He reached the large van he’d been aiming for and slid in between the six-foot high van and the nondescript sedan behind him. He managed to turn Sabrina around so that her back was now against the van, and he placed one arm across her shoulders and the other still covering her mouth. While their bodies weren’t touching as much as when he’d been dragging her, she was still far too close. The sooner he got the information he needed from her, the better.
Her eyes stared into his without fear as he said, “If I remove my hand and you scream, you’re not going to like it. Understand?”
She nodded, and the instant he let go, she said, “Whatever you’re trying to prove, it’s unnecessary. I have an appointment I need to keep, so cut straight to the point.”
So much for soft words. She was treating him like the enemy. Good, that would make things easier.
He leaned in and took satisfaction in the slight widening of her eyes. Okay, maybe she wasn’t as unaffected by him as he’d originally thought. That was something else he could use against her. “I want to know what Watkins has planned for that elementary school.” She opened her mouth, but he beat her to it. “And before you say you can’t do it, just remember I know about your other identity, down in Brazil, and I’ll blackmail you if that’s what it takes.”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing right now?”
He gave a half-smile. “Well, then you’d better start talking, Sabrina—if that’s even your real name.”
She pushed against his chest. “It is asshole. But even with your blackmail threats, I won’t tell you anything until you let me know what you plan to do with the information.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why? Did you develop soft feelings for Watkins and the others in my absence? After all, you’re good at that, charming people into believing you’re their friend.”
She growled and tried to push him away, but he kept his arm in place. She said, “Fine. Get out your hatred. You don’t know all the facts, but feel free to jump to conclusions. Just make all your witty comments and accusations quick, because I am leaving in the next five minutes, whether you approve of it or not.”
Sabrina knew she should keep her temper in check, but she decided to screw it. If Jorge was going to be an asshole, she wasn’t going to play nice.
To be honest, if she didn’t have a deadline hanging over her head, she probably would’ve tried to reason with him and have an actual conversation. But as much as she didn’t want Jorge to hate her for the wrong reasons, her mission was too important. There was no way she was going to let down her boss in Mexico City or those innocent schoolchildren.
Of course, the question was how she was going to carry out the threat she’d just issued. Jorge had always been strong—a result of their frequent runs and swims—but the defined muscles of his arms were new. She would never be able to overpower him.
Then she remembered the feel of his erection against her ass and had an idea. She’d always known that Jorge had had a thing for her. She’d ignored it in the past because A) she was undercover and B) he’d been too bright-eyed and optimistic for her to dare bring him into the shady areas of her life.
But now that she knew her betrayal hadn’t affected his attraction, she’d use it against him if she had to.
Jorge was still staring at her in silence. She was about to repeat her question when he said, “I need information about Watkins to protect my sister Alejandra.”
She blinked. That was the last thing she’d expected to hear. “What are you talking about?”
He searched her eyes a second, and then leaned close. She could feel the heat of his breath against her cheek as he whispered, “Don’t play dumb. You’re the one who turned me in. The Collector pays handsomely for strange abilities like mine. If you had done your research, then you’d know the extent of what that bitch does to further her own goals.”
Sabrina was completely lost. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I turned you in to our superior to get you kicked out of the Fed League. That’s it. This is the first I’ve ever heard of anyone known as the ‘Collector’.”
She saw him hesitate a second, and then he shook his head. “Enough with the lies. Unless you want my sister to be tortured again, and most likely killed this time, you need to start talking. I don’t give a fuck about your appointment. You’re not leaving until I say so.”
Deep down, Jorge knew being an asshole was not the best way to get information out of someone. But his time with the Collector had erased any vestiges of patience and tact he’d once had.
Just remembering his sister’s chattering and cries for help—the Collector’s people had locked Alejandra naked in a freezer and broadcast her agony into his locked cell—made him even more pissed off. Sabrina, the woman he’d tricked himself into believing he loved, was responsible for Alejandra’s suffering as well as his own.
Still, the look of horror in Sabrina’s eyes as he told her about his sister almost appeared genuine.
Had she really not known what spilling one man’s secret could do?
No. He wasn’t going to let an old soft spot for this woman fuck with his head. “Well, Sabrina, say something.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and she finally spoke up. “I don’t know who the hell you are anymore, Salazar. Even if I told you what I know, what guarantee do I have that you won’t kill me?”
He resisted a blink. “You think I’d kill you?”
“Considering how you’re hurting me right now, it’s certainly crossed my mind.”
Realizing the truth, he relaxed his grip a fraction. He wasn’t going to turn into the killer the Collector had tried to mold him to be, not even with this woman. “I won’t kill you. You’re more valuable alive.”
She poked a finger into his chest. “As much as I’d like to believe your little heartfelt promise, I’m going to need something more. Let’s make a deal.”