The Heart of the Jungle, стр. 41
Jason paused in his unbuttoning and made sexy eyes in Chris's direction. "I'll take the beating option, if you don't mind."
This was intolerable. Jason was, as he had originally surmised, an insufferable, self-centered jerk. That was the only explanation for this callous teasing. He had to know Chris was tied in knots with anxiety.
How could he have thought that Jason's insensitivity was just a show?
How could he have imagined he was developing feelings for this coldhearted creep? Tears of helpless frustration welled in his eyes.
The tears seemed to snap Jason out of his teasing mood. His smile evaporated instantly. "I'm sorry, Chris," he said, moving toward him. "I guess I can be a real asshole."
Chris sniffed and turned away. "Finally, the right adjective."
"I really am hungry," he said meekly, pretending to be cute.
"And I'm really tired of this roller coaster you keep me on, Kingsley. I can't handle the stress. I'm strung out as it is."
"I know," Jason said apologetically. He walked over to Chris, turned him around gently, and cupped a hand under his chin. He raised his face and looked deeply into his eyes. "She's alive. She's safe. She's here."
It took a moment for the words to register. When they did, the impact took Chris's breath away. He choked out a sob and buried his face in Jason's chest, weeping uncontrollably. He clung fiercely, his whole being aching to be reunited with his daughter. He'd always known she was still alive. Somehow, he had been certain of it all along.
He cried until there were no more tears. Even then, he couldn't pull away. The smell of Jason's skin, the supple feel of it against his cheek, the firmness of his body, the comfort of being wrapped up in him, these were the lifelines keeping him from spiraling into the void. He realized guiltily that he kept seeking out opportunities to be sheltered in this embrace---it was becoming a compulsion. Finally, a knock at the door announced the arrival of the cheeseburgers, and Chris tried to pull away.
"Don't answer it," Jason said in a low, husky voice.
He looked up and saw torment and passion in the other man's eyes.
He could feel the evidence of it pressing against his body.
"I...." He couldn't speak, but instead, when the knock sounded a second time, he propelled himself backward and away before Jason had time to respond.
After the delivery had been transacted and the room was awash in the scent of burgers and fries, Jason tried to stammer an apology for his tumescence, but Chris waved it off. He didn't want to acknowledge it; he was too overcome by embarrassment.
"Eat," he said, to put an end to the discussion. "And tell me everything."
Jason took up a handful of fries and ate them, chewing thoughtfully.
He seemed to be struggling with how to begin. "Hopkins brokered some kind of deal with a family named Mariano. They owed someone a favor and agreed to take Brianna in. She said it was a temporary arrangement."
"Temporary for how long? And why?"
"She didn't know. Said she was carrying out instructions."
"And Brunner?"
Jason swallowed another mouthful of food. "He's got a suite at the Bellagio."
"Do you think Michael is with him?"
"Count on it."
"I don't believe it. They're really alive. They're really here. You were right."
"Are you going to eat that?" Jason asked, pointing to Chris's burger.
Chris rolled his eyes and gave him a disbelieving look.
"You really should, you know. Keep up your strength. You don't eat enough."
"Enough with the food already." Chris picked at the bun, forcing himself to chew the dry bread and swallow. "What's our next step?"
"First, I need to get a digital camera. I'm going to get photos of Brianna. Lisa's working on the Mariano lead, trying to get me some addresses. I also need to get proof that Michael is alive and with Brunner. They're the only ones who know what's behind all of this. There are apparently big backers involved in Brunner's scheme, and if we don't find out who they are and what they want from you---stop this thing at the source---putting Brunner away won't be the end of it. Once we have all that, we'll take it right to the FBI and let them go to work."
"Why me? I still don't get it."
"I don't know, but these people are dangerous, Chris. The look on that woman's face when she talked about it.... She said she was more afraid of them than the authorities. I don't think she was faking it."
"Why do we need photos, then? Why not just get the CAU--- whatever it was---involved now? Go in with support in the first place?"
Jason shook his head. "There's another... complication."
"What now?"
"Jeffrey Cross is dead. Murdered. They think we had something to do with it."
Chris's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sudden wave of nausea.
His breath exploded in a stunned gasp. "Oh no," he whispered. "No."
"So you see, we need proof now more than ever. We need Michael and Brunner to talk. Besides, these people, the Marianos, have legitimate documents, witnesses. We have to move very carefully."
"I can't believe Jeff is dead," Chris said, still horrified by the news.
They'd just spoken to him the day before. It seemed unreal that he had been killed.
"Some very bad stuff is going down. I have no idea what, but I can tell you the authorities will send us back to Seattle as prime suspects in a homicide investigation unless we go in with something substantial. We have to move very quickly and very carefully."
Chris nodded. He was still reeling and overcome. Would these horrors ever end? "Okay," he agreed, clenching his fists and trying to bring the violent tremors under control.
"So I take the pictures, the authorities get Brunner and Michael to talk, and we move with the CACU team on the Marianos to recover Brianna. It has to go down just like that or