Code Name: Blondie

“You think I’ll do whatever you ask? Forget that. I’m tired of taking your orders.”

“I said to sit down.”

“Go eat sand.” Miki crossed her arms, furious.

When she didn’t move, he caught her shoulders, and she tried to push him away, but the man wouldn’t budge. For someone lean, he was incredibly strong.

Furious, she watched his fingers open, then brush her hair. If he thought this would be some kind of kinky prelude to sex, he had a major surprise coming.

His thumb combed through her hair, and Miki was amazed at how gentle the movement was. Her confusion grew as he leaned closer, sliding his arm around her shoulder.

She felt his muscles tighten and his breath play over her cheek.

“Don’t move.”

Like hell, she wouldn’t move. He’d saved her life, but that didn’t entitle him to grope her. Enough was enough. When she tried to move, his hand twisted in a blur of motion.

“Stand still,” he whispered. “Completely still.”

Her breath caught as something appeared in his hand. Miki saw that it was long and small and frantically alive, wriggling against his glove.

“Centipede.” He frowned, holding up the restless mass of legs. “Poisonous variety.”

She gulped air, feeling faint. She hated bugs. Really, really hated bugs. “On me? In my hair?” She swallowed. “How poisonous?”

“Let’s just say that you wouldn’t have felt your fingers in a few seconds.”

She fought a shudder as he carried the centipede up the stairs. “Aren’t you going to kill it…or something?”

“Why? This is its home. We’re the intruders here. I’ll put it where it won’t bother us.”

Miki stared at him. It was poisonous and he wasn’t going to kill it? That was either religious or downright weird. Just when she thought she had a handle on the guy, he threw her a curve ball. On the other hand, he could be faking. She’d noticed that men did that a lot.

He turned around, disappearing up the steps, the centipede in his gloved hand. Suddenly escape was all she could think about. She couldn’t stand the thought of the dark, cramped space or the poisonous bugs hidden in the dirt or waiting on the walls. She began to sweat, panicking. She needed open sky and fresh air around her. She needed time to think, away from constant observation.

Even though she was surrounded by water and there had been no sign of passing boats anywhere, she had to try. The sooner she got away, the sooner she could find help for Dutch.

She waited until there was no sound from the open door, then crept up the steps. Sunlight spilled over the long curve of the beach, and she saw the glint of the open sea. The Jerk was standing about twenty feet away, giving something to the dog.

Miki ran for the line of boulders at the top of the beach.