The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [18]
"Sorry," she said apologetically, with more than a tinge of anger in her voice as she reached out her hand to help him up. "I didn't know it was you. What the hell were you thinking about sneaking up on me like that? You could have gotten hurt."
Ignoring her outstretched hand, Drake got back to nil feet without her help. His lips tightened at the thought that she was operating under the illusion that she could have physically hurt him. He gave her a measured look. Besides being an expert in martial arts, according to Casey, she was also one hell of a sharpshooter who could easily take out her target. A cloud of unease raced through him when he remembered that those two things had also been Sandy's specialties but in the end they hadn't saved her life. But then neither had he. He had given her a direct order not to go back inside that warehouse but she had been lured by the sound of an infant crying. In the end it had been a setup tape recording, and she had fallen for it just like Solorno: Cross had planned. He sighed deeply. He didn't give damn just how good Tori Green was. In the end she could die just like Sandy had. Guilt over being responsible for the loss of one woman's life was bad enough. He didn't want to deal with two.
As he looked at her, he tried not to notice just how beautiful she was. She had pulled her hair back in a ponytail yet the glow from the moon picked up its gloss as well as her startling features. She was annoyed with him, highly upset, deeply pissed and was giving him a look that spoke volumes.
He glanced around to make sure the boat's crew was not around and decided to have his say. "When we get to shore and make it into the jungle, I want you to hang back and let me handle things from there." Drake could immediately tell that his comment only angered her more.
"Forget it, Drake. Whether you like it or not, we're a team and you will not dump me in the jungle to twiddle my thumbs while you go off and play soldier alone. You heard what Casey said and you know what rebels are quick to do with female prisoners. Robin Thomas might need me and I intend to be there if she does."
A growl automatically erupted from deep within Drake's throat. Instead of taking a step back like any person with good sense would have done, Tori Green merely placed her arms across her chest and stood her ground. He frowned. Even Sandy had known when to back off and leave well enough alone.
"You'll do as I say, Tori."
"If you think that then you have another thought coming. We'll work together as a team and that's final. I'm not someone you can push around."
He could see that. His frown deepened and he tried to Use another approach. Like Sandy she had a huge amount of self-confidence but unlike Sandy, Tori was displaying an inner strength that almost matched his own. The woman was tough but still, she wouldn't be tough enough. "I've worked in this area before. I know the terrain and I know the minds of those revolutionaries."
Tori rolled her eyes in frustration at the powerfully built man standing in front of her. "Why do you think you're the only agent who knows anything about dealing with the bad guys? What make you think you're all-knowing and all-doing and that no other operative can measure up to you?"
"I never said that!"
"You don't have to because you're insinuating it and I resent it. Whether you choose to believe it or not I don't care, but I can hold my own against anyone, including you. Knowing the importance of this mission, do you for one minute think Casey would have sent me if he didn't believe I wouldn't be useful?"
Drake tightened his lips. He wanted so bad to tell her that he thought she could be useful all right, plenty useful in some man's bedroom but he didn't think