Ultimate Prey (Book 3 Ultimate CORE) (CORE Series) (11 page)

When he reached the truck and opened the driver’s side door, the interior light showed the irritation hardening Lola’s pretty face. Because his mom had raised him and his brother to be gentlemen, he took her bag, which was heavier than it looked, then led her to the passenger side.

“Before I forget, does this belong to your mom?” he asked, and pulled the ruby earring he’d found in the back of the Mazda from his pocket, then held it under the interior light.

“I don’t think so.” She crinkled her forehead. “At least I’ve never seen her wear them before. Where did you find it?”

“In a car outside the rental house.”

“Right.” She looked away from his hand, but didn’t meet his gaze. “Dante said you went there. Did you find anything?”

The two other agents lingered by the opened, rear driver’s side door. Knowing Lola’s mom was one of the victims they were pursuing, and sensing that he needed to make sure she understood that he wasn’t planning on keeping her out of the loop or hiding anything from her, he took her by the elbow. Once they were out of earshot, he said, “It made sense for me to head over there right away.”

“I know that, and I’m glad you did.” She looked to the ground. “I guess I…never mind.”

“Please, don’t never mind me. We’re going to be working side by side for however long this search takes. From here on out, we’re a team. If you have something to say, say it. I don’t want us getting off on the wrong foot.”

“Did Dante tell you the kidnapper snapped my mom’s pinky?”

He couldn’t read her expression in the dark, but with the way she slumped her shoulders and hugged herself, she looked vulnerable and…scared. Since he had no problem with being called a mama’s boy, and would go after anyone who would be stupid enough to hurt his mom, he didn’t blame Lola. “He told me.”

“Did you find anything else that might indicate…God, this is harder than I thought.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Was there any evidence that he did…anything else to her?”

“None that I could find,” he said, then quickly filled her in on everything he’d discovered at the rental, including the Mazda.

“He trapped them
inside
the house?” She clasped her hands behind her head and spun away. “This is…Oh, my God,” she said, her voice shaking and filled with so much terror it made his chest tighten. She dropped her hands and quickly rushed past him. “We need to go. I need to find—”

He grabbed her arm, stopping her before she reached the truck. “Lola, I
am
sorry about your mom. But I need for you to take a deep breath and keep calm. I can’t have you compromising our mission, our lives, or your mom’s and Ian’s because you can’t separate your job and your personal feelings. Your focus needs to be on getting geared up and ready to go. Let the fear for your mom go. It’ll only compromise what we’re doing.”

“Let go of my—”

He held up a hand, silencing her before she ripped into him. “I’m not trying to sound insensitive. Trust me. I love my mom and, God forbid, if she was in the same situation as yours, I know I’d have a hard time separating the job from how I felt. But you have to try. And you have to trust me. I
will
do everything I can to bring her home. Okay?” When she didn’t look up at him, he bent his head to try to force her to look at him. “Okay?” he asked again.

She finally met his gaze. Damn, he wished they weren’t in the dark, and that he could read her eyes. She was upset, and rightfully so. But he needed her calm, and now wanted to know if what he’d said had helped her or would only make her resent him further. He would do everything he could to bring her mom home, but also had no problem leaving her behind if she allowed her emotions to rule her judgment. He’d watched too many good soldiers die or lose limbs because they’d let their emotions screw with their head.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I know what my role is and how to do my job.”

Although unconvinced, he decided to let the subject drop for now and led her to the Suburban. “Ever been to the Everglades?” he asked, and helped her into the truck.

“I’ve never been to Florida.”

He looked to the backseat, where Harrison and Vlad were tossing in their gear, and then sliding inside. “How about you guys?”

Harrison shook his head. “Nope. But Vlad’s been living in Orlando for the past few months.”

“Vlad love the sunny state.”

Holy shit. The big guy even sounded like Ivan Drago.

“Florida is called the
Sunshine
State,” Harrison said. “Not the
sunny
state.”

