flicked him a sassy look. “Why on earth would I possibly do that? We both know you’d just do something illegal to find me.”
“So long as we’re clear.”
Marley rolled her eyes and stomped up the stairs.
No, they weren’t clear on anything. And that stupid little bump in her heart said that was going to be a major problem for her. Probably soon.
“ Gracias.” Jake climbed out of the beat-up Ford pickup and motioned to the driver he’d wrangled to take them to Bruhia. “Un momento, por favor.”
The guy nodded behind the wheel, then looked down to tinker with his phone. As Jake headed into the hotel, he pulled out his cell and dialed Eve back at Aegis headquarters.
“Well?” Eve asked as soon as she picked up the line. “Did you find her?”
“Yeah.” Jake moved up the stairs, pulled out his key, and unlocked the door to his room. “I found her.”
“And?”
“And she’s being evasive.” He tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear and grabbed his bag. “I need you to run a search on a guy named Grayson McKnight. He used to work for Mason Addison over at Omega.”
“Oookay. And why am I running background on some random guy who works for a rival company?”
“Because whoever he is, he’s got Marley twisted up in knots.”
“Ah,” Eve said slowly. “Now it’s making sense. Marley took off on a romantic vacation with this guy and you don’t approve. Got it.”
“Don’t be a smartass.” Jake slung his bag over his shoulder and pulled the door closed behind him. “I couldn’t care less who she hooks up with. That’s not what this is about. The guy isn’t what she thinks.”
“Says your super jealous black ops senses.”
Jealous? He wasn’t jealous. “Says my gut. I don’t need your opinion here, Wolfe. Just run the damn search.”
She sighed. “You’ve got a real way with women, Ryder. You know you’re not going to be down there long with that attitude, right? Marley will kick your ass clear back to the States if you pull that on her.”
He wasn’t jealous, dammit. But even as Jake thought the words, his moment with Marley on the stairs rippled through his brain, drawing his feet to a stop in the middle of the hall.
Just what was that anyway? Marley was his employee, not a woman. At least not a woman like that . Not one he was interested in. She was a friend.
He swiped at the sweat beading on his brow. Yeah, that made more sense. She was a just a friend. The same way Miller and Bentley were his friends. He’d do what he could to help those guys too. This was no different.
Telling himself there was nothing to worry about, he stopped in front of Marley’s room and banged his fist on the door. “Car’s downstairs, Addison.”
“Be right there,” she hollered back.
He headed down the stairs, but a little voice in the back of his head whispered, You don’t get turned on by Bentley and Miller .
“Ryder?” Eve asked in his ear. In the background, voices echoed as if from a TV. “Did I lose you?”
“No, I’m here.” Irritated with himself, Jake clenched his jaw. “And I know you’re in my office, Wolfe. I don’t remember giving you permission for that.”
“ Moi? Why would you assume that? I’m only running the show while you’re off gallivanting around South America playing lovesick tourist.”
The woman could be such a smartass. Just like Marley. Why did he surround himself with sassy women?
“Don’t mess with any of my shit.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
The smile in her voice lifted his spirits, if only for a moment. He moved from the lobby to the street. Midmorning sunlight beat down to mix with the humid air, making him sweat beneath the white button-down and cargo pants. “And if you call me a lovesick anything again, you’ll be looking for a new job.”
“Got it, boss.” Her voice turned businesslike. “I’ll call as soon as I have info on Marley’s mystery boyfriend.”
The line clicked dead in his ear. Pocketing his phone,
“So long as we’re clear.”
Marley rolled her eyes and stomped up the stairs.
No, they weren’t clear on anything. And that stupid little bump in her heart said that was going to be a major problem for her. Probably soon.
“ Gracias.” Jake climbed out of the beat-up Ford pickup and motioned to the driver he’d wrangled to take them to Bruhia. “Un momento, por favor.”
The guy nodded behind the wheel, then looked down to tinker with his phone. As Jake headed into the hotel, he pulled out his cell and dialed Eve back at Aegis headquarters.
“Well?” Eve asked as soon as she picked up the line. “Did you find her?”
“Yeah.” Jake moved up the stairs, pulled out his key, and unlocked the door to his room. “I found her.”
“And?”
“And she’s being evasive.” He tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear and grabbed his bag. “I need you to run a search on a guy named Grayson McKnight. He used to work for Mason Addison over at Omega.”
“Oookay. And why am I running background on some random guy who works for a rival company?”
“Because whoever he is, he’s got Marley twisted up in knots.”
“Ah,” Eve said slowly. “Now it’s making sense. Marley took off on a romantic vacation with this guy and you don’t approve. Got it.”
“Don’t be a smartass.” Jake slung his bag over his shoulder and pulled the door closed behind him. “I couldn’t care less who she hooks up with. That’s not what this is about. The guy isn’t what she thinks.”
“Says your super jealous black ops senses.”
Jealous? He wasn’t jealous. “Says my gut. I don’t need your opinion here, Wolfe. Just run the damn search.”
She sighed. “You’ve got a real way with women, Ryder. You know you’re not going to be down there long with that attitude, right? Marley will kick your ass clear back to the States if you pull that on her.”
He wasn’t jealous, dammit. But even as Jake thought the words, his moment with Marley on the stairs rippled through his brain, drawing his feet to a stop in the middle of the hall.
Just what was that anyway? Marley was his employee, not a woman. At least not a woman like that . Not one he was interested in. She was a friend.
He swiped at the sweat beading on his brow. Yeah, that made more sense. She was a just a friend. The same way Miller and Bentley were his friends. He’d do what he could to help those guys too. This was no different.
Telling himself there was nothing to worry about, he stopped in front of Marley’s room and banged his fist on the door. “Car’s downstairs, Addison.”
“Be right there,” she hollered back.
He headed down the stairs, but a little voice in the back of his head whispered, You don’t get turned on by Bentley and Miller .
“Ryder?” Eve asked in his ear. In the background, voices echoed as if from a TV. “Did I lose you?”
“No, I’m here.” Irritated with himself, Jake clenched his jaw. “And I know you’re in my office, Wolfe. I don’t remember giving you permission for that.”
“ Moi? Why would you assume that? I’m only running the show while you’re off gallivanting around South America playing lovesick tourist.”
The woman could be such a smartass. Just like Marley. Why did he surround himself with sassy women?
“Don’t mess with any of my shit.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
The smile in her voice lifted his spirits, if only for a moment. He moved from the lobby to the street. Midmorning sunlight beat down to mix with the humid air, making him sweat beneath the white button-down and cargo pants. “And if you call me a lovesick anything again, you’ll be looking for a new job.”
“Got it, boss.” Her voice turned businesslike. “I’ll call as soon as I have info on Marley’s mystery boyfriend.”
The line clicked dead in his ear. Pocketing his phone,
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