Navy SEAL Noel Read Online Free Page B

her ire, and he pressed a finger to his lips. She immediately dropped her volume, but she couldn’t hide the vibrato of her voice. “You left, and suddenly you’re back when I need someone the most? I don’t understand.” Her hands shook and her eyes glistened as her emotions jumped to the forefront.
    True. Everything she’d said was true, but this wasn’t the time to rehash his immature stupidity. They needed to make a plan, but he had a feeling she was too exhausted to think tactically. That was fine—he needed at least a day to get the lay of the land, anyway. And meanwhile, she needed sleep and to know she was safe enough to truly give in to it.
    â€œJess, I’m sorry. You’re right. I do owe you an explanation. But maybe that can wait. For now, can you trust me enough to believe that I will find a way to get you out of here?”
    â€œAnd the Morsyni powder?”
    â€œYes. I’ll get you both out.”
    The features of her face were still pinched as she pointed toward the outside wall. “How? You can’t exactly climb over that fence. And there are guards everywhere. How are you going to get us out of here?”
    â€œI’m not sure yet. But I’ll come up with something. Just give me some time.”
    Her eyes grew wide. “We don’t have time. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with the toxin, but it’s going to happen soon. All day my guard has been muttering to himself that he only has to deal with me for eight more days. I think they brought me here to release the Morsyni. What if they get impatient? What if we don’t even have that long?”
    A slow grin spread across his face, and she stopped her frantic speech. “What are you smiling about?” she demanded.
    â€œNothing.” But it wasn’t nothing. Jess had said
we.
She was going to stick with him. She trusted him enough to think of them as a team. And the rest of the trust he had to earn back...well, that would come with time. “I will find a way out, all right? And until then, I’m going to be by your side as much as possible. You just have to pretend that you don’t know me.”
    She uncrossed her arms and leaned against the sink, her palms resting on the lip of porcelain. It looked as if it took all of her strength to stay on her feet. “Why?”
    â€œThe powers that be inside this drug cartel think they brought me here to help you release a bioweapon. They think I’m an engineer.”
    â€œBut you’re not, are you? What do you know about science?”
    â€œAbout as much as I picked up in our sophomore-year chemistry class.”
    â€œSo why do they think you can help me?” She squinted, the turning cogs in her mind nearly visible beneath the fair skin of her forehead.
    â€œA friend of mine in the DEA used one of her undercover contacts to spread my name—well, the name William Darrow—around as an expert on Morsyni, and this cartel took the bait. They hauled me in—just like they did you.”
    She blinked fast, pressing a palm against her forehead and swaying slightly. It was a lot of information to take in at one time. A lot to think about on severely limited sleep. He got that. “So we don’t know each other,” she finally said.
    â€œRight. They’re going to drag me to your lab tomorrow and introduce us. I need you to act like you’ve never met me before in your life.”
    â€œAll right.”
    He rubbed his palm up and down her arm, either to steady her swaying form or to see if this time she’d accept his touch, his comfort.
    Definitely the first.
    Probably.
    No, it had to be the first because there could never be anything more than friendship between them.
    â€œWe’ve got to stay under the radar and keep the guards off our scent,” he said. “Can you help me maintain my cover until we get out of the country?”
    â€œPanama.” Her