Vlad lifted his massive shoulders. “Sunshine…sunny, all same to Vlad.”

On that note, Ryan closed Lola’s door, then made his way to the driver’s side. “Dawn is right around the corner.” He sat and started the truck. “I have my boat ready, so once you’re all changed and—”

“Boat?” Lola asked. “Why are we taking a boat? He’s hunting, not fishing.”

“Right, but water makes up most of the Everglades.” Ryan made a turn, and headed for his airboat business. “If you didn’t bring waterproof boots, I should have some that fit.” He looked at the Russian guy in his rearview mirror. “Vlad, you might be a problem, though. What size shoe do you wear?”

“Do not worry for Vlad. Vlad come from Russia and know boots.”

“So…your boots are waterproof?”

“Water, snow…not snake or alligator,” he responded, his heavy accent laced with disgust. “Vlad like idea of use of boat. Alligator and snake only good for boot or purse.”

Great, the Russian guy was scared of critters.

“I like that we’re going by boat, too. Hiking really isn’t my thing,” Harrison said. “And I’m a size eleven.”

“That’ll work.” He glanced to Lola. “What about you?”

“I hate boats.”

Harrison nudged Vlad. “Yeah, she threw up on It’s a Small World.”

Lola wanted to shove a sock into Harrison’s mouth. She glanced over her shoulder to glare at him, hoping he’d let the subject rest. Dante and Ryan had already embarrassed her enough, and she didn’t need Harrison adding to her humiliation. Since she didn’t know the area, she hadn’t expected to take the lead during their rescue mission, and had assumed Ryan would take charge. What she hadn’t planned on was Dante making that point clear to Ryan thirty seconds into their mission. After how the former SEAL had given her his insensitive
separate your job and personal feelings
spiel, it was obvious Ryan questioned whether she could handle going after the kidnapper and saving her mom.

She might not be experienced, but she was determined. And, damn it, how could she not hang onto her fear? Right now, her fear was what
kept
her going. Her mom was the only family she had left outside of relatives in China. Relatives who had disowned her father after he’d married a white woman. But Cami Carlyle was more than her mother, she was her friend. Her throat tightened and her eyes misted with tears. Losing her…

“Sorry,” Harrison said. “But you did say you threw up all over—”

“I know what I said. Let’s just drop it.” Using the dim glow from the dashboard, she studied Ryan’s profile for a reaction. His chiseled jaw shifted as he grinned. Well, at least one of them was amused. “The boat will be fine,” she said, hoping to assure him that she could handle herself. “And I’m a size eight and a half.”

Ryan veered left off the main road. “I have Dramamine, if you need it.”

“Asian Lola not need this Dramamine. Vlad have vodka. A couple sips should do trick.”

“I would prefer if you refrained from drinking while we’re out there,” Ryan said, turning into a large parking lot. “Have at it when we’re finished. Hell, I’ll even join you. But until then, the flask stays behind. Got it?”

“получил его. Vlad will leave flask.”

“Is this where you work?” Harrison asked.

“That’s right.”

“Cool. But shouldn’t we be going to the rental house?”

She turned toward the backseat. “Ryan’s already been there.”

“Yeah, but don’t
you
want to go there? After what we saw during the Skype call, I’d think—”

“We are not going back to the house,” Ryan said, shifting the truck into PARK.

“I was asking Lola, not you.”

Ryan killed the ignition, but didn’t make a move to exit the truck. He stared forward, his strong jaw clenched, his shoulders tensed.

“Aren’t we getting out?” she asked.

“Not until you explain to your agents what you and I have already discussed. I’m not going into the Glades with a team divided.”

He was absolutely right. She cleared her throat and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “Ryan is in charge. He knows this place, we don’t. We do as he says and follow his lead.” She shifted her gaze to the Russian. “Vlad, I know you don’t work for CORE, but since the agency is compensating you for your time, I expect you to listen to Ryan, as well. Are we clear?”

“Whose call is this?” Harrison asked.

