Page 8 of Catch Me
“He’s my ride. Can you give me a minute, Jon? I’ll be right down.”
Jon’s eyes narrowed for a split second, his easy going grin suddenly becoming too easy, too bright, too hard. It was as if he was sending a silent message to Simon that was more a threat than an acquiesce. “Fine, but I’ll be just outside the door.”
I frowned at the exchange between the two men and shut my door as Jon turned to move down the hall and wait.
“What was that about? Is he your handler now?”
Simon’s face was hardened marble as he pressed against me until my back was flush with the door, his hand gripping my jaw and tilting my chin up. He bent down and the kiss he gave me held none of the tenderness or longing from earlier. It was hard and demanding. His lips and tongue coaxing over mine as if he was trying to search out every part of my soul, every drop of my being and pour back into me with everything that he was.
I held back at first, anger, confusion and the demand for answers warring within me. But then I was kissing him back. Our mouths clashed, and I heard a low rumble in his chest as he groaned when one of my legs raised to hook around his waist, drawing him in closer. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, resist him. Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped, and he drew away from me, his breathing heavy and eyes dark with desire and other emotions I didn’t understand yet.
“I can’t explain what’s going on. But I have to go.” His words were heavy with unspoken feelings and my heart winced at the pleading in them. “Please Hannah, I know I don’t deserve this from you, but please lass, if you need help, get word to Michael or Rue. They’ll know what to do.”
Tiny fractures of pain flared in my heart. Pain that I quickly squashed with anger as my eyes slitted and my lips curled into a snarl. “You had no intention of keeping your promise, did you?”
He said nothing, but I saw something dark flicker in the gun metal colored depths of his eyes.
“Tell me you didn’t come here and feed me another lie, Simon Gallagher. Tell me you didn’t come here just to get information out of me. Tell me you didn’t use me again.”
His silence thundered louder than any confession he could have made, and those tiny fractures shattered into a thousand pieces. Red crept into my gaze as I moved away from the door, but my voice was cold and flat as I spoke.
“Well, Mr. Gallagher, I have to give you credit. Your acting is impeccable. Academy Award-winning acting classes must be standard with international asshole spy training.” I moved to the side and gripped the door handle. “Tell Michael, Rue and Evan I said that I’m genuinely sorry for everything they had to go through because of me and my sister. But I think it’s time we officially ended our professional relationship.” I opened the door. “Goodbye Mr. Gallagher.”
“Hannah…” His voice was a low groan, a plea, but I cut him off by opening the door wider and stepping out into the hall, where Colonel Abrams took notice and moved towards us.
“He’s all yours Colonel.”
Simon didn’t glance at the officer, just gave me one last long look before striding past me toward the elevator doors at the end of my hall. I didn’t turn around to see if he looked back. I was sure he wouldn’t.
Jon watched him walk away for a second and then looked down at me and I steeled myself for whatever question he had forming on the tip of his tongue but then something he saw in my gaze made him think twice and he just shook his head, moving in closer to where I was standing still holding my door open. I had to tip my head back to continue to look at him properly, his height topping Simon’s by at least two or three inches, and I briefly wondered if he was aware of how much of a target that would make him.
“Ms. Kelly, I wonder, does the FBI know what kind of talent they’re letting go to waste under their roof?”
I blinked, unsure of if I’d heard him correctly. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Well,” He nodded his head down the hall at Simon’s retreating back. “I just witnessed one of the most formidable espionage agents in the business run out of your apartment scared shitless without a shot fired, an explosion, or a threat of nuclear war hanging in the balance.” He gave me half a grin. “If that’s not talent, I’m not sure what is.”
I smirked, allowing myself a small smile at his attempt at a joke, and shook my head. “Sorry, but the only person Simon Gallagher fears is a ghost. And I’m not referring to his job description.”
The colonel’s eyes glinted with sympathy. “You’re right. Simon is haunted by far more than the sins of his past. But I wasn’t kidding about wasted talent.” He held something out to me and I found myself taking a crisp white business card from him. A business card that looked eerily similar to one Simon had left a note on my door with so many weeks ago. I frowned, looking at the blank card, and held it up between my fingers. “A blank business card? I didn’t know the Department of Defense was in the business of playing magic tricks, Colonel.”
“Look closer, Ms. Kelly. Everything you need to know is on that business card. As you can probably guess, my role at the Pentagon is more fluid than a uniform would let you believe.” He cocked his head, a smirk playing about his full lips as I continued to study the card. I frowned as something reflected in the light and as I twisted and turned its edges, I saw the silver outline of a symbol etched into the grain of the cardstock. It was a small cube hidden within a second larger cube, outlined by a ring. An enigma symbol. I looked up at the towering man, who was watching me with intense interest.
“What exactly are you asking me, Colonel?”
“Officially?” His grin widened, a tactic that was probably meant to be disarming but only made me think of a predator showing off his razor-sharp teeth. “Nothing. I am just here to escort Mr. Gallagher to where he needs to go.” He leaned down and tapped the business card I still held out in front me. I could smell the subtle scent of his aftershave and stiffened with the urge to back away, but didn’t. “But unofficially? People have heard about your exploits and you’ve gained some attention in other circles. They think you’d be a great asset and if you’re ever tired of playing patty-cake with the bureau, you may just have other avenues of employment to explore.”
I looked at the card; the symbol glinting like a silvery beacon now that I knew where to look, then to the handsome man whose gaze never wavered, but whose smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “They think I’d be a great asset? Or you…” my words trailed off as I gauged his reaction, but those dark blue eyes gave away nothing. “Tell me, Ms. Kelly, do you really think the Abromov group and the Hildago Syndicate will ever truly disappear? Do you think organizations like that just fade away?” He shook his head. “No, they're just spiders linked in one giant web. The minute one spider is exterminated, another rises to take its place.” He just turned around, long legs carrying him toward the elevators, calling back to me.
“Just think about it, Ms. Kelly. If you’re interested, I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to contact me.”
I didn’t bother to respond or ask him how he knew that I’d find a way to reach him. I just watched the symbol appear and disappear as I held the card under the light. Shiny, silvery, almost translucent. Like a ghost.
Yeah, I knew exactly how to contact him. The question was, did I want to?
CHAPTEREIGHT
Hannah
