Player (A Secret Baby Sports Romance)(230)

“Of course he's going to run!” He rages through the phone; “I knew sending an under-trained, under-qualified agent was a total shit idea! Goddamnit!” He spits out a stream of expletives before his voice is suddenly louder and clearer in the phone, as if he's cut out all the middle-lines; “You're fucking this up, Agent.” His voice is gravel, and I swallow the lump in my throat; “I don't think you're quite appreciating the man you have under your charge. Javier Toro is a snake, Agent Archer. Do not let him out of your fucking sight, and don’t trust a word he says about anything. If he even is still there in that motel room when you get back in there, you will do your fucking job, apprehend the target, and wait for further instructions.”

Further instructions?

“Sir? Shouldn't we move to extract as soon as possible?”

“We need to assess the intel for this paramilitary ambush before you do anything to put this mission in any further jeopardy, Agent.” I grit my teeth together and try to push the lump in my throat back down yet again as he let’s the words marinate in my ear.

“Do not fuck this up anymore, Chelsea,” He says quietly; “Get back to your target and you lock him down.”



There's a weight on my shoulders as I walk back across the parking lot to the beach-side motel. I mean, I get that Koufax is just being an asshole and using the meager power he's been given over me to the fullest extent he can. But then again, there's a kernel of truth inside all that needless belittling and chastising. I have fucked up. Javier Toro is a criminal - a mark that it's my job to apprehend, subdue, and bring in - and here I am checking into a beach motel with him like we're on a vacation or something.

Sure, I don't think he's going to run off, but then, I wonder how many other people he's screwed over or hurt have had the exact same thought before he showed his hand? Did Logan think of him as someone he could trust before Javier ended up blackmailing him into those underground boxing matches?

You're fucking this up, Agent.

I take the stairs two at a time to the second floor and break into a run towards our door. I suddenly cannot believe that I allowed myself to think it'd be ok to leave him unwatched like that back at the room!

He's gone, he's definitely-

I slam through the door shoulder-first, my breath coming in gasps and my eyes flying wildly around the room.

Javier looks up from the bed he's draped across, a tattered looking paperback in his hand; “What the fuck happened to you?”

I stare at him, my eyes unblinking and my mouth thin; he's here. He hasn't skipped out or left, and he wasn't waiting to ambush me the second I walked in.

“Nothing, I...” I trail off and let my shoulder drop as I step more calmly into the room.

“Well, you look fucking crazy right now.” He grins at me and starts to get out of the bed; “Why don't we go grab something to eat somew-”

“You don't leave this room, is that understood?” My voice is icy and cold; way colder than I meant it to be, but I at least end up sounding every inch the stone-cold agent I meant to sound like; “You’re a fugitive under command of a U.S. Federal Agent. You stay right here, is that clear?”

Javier's eyes narrow at me, the grin from earlier slowly curling into a tight-lipped frown; “Well someone went and found herself a pair of cahones.” He growls at me, his fists tightening at his sides; “What’s got your panties in a fuckin twist all of a sudden, princess?”

“I said is that clear, Toro?”

His eyes flash fire at me. For some insane reason, I feel like I'm letting him down or something in that moment; like I'm somehow betraying him.

Screw that, this man is the definition of betrayal.

“Yeah, fuckin comprende, Agent,” He growls, nodding his head. His eyes narrow at me before he lays back onto the bed and picks up his book. For some reason, I instantly feel a pang of regret for coming on so strong. I know it's just Koufax's over-the-top asshole-ness filtering through me, and I almost want to apologize.

But of course, I can't do that. Apologizing shows weakness, and weakness to Javier Toro is like blood in the water for a shark.

“Look, I'm going to go to that sandwich place across the street and get us something,” I soften my voice, trying to banish the hardcore agent bitch voice from before; “What can I get you to ea-”

“Your pick, princess. You're in charge, remember?” He smirks at me and shakes his head before he looks back into his book.





12





Javier




“Um, what the hell is that?”

Chelsea stands in the doorway, a bag of food in her hands and scowl on her face.

It's exactly the reaction I was looking for.