“Mine. I want my mom out of this mess, and Ryan’s the only one who can help bring her home.” When she pulled on the door handle, the truck’s interior light came on, and she looked to Ryan, who stared at her. Shadows hid what she suspected were blue eyes, but not the appreciation softening his jaw. In that moment, her resentment and earlier humiliation melted away, leaving only her fear, anger and gratitude.

This should have never had happened. Her mom and Ian should be enjoying a relaxing vacation. She should be back in Chicago, baking frozen pies for Jessica and Dante’s Thanksgiving dinner. Ryan had mentioned his mom. Maybe he’d had plans for the holiday, too. Whether he had or not, she would forever be in his debt and would always be grateful to him for placing his own life in danger to help her save her mom. “Are we ready?” she asked.

Ryan smiled as he opened his door. “Bring your bags. We’ll stow them on the boat.”

The reminder of the boat had her running a shaky hand from her forehead down her cheek. Ignoring her churning stomach, she exited the truck. A slight breeze carried a mixture of odors. Not stagnant water or even salt water, but vegetation, maybe fish and definitely tar from the asphalt parking lot.

“Vlad like Ryan truck. What it called?” he asked, lighting a cigarette.

Ryan already had the bag she’d brought with her, and was closing the back gate.

“It’s a Chevy Suburban. And I don’t care if you smoke, just clean up your butts.”

The twenty-year-old truck had been outfitted with tires that raised the entire frame at least an additional foot off the ground. Climbing into the passenger side had been like climbing onto a mechanical bull.

“Vlad no litter insect.” He took a long drag, then blew a ring of smoke. “Vlad like this Suburban truck. Maybe when—”

“It’s litter bug, not insect. And don’t get any ideas about buying a truck,” Harrison said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “After what happened with the Toronado, I’m not springing for another car.”

“Why Harry hurt Vlad so? Vlad love that car. When Misty took baseball bat to windshield, it broke Vlad heart.”

“You and Misty are breaking my bank account.”

“Can we please remember why we’re here?” Lola looked between Vlad and Harrison, who both nodded. She then turned to Ryan. “Lead the way.”

Light from the lampposts touched on the tall green shrubs in front of Ryan’s Suburban. Water lapped from the other side. As she followed behind Ryan, a high-pitched chorus of katydids and other crickets, along with baying sheep, grew louder. “Is there a farm near here?” she asked.

Ryan glanced over his shoulder. “No farms.”

“Then why do I hear sheep?”

“We feed them to the alligators to keep them around for the tourists to see.”

She stopped. “That’s horrible.”

“Not really,” Vlad said, taking another drag. “Sheep stupid animal. Smell bad, too.”

Horrified that Ryan would condone such a thing, and irritated with the Russian for going along with it, she said, “I don’t care if they smell. It’s cruel and—

Ryan chuckled. “Lola, I’m kidding. Those are frogs. not sheep. I’ve lived here for so long, I don’t even notice them anymore. It’s like white noise.”

“It’s annoying,” Harrison said.

“It a shame.” Vlad snuffed his cigarette in a sand-filled can setting near the edge of the parking lot. “Sheep used to terrorize young Vlad on grandfather farm.”

Ryan looked at the Russian, then started laughing. “Now that’s something I would’ve loved to have seen. Come on inside.”

A sconce glowed on the side of the building above a weathered sign that read,
Cap’n Ryan’s Airboat Tours
. Ryan took several steps onto a large porch filled with picnic tables, then opened the door. “There’s a bathroom to the left. I suggest you use it before we go. There aren’t any rest areas where we’re heading.”

When Lola entered the darkened room, she took a quick step back, slamming into Vlad, who latched onto her upper arm and quickly dragged her away from the door. The room lit up with fluorescent lights and Ryan’s laughter.

“It’s not real,” Ryan said, still laughing. “Sorry, I’m so used to it, I forget it’s there. This is where tourists come to sign up for a tour and hopefully buy a souvenir. Over there is our ice cream and soda shop.”