Free Locked and Loaded by Mandy Baxter Page A

car later.” He grabbed her by the elbow and led her along none too gently.
    â€œExcuse me?” Her outrage was a little misplaced considering she’d been the one to throw the monkey wrench into his plans. “I’m not leaving my car here.”
    â€œYeah,” Mason replied. “You are. You think Kieran just toddled off without a care in the world after this little reunion?” Charlie’s heels clicked triple time to keep up with Mason’s wide stride through the parking lot. God, that sound drilled right into his damn cranium. “He’s probably watching us. Or has someone watching us. Odds are we’ll be followed from here on out. Which means you can’t go home, either.”
    Her indignant tone cranked up by a decibel with every word. “What do you mean, I can’t go home?”
    Mason had to admit he liked her fire. “Do you want him to find out who you really are, Charlie? Because believe me, it won’t be hard.”
    â€œOh my God.”
    She spoke the words under her breath, but Mason caught them just the same. He wasn’t helping the situation with his harsh words, rushing her across the parking lot. If Kieran was watching them—and he’d be a fool not to—their behavior would appear antagonistic at best. They were supposed to be partners. Trusting. Comfortable. Confident.
    Mason forced his pace to slow and he relaxed by small degrees. The hand that gripped Charlie’s elbow slid down her forearm before he released his hold. Her skin was like satin against his. Warm. Mason pushed the momentary distraction from his mind and continued toward his car. They were supposed to be business partners, nothing more.
    â€œMy car’s over there.”
    â€œI can’t leave my car here,” Charlie insisted again. Her tone had lost a little of its fire. “How in the hell am I supposed to get back here to pick it up?”
    â€œWe’ll figure that out later.” Mason pulled his keys out of his pocket and hit the fob to unlock the shiny yellow Camaro.
    Charlie’s mouth puckered into an amused half smile and she said, “Well, you’ve got the right car for the part you’re playing.”
    Fast and sexy, maybe. But hardly up to par for the world he was about to be immersed in. His Camaro was a dilapidated POS compared to the luxury vehicles Kieran and his crew rolled in.
    Mason pulled open the door at the same time Charlie opened hers and they climbed into their seats. He couldn’t even take the time for a few calming breaths inside the privacy of his own damn car. Kieran had eyes everywhere. He wouldn’t be able to truly relax until he was back at his place. Hell, maybe not even then.
    â€œWhere are we going?”
    Back in time, he wished. To before he agreed to work for Carrera. Mason turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. “My place. I need to decompress and figure out what my next move is going to be.”
    Charlie glanced his way. “Don’t you mean our next move?”
    â€œIs there any situation where you don’t find yourself compelled to be a total control freak? Like I said, you don’t know anything about Kieran. I do. And now I have to figure you into the equation in a way that won’t end up getting us both killed.”
    â€œI’m not an idiot, Mason.” Charlie’s melodramatic—not to mention offended—tone should have been annoying, but it was starting to grow on Mason. He’d never met a feistier woman.
    â€œNo, but you’re not a criminal, either.”
    She cocked a challenging brow. “And you are?”
    He pinned her with his gaze. “Close enough.”
    * * *
    Charlie wondered at the sudden sadness in Mason’s tone. She’d researched his history with CBP and found Mason to be a stellar Customs agent. One of their best, in fact. She also knew that he’d applied to the U.S. Marshals Service