Free Transference by Sydney Katt

so their parting had been inevitable. He kept telling himself that throughout the day as though it made a difference. As long as he remembered he had a plan to follow, he could easily put up his guard and stop himself from doing the one thing he wanted, from taking the one thing he wanted for himself that was actually within his reach.
    He clung to the belief that what he was doing was right as the day wore on, until dusk finally overtook the orange-hued sun. Crossing the Mexican border was a simple undertaking. Chartering a plane to Costa Rica was even easier – especially since all of the details were worked out in advance; Eli Barrows had already paid the necessary bribes.
    Allison remained silent through all of it. Every moment.
    That was just as well. Trying to keep up some kind of companionable banter with her while he was actively trying to dissuade himself from proposing that they forget the plan would be impossible. Just like the entire situation.
    Adam Barrows would be angry if Brad didn't deliver Allison to him as promised, but he'd get over it in time. Eli was another story entirely. It was unlikely that Adam or Allison knew the true extent of his criminal past, but with the kind of money the brothers now had at their disposal - and the lack of money Brad had at his - he could hire someone to chase them around the globe until they succeeded in killing Brad and taking Allison against her will. Or he'd have her killed too.
    Eli had never been a particularly forgiving man once crossed. Brad could only guess that the woman who broke his little brother's heart wouldn't get any special treatment.
    After their arrival at the makeshift airstrip, Brad led the way on the lengthy hike to the meeting point. Though Allison lagged behind, she was only a few paces back each time he turned to check on her. He desperately wanted to get there before they were forced to stop for the night. The look of pain in her eyes every time he turned to her was all he needed to see to know...well, to know something he didn't need to know; something he never wanted to face.
    What the hell was wrong with him? This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Allison Waverly was a job, an assignment. That was it. He didn't care about her. He couldn't.
    Just like he couldn't grow to care about her as more than an asset during the time he'd spent befriending her.
    At a clearing not far from the designated meeting point, Brad stopped and pulled out his phone under the guise of checking for the signal he'd been without since boarding the plane. In reality, he just wanted to give her time to rest. If the last three weeks had taught him nothing else, it was that Allison was as stubborn as she was passionate. No power on this earth would let her pride ask for a breather.
    "I heard about a car explosion in Texas." Eli emerged from the largest of the gathering shadows. "I assumed that was your doing."
    Brad smirked at him. "It was us or them. I picked us."
    "Probably a good call, Markenson." He looked around. "You didn't get Allison mixed up in too much of that, did you?"
    "He did his job, Eli," Allison replied, walking around Brad into his field of vision. "Markenson doesn't know how not to do his job." She gave Eli a small smile. "Hello, by the way."
    Eli gave her an awkward nod, almost like he wasn't sure if he was supposed to hug her or not. "I'm sorry you got caught up in all this, Allison, but I'm glad you're here now. You risked everything to help me...that means something." His face was stoic, but his voice was sincere. "We may be safe here, but I don't consider any of this over. I don't know how yet, but we will fix things."
    Brad had several ideas on that front. "You could start by having Stafford killed."
    Eli shifted his oversized frame uncomfortably and then finally chuckled. "Yeah. Looks like you've already made some headway on that."
    "Not enough."
    "Clearly." Eli turned his attention back to Allison. "But killing her doesn't clear Allison or my