lived through the early years of the Cold War and prepared for any eventuality.” He smiled, but behind the humor, she saw a hint of admiration as well. He seemed to be a man who appreciated the benefits of having a good contingency plan.
Military, she thought after a moment’s consideration, remembering the rucksack full of necessary supplies. Not one of those desk-jockey rear-echelon types, either. She tried to picture his hair, currently collar-length and wavy, cut in a crisp, military style. What did they call it, high and tight?
She could see it, she decided, her gaze narrowing as it skimmed the hard angle of his jaw. Could explain the bum leg as well.
Something flitted in the back of her mind, tantalizingly out of reach. Something to do with a wounded warrior—
“No more questions?” he asked, jerking her attention back to her present situation.
“Why me?”
“I told you. You were in the way.”
“Of what? I’m not in security.”
His gaze flicked her way. “Yeah, I know.”
“What was your role? Following me around? Is that why you stayed on the elevator earlier today instead of getting off?”
His lips curved slightly at the corners, carving shallow dimples in his lean cheeks. “No, that was my own bit of freelancing.”
“I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re really on my side.”
The dimples deepened, though there wasn’t much in the way of mirth shining from his green eyes. “I suppose you wouldn’t believe me if I did.”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, then immediately wished she’d just kept her mouth shut. She was in a very vulnerable situation at the moment, and showing any sign of weakness in front of this man was just asking for trouble.
If her grandmother had taught her anything during the long, hard years of her childhood, it was to never show weakness. Displays of weakness made you look like a tasty morsel for the big, bad wolves of the world, and in the neck of the woods where she’d grown up, there were a whole hell of a lot of nasty wolves roaming those hills and hollows.
She knew from personal experience.
“I don’t want anyone hurt. But whatever they’re planning for the conference is only the opening act. And I’m not sure what they have in mind for the main event.”
Though she wasn’t a hundred percent confident that he was telling her the truth about where his loyalties lay, he clearly wanted her to believe he was one of the good guys. So for now, she’d play into that conceit, she decided. What she needed most at the moment was more information, and she’d get it more easily with cooperation than conflict. “What you did for me blew your cover, didn’t it?”
He released a long, gusty breath. “I’m not sure.”
“They were pretty close when they started shooting.”
“They consider me a loser. It’s why they didn’t let me in on all their plans.” He turned to look at her. “You almost didn’t recognize me out there yourself, did you? And you were a hell of a lot closer.”
She hadn’t, she realized. Not at first. Of course, she didn’t exactly know him well. “I take it you like for them to think you’re not much of a threat.”
“It served my purposes,” he agreed. “If there’s one way they’re akin to a real military unit, it’s that the people in charge like to make sure there are plenty of warm bodies out there as cannon fodder while they plot world domination from the rear.”
Yup, she thought, former military. And not a big fan of authority himself. She filed that thought away and turned her gaze toward the glow of the space heater. Her feet felt as if they’d swollen to twice their normal size, and she didn’t look forward to putting her weight on them anytime soon, but the lure of heat proved too powerful. Nibbling her lip to keep from whimpering, she hobbled over to the fireplace and outstretched her hands toward the heater.
Hunter stepped out of her view, and it took all her willpower not to turn and
Military, she thought after a moment’s consideration, remembering the rucksack full of necessary supplies. Not one of those desk-jockey rear-echelon types, either. She tried to picture his hair, currently collar-length and wavy, cut in a crisp, military style. What did they call it, high and tight?
She could see it, she decided, her gaze narrowing as it skimmed the hard angle of his jaw. Could explain the bum leg as well.
Something flitted in the back of her mind, tantalizingly out of reach. Something to do with a wounded warrior—
“No more questions?” he asked, jerking her attention back to her present situation.
“Why me?”
“I told you. You were in the way.”
“Of what? I’m not in security.”
His gaze flicked her way. “Yeah, I know.”
“What was your role? Following me around? Is that why you stayed on the elevator earlier today instead of getting off?”
His lips curved slightly at the corners, carving shallow dimples in his lean cheeks. “No, that was my own bit of freelancing.”
“I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re really on my side.”
The dimples deepened, though there wasn’t much in the way of mirth shining from his green eyes. “I suppose you wouldn’t believe me if I did.”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, then immediately wished she’d just kept her mouth shut. She was in a very vulnerable situation at the moment, and showing any sign of weakness in front of this man was just asking for trouble.
If her grandmother had taught her anything during the long, hard years of her childhood, it was to never show weakness. Displays of weakness made you look like a tasty morsel for the big, bad wolves of the world, and in the neck of the woods where she’d grown up, there were a whole hell of a lot of nasty wolves roaming those hills and hollows.
She knew from personal experience.
“I don’t want anyone hurt. But whatever they’re planning for the conference is only the opening act. And I’m not sure what they have in mind for the main event.”
Though she wasn’t a hundred percent confident that he was telling her the truth about where his loyalties lay, he clearly wanted her to believe he was one of the good guys. So for now, she’d play into that conceit, she decided. What she needed most at the moment was more information, and she’d get it more easily with cooperation than conflict. “What you did for me blew your cover, didn’t it?”
He released a long, gusty breath. “I’m not sure.”
“They were pretty close when they started shooting.”
“They consider me a loser. It’s why they didn’t let me in on all their plans.” He turned to look at her. “You almost didn’t recognize me out there yourself, did you? And you were a hell of a lot closer.”
She hadn’t, she realized. Not at first. Of course, she didn’t exactly know him well. “I take it you like for them to think you’re not much of a threat.”
“It served my purposes,” he agreed. “If there’s one way they’re akin to a real military unit, it’s that the people in charge like to make sure there are plenty of warm bodies out there as cannon fodder while they plot world domination from the rear.”
Yup, she thought, former military. And not a big fan of authority himself. She filed that thought away and turned her gaze toward the glow of the space heater. Her feet felt as if they’d swollen to twice their normal size, and she didn’t look forward to putting her weight on them anytime soon, but the lure of heat proved too powerful. Nibbling her lip to keep from whimpering, she hobbled over to the fireplace and outstretched her hands toward the heater.
Hunter stepped out of her view, and it took all her willpower not to turn and
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