as she was in danger, he wasn’t going anywhere. “Can’t say I blame
     you, but it’s you who is without a choice. I’m going to be all over you like a rash
     until this little mess of yours is sorted out. Then, trust me, I’ll be only too pleased
     to get the hell out of your life and to stay out of it this time. Is Hong Kong far
     enough away for you?” He’d had an offer. Triads had infiltrated the Ministry of State
     Security out there, and his cleanup skills were in demand.
    “I doubt anywhere is far enough away…”
    He frowned. He got that she didn’t want him around, but that was rude, even for Anna.
     And why had she suddenly sounded so bleak?
    “Look, Nick, either you back off, or I will go to the Commander with a complaint. You used up