by Cynthia Eden
Beneath his hands, he felt her shoulders tense, but she said, “Good. I don’t want them worrying. It’s not like they can do a lot to help when they’re so far away.”
He rubbed her shoulders.
And caught a knowing glance from Winston.
Sebastian snatched his hands away from her. He shoved them behind his back.
Alyssa turned to face Winston, and as she did, she moved her body a bit closer to Sebastian’s. Her arm brushed against his. “What happens next?”
“I have a team still gathering evidence from your home. I’m sorry, but it’s a crime scene right now. I brought some clothing and essentials to you because the place is going to be off-limits for a while.”
“Thank you.” She fiddled with the edge of her shirt. “I appreciated getting out of my date dress.” Her hands dropped. “If my home is off-limits, then maybe I should move into Antony’s condo for a while. He’s got good security there.”
Sebastian eased a step back, moving out of Alyssa’s line of vision, and he gave several hard, negative shakes of his head. Bad plan, he mouthed to Winston.
“About that…” Winston pursed his lips as if he were thinking over the matter. “Why not stay here? If you’re with Sebastian, then you won’t be alone. We both know he has top-of-the-line security at this place.”
Sebastian nodded.
Alyssa’s head whipped toward him.
He kept nodding. “Excellent idea, Winston. Great suggestion.”
He could see the suspicion on Alyssa’s face. He also saw—
Her refusal even before Alyssa said, “That can’t happen.”
Yeah, it can.
“I don’t want to be a burden to Sebastian.”
“You never would be,” he denied immediately. It was the truth.
Her lips parted.
“I have plenty of room here. I’ve got great security. Hell, I’ve got great security guards, too. While Winston is investigating the case, it makes perfect sense for you to stay with me. Total done deal.”
“It’s not a done deal.”
Winston coughed.
Their gazes flew to him. He smiled. “Hi, there.”
Come on, buddy, back me up.
“Alyssa, I can offer you police protection, if you’d like. We even have a number of safe houses in the area. I can see about getting you set up in one of those.”
Oh, man, seriously? You’re going to do me like this? Fine. Voice hard, Sebastian demanded, “Would you truly feel safer with a stranger guarding you in some dank safe house, Alyssa?”
Winston stiffened. “Dank?”
Sebastian kept this focus on Alyssa. “I told your brother I would look after you, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
“Wait—you talked to my brother?”
Whoops. But, shit, she needed to know the truth. Or, as much of it as he could provide to her. Otherwise, she’d be running for a safe house with Winston, and then how was he supposed to keep watch over her? “Yes,” Sebastian drew out the word. “But I’m afraid he’s now out of contact.”
A furrow appeared between her brows. “What did he say?”
Cover blown. Protect my sister. Do anything necessary. “You know, the usual. That he was glad I was around to take care of you.”
Her brow crinkled.
“That he appreciated my efforts. That he’d get back to the US as soon as he could.”
“He’s still working on that gaming distribution in Russia?”
“Um…” That had been the cover story they’d circulated about Antony’s trip. “Look, I’ll tell you everything in a little bit, okay? But first, give the good detective your assurance that you’re safe, and he can be on his way. He has lots of things to investigate.”
“Lots,” Winston agreed, deadpan. “Like that extra house key of yours, Alyssa. I need to give it to my crime scene team. Though since Sebastian apparently likes to touch all kinds of evidence, I’m sure I’ll be turning up his prints on it.”
That was just insulting. He didn’t like to touch all kinds of evidence. Just some. “I didn’t know it was fucking evidence at the time.”
Winston smirked at him. “First the phone. Then the key. What’s next?”
Next, I want to get my hands on the bastard who is doing this. I want to beat the hell out of him.
Winston turned his attention to Alyssa, and his smirk morphed to real concern. “What’s next?” he said again. “The choice is yours, Alyssa.”
Alyssa hesitated. She sucked on her lower lip. Her gaze met Sebastian’s. Lingered.
Sebastian’s cock shoved hard at the front of his jeans. He was such a bastard.
“Are you sure I won’t inconvenience you?” Her voice was very careful.
“Not even a little bit.” He didn’t look away. “If you’re not here, I’d just worry myself to death, anyway. So you’re helping me out.”
“You’d really worry about me that much?”
“Absolutely.”
She glanced toward Winston.
“He does have good security,” Winston allowed.
Thank you for finally backing me up!
“Though our safe houses are hardly what you’d call dank.”
Agree to disagree. When he’d been a punk-ass teen, Sebastian had spent far too much time being shuttled around in those pits.
“I’m sure the investigation will be wrapped up quickly,” Alyssa continued. Sebastian wondered if she was trying to reassure herself with that line. Probably. “Okay.” She nodded decisively. “I’ll stay with Sebastian, but we are going to establish rules. Firm rules.”
He sighed. “Why? They just suck the fun out of everything.”
For a moment, her eyes seemed to gleam. He stopped breathing. He liked it so much when her eyes lit up and a faint smile would tease the corners of her mouth and—
Winston waved his hand near Sebastian’s face. “Yo. I’m leaving. Walk me out.”
Dammit. He’d been caught gaping at her. Sebastian shoved back his shoulders and inclined his head to Alyssa. “Start mentally making your rules. We'll go over the list when I come back.” He marched out, keeping his stride all strong and aggressive, but as soon as they were outside—
“Oh, man, you are so in over your head,” Winston said, voice almost pitying.
Sebastian wasn’t in the mood for pity. “I’ve got this.”
“You were practically drooling over her. There is no way you’ll keep your hands off that woman if she is sleeping in your house.”
He didn’t disagree.
“Can you keep her safe when you’re so tangled up in her? Serious question. I need to know because if you can’t—”
“No one is going to hurt her. I would kill before that happened.”
Winston blinked. “You’re not supposed to tell a detective that you’re ready to kill people.”
“I didn’t tell a detective. I told my friend.”
“You are always pulling this shit with me.”
He was. “I’ll try to be better.”
“You are lying.”
Maybe. “I have to tell her.”
“Good. It’s about time.” A firm nod from Winston. “Just begin by saying that it’s not some fleeting emotion, that you’ve felt this way for years and—”
“Not that.” He grabbed Winston’s arm and hauled him away from the house. “And, Jesus, lower your voice, would you? I have to tell her about the side business I do with Antony.”
Winston whistled. “That will not go well.”
“Yeah, well, she’s in the middle of this mess.” His mess. “She needs to know what she’s dealing with and why cops might not be the best choice to keep her safe.” A pause. “No offense because you are definitely not an ordinary cop.”
“Damn straight, I’m not. I’m the best there is.” Winston released a long breath. “Your big reveal is going to blow up in your face. Probably going to make her super angry with you.”
“Yes, and that’s why I’m not te
lling her until you’re gone. I don’t want her changing her mind and trying to leave with you as she hitches a ride to your safe house.”
“My dank safe house.”
Winston wasn’t going to let that one go. “You know some of those places the PD uses are holes in the wall.”
“Because they are hidden. They are supposed to be low profile.” He gestured toward Sebastian’s house. “Not like it’s supposed to be lifestyles of the rich and assholey.”
“I love you, too, man.”
Winston laughed. “Watch your ass. Watch her ass.”
“Always.”
“But, listen, if you get intel I can use—not your classified BS, but real, usable intel—you call me, got it? Because this is my city, and I don’t care if you are playing spy, you tell me when things threaten my people.”
He wasn’t playing spy. He’d never played. “Got it.”
Sebastian watched Winston hurry to his waiting car. Guards were on the perimeter of the property, and he nodded to them. Then he turned and headed back into the house.
Your big reveal is going to blow up in your face. Probably going to make her super angry with you.
Super angry? Nah. More like enraged.
And maybe…hurt?
Damn, he didn’t want Alyssa to be hurt. But when she learned the truth, when she learned that he and her brother had been lying to her for years, Sebastian knew she’d probably explode with fury and be hurt.
He squared his shoulders. There was no escaping this reveal. Time to face the music. He headed for the den, but Alyssa wasn’t in there. A quick search showed him that she was in the kitchen. She stood in the middle of the gourmet setup, and her short, unpainted nails tapped on the granite top of the island he’d recently had installed.
For a moment, he just stared at her. My favorite view. She had been since the first moment he’d seen her. Sebastian’s hands sank into the back pockets of his jeans as he rocked forward onto the balls of his feet.
He could stare at her for hours and be a happy man.
Then her head turned. Her gaze lifted and met his. That dark stare of hers hit him with the force of a punch and stole his breath.
He’d had the same reaction the first time he’d seen her.
“I want to know what’s happening,” Alyssa told him. “Tell me everything.”
A slow sigh slipped from his lips. “Have you ever heard the expression…you should be careful what you wish for?”
“I’m not wishing for anything. I’m asking for the truth. Tell me.”
“Fine. But when I’m done, promise that you won’t run from me, okay?”
“Run?”
“Um, yes, promise you won’t run.” Though if you did, baby, I’d chase you. I think I’d follow you anywhere.
Chapter Six
He wanted her to promise not to run? Alyssa blinked. Then she laughed. A nervous, shaky laugh. Mostly because she felt extremely nervous and shaky. “It’s not a time for jokes.”
Sebastian didn’t flash his dimples at her. “I wasn’t joking.” He strode toward her, all tall, muscled and lethal. He’d always moved with a silent, almost scary grace. You didn’t hear his steps, didn’t even know he was there, not until he wanted you to know.
Her shoulders stiffened as he approached. She was on one side of the kitchen island. He stopped on the other. Stared at her.
The tension stretched, and it made her even more nervous. “I think we can stop drawing the moment out,” she muttered. “Just tell me already because I am imagining a thousand things in my head right now, and every single thing I think of is very, very bad—”
“I’m a spy.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“So is your brother.”
She shook her head.
“And his cover has been blown. His enemies know about you, and I have to keep you safe until we can get the situation contained.” Sebastian nodded. Expelled a rough breath. “Okay. I think that’s done.” He started to turn away.
She half-leapt over the island, shoving her body across the granite top, and grabbed his arm. “That’s not funny.”
Sebastian turned back toward her.
She let go of his arm. Eased back onto her side of the island. “I want a real explanation. Not some bullshit.” Anger churned inside of her. “Why the hell can’t you be serious about this? Someone shot at me. Someone broke into my home. Someone—”
“I assure you,” there was still no sign of the dimples and she didn’t think she’d ever seen his green gaze be so flat and hard, “I’m dead serious. When it comes to your safety, I don’t play.”
“You’re telling me some bunch of BS about my brother being a spy.”
A nod.
“About you being a spy—”
Another nod.
She growled. The sound was animalistic and angry. Exactly how she felt. Her hands fisted. “My brother is a gaming designer. He spends every free moment working on his tech. You are a gaming designer. Yes, you’ve made spy games for folks to play, but this isn’t a game. This is real life, this is—”
His hand flew over the island. Caught one of her fists. “I’m not playing anything. I’m telling you…your brother is a spy. So am I.”
“This is ridiculous! I should have left with Winston—”
“I’ve been working for the government since I was barely eighteen years old. It was either work for them or get my ass tossed in a cell. I’m not a big fan of prison jumpsuits and being locked behind bars, so I played ball with them. Put my shady talents to good use, so to speak.”
Her heart raced in her chest.
“I was a hacker as a kid. It was the only way I could…” His gaze jerked away as Sebastian seemed to try and collect his thoughts. “I could do anything with a computer. Much like your brother.” Now his stare slowly swept back to her. “I recruited him. I’m sorry about that. Didn’t even know what it would do to us both…”
She shook her head.
His fingers slid along her inner wrist. “It’s true, all right? The government recruits all the time from college campuses. Young, smart, eager…shit, it’s like a perfect checklist for them. I knew what they were looking for—and I found the ideal recruit in Antony. I brought him in. He and I worked cases together. When we studied abroad our junior year, hell, that was just a cover, it was—”
“Stop.”
He stopped talking. His fingers didn’t stop caressing her wrist. Soft. Careful.
Her breath hitched. “You own a gaming business with my brother. You have Shark Gaming and Design. You…you’re gonna take a bite—”
“Out of the industry,” he finished their motto softly. “The business is real. Everything we’ve created there is real. All our designs are legit. But Shark is also a cover. It allows us to travel around the world anytime we want under the ruse of marketing or development, when the truth is that we’re sometimes going in for some up-close and personal intel collection for Uncle Sam.”
She couldn’t believe this. Expected it to be a joke. “The government has people.” That was a thing, right? A whole cyber tech team someplace? “Why would they need you two? Why—”
“We are the people they have. Part of their team. And they need us because sometimes, you can’t do the job remotely. Sometimes, you need boots on the ground, you need a body in the fucking room, and you need someone on site with the knowledge to get the job done in twenty seconds flat.”
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears.
“That someone is me.” A roll of his shoulder. “And sometimes, it’s your brother.”
He was still holding her hand. Her skin felt warm where he touched her. Every other part of her body? Ice cold. “Tell me that you’re lying.”
His gaze glittered.
“Tell me that you’re messing with me. Tell me that this is some horrible prank and you don’t mean—”
“I mean every word that I’ve said.” Sebastian swallowed. “You weren’t supposed to know. Not ever. And you
can’t tell anyone else, Alyssa. Not even your parents. Swear to me that you won’t tell.”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t promise. Instead, she shook her head. “If Antony’s cover is blown, I don’t have to tell anyone. People already know!” People who’d come after her?
“I don’t know how big this situation is yet. I called Antony’s handler—our handler—and he’s working on things.”
Her brother had a handler?
“If we can eliminate the threat, then Antony may be able to continue the work he’s—”
“I need a drink.”
Sebastian blinked.
She pulled her hand from his. Stepped back from the island as she put some much needed space between them. “You’re a spy.”
“Yes.”
“My brother is a spy.”
“Yes.”
“I’m just supposed to take your word for it?”
His head cocked. “Yes?” This time, he made the answer seem like a question.
Alyssa crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re a playboy.”
“That’s hurtful.”
“You are in the news constantly.”
“I do tend to get my share of headlines,” Sebastian modestly confessed.
“That’s not low key.”
“Hardly.” His right hand flattened on the granite top.
“Spies are low key. They don’t try to get their faces flashed everywhere—”
“They do if that’s their cover. If you’re pretending that all you are is some bastard with too much money who likes to party and play hard. If that’s what you want the world to see so that your enemies will never know the real man, then that’s exactly what a good spy would do.”
The real man. Oh, God. If he was serious…if everything he was telling her was the truth, if her brother was a spy…
I don’t know Antony at all.
And…
I don’t know Sebastian at all.
“Don’t,” he rasped.
Her breath caught as she stared into his suddenly glittering—and angry—gaze.
“Don’t look at me like I’m a stranger.”
But… “Aren’t you?” If she believed this…and, it was crazy. Sebastian, a spy? Her brother, a spy? Antony seemed to stumble around most days, his mind occupied with whatever new tech he was developing. She was supposed to buy that her brother was some kick-ass, super agent who could fight off bad guys?