by Cynthia Eden
Nothing Dex said made her like him more. “I’m not a thing to be collected.”
Sebastian stood toe-to-toe with the guy. “I don’t trust anyone else with Alyssa’s protection.”
A sigh escaped from Dex. “Yes, I was afraid you’d say that.” His shoulders hunched. “Just how much have you told her?”
“Everything.”
And at first, she hadn’t believed him. It had seemed so crazy. But…
Someone was trying to kill her.
Now Sebastian’s handler was there. Though she didn’t even understand exactly what a handler was.
It’s all true.
“Everything,” Dex repeated with a wince. “That’s going to be a problem.” When he looked at her again, he wasn’t smiling. His eyes were cold and hard. “Just how much do you trust her, Sebastian?”
“I trust her completely.” An instant response. One that surprised her.
“Do you trust her with your life? Because by revealing the truth about yourself to her, that’s what you’re doing, you know. Putting your life in her hands. In the hands of a woman who I’ve been told doesn’t even like you very much.”
Who had told him that?
“I’ve done research on you,” Dex continued with an incline of his head toward Alyssa. “Had to do it, of course, considering my working relationship with your brother. And, of course, Sebastian here. It’s important to look for any threats that might exist.”
“You think I’m a threat?” Why did it suddenly feel so cold in that room?
“That’s ridiculous,” Sebastian snarled. “She’s hardly dangerous!”
“That depends on your definition of dangerous.” Dex’s eyes were on her. “I see her as quite a very serious threat.”
Sebastian swore. “I didn’t call you over so that you’d insult her.”
“No, you called me over to protect her.”
“I can protect her,” Sebastian thundered right back. “I wanted you to find out where the hell Antony is. I wanted you to tell me what mission he was working on that blew up in his face.”
She flinched.
“Sorry,” Sebastian murmured.
“I’ll be happy to tell you everything I know about Antony Kyle,” Dex responded, suddenly seeming all genial.
She was instantly suspicious.
“As soon as Alyssa leaves the room,” he finished, voice all smooth like cream.
The man was such a jerk. “It’s my brother’s life you’re talking about! I think I have a right to hear what you have to say.”
“Yes, well, you don’t have the security clearance to hear what I know, so I’m afraid this is a non-negotiable point. I can’t discuss this with a civilian.”
“Seriously?”
“Dead serious.”
Her stomach twisted. “Is my brother alive?” Oh, God, was he holding that terrible truth from her? Someone had shot at her, and what if someone had shot at Antony, too? What if Antony—
“As far as I know, yes, your brother is alive.” A flicker of sympathy appeared—then almost instantly disappeared—from Dex’s face. “But I truly can’t say more. Not with you in the room.”
He was kicking her out. “I don’t like you.”
“You mentioned that before. Thanks for noting it again. And it may surprise you to hear this, but I actually get that line quite a bit.”
“This is some bullshit.” She turned to Sebastian. “Tell him it’s bullshit.”
“It’s bullshit,” he said.
But…
His gaze slid carefully over her face. “Government red tape is a freaking bitch. I’m sorry, Alyssa.”
So he was shutting her out, too. Her brother’s life was on the line, her life was on the line, and Sebastian pulled spy rank. Her stare jerked between the two men. “Fine. Don’t worry, I know how to find the guest room. Have your spy talk. See if you come up with a way to help my brother.” She marched for the door.
“Alyssa!”
She stilled at Sebastian’s call.
Then she glanced back.
“We will finish our discussion from earlier. We aren’t done.”
Oh, they definitely weren’t done. Did he truly think she was just walking away with her tail tucked between her legs? He’d said she didn’t know the real man that he was. Perhaps he had no clue who she truly was, either.
Because she would get him to tell her every single thing that he learned from Dex. Screw government clearance. Her brother could be in danger. Most likely was in serious danger. She’d do whatever was necessary to help him.
Alyssa stormed up the stairs and headed for her guest room. As soon as she shoved open the door, she heard her cell phone ringing.
Her heart lurched because the last time she’d gotten a call, it had been from the jerk trying to kill her. She rushed across the room and grabbed the phone.
Isaac Swain.
What? Why was he calling her? She almost ignored his call, but then wondered if perhaps he’d seen something at the theater, something that could help with this whole mess. She answered the call and put the phone to her ear. “Isaac?”
“Alyssa! I’ve been so worried! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” As fine as she could be with someone trying to kill her.
“I went by your house, but there were cops there!”
Wait, he’d gone by her house? “Why did you go by my place?”
“Because I was worried. You were shot at! I’m sure the attack was meant for Sebastian but—”
“It wasn’t. It was meant for me.”
“Holy shit! Does Antony know? What does your brother—”
I can’t find him. “Look, I appreciate you calling, but I’ve got protection, and I’m good.”
Silence. “What kind of protection?”
The kind of protection that a secret spy offered.
“You’re with him, aren’t you? You’re with Sebastian right now!”
Seriously? Had that been an edge of jealousy in Isaac’s voice? “I have to go. Again, thanks for checking, but you don’t need to worry about me. I’m secure.”
“You’re not safe if you’re with Sebastian! He won’t keep you safe! You need to go to the police! Their job is to literally keep people safe!”
“Good-bye, Isaac.”
“You just want to stay with him! Here I was, all worried about you, but you’re happy to be with him! You’re happy—”
Her spine snapped straight. Enough. “Happy I was shot at? Is that what you think? Hate to disillusion you, but the gunshots didn’t thrill me. Being terrified didn’t thrill me. But having Sebastian being willing to risk himself and rush me to safety? Yes, I did appreciate that, and I appreciate him. So, for the final time, good-bye, Isaac.”
She hung up the phone.
Why the hell did everyone want to keep painting Sebastian as the bad guy?
***
When the study door slammed behind Alyssa, Dex let out a long exhale. “She is pissed.”
Sebastian shot him a look of utter disgust.
“And she’s sexy as hell. I’m sure you noticed that part, though, since when I interrupted, I found you trying to seduce her.”
“What we were doing was not your concern.”
Dex shrugged. “I don’t know. Some would say that ensuring a positive working environment between my two top agents—that would be you and Antony—some would say that was absolutely my job. My main priority. If I saw something that would screw up that working relationship—you know, like you trying to get his sister into bed—then perhaps I should intervene. Perhaps it is my job to intervene.”
They needed to be clear on something. He stood right in front of Dex. “You don’t come between me and Alyssa.”
“Or what? You going to take another swing at me?”
He didn’t speak. He’d already said plenty. Either Dex would take the warning or he wouldn’t.
Dex glanced away. “Look, I get that things are stressful, but you need to chill out, ma
n. I’m not the enemy.”
You sure about that? “Where the hell did you send Antony?”
Dex licked his lips. “The mission was low risk. Should have been a walk in the park.”
“I know he used a cover story of going to Russia in order to work on gaming distribution, but where—”
“He’s not in Russia.” Dex tugged on his t-shirt. “Or at least, he’s not any longer.”
“Where is he?”
“Like I said, that mission was low risk. Should have been a walk in the park, and all indications are that it was an easy mission. He completed the job. Sent in his intel. Then he flew back here to the US. Landed in Atlanta three days ago.”
That didn’t make sense. “So where the hell is he?” And why hadn’t Antony contacted him as soon as the guy arrived back in the states?
“I don’t know.” Dex swallowed. “Because the last time anyone saw your buddy, he was slipping into the back of a limo at the Atlanta airport. After that, he vanished.”
“What about his phone? He texted me—”
“We can’t locate the phone. If Antony didn’t want it found, you know it wouldn’t be.”
Yes, he knew that. Antony could have completely dismantled the phone right after he’d sent the text.
“But there’s another possibility that we have to look at here,” Dex continued. “It’s possible that, seeing as how he said his cover was blown, that Antony has been taken.”
That was not the news Sebastian wanted to hear. He’d feared it, but he’d damn well not wanted to have Dex confirm that worry.
“If he’s being held, then whoever has him will try to get Antony to turn. To reveal every secret he knows.” Dex’s voice was grim.
“Antony wouldn’t do that.”
Dex cocked his head. “Not even if his sister’s life is on the line?”
Fuck.
“Tell me, because, you know, I’m a curious kind of guy…just what would you do if someone had a knife to the lovely Alyssa’s throat? If someone told you that in order for her to live, you had to turn on your country? You had to turn over all the secrets that you’d learned. What would you do?”
He knew it was a test. Dex always thought he was so clever. The thing was, though, that Sebastian didn’t like tests. He turned away. Headed toward his desk. Pulled open the top drawer there.
“I have an idea about what I think you’d do,” Dex revealed. “And it worries me. Worries me so much that I think I have to get involved and pull rank with you. I believe it would be in everyone’s best interest if you put some distance between yourself and Alyssa Kyle.”
Sebastian shut the drawer. Kept his hand near his side as he returned to face Dex.
“Well?” Dex lifted his brows. “Don’t you have a response?”
“Absolutely.” Sebastian moved in a flash. He flew forward, lifted up the knife he’d palmed from his drawer, and he pressed that blade right to Dex’s throat. “Here’s my response,” he gritted out. “Some bastard puts a knife to her throat? Someone threatens her?”
Dex didn’t seem to be breathing.
“I will kill the bastard.”
The door flew open. “Look, this is my brother’s life and I want to know—ohmyGod.”
Sebastian’s head whipped toward her.
Alyssa stared at him in absolute horror.
In fear.
“And I was just thinking you weren’t the bad guy!” She shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Good luck getting her in bed now,” Dex muttered. “That ship has sailed, sailor.”
Chapter Nine
Alyssa stood outside of Sebastian’s bedroom. Her toes curled into the lush carpeting. Her hands rubbed against the front of her jogging pants—mostly because her palms were crazy sweaty. It was the middle of the night. Thunder was rumbling outside. Lightning kept crashing.
And she’d finally hauled herself to his door.
Just knock. Do it.
After Dex had left earlier that evening, things had been…tense. Way tense. Scary tense.
Because Sebastian had looked scary.
She’d never seen him quite that way before. He’d had a knife to Dex’s throat. An actual knife. His face had been etched into cold, furious lines, and when he’d turned his head toward her, she’d never seen his gaze appear so lethal.
She’d been staring at a stranger.
And…yes, he’d frightened her.
But they needed to talk. He’d been avoiding her ever since that scene, and they couldn’t go on like this. So, in the middle of the night, when she hadn’t been able to sleep, she’d decided to go to him.
Her hand lifted. She balled up her sweaty fingers and rapped on the door.
No answer.
She rapped again.
Still no answer.
Maybe she should go back to bed.
Or maybe he was just a super sound sleeper who needed another rap.
She rapped again. Harder. And—
The door swung open. “You don’t give up easily, do you?”
He wasn’t a sound sleeper. He was way, way too sexy.
Every bit of moisture dried up in her mouth. Sebastian was wearing a pair of what appeared to be silk boxers. His chest was bare. The man’s muscles were a thing of beauty. Light spilled from somewhere behind him, and it outlined the awesome width of his shoulders. His hair was mussed, his body tight, and when her gaze may have darted down…
“Oh, sure, now you look at me like you want to eat me alive.”
Her gaze snapped right back up to his. She felt heat singe her cheeks.
He lifted a glass. Sipped whatever liquid was in there. “But before, you stared at me like I was the friggin’ devil.” He didