by Honor James
Hope nodded as she began to go through the files, absorbing the information. “And our cover, boss?” she asked when she finally leaned back in her soft leather chair, proud of herself for not even wincing. “Or is this all dark cover?” Which meant no cover, they weren’t who they were, but instead would be the shadows. Dangerous. Very, very dangerous. But that’s what they were for.
“Normally I’d say we were going in dark, but not on this one. Since we have no clue who or what we’re dealing with, we need solid covers.” David hit another button and her screen filled with the file. “Douglas is going as a college graduate. Sorry.” He grinned at the young man’s groan. It was the guy’s baby face, it let him get all the young places and made everyone underestimate him.
“A college graduate taking some time just to flit around Europe. Backpacks, nasty smelling clothing and the whole bit. You’ll be going in two days before William, who is a photojournalist for the Times. Full cover there, the editor in chief has our back on this one as a favor. He doesn’t know why he does, but he owes us big, so we’re collecting on a portion of it.” If she remembered right, the guy’s daughter had gotten into some seriously deep shit a few years back and they’d saved her life and the man’s reputation.
“Hope and I are a married couple, entrepreneurs looking for a place to expand and a broader market. Our passports will have all the major hotspots in them, so it will fly when someone decides to check on them. We are über-rich, but understated. We don’t mind using our wealth to get what we want, but we know better than to flaunt it in public, especially in some spots. The rest is in your dockets. Read them and know them. You will have access to them until oh-seven-thirty tomorrow and then, as always, the files will be removed and scrubbed.”
He looked at everyone at the table. “We are going in blind, which means we are relying on those remaining here to funnel as much intel as you can to us as you get it. All our gear is in the ready rooms. Nothing we personally own goes with us, we only take issued property. All phones are so encoded I’m not even sure how to turn the damn thing on. Will, do that for me before we head out, yeah?”
The other man chuckled and nodded. “Sure thing, old timer.” Which earned him a glare and a narrowed-eye look of warning.
“Be back here by oh-six-hundred tomorrow, those flying out. The rest of you, take the morning to relax, but hit the streets and your phones by ten-hundred. We’ll be landing in London and splitting up from there with various delay times to make it in-country. Any other questions?”
“Do I get to use your credit cards, hubby?” Shit! God, Hope was so not ready for this. She had to tease, had to play it up because they all expected it from her. “So I can buy anything I want?” She continued to tease, that slight purr there. “And which accent do you want me to have? I see where you are from, where am I from?” That wasn’t in her dossier, her character’s hometown background.
He sent her a droll look while the others laughed. “East coast, slight upper New England, but keep it soft. You’ve travelled extensively as well, as having attending several quote-unquote regular schools, as your parents didn’t want you turning into a shit.” Oh, snarky! “Anything else you want to know, wifey-poo?” he asked in the most sickeningly sweet and gooey tone. Who knew he had it in him?
“Yep, right or left?” Leaning back, she crossed her legs and watched him. They all knew that Hope would follow orders to the letter, but she also loved to tease. She was carefree and joyful, even right now. “Come on, darling. Right or left?” At his look, she grinned. “Side of the bed you are sleeping on, of course.”
Up went a brow and his lips curled ever so slightly. Uh-oh. “Dead center with you draped over me,” he said in a perfectly even tone. Fuck. And full-blown shit-eating grin before he went back to dead serious. “Everyone that isn’t up on their inoculations, see medical before you leave the building. Hope, I need to speak with you for a minute before you head out. That’s it, learn your parts and we’ll see you in the morning, Doug and Will.”
She knew she had pushed too far. When was she going to learn? She didn’t move. Instead, she watched him come closer. “I was only teasing, boss. You know that, right?” She didn’t want to be pulled off of this mission. She had too much time and blood invested in it, just as he did.
Nodding, he didn’t say anything until the others had cleared the room. As the door snicked shut, he frowned at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed her up and down. “And don’t tell me nothing, Hope. You look pale and I can see sweat on your brow. So you tell me now, or…” He shrugged. She knew what he’d do, and that wouldn’t bode well for her or the mission.
“Just a small injury. Fell off a surfboard and onto some sharp rocks when I was out surfing with what’s-his-name.” She no longer tried to make up names for the boyfriends she supposedly had. “Just a cut. I had some stitches put in and antibiotics that I had to take for a week. I’m good now, just still a little stiff.”
He kept his gaze on her and didn’t blink. Not once.
Finally, he shook his head at her. “Full workup by the doctor on staff. I want the report in my inbox by five, or you’re off the mission.” He stood and grabbed up his items and headed for the door. “Or, if you feel like telling me the truth at least once, I’ll let the doctor’s visit slide. I’ll be in my office for an hour. After that, the report had better be in before five tonight, Hope.” That said, he left her alone in the conference room.
“God, what an ass,” she muttered. Rubbing her temples, she fought what to tell him. She never let people into her personal life. Ever. It didn’t work out, especially when the person that wanted her to open up was the man she was in love with. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Fuck.
Getting up, she took her pad and moved toward his office.
Closing the door behind her, she took a seat. “It’s a knife wound,” she said without preamble. “I didn’t have anyone for medical, so I super-glued and duct-taped it. I’ve had worse, just as you have. I’m fine. The infection is gone, I’m just still a little tender. Now, can I go?”
Leaning back in his chair, David stared at her for a time. “So, was this before or after you fell off the surfboard into the rocks? No, wait, I know when it was. When you were in a bar fight in your hometown and got stuck from behind from an unknown assailant.” He rolled his eyes as she ground her teeth together. “You really don’t think I don’t have a clue as to what you were up to this last go-around, Hope? Especially when the locals give me a call, at home, to verify you’re not some chick off the wagon and three sheets to the wind. That last bit was more or less a direct quote, by the way, though I did some minor editing to ensure you don’t go back and shoot them.”
He was fishing. She knew it. Everyone in her hometown knew her. Sure, they didn’t know what she did, but they all knew her. “Hardy-har-har. Bar fight.” How had he gotten that part right though? What the hell? “No one would have called you at home. No one knows you.” Small town. They took care of their own. And even though she only came back from time to time, she was still one of their own, right?
He shook his head and clicked his tongue lightly. A small hum of sound, and then he turned his computer monitor around for her for her to watch as she took Sue down and got a knife to her side. “Uh-huh,” he said, his face a perfect mask. “Care to try door number two? Oh, and if you’re wondering how I just happened to get my hands on this, well…”
He leaned forward and pointed to a figure up in the top left of the video feed. “This guy here, he’s my brother and just happened to recognize you. And no, I’m not telling you how he did, that’s a very long story and one you’re never hearing. He talked to the locals and was very helpful in passing my information to them, right after he hacked into the feed and got me a copy of this video. I have to say, for a local watering hole, they actually have a pretty good circuit feed. It’s so clear and detailed, none of that horrible fuzzy shit like you usually get from such establishm
ents.”
“Shit. It’s because I installed it for Barb and Willie,” she grumbled. “So I got knifed.” She shrugged. “It’s happened before, and god only knows it will happen again.” She memorized the man’s face, though. She would hunt his ass down, David’s brother or not. She was not a happy camper. “It’s my hometown. I don’t discuss it, David, you know it. Just as you don’t discuss yours.”
“You could have just been honest,” he said softly, the video and his screen turning off. “It wasn’t that hard just to tell me you’d been knifed, was it? We’re a team here, Hope, and I have to trust you with my life and the lives of everyone on the team. If you can’t just be a little bit honest, especially about your health before a mission, then why are you even on my team?” Shaking his head, he got up and moved to stand before the windows, staring out. “Go, you have a mission to prep for and I have to decide if I’m taking you or not.”
“I’m on your team because it’s the best,” Hope said as she rose, “And you damn well know it. I’m on the team because you need me.” It was more than that—she needed him. She didn’t understand why she needed him, but she did. “Besides, I blend. You’ve said it more than once that I’m like a chameleon and I’m able to blend seamlessly. You also need someone that you can easily play married to, and I think we could pull it off. That’s why you should take me.”
“Not helping your case right now, Hope.” He sounded exhausted and, just maybe, a little annoyed. “Go and do your prep work on the off chance I don’t decide that I’m a widower.” He shot her a dark warning look over his shoulder. “But you say one more thing right now you’re not only off the mission, but I’ll have your transfer papers done up so fucking quick your head will spin. Now, go,” he said, his tone rising ever so slightly.
Hope sighed and shook her head. She didn’t say another word, just walked out of his office. She didn’t slam the door, but instead closed it with a very soft snick of a sound. Time to go to medical. Just wonderful. Not.
Chapter Four
Staring at the medical report on his computer, David rubbed a hand over his face. He’d read it already, and yet he was still staring at it. Fucking Hope Bradshaw, that woman would be the death of him yet.
The doc said she was okay, if bruised and sore. She’d have to take it easy, but as long as she didn’t overexert herself, he had no reason to keep her off the mission. Damn doctor, likely fell for her batting lashes and got sucked into doing things her way. But with it on record, David couldn’t just tell her she was off the job. Not without sounding like more of an asshole than he had already today.
Yeah, he’d known she was hiding something from him. Yeah, he’d been downright sneaky and devious, siccing his brother on her tail. But then again, his brother was a big boy and liked doing the sneaky shit. Which, as a Special Forces member, he did well. Plus he was getting a laugh at David’s expense for chasing Hope around. Yeah, he would have to smother his little brother in his sleep one of these days, he was sure.
Preferably before he ratted David out to their mother. That woman would have him and Hope hitched so fast they’d be married five years before the dust cleared and they realized what had happened. Not a bad idea, but somehow he didn’t think Hope would be on board with that, or any of his other fantasies.
Shaking his head, he got all that out and moved to his door. Heading up the hall, he stopped in her office doorway and waited until she noticed he was there. He could have made a sound, could have knocked, but he liked to see how aware his people were of their surroundings. Even in the relative safety of their offices.
When she glanced up, he kept his expression bland and professional. “Lie to me again, over anything when it comes to this job, and you will be lucky to get a position at the local fast food place. I don’t give two shits what you do in your spare time or where you spend it. But when it potentially compromises the safety of the team or our lives, I won’t have it. We clear?”
“As crystal,” she said and leaned back to watch him. “Same goes for you. Next time you want to know what I’m up to, ask. Don’t assume, and sure as hell don’t send your brother to spy on me. You think you have me all figured out. All of you do, but you don’t. So stop making assumptions when it comes to me. I don’t give a shit what the rest of them think about me. But if you have questions, hubby dearest, you come to me.” She was pissed. No two ways about it. She was pissed because she was hurt. When her feelings were hurt, well, everything hurt.
“I’ve done that, and you usually give me a line of pure shit. I let it slide because we all have secrets, we all have real lives we don’t want touched by our work, and I get that. But when we have a threat on one of our agents, we don’t make apologies for watching out for them. Unfortunately, I’ll have to kick my brother’s ass for letting you get hurt. As soon as I know where he shipped off to this go-around, that is.”
He stepped into her office, not far, just a foot. “If you want to be pissed, fine. I would rather have you pissed off and breathing than have to identify your body in the morgue.” He fell silent as they stared at one another before he snorted softly. “I’ve never assumed anything about you, Hope. I go with what I can see, hear and know. You work hard and you deserve time off and away from this shit like everyone else. But ignoring a warning from the Director will only get your privacy stomped on. Next time, I’ll tell him not to bother. Just make sure to let me know if you prefer red or white roses for your casket.” Turning, he left her office, his whole demeanor shouting sheer exhaustion.
“You need sleep,” Hope called before he hit the door. “You talk about me being a liability, well you, bubba, need some sleep. Come back in here. Close the door and pull the blinds. There is a pillow and blanket in my drawer and you can catch a nap on my couch. It’s comfy, I swear. Not agency issue, so it damn well better be.” She had caught more than one nap there. “I just have to finish my paperwork. Take a half hour to just rest, David,” And then she said a word that he likely thought she didn’t know. “Please?”
She knew instantly that had she not added on that please, he would have blown her off. But that caught his attention and earned her an assessing look. But he didn’t move, not away, but not toward the sofa either. “We have a long flight. I think I’ll manage a couple of hours on there. Besides, there is too much to do before we leave for me to go down for even a few minutes.” Excuses, he was trying to force himself into not taking her offer, even though she caught his eyes drifting to the sofa for a second.
“And I promise I will help you do whatever else needs to be done when you have had a small nap, but please, David. It’s killing me to see how exhausted you look.” He wanted honesty? Well he better be damn ready for it, because he was going to get a shitload of it. “David, you are important to me, please?” she added again. “You need it and you know you do.”
He glared at her, more reflex than not, she realized, as he obviously mulled the idea in his head. “Fine, but thirty minutes, no more than that. There is way too much to do,” he muttered, stepping back into her office. Grumbling under his breath, he moved to the sofa and sat down. Shaking his head at her, he settled into a reclined position. “Women, always getting what they want,” he grumbled just loud enough so she heard, likely the plan.
Grabbing the pillow and blanket, she walked over to him. “Thirty minutes. I will even set the timer on my phone so that you know I will wake you. Just rest.” And then, impulsively, she reached out and touched the backs of her fingers to his cheek. “Just let it all go for a half hour and then you can go back to being my husband that I’m so going to call Mr. Cranky Pants from time to time,” she teased, but deep down, god, that sounded good to her.
He stuffed the pillow under his head and snorted at her. “You are such a pain in my ass, Bradshaw.” Closing his eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest and, in mere seconds, he was out like a light. Either that was good old-fashioned military training—yeah, she had an idea about that, though it had never been fully con
firmed—or he was that tired.
Ever so quietly, she whispered, “Yeah, but you like it.” She then went back to her desk and finished her work.
* * * *
Exactly half an hour later, Hope reached out to David. “David.” She spoke before her fingers touched his cheek. “David, time to wake up. Your half hour is up. Sorry about that. Come on. I’m finished with what I need to do so let’s get your shit done.” They weren’t used to her being all soft and girly, so once more that façade slid up and its place was a prankster, jokester and all that other happy shit instead of a woman.
One minute she was standing, her hand on his cheek, and the next she was on her back under him, one hand on her throat, the other holding her arms over her head. Then his face cleared and he blinked, the hand on her throat moving away as he shook his head and looked around. “Shit, are you all right?” he asked, pushing off of her to rake a hand through his hair as he gained his feet. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He blinked, still waking up, obviously. Note to self, don’t poke the sleeping Cranky Pants.
“No.” She blinked once, then twice, and shook her head. “I’m good.” She swallowed hard to ensure that she truly was okay and licked her lips. “Damn, there is nothing at all wrong with your reflexes, now, is there?” She shook her head for a moment and then smiled. “That’s a very good thing. We need to work on this, though, because if we are going to be playing husband and wife, that means we are going to be sharing a bed and I would really rather not be strangled every morning, please.”