Diamonds Are Truly Forever: An Agent Ex Novel 2 by Gina Robinson Page A

kitchen window after I throw you through it.”
    “Empty promises,” he said.
    She ignored him. “The pantry?”
    “Door puttied. The glass swept up, and the cookies delivered to Jessica.”
    “You gave the cookies to Jessica?”
    Her shrill tone startled him. “What? I thought that’s what you’d want. You didn’t want to disappoint her, did you?”
    “But what if they have glass in them?” She shuddered, evidently imagining all kinds of glass-swallowing horrors as only she was capable of.
    “From what?” he said.
    She looked clearly frustrated. “The window! You know—bullet, explosion, flying glass shards?”
    “They don’t have glass shards in them or on them.”
    “How do you know?” She set her half-eaten slice of pizza down and gave him the you’re such an idiot stare he hated.
    “I checked. I ate one and I’m still here,” he said.
    She shook her head. “You have a cast-iron stomach. If some kid swallows glass and the police come after us, you’re taking the fall.”
    He shrugged. She was such a worrywart. “Emmett will take care of it.” He winked at her and changed the subject as he poured himself a beer and reached for a slice of pizza heavy on the Canadian bacon. “How did your calls go?”
    She picked up her pizza. “I didn’t make any calls.”
    He’d given her one simple task. One simple task and she didn’t do it. He should have known she’d defy him. He frowned at her, hoping to unnerve her.
    She made a sweeping gesture of the room. “Do I look like I had time to make calls?”
    “The cleaning could wait.” He paused. Something was bothering her. She looked guilty. If she didn’t always rile him up, he would have picked up on it earlier. “Why didn’t you call anyone?”
    She sighed and looked down at the pizza crust in her hand. “I don’t know where you work.”
    “What?”
    She shrugged. “I had the phone in my hand when I realized I don’t know the cover story. Where do you work? What do you do? How long have you been there?” She sighed. “It seemed safer not to spin lies I might regret.” She paused. “So?”
    She made a good point. He should have filled her in before rushing off. She was no good at subterfuge and double talk. He’d been too eager to take off and take out whoever had threatened her. He hadn’t been thinking clearly. That was the problem with being around Staci. He lost his edge. His buddy and fellow spy Ty had the same problem with his wife during their mission in Hawaii.
    “I’m the new marketing guru for Hook House Ale. I start tomorrow.”
    “Tomorrow? On a Friday?” She stared at him.
    “What can I say? Their pay week starts on Friday.”
    “Hook House,” she said, as if trying to place it. “That’s one of the small breweries near Attitude, isn’t it? If I’m thinking of the right brewery, it’s one of Sam’s favorite lunch places.”
    Drew’s heart stopped. Staci was getting a little too close to the reason for his employment there. But he didn’t let anything show on his face.
    “And you got the job how?” she said.
    “Emmett. He rigged it so I was the most desirable candidate.” He liked teasing her. She was so easy to rile. “The Hook House people think they hired me because of my excellent credentials and glowing references.”
    She frowned at him. “But we can’t tell people that, can we? So?”
    “Through a connection of mine. Someone you don’t know. No need to say who.”
    He watched the wheels of her mind turning. She was wondering how Hook House Ale figured into his mission. She could go on guessing. A little intrigue was good for a relationship. Especially a nearly defunct one.
    “So you’ll be traveling when necessary?” she asked.
    She caught on quick.
    “Yep,” he said.
    “Does this new cover job come with a raise or are we still wallowing in poverty?”
    He ignored the jibe in her tone. “We have a few extra bucks.”
    “Good,” she said. “Until I get a new job, I’m low on funds. I