Free Fallen Rogue by Amy Rench Page A

dangerous.
    But she was also a vulnerable and broken woman. And alone. He could not forget how the doubtful look on her lovely face changed into hesitant belief at his condo. Belief in him. He’d asked her to trust him and she had. In return, he’d brought her to this hellacious place. He’d had to once he’d seen what she could do. Even if his instincts screamed otherwise.
    It was the worst damn no-win situation he’d ever been in. There was no good choice for him. No lesser of two evils because both choices were equally nasty in their own hideous ways.
    Yet he couldn’t stay away for another minute. He needed to see her. To be sure he’d done the right thing.
    “Can I observe?” Rome added a detached note of interest to his voice.
    That got Jeff’s attention. His boss didn’t look up, but he stopped reading. Rome knew it was unusual that he was even here, let alone wanting to take a peek, but he had to make sure Harper was okay. She brought out his protective instinct. She touched something deep inside him and he needed to find out what it was and why.
    “No.” Jeff’s reply was definite. No room for negotiation. But that had never stopped Rome before.
    “C’mon, Jeff.” Rome chuckled, adding a smirk for good measure. “It’s been a while.” True. He hadn’t been down there for some time, with the exception of the order to find Harper a few days ago.
    “We’re taking care of her,” Jeff repeated with a stern and direct stare, leaning back in his chair, his full concentration on Rome now. Finally.
    “Fine.” Rome returned the chilled stare with one of his own, treading carefully, not wanting to give Jeff any reason to be suspicious. He wasn’t sure at all that Jeff was being straight with him, either. Something in the way he was responding was prickling Rome’s instincts. And not in a good way. “Any more jobs?”
    “No,” Jeff replied, giving Rome a narrowed look and straightening his navy striped tie before turning his attention back to his all-important papers, ending their brief discussion.
    Brief but informative. Jeff fully believed in letting you know only what he thought you needed to know. Working with him over the years had taught Rome a great deal about learning to figure out what wasn’t being said by what little was said.
    The repeated “we’re taking care of her” meant she was still in the facility. The adamant refusal to let himobserve meant they were still working on her. And the firm disinclination to even discuss it with Rome meant Jeff was having a hard time getting what he wanted from her.
    So Harper was out-toughing Jeff. Rome had to fight to keep a smile off his face, thinking about her gumption and strength. He could count on one hand the number of people who were able to outlast Jeff’s “care.” Being aware of Jeff’s methods, Rome knew that was an extraordinarily impressive feat. And the same knowledge also made him cringe deep down.
    But now he could do something about it. Now, through Jeff’s noninformation, Rome knew the level of security he’d have to go through to get to her.
    And he would get to her. Otherwise he’d go crazy. Well, crazier than he’d been without her.
    “Later, boss,” Rome said with a wave, halfway out the door. Jeff grunted without looking up from his reading. Yes, the man was definitely on edge. Rome shook his head and ambled down the hallway that looked like every other drab hallway in the place.
    His destination was the bottom floor, which housed the idiotically dubbed “romper rooms.” Also known as the rooms decorated wall to wall with torture and experimental equipment. Rome quickened his steps at the thought of Harper down there.
    And he’d put her there.
    The cool halls were empty, as were the rough stairwells. There were no elevators and very little electronics. Basically it was a cross between a crude basement and a rustic cave. No surveillance, either. No one could get in or out of the facility unless you knew how, so