by Lexi Blake
“Have you considered at all that this is the one woman in the world who might be able to fix you?” Theo asked.
“There’s no fixing us,” Owen replied. “Not those of us who got the later doses. You and Robert, for sure. But I thought the theory was the rest of us got the final drug.”
According to their research and the few documents that had been smuggled out of McDonald’s labs, Robert and Theo had been considered part of the A Team, the group she took care of above all others. Dante, Sasha, Tucker, and Jax had been the ones she initially experimented on. She’d meant to use the final drug on Theo that day, but Big Tag had been smart and had embedded an operative deep inside McDonald’s team. So Owen had been the last man to get it, the last to fall prey to her dark games. The final drug was the one supposed to wipe the memory completely.
“Just because she said it would work doesn’t mean it will,” Theo said, his voice deep. “According to what we’ve discovered, she’d only started testing that final drug. We don’t know how it’s going to work long term. Rebecca Walsh might though. She might be the one who can break it. Have you thought about sitting her down and asking her?”
Only every minute he’d lain beside her the night before. “I don’t think she was ever knowingly involved with McDonald. This woman is kind. I don’t think she can fake it. But I also don’t know how she would react if I introduced myself as an operative looking for a bunch of old files of a colleague of hers. The way she tells it is this is a collaborative business, but there’s always someone trying to get a leg up, if you know what I mean. Her own ex-husband tried to take ownership of her work. Do you honestly believe she’ll buy that we were experimented on? No. She’ll look us up and find out most of us are wanted for one thing or another and she’ll call in the authorities.”
She was a law-abiding woman. It was in her nature.
Robert chuckled, though there was little humor in it. “Maybe that’s what Levi’s angling for. If the Canadians call the Americans in, he can operate freely and take Dr. Walsh back to the States and force her to do god knows what, all with the blessing of the CIA and the president. President Hayes can’t ignore a request from Canada.”
“I hate Levi Green,” Tucker said sullenly.
“Put that aside for now,” Theo insisted. “If we’re going to get that material and sneak it out under Green’s nose, we need you close to her. But if you think it could actually work between the two of you, I want you to consider backing off or talking to Ezra about potentially making the gamble and bringing her in.”
How the hell could it work between a brilliant scientist who was trying to cure a terrible disease and a man who’d fucked up so entirely it had cost him his memories? He had nothing to offer her, not even his past. “No, we’re not a good match, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like her. It doesn’t mean I want her hurt. But I think she knows it won’t work between us. She’s smart. She knows I’m a bad bet. That’s why she’s putting me in a box and taking me out when she wants to.”
“Because you’re giving her all the power,” Theo insisted.
“She’s got the right to say what she wants.” He couldn’t throw her over his shoulder and run away with her. No matter how much he wanted to.
“Are you giving her the option?” Theo asked. “Did you give her the option this morning? No. You got annoyed and your back was against the wall and you walked out. So give her the choice.”
“You want me to call her and ask her to go out with me instead?” He could do it. He had to find a way to not beg the woman, but maybe he could manage it.
A slow smile spread across Theo’s face. “Nope. We’re going to do something much more fun. A woman likes a grand gesture. What I’m thinking of isn’t so much a gesture as it is a really cool entrance. It’s a bit theatrical, but if you play it right, then even if she turns you down, she won’t be thinking about the guy she’s out with.”
Music thudded from the hallway, a bouncy pop song starting to play.
He looked up and Erin was holding out a phone, the volume turned up to dance party levels.
Theo’s eyes narrowed on his wife.
“Well, it’s time for the makeover, right?” Erin asked, her lips curled up in a mischievous grin. “You need music for your makeover. You can giggle and talk fashion and maybe get a mani pedi, and I’ll follow you around so you have a soundtrack. Theo’s phone is full of Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson. Was that Ariana Grande I spied on your playlist? We’ve got your girl-power jam right here for hours, buddy.”
Theo stood slowly, his shoulders squaring. “Gentlemen, I’m going to have a talk with my wife. I’ll be back in a second. Well, maybe not in a second. This might take some time.” He stalked toward her before turning briefly. “But she’s right about the makeover. Sort of. We’ll talk about it when I finish disciplining my incredibly smartass sub.”
Theo chased his wife down the hall, her laughter ringing through the place.
God, he loved the way Becca laughed.
Maybe Theo was right. He hadn’t asked her this morning if she wanted to spend the day with him. He hadn’t given them enough time to bring the subject up. He’d left her alone to deal with Carter and the police. Not exactly the signs of a man who was interested in altering their bargain.
There was nothing in their agreement that said he couldn’t try to lure her away from some other guy.
She’d seemed disappointed when he’d reminded her of her date this morning. There had been a moment when hurt had flared in her eyes, but he’d dismissed it because he’d been hurt, too. He was acting like a jealous boy, not a bloody operative. If he wanted her in his bed, he would have to work for it, tempt her into it.
Theo thought he needed to make an entrance. He might be able to do that. “Do you guys want to help me with a project?”
Robert frowned. “You really want a makeover? Like we go through your clothes and stuff?”
