Free Sandman (Unknown Identities #3) by Regan Black

“No. But the end result would have been the same. I had orders to kill your kidnapper.”
    That got her full attention. She paused in the act of tying her shoes and stared at him. Sitting upright she rubbed her hands along her denim-clad thighs. “But no orders to kill Galloway?”
    He shook his head, wondering which answer she preferred. “Your friend’s in custody.”
    “ He is not my friend!”
    Matthew held his hands up. “All right. I won’t use the term again.”
    She launched into a rant anyway. “He’s a bully. I want to claw out his eyes for hurting Selena.”
    “ She’s not hurt –”
    Renata cut him off with a glare. “She has a good heart. If he showed her those pictures of me as you said, if he made her do something she thought betrayed my trust, he hurt her.”
    “ So let’s get even,” he said. “What was in your apartment that he wanted so badly he was willing to sacrifice his chance to gloat over besting you?”
    He needed to know the potential threat so he could adjust his e scape plan for her accordingly.
    The color drained from her face and she reached for the bri ght yellow stone on her finger, running her thumb over the gold band. He tried not to read anything into the action.
    “ The first time I came around, I worried this might be about Neal.”
    Matthew tensed , not following the transition. It was the first time he’d heard the name. The tech at the office hadn’t mentioned her connection to any particular man. His gaze automatically fell to the citrine ring on her finger. Why wear the ring he’d given her if she was seeing someone else? “Who is Neal?”
    “ Just a ridiculously wealthy man with convenient commitment issues. I was headed to his place in Madrid.”
    “ Why?” She was lying, at the very least omitting an important detail.
    “ To holiday in a beautiful place with a wealthy man of course.” She pushed to her feet, suddenly busy with sorting through the things in the duffel bag.
    “ Renata.”
    She whipped around. “Oh, stop judging me. You gave up any claim on me when you ran off and died without a word.”
    And yet she continued to wear his ring. “If there had been another option –”
    “ Stop. Just… stop.” She sank onto the cot again. “I don’t have the energy for this battle. Thank you for the assist on the rescue. If you’ll just get me back to the city, I can take it from there.”
    “ No.”
    “ No?”
    “ You heard me. You aren’t safe there.”
    Her chin came up in a defiant tilt as she crossed her arms. He had to concentrate to keep his eyes on her face rather than her chest. “Am I your prisoner now, Matthew?”
    An image came to mind, unbidden, of her handcuffed to an iron bedpost while he buried his face between her sweet thighs until she was screaming his name.
    “Oh! I can’t believe you!” She threw the duffel at him. “You know what I meant.”
    He cleared his throat. “I know you’re still in danger and I’m not letting you out of my sight until –”
    The y both turned toward the sound of laughter, but he couldn’t see anyone. “Who’s there?” Matthew called.
    “ Dude, this is funny but you have to get out of here.”
    Matthew swiveled toward the voice coming now from the doorway to the big barn. “Show yourself!”
    “ No time, Sandman. A Cleaner’s got your number.”
    The term for the elite assassins trained by UI struck like a cold hammer t o his gut. Was this a trick or a trap? It sure wasn’t a training exercise. Cleaners weren’t assigned unless the ammo load was live and the target needed to die.
    “ Who are you?” Matthew tossed the question toward the shadows where he thought the other agent was lingering.
    “ I’m a friend for now,” the man had moved again.
    Which meant they were on their own as soon as circumstances changed. “Renata, get to the car,” Matthew ordered.
    “ Better listen,” the voice said.
    Matthew ’s car started with a deep rumble and he looked to the backpack