His Secret Past by Katie Reus Read Free Book Online Page B

because he was banking on the fact that they’d have a little time to get out of town before Davis sent in backup.
    “Why?” Some color had returned to her face, but worry lines etched deep around her eyes and mouth.
    Michael didn’t say anything, but his entire body tensed and he eyed Hunter as if he’d like to pummel him. At least they had something in common.
    “I have something they want.” Truthfully, he’d given them exactly what they requested in addition to sacrificing six years of his life. They wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid, and kidnapping his son was the way to ensure that. For all they knew, he’d sacrifice Alexis, but his son…it was the perfect leverage.
    “What is it?” Michael asked.
    “That doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here.” His internal clock ticked loudly, telling him to run. As if on cue, the phone he’d lifted off the dead guy’s body buzzed in his pocket.
    He held it out for them to see.
    “What is that?” she asked.
    “I got this off the man who tried to attack you. He’s probably past his check-in time.”
    For a moment, all eyes trained on the buzzing phone. A reminder that they needed to leave. Unwanted adrenaline raced through his veins as he contemplated where they could escape to. He was minutes away from kidnapping Alexis and his son and just disappearing.
    “I don’t understand any of this. I thought you worked for the DEA. You told me—”
    “I did work for them. Something happened.” He’d sacrificed a lot for them. Then he learned he’d just been a pawn in the so-called drug war.
    “Wait a minute, if you have what the CIA wants, then why not just come after you? Why come for Alexis after all this time?” Michael asked.
    “Technically I gave them what they want. But they know I made backups and I’m guessing they need a guarantee I’ll give them everything before they kill me. If something happens to me, the information I have will be made public and they know it. And the reason they’re coming after her should be obvious. They want to use her or my…son against me.” Did they really need him to spell things out?
    “Where exactly have you been the past six years?” Alexis asked.
    He wanted to lie. Common sense told him to, but he couldn’t. Not to her face. Not after all he’d put her through. “In Panama mostly.”
    “Why?”
    He swallowed, but refused to break eye contact. “Working with Juan Calero.” Well, he’d been doing more than that, but the simple answer was easiest right now.
    Michael frowned. “I think I saw in the news that he was killed last week.”
    “Who is Juan—wait, the drug lord? That’s where you’ve been?” Raw pain and betrayal flashed in her pale eyes.
    He scrubbed a hand over his face. This wasn’t how he’d wanted to tell her. It wasn’t as if he’d been involved in the drug trade or been exclusively working with Calero the past six years. No, he’d had to make a name for himself just to get noticed by the bastard and that had taken years to build his cover, but she didn’t need to know that. Hell, if it helped her to hate him, it would be better for when he had to eventually leave. She wouldn’t want someone like him in her life anyway. “I was working for the CIA doing undercover work. Specifically for a man named Tom Davis.” Even to his own ears, he could hear the venom in his voice when he said Davis’s name. “This job wasn’t supposed to have lasted so long. I was supposed to set up my cover and…” Six years ago everything had seemed simple. Get in, get what they wanted, and get out. Then he’d clear his name. Too bad life was never that simple.
    Abruptly Alexis stepped out of Michael’s embrace and headed past Hunter.
    “What are you doing?” Michael asked before Hunter could.
    She paused midway to the stairs. “What do you think? I’m packing a suitcase. I’m not taking any chances with my son’s safety. Two men have tried to kill me today. If this is as