Page 43 of When He Lies
She’d left the door open.
Simone grabbed the lamp from the bedside and whirled around, her arm up and ready to throw her weapon.
“No!” Harry crouched. “It’s just me! I’m hiding with you!”
“What?”
“Protecting you,” he corrected as his cheeks flushed. “Hiding and protecting. That way, if the enemy gets past Ryan, I can save you.”
He was going to save her? The man crouching in front of the door? “In this scenario, who saves Ryan?”
“I…am hoping he can save himself.”
This was ridiculous. She marched forward and glared at him. “Move.”
Harry moved to the side. Then seemed to realize her plan. “Wait, what are you?—”
She yanked open the bedroom door. She still had her weapon at the ready. Up and in swinging position. Except when she opened that door, she came face to face with Ryan.
He eyed the lamp. Then smiled at her. “Planning to bash someone in the head?”
If necessary, yes.
“It was a friendly visitor. No worries.” His gaze darted to Harry. “By the way, she wants to meet you, too, Harry.”
Simone slowly lowered the lamp. “She?”
“Um, yes, my boss.” His head cocked to the right. “She wants to meet you, Simone. Meet you, interrogate you. You know, the usual.”
Does she want to arrest me? Simone tried to buy some time while she tried to find a way out of this mess. “Any chance I could get some clothing soon? It’s not exactly fun to go around meeting new people in a robe.” Though he was definitely working that towel of his.
“One moment.” He disappeared down the narrow hallway.
The floor creaked behind her.
“Where did he go?” Harry asked.
Glancing over her shoulder, she had to question, “Are you truly MI6? Or is this some joke?”
He straightened. “Why would it be a joke?”
“You just seem…green.” The greenest of greens.
“Don’t you worry about my capabilities. This is my third mission.”
Simone nodded. “That tracks.”
He frowned.
But Ryan was back. So her focus returned to him. He was back and edging past her as he carried a very large brown suitcase toward the bed. “Courtesy of Jezebel,” he explained as he put down the luggage. “Clothes for you. Toiletries. Makeup. Everything you need. I received a similar delivery of necessary supplies.” His hand motioned toward Harry. “Let’s give Simone privacy to change.” An order. He quirked an eyebrow at Simone. “I’ll get dressed, too. Then meet you in the sitting area in five minutes?”
Yes. Fine. Five.
He closed the door. She changed as fast as possible. She also made sure to hide her precious trinkets. Because when she finally slipped away from Ryan—and she would be slipping away, sooner or later—she intended to take her prizes with her. After all, she had a job to complete. Someone very important needed to have those items returned, and there was no world in which Simone planned to disappoint this particular individual.
“So you’re Simone Sailor.”
Simone blinked. She’d just walked into the very blue sitting room. Blue sofa. Blue chair. Blue curtains over the window that looked out at Hyde Park and the Wellington Arch. In contrast to the blue, the walls were a dark brown. Dark brown end tables on either side of the couch. Dark brown desk near the window. Dark brown coffee table. All of the wood gleamed, as if it had been carefully polished, and, overhead, a crystal chandelier caught the light and seemed to sparkle.
