The Boss Assignment (Rogue Protectors Book 3) by Victoria Paige (summer beach reads .TXT) 📕

unless there’s a cure. You have an antiviral and a candidate vaccine, right?”

“Yes. But what makes you think they don’t have those already?”

“That’s irrelevant,” he said. “They don’t want anyone else to have one. I also want you to compare the virus information in our database to the one you have.”

“So demanding considering I haven’t agreed to help.”

“I wasn’t aware I was giving you a choice.”

Dr. Bennett leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. “Wow.”

“You’re on my plane, on the way to Brazil and completely at my mercy. We’re landing at a private airfield. You have no clothes. No money. No phone. You really should be bargaining for your life.”

For the first time since he hauled her onto this plane, a look of uncertainty, of fear crossed the doctor’s face.

Antonio didn’t like that.

“You don’t mince words,” she whispered.

Jaw clenched, he shook his head.

“You just threatened my life,” Dr. Bennet accused.

“We’re talking about a possible rogue virus that will threaten more lives.”

“For the greater good, huh?” Her voice was still barely above a whisper.

Antonio rarely felt guilt for using his position of power for intimidation, but at this moment he felt like a cockroach. He rose from the seat and stared down at her. “I’m not a good enemy to have. Remember that.”

2

Abducted by a billionaire.

It was as if she was starring in one of those guilty pleasure romance novels her mother loved to read. Charly used to steal them from her library and devour them when she was a teenager. The hero was always a foreigner, rich as sin, and arrogant as hell. The heroine was always naïve and a virgin. Charly was neither of those, and from her experience with Carillo, she wouldn’t be treated to shopping sprees and caviar. She suspected it wouldn’t be any different with Andrade.

They arrived in Brazil at a private airfield.

Like Antonio had warned, there was no one to ask for help.

A fleet of Mercedes SUVs awaited them.

Among the people who met their flight was a woman in a blood red power suit and a head of dark, wavy hair. Her name was Renata and she was Antonio’s second-in-command who ran things for him when he wasn’t in the country. She spared Charly only a cursory glance, speaking in rapid-fire Portuguese as she and Antonio made their way to the vehicle.

“We’ll talk at Villa Rosa,” Antonio told the woman in English as he got into the SUV beside Charly.

He hadn’t spoken more than four sentences to her since his last threat. What a temperamental man. And yet he let her sleep in that one bedroom on the jet.

Or rather, he ordered her to rest in it.

“The bedroom is yours,” he told her. “Ask Sonya for anything you need.” He didn’t even give her a chance to respond, just took the reclining couch farthest away from her and then ignored her. Charly complied only because she couldn’t stand being in the same vicinity as a brooding Antonio. Sonya was surprisingly helpful enough, even when waves of disdain rolled off her.

As if she was responsible for her employer’s bad mood or Charly was expected to jump when Antonio said so.

“We’re almost there.” Oscar met Charly’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Right now, Antonio was glued to his phone and making calls which suited her fine as she took in Rio’s landscape and its majestic coastline. She wasn’t a stranger to the area. She had a passable understanding of the language which was useful when she’d been here with a team of doctors to investigate the Zika virus outbreak five years before. If she wasn’t mistaken, they were on their way to Jardim Botanico, one of the affluent neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Their convoy was circling the foot of the Corcovado mountains that led up to the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer.

The SUVs veered into a heavily vegetated road lined with palms and tropical trees until finally they ended up at a gated estate.

Panels of scrolled wrought iron trundled on a track and opened automatically, but there were two armed men guarding the entrance.

“Why all the security?”

“Because this is more than simply a residence,” Antonio said idly, tapping on his phone before slipping it inside of his suit.

“Care to elaborate?”

“I will. Once you admit that you have no choice but to help me.”

“There’s always a choice.”

Antonio sighed. “Are you arguing for the sake of arguing?”

The arrogance. “No.”

“Because I know you’re willing to sacrifice your life in order not to be separated from your work.”

Dammit, he was right. When their car got run off the road by the Mexican Army and it looked like it was about to explode, all Charly could think about was grabbing the Pelican case that contained the vaccine and the backpack that held the virus. Antonio was the one who forced her to leave them.

“It’s the principle,” she admitted.

“Of being forced to work for me?”

She nodded.

By that time, Oscar had guided the Mercedes into the driveway of an impressive mansion.

“I’m more than a fair boss, right, Oscar?”

“Sim, senhor. You’re lucky to be working for Mr. Andrade.”

“Of course you’re going to kiss his ass,” Charly muttered.

The man beside her exhaled heavily again. “Honestly, I’m not sure I’m looking forward to dealing with a combative female.”

“As if you’re going to be a picnic.”

A chuckle—the first one she’d heard from this man that was free from mockery—rumbled up his throat. It made a difference to his features, made him less intimidating and … handsome?

Ugh, she was not one who was easily swayed by a man’s looks and money. She’d been surrounded by the likes of him growing up. Charly was attracted to the heart of selfless men. Her last boyfriend was a champion for accessible healthcare in war-torn countries and refugee camps around the world.

“I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

Charly had heard that before. And look where that landed her.

“For now, Ida will take you to your room.”

Great. More names to remember.

Ida turned out to