Before she could make her plea, Theo’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist and pulling her to him.
“Victor, get him out of here or there’s going to be trouble.” Theo hauled her against his body, his hand gripping her throat. “Mother wants me to take care of this. Get out of here before they find us. I’ll secure the door and then follow my orders.”
Victor reached for Robert. “Let’s go before we get into real trouble.” He looked to Theo. “I’ll see you inside, brother. Robert, we have to go. You’ll feel better once you’ve had your meds.”
Theo nodded. “Go. Get out of here. Take him with you and I’ll handle the female.”
Robert looked her way, clear longing on his face. “She promised.”
Theo winced and put his hand to his ear as though he heard something the rest of them couldn’t. “And she’ll get you the right partner. This one is false. She was trying to hurt us. We’ll turn the man. He has talents we can use.” His voice went low. “You have to be patient, Robert. Everything comes in the right time. You know that.”
Robert nodded slowly and then moved to his left toward another of those industrial shelves. “All right. I’ll go. Be gentle with her. She’s innocent.”
Theo got close to her, so close she could see the line of his jaw, the stubble that was coming in. “Go. Tell her I’ll be right behind you. I hear her orders. I will obey, but I have to take care of things. Hurry out the proper exit.”
Victor touched the shelving unit and it slid out, revealing a secret door even as Mia could hear the gunfire getting closer and closer, hear Case’s voice calling out. So close. He was so close, but she felt Theo’s hand around her throat and had to think twice about screaming out his name.
“Please, Theo. Please don’t hurt me. I love your brother.” She did. Oh god. She loved Case. She’d been willing to admit she was crazy about him, lusted after his hot bod, wanted him to notice her, but she’d only just realized she was willing to sacrifice for him. Herself. Her life. Her soul. But he cared about her, too. Pushing her away was just because he was a stupid butthole. He loved her, too. He couldn’t make love to her the way he did and not love her. It went beyond sex. He was pushing her away because he cared.
She prayed he cared because she was suddenly ready to give up everything to see him one more time.
“Who are you?” Theo whispered in her ear.
“I’m Mia. I love your brother.”
“I don’t have a brother. Not the way you mean.” He took a long breath in. “Why do you smell so good? You smell perfect. I don’t want you. I don’t like blonde girls, but you smell so good.”
He sounded a little crazy, but she was willing to give him that since he’d been violated in a million ways. She needed to make him understand. They were alone now. Victor had dragged Hutch away. She had to stay close so Case could find them both. Surely he had a way to find them. “I’m not the one you want. You want Erin. I think I might smell like her. She’s my friend. She gave me body lotion for Christmas. I think it’s the one she uses. I’m wearing it now. I smell like your girlfriend, Erin.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend. Mother hasn’t matched us yet.”
Mia could hear the slightest hesitation in his voice and she pounced on it. Every second he stayed here with her was another chance for Case to find them. “You do have a girlfriend. She loves you so much. Erin. Her name is Erin. Theo, she just gave birth to your son. You have a baby boy. He’s a week old. His name is Theo, Jr. Please remember. Please. They need you. Case needs you. You have to remember your family. You died on an island in the Grand Caymans.”
He stilled behind her. “Why do I remember Tennessee? It plays through my head at the oddest times. I think I was in Tennessee before Mother saved me.”
It was all bubbling under his surface. It was still there. She just had to find the right way to punch through all those drugs that bitch had fed him. “No. You were trying to save a man named Tennessee. Tennessee Smith. He was your commanding officer. You belonged to a black ops team in the CIA before you went to work for your brother’s company. McKay-Taggart. You have three brothers, Ian and Sean and Case. And you have so many people who love you. She didn’t save you. She took you away from your family.”