Page 42 of When He Lies
Ryan marched toward her. “You’re in a robe.”
“And you’re in a towel.” An amused curl of her lips. “Aren’t you giving quite the show to Harry?”
His jaw locked. “You were supposed to stay in the bathroom.”
“Whoops.” Then she shrugged. “I heard Harry’s voice. I knew it was safe to come out. I mean, you are working with him, yes? So he’s safe?”
This was his first ever case to work with Harry Wilson. Did he trust him? Somewhat. But not entirely. There were only a handful of people that he did trust completely in this world. Most of those individuals were family.
“Excuse me.” Harry cleared his throat. “Were you two in the bathroom, showering, together?”
Ryan looked back at him. A hard look. A don’t-piss-me-off-look. “How the hell is that relevant to you?”
Harry backed up.
And then the bell rang again.
Ryan instantly tensed. “Do you have backup who was joining this talk?”
Harry shook his head.
Fuck. And he didn’t have a gun in the suite. He reached for Simone. Closed one hand around her shoulder. “Will you please go and hide?”
“But what if you need me?”
“Hide.”
She stormed away. Her robe fluttered around her legs.
He hurried for the main door.
“Should I hide, too?” Harry asked.
Ryan froze. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I was just…you know, ah, considering the element of surprise and all that. I thought if I hid, and then jumped out at any enemies, it would work to our advantage.”
Ryan squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Tell me again how many field missions you’ve worked.” His hand fell as his gaze cut to Harry.
Harry straightened his shoulders. “This is my third one.”
“Third one. Fantastic. Yeah, know what? Go hide. Do that. Or, even better, go hide with Simone. If some asshole actually manages to get past me, then you kill the fucker before he can touch her, got me?”
Harry seemed to pale.
“I am not sure this is the right line of work for you,” Ryan muttered. “Hide.”
Harry rushed after Simone.
Ryan checked the peephole. Only instead of seeing a threat, he saw one of those wonderful individuals that he actually did trust. Not family, at least not by blood, but still…
Ryan unlocked the door, swung it open, and smiled at his CIA supervisor, Jezebel Jenkins. “Jez, hell of a surprise to see you! I had no idea you were on this side of the pond.”
“Ryan, get some clothes on your damn self.” She marched past him without even sparing him a second glance. “And tell me what sort of fuckery we’re facing.”
Simone snagged the broach and the earrings from the spot where she’d frantically stashed them before—under the mattress. Yes, a cliché spot, but time had been of the essence, so she hadn’t been given the luxury of finding a better location. Just as it was of the essence now, too. Simone shoved the items into the left pocket of her robe, and she?—
The bedroom door shut.