He rolled his eyes. Bugger all. “No, I want to go down and talk to a bloke about a motorbike. I can’t get to my clothes. Two Taggarts are likely already fucking on my bed. They better change the sheets.”
Robert nodded. “See, that’s how I felt about the island. Could they make sure they clean that? Or burn it down? Sure, let’s go out and talk about a new plan. I don’t know that I can listen to more fucking. I’ll get dressed.”
Tucker sighed. “I’ll join you, but can we use the elevator? My quads are killing me, man. Have you seen them? They’re getting huge. Every day on this op is leg day. What’s up with that?”
Owen groaned, but his mind was spinning.
She wanted a bad boy? He could give her that. After all, it was practically his profession.
Chapter Eleven
She was going to murder Cathy. She was a doctor. She could do it about a hundred different ways. It didn’t have to be painful, but she was going to make sure Cathy never set up another human being again.
Because she was terrible at it.
“Well, I told her she didn’t get Lacey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he said, glancing up from his menu. “It’s not fair. Our custody agreement clearly states that we split holidays, and she already had Lacey for Victoria Day.”
It was a stunningly gorgeous afternoon. The sky was a beautiful baby blue with big puffy white clouds floating overhead. The sun was warm on her skin, but there was a nice breeze that cooled everything off. The restaurant was lovely and the patio was the perfect place to spend time talking with friends or getting to know an attractive, intelligent man.
Lawyer Larry was definitely attractive. He had thick, dark hair and soulful eyes. He looked fit and healthy. He was damn near her perfect type until he opened his mouth and couldn’t stop talking about his divorce and the ex-wife who was keeping him from his beloved daughter. It had taken her about fifteen minutes before she understood he was talking about a pug. Not that pugs weren’t cute or even that she didn’t feel for him missing his dog, but it was a lot to throw out there in t
he first couple of minutes of a date.
He winced as though he’d finally figured out she wasn’t responding as readily as she should have. It was good that he could at least pick up on social cues eventually. “I’m sorry. I’m talking too much and not about the right things.”
“Not at all,” she lied. “I understand the pain of divorce, though we didn’t have any pets.”
And now she thought that was a good thing. She loved dogs and cats but had always worried she worked far too much to give a pet the proper attention. Now she knew Fido could have far-reaching consequences.
He sighed and sat back. “Yeah, I’m afraid I got off the phone with my ex right before I came here. I swear she’s got a sensor or something that goes off the minute I’m going to do anything happy in my life. Do you see yours often?”
“I moved.” To a whole different country. “I needed a clean break, so when the job at the Huisman Foundation came up, I jumped at it.”
She’d been right to take a break from the emotional stuff, but she was starting to wonder if she was being too rational about Owen. She’d missed him. All morning she’d thought about going down to his apartment and knocking on the door. She hadn’t. She’d forced herself to stay away, but now she was wondering why.
Why did she have to play the field? Why couldn’t she play in Owen’s field? There wasn’t some dumb rule that said she couldn’t have a relationship with the first guy she felt something for, and if there was then she could break it.
“God, I wish I could have a fresh start,” Lawyer Larry was saying. “It’s impossible when there are children involved. We’ll be tied together as long as Lacey’s alive, and honestly, we’ve been talking about potentially breeding her. She’s such a light in the world that I can’t stand the thought of not having a piece of her with me for the rest of my life.”
He started going on and on about how difficult it was to find the right sire or something. It was a lot of information. Way more than she ever wanted to know about breeding dogs.
She smiled gamely and wondered where the waitress was. They’d put in drink orders but she was ready to eat and run as fast as she could. She’d been ready to order the quiche and salad, but if they made them individually that could add time to the process. Turkey sandwich it was. It took no time at all to slap some turkey between two pieces of bread and call it a day. She could choke it down in record time.
“And the breeding fees can be ridiculous,” he continued. “But I want the best for Lacey. It’s one more thing Jane and I fight about.”
Why hadn’t she come up with some kind of signal? She should have had a friend she could text 911 to and then she would call and save her, claiming some kind of emergency.
Could she fake a text? Was that rude?
Or she could fake a heart attack. That would get her out of here fast, but it also might get her an ambulance ride, and then everyone would freak out.
Her cell phone trilled and she breathed a sigh of relief. Cathy. Excellent. Cathy had gotten her into this. She could get her out. Holding her phone, she pushed back her chair. “I’m so sorry. I have to take this. I won’t be more than a moment.”
“Of course,” he replied, frowning at her. “I’ll see if I can wave down a waitress.”
She settled her purse over her shoulder and moved back into the restaurant. When she was out of hearing range, she slid her finger across the screen to answer the call. “Hello, Cathy. Would you like to know about the high cost associated with breeding your precious pug?”
A long sigh came over the line. “I was worried about that.”
“In the first fifteen minutes of this date, I know more about Larry’s divorce than I know about my own. Mine now feels like a beautiful mystery to me.”
“I’m sorry, Becca. Look, you’re only the second woman he’s gone out with since he and Jane broke up. It takes a while to get back into the swing of things.”
“He’s literally the first person I’ve dated since I got divorced.” Owen didn’t count because what they’d done hadn’t been dates. They’d been sexual encounters. They’d been hot and sweaty and perfect. And she’d enjoyed talking to him.
