managed to stop rambling long enough to study him. His gaze roamed at the view over her shoulder. She didn't want to believe he was on Galloway's side, but the idea wouldn't go away. "Hang on a second. How did you see me through all of that chaos?"
"Blind luck," he replied.
S he didn't believe him any more than he believed her right now.
"And I'm glad I was there."
Now, his eyes were on her and the shiver that rippled through her had nothing to do with stress or adrenaline. It was pure awareness on a feminine level. Whoa. Where had that come from?
This wasn't the time to get distracted by a wholesome Kansas face. "Can we just take a peek around back?" she asked, forcing her mind back to Galloway.
"One condition."
She was tired of conditions, but she waited, praying for – something – she couldn't pinpoint exactly what kind of something beyond Renata's safe return.
"We'll walk past the alley, not into it. And then you owe me a few minutes of your time."
"At this hour?" Obviously annoyed, one eyebrow dipped low over his eye.
She caved. "Deal." He'd been nothing but nice and she was taking advantage of his compassion. No way would she waltz around the street alone at this hour, especially not in this weather.
Mu ch as they'd made the walk to this point, they continued around the corner and passed the alley. Her temper went from simmer to a boil when she saw zero action in the alley near her door.
"Satisfied?"
Not even close. Galloway had purposefully derailed her attempt to recover the watch. She couldn't fathom why, other than a sick power play. After all his posturing, he'd double-crossed her . She wanted to be mad, to do something constructive and take back control, but she didn't know where to start.
"I should call my assistant. He can unlock the door and we can take a quick look around. The guy in the apartment did all that in the dark. Maybe –"
"Oh, no. We had a deal and I won't let you renege. You're too wound up."
She wanted to protest, vehemently, but that would only pro ve his point.
" Give me those few minutes you promised and let's sort this out." He gestured to the bright glow of a twenty-four hour coffee shop across the street.
"But I must look terrible. "
"Not so bad." He shrugged and flashed that dimple again. "So what? Life happens."
" You can't call this a date."
He jerked aside if she'd smacked him. "I sure as hell hope not."
"What if that annoying detective spots us?"
"We'll burn that bridge when we get there. Come on."
Selena found her hand in his as they crossed the street. Apparently discussion was over.
* * *
John leaned against the cold concrete wall of the parking garage and stared at the dark blue sedan. "You're sure about this?"
They'd left Amelia in the hotel room in Queens, continuing the research she'd started hours ago in Hartford and continued during their drive into New York City. According to what she was digging up, Messenger had been increasingly involved with leading medical researchers around the world.
He shouldn't be surprised, his personal experience within the Unknown Identities program had left him with a few permanent changes no one expected. Hell, he was standing next to a man who was basically invisible and more than a little warped emotionally from the process.
Supposedly, Unknown Identities agents were on the right side of any mission, but John didn't like the way the various pieces were fitting together.
"No doubt in my mind." In the shadows enveloping them both, Ben explained how he'd tracked the car. "End Game is living out of that car."
"Guess the program isn't paying like it used to." He thought with more than a little pride about the UI pay he'd managed to secret away. It would help all three of them stay off of Messenger's radar. "What else have you found?"
"Haven't seen him with Messenger, yet, but h e's been tailing a woman, so I've tailed him. He hired a purse snatcher, but I intercepted the delivery." He shifted and handed
"Blind luck," he replied.
S he didn't believe him any more than he believed her right now.
"And I'm glad I was there."
Now, his eyes were on her and the shiver that rippled through her had nothing to do with stress or adrenaline. It was pure awareness on a feminine level. Whoa. Where had that come from?
This wasn't the time to get distracted by a wholesome Kansas face. "Can we just take a peek around back?" she asked, forcing her mind back to Galloway.
"One condition."
She was tired of conditions, but she waited, praying for – something – she couldn't pinpoint exactly what kind of something beyond Renata's safe return.
"We'll walk past the alley, not into it. And then you owe me a few minutes of your time."
"At this hour?" Obviously annoyed, one eyebrow dipped low over his eye.
She caved. "Deal." He'd been nothing but nice and she was taking advantage of his compassion. No way would she waltz around the street alone at this hour, especially not in this weather.
Mu ch as they'd made the walk to this point, they continued around the corner and passed the alley. Her temper went from simmer to a boil when she saw zero action in the alley near her door.
"Satisfied?"
Not even close. Galloway had purposefully derailed her attempt to recover the watch. She couldn't fathom why, other than a sick power play. After all his posturing, he'd double-crossed her . She wanted to be mad, to do something constructive and take back control, but she didn't know where to start.
"I should call my assistant. He can unlock the door and we can take a quick look around. The guy in the apartment did all that in the dark. Maybe –"
"Oh, no. We had a deal and I won't let you renege. You're too wound up."
She wanted to protest, vehemently, but that would only pro ve his point.
" Give me those few minutes you promised and let's sort this out." He gestured to the bright glow of a twenty-four hour coffee shop across the street.
"But I must look terrible. "
"Not so bad." He shrugged and flashed that dimple again. "So what? Life happens."
" You can't call this a date."
He jerked aside if she'd smacked him. "I sure as hell hope not."
"What if that annoying detective spots us?"
"We'll burn that bridge when we get there. Come on."
Selena found her hand in his as they crossed the street. Apparently discussion was over.
* * *
John leaned against the cold concrete wall of the parking garage and stared at the dark blue sedan. "You're sure about this?"
They'd left Amelia in the hotel room in Queens, continuing the research she'd started hours ago in Hartford and continued during their drive into New York City. According to what she was digging up, Messenger had been increasingly involved with leading medical researchers around the world.
He shouldn't be surprised, his personal experience within the Unknown Identities program had left him with a few permanent changes no one expected. Hell, he was standing next to a man who was basically invisible and more than a little warped emotionally from the process.
Supposedly, Unknown Identities agents were on the right side of any mission, but John didn't like the way the various pieces were fitting together.
"No doubt in my mind." In the shadows enveloping them both, Ben explained how he'd tracked the car. "End Game is living out of that car."
"Guess the program isn't paying like it used to." He thought with more than a little pride about the UI pay he'd managed to secret away. It would help all three of them stay off of Messenger's radar. "What else have you found?"
"Haven't seen him with Messenger, yet, but h e's been tailing a woman, so I've tailed him. He hired a purse snatcher, but I intercepted the delivery." He shifted and handed
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