Deep Rising (An Outside the Lines Novel) (Entangled Select) by N.R. Rhodes Page B

pale as a ghost,” he commented. “What’s wrong?”
    She licked her lips and swallowed past the panic. “Nothing.”
    Nothing if you discount the crazy fact that I was worried about you .
    She wasn’t touching that topic with a ten-foot pole.
    It was a working relationship—er, arrangement—she reminded herself. Someone had accessed her thesis and was using it to harm innocent people. Her half brother was a suspect. She was drawn to Jared because he would help her set this right. It was his job to apprehend the bad guys. Obviously, if something happened to him, they would never get to the bottom of who was behind the attack.
    Jared held the door and Lana entered the suite. She cautiously walked through the sitting area. How the hell had her life turned into this? Some twisted, real-life, high-stakes chase. The thoughts proved too much to conceive and she concentrated on the here and now, on putting one foot in front of the other…on staying sane.
    She heard someone knock and she slipped into the marbled bathroom and waited. The hotel room door creaked open and Jared exchanged pleasantries with the bellboy. Right, her luggage. She hated that her heart had hitched again. She needed to get her reactions under control. If she was freaking out at these mundane occurrences, she wouldn’t stand a chance in a hostile situation. Resigned to stay calmer, she exited the bathroom and continued to investigate the spacious hotel room. She passed through a sitting area and entered the bedroom.
    “Jared, there’s only one bed.”
    He actually chuckled, and it made her want to slap him. “This isn’t going to turn into some ridiculous, maidenly-airs thing, is it?”
    “I’m not sharing a bed with you.”
    “I wasn’t suggesting you would.” He turned away, all traces of humor gone. “I’ll be back in an hour. Lock the door behind me.”
    Lana did as instructed, bolting the door the moment Jared’s broad back disappeared from view. If only she could slam the door on their other problems, beginning with her brother’s insanity, the risks to so many parts of the world, and her own tumultuous relationship with one hardened CIA agent.
    But there was no lock for what she had unleashed.
    …
    Taking the stairs to the roof, Jared inserted a small magnetic key into the door. He pulled what resembled a smartphone from his pocket and attached an electrode to the card. He waited while his nifty little computer calculated the authorization codes. At some point he’d need to hack into the hotel’s mainframe to determine the codes to the other restricted areas. In an exigent situation, he would need every advantage at his disposal, including a convenient exit route.
    In the event it all went to hell, he’d need to get Lana out of the hotel. As he opened the door and stepped onto the spacious roof, he discovered that they could arrange for a helicopter. Walking to the edge of the gravel-lined rooftop, Jared glanced out to sea.
    He’d request a boat be anchored offshore. Lana was in decent shape. He figured she’d be able to swim to it. The SUV constituted another option.
    Jared returned to the stairwell and started down the stairs. Strolling to the hotel’s main entrance, he approached the valet and obtained his car keys. He palmed the man a Benjamin.
    “When I get back,” he said, “have a spot ready for me up front. I like to be able to leave when I want to.”
    The valet smiled. “If my boss asks, I’ll tell him this SUV is a prototype and more valuable than a Ferrari.”
    “Whatever works,” Jared drawled.
    He slid into the vehicle and drove away from the hotel. He kept his eyes trained on the rearview again, checking for company. Having seen Evan at the airport, he wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of government-issued fleas adhered to his tail. He didn’t mind. But he wanted to know now. In the event of an unwelcome pest, he needed to be able to distinguish the difference.
    He left the hotel and drove along the