It hadn’t been all about sex. There had been an easy intimacy between the two of them she hadn’t felt in…she’d never felt it. Not once. When she’d met her husband it had taken months before they’d slept together, and while it had been good, she’d never once laid around in bed naked and eating pizza and watching movies with him.
“I know but men take divorce harder than women do,” Cathy was saying.
“Really?”
“Okay, I’m coming up with excuses, but it’s because he’s a successful guy. He’s on your level. It’s hard to find someone who can keep up with you professionally,” Cathy admitted.
“What does that mean?” She glanced out and it looked like Larry had found a waitress. He was talking to the blonde woman and shaking his head, gesturing back toward the entrance as though complaining about his date.
Yeah, she was cool with that.
Something crashed on Cathy’s side of the phone and there was a muffled call for order and not playing with hockey sticks in the house. “It means I can’t pull out my virtual rolodex and set you up with the first blue-collar guy I see. You need a serious man.”
She looked out over the patio. She’d made the argument to herself when she’d agreed to this date. She’d made it again when she’d decided she couldn’t throw herself into a relationship with Owen. “I was married to a serious man.”
What about Owen wasn’t serious?
She moved back to the door that led out to the patio. There was a beautiful wrought iron fence that surrounded the patio, a gate that would allow diners access to the street. In the distance, the CN Tower rose above the skyscrapers. She’d lived here for two years and never been. How much of life was she missing because she took herself so seriously?
“You were married to another doctor,” Cathy pointed out. “I think you need a white-collar guy who won’t talk about the medical profession every single minute of the day.”
She continued on about all the things Becca needed, but Becca’s attention was suddenly on the street. An old-school motorcycle pulled up and stopped in front of the iron gate. The man on the bike wore a proper helmet, and she couldn’t help but notice there was a second helmet secured to the bike, a smaller more feminine-looking helmet.
Cathy would probably tell her any dude on an old motorcycle wasn’t a proper date for her, but she thought the bike looked cool. Not that she would ever ride one since she knew quite well the ramifications of a motorcycle accident.
The man on the bike put his feet down, balancing it. Was he picking up his girlfriend after her shift? He was wearing jeans, and a leather jacket covered his broad shoulders.
She was in a skirt and button-down and a cardigan. Perfectly normal clothes for her, but as she’d dressed she’d thought about whether or not Owen would like her navy blue cardigan with white piping and gold buttons. Would he think she looked like a sexy librarian? She pushed her glasses up and sighed as the man on the bike started to unhook his helmet.
“I’m going to cut this off at the pass,” she said, forcing her eyes away from the guy on the bike. He probably wasn’t as hot as he seemed. He would take that helmet off and just be a normal, average dude. “I’m sorry if this gets you in trouble, but I can’t spend the afternoon with this guy. It’s not fair to either one of us.”
If she hurried, she might be able to find Owen.
Or she could go to the office because it wasn’t like Owen had wanted to spend the day with her. He’d left her with the cops. He might be annoyed with her. He might have decided she was too much trouble for a booty call.
Another sigh came over the line. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time. I’ve got an accountant I think you’ll love. Now, he’s divorced and still a little bitter, but I think you can turn him around.”
The helmet came off and she caught her breath
as she recognized that gold and red hair, the sexy line of his jaw, those godawful gorgeous lips of his. And his scruff. It was the hottest thing she’d ever seen. Owen. Owen was on that bike.
She shrank back because Owen was here and he was obviously looking for someone.
His blue eyes took in the patio.
Did he have a woman he was picking up here? That was a coincidence. A big one.
Or he was a sexy bastard who’d seen the note she’d left on her bar. Well, he’d told her he didn’t play fair. Had he come out here to offer her an alternative?
She could hide and maybe save herself some embarrassment or she could walk out there and find out if Owen Shaw had come to save her. Her knight on a shiny bike.
“Hey, Cathy, don’t ever set me up again. I think I have this handled.” If he wasn’t here for her, then at least she’d get a look at her competition. Because she wanted him. Only Owen, not some random setup that might or might not lead to a super-professional happily ever after.
She hung up the phone because Cathy would keep her on it forever and she needed to get out there before Owen thought he’d missed her.
He was here for her. She was sure of it now. It was there in the way he was studying the patio, his eyes catching on Larry and staring.
She stepped out into the sunlight and waited.
“I sent the waitress away because you weren’t here,” Larry said, irritation flavoring his words. “You know it’s rude to pay more attention to your phone than your date.”
Owen’s gaze caught her and the slowest, sexiest smile crossed his face. The man actually made her catch her breath. A single brow cocked over his eye as if to ask if she was staying with the lawyer or fleeing with the bad boy on the bike.
She wasn’t the kind of woman who walked out when she’d made a commitment, but she was the kind who knew a good thing when she saw it, and that man was a good thing.
“If you didn’t like me answering my phone, you’re really not going to like what I do next,” she said, never taking her eyes off Owen. “Bye, Larry. I hope things work out between you and Lacey and whatever doggie dad you pick. Bye.”