He was going to be a blast later on. Michael couldn’t handle his liquor and now Case was a man down.
And Case had some serious thinking to do because Fain was right. He couldn’t turn around. In a world where his brother wasn’t being tortured on a daily basis, he would have done exactly what Hutch had said. He would have carted her back home and locked her up until he could figure out what was happening. He couldn’t do that now and his friends weren’t going to understand.
“It’s an important story to Mia. We’re still going. I’m going to need to find a cleanup crew, Hutch, and a quiet one. Moneybags in there can pay for it.”
“What am I paying for?” Mia stepped out, yawning behind her hand.
He reached out, pleased when she slipped her hand in his. He tugged her into his lap. He was done playing the hardass with her. He’d been wrong. She’d been right. They belonged together. She was his natural match and her brother could go to hell. If Lawless cut her off, then Mia would have to learn to live on a budget.
If there was one thing he’d learned from the last few hours, it was that he didn’t want to lose this chance with her. She meant something to him. He could count on her in a way he’d never thought he would be able to count on a lover.
“I need to find someone willing to deal with the bodies, princess.” Yeah, this was not a conversation he’d ever thought he would have with a girlfriend. “That’s going to take cash and we’re going to have to deal with some not so nice people.”
“Cartel would be best,” she said without hesitation. She cuddled down in his arms. She smelled like soap and fresh laundry after cleaning up. He wished he’d been able to squeeze into that shower with her. “They have cleanup crews who’ll know the area and how to avoid the police. They’ll also know which of the police are bribable. They shouldn’t be too hard to find. I’ll call some friends when we touch down.”
“You are not dealing with a cartel.” This would be the problem he had to put up with. Keeping Mia out of trouble would be a full-time job. He let his hand rest on her thigh. “I’ll handle it.”
Was it too soon to coax her back in the bedroom? He’d cleaned up pretty well. They still had a few hours before they landed. He might enjoy violating the pilot before they had to deal with whoever would try to kill them next.
Making love to Mia might let him stop thinking about the trouble his brother was in, might give him peace for a few minutes.
Hutch was staring at him. “This doesn’t make sense. What’s the story you’re chasing after, Mia?”
“I’m meeting with a source who has information on voter fraud in the last election,” she lied without batting an eye.
Fain shook his head. “As your bodyguard, I have to warn you that this is ill advised. Until we can figure out who those people were and who sent them, we need to get back to the States. No story is worth your life. I’m pulling the plug on this. I’ll call your brother the minute we land.”
Hutch sighed. “I hate to say this, but I’m with Asshat.”
Fain rolled his eyes. “Nice to know. We also have the added problem of needing to get this guy to a hospital. They’ll want to know how he got a bullet in his thigh.”
“He doesn’t have one anymore,” Mia pointed out.
Hutch stared at Case. “Do you honestly not care that Michael could get an infection? I know she cleaned it and stuff, but he needs to see a real doctor.”
“It’s not that bad,” Michael said, sobering a bit. “I won’t be able to run for a few days, but I can walk. I’m not the problem here. Fain is right. There is zero chance that the Case Taggart I know calls a cartel in to clean up for him and lets the woman he’s involved with walk around with a target on her back. What the fuck is going on, Case?”
Mia sat up straight and after brushing his cheek with her lips, she stood up. “This story is very important to me. I’ve talked to Case about it. I’m going through with it whether or not the rest of you come with me. Mr. Fain, you can call my brothers, but I’m an adult and if you do, you’re fired. I will ensure Mr. Malone gets the care he needs once we reach Cartagena. You and Mr. Fain can join him at the hospital. I hope Case will come with me, but I don’t need an escort.”
Oh, she so fucking needed an escort. “I’ll be with you and you know it, but maybe it would be for the best if we sent Michael home with Hutch and Fain.”
Hutch stood up. “Sounds good to me, man. You know how foreign food upsets my stomach.” He was smiling, saying all the right things. He left his computer behind, but Case watched him slip his phone into his pocket. “I’m going to the bathroom, then I’m taking a nap. Wake me up when we need to change planes.”
There was no way he was taking a nap. He’d worked with Hutch long enough to know exactly what he’d do.