Silas leaned back in his desk chair and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. His hands felt gritty and dry and no wonder, the amount of time he'd spent looking at the damn screen this afternoon. Normally, he'd assign this kind of research to someone who did it as part of their job, but it was important that he read every bit of the information himself to pick up any nuances. So many times you had to read between the lines.Luis Rojas could win an award as one of the most evil men in the world. He had grown up as a foot soldier in the violent La Regla cartel, regla for rulers, which they had fully intended to become, until the day he assumed the mantle of control. There were whispers in back rooms that Rojas had gotten the throne not because he was the heir apparent but because he had killed off the three men higher than he was in the ranks and the two who had been discussed as logical successors. In dark corners and back rooms they called him asesino. Killer.Si was certain R

He licked the surface of her lips, teasing at the corners before very slowly easing his tongue inside. And oh, god, the taste was like an elixir. He licked slowly, letting the flavor seep into his mouth. Regan reached up to place her hands on either side of his head and, when he eased back on the kiss, whispered against his lips."Bathroom." She mouthed the word. "They'll be listening for the water.""You're right."Taking Regan's hand and tugging her along behind him, he strode into the bathroom, slid back the solid glass pane of the shower door, and turned on the faucet full blast. He could adjust it once they were inside. Then he turned, brushed a kiss over her mouth, and stripped off his clothes. He was surprised he didn't pop the buttons on his shirt, as fast as he pulled it off. He kicked off his shoes and yanked his pants and boxer briefs down in one movement, being careful not to do damage to his rigid, protruding cock.Then he turned back to Regan, who stood there with a look

Max couldn't remember the last timeif everhe'd been so emotionally involved in sex. His connection with Regan was a revelation that he could actually have that kind of relationship. They made love again just before falling asleep, slower and very delicious, and all the more erotic because they couldn't allow themselves to make a sound. By now he knew much more than his body was involved.But they had a job to do that came first. Thank god his engrained SEAL discipline would allow him to pack it in a mental closet until this was over. And extra thanks that Regan was on the same wavelength. The assignment took front and center. No question about it.They also knew that while they'd be sharing a bed at the lodge, sex would be off their list of activities."You know the room we'll be given is going to be bugged," Max whispered in her ear as they lay sated and quiet in the dark."No question about it," she whispered back. "All that time we spent with him and his wife still didn't answ

"Perhaps Ferren Arms and Munitions is not the right partner with you for this, after all." He looked at Jed Whitlow. "You and Bernardo have been friends for years. It's unfortunate that you and I never had much occasion to spend time with each other but, as I'm sure you know, my brother and I each have our own circle of friends. I can assure you he would not have sent me in his place if he did not think I knew what I was talking about." He closed his folder. "As I said before, maybe you need to contact someone else to handle this. Trust is very important. My brother became involved with you because he believes in what you are doing. But if you don't trust us, we have nothing more to say to each other." He pushed back his chair. "Come on, Regan. This has all been a fucking waste of our time."Regan forced herself to appear calm, gathering the items in front of her while the people at the table absorbed what Max had just said. Si had discussed this with them and told them it might happe

Luis Rojas had debated with himself for a long time about the wisdom of what he was about to do. He didn't like change in the middle of complex plans, although he'd dealt with it before. Still, this was so complex and of such enormous magnitude that any change could throw an unwanted kink into things. And that would be disastrous.He'd thought about it and thought about it, quizzed Lorena who had become very irritated with him, but still he couldn't settle it in his mind. Bernardo Ferren was the key player in this. He was providing all the arms and munitions for a five-point attack. It wasn't as if they could just highjack a shipload of weapons to fulfill their needs. That worked fine for a local event. No, for something on a national scalesoon to be international they needed a massive supply, and the Ferrens were providing just that.When he couldn't put his mind to rest or accept the explanation they'd been given, he decided to check it out himself. He told no one. Lorena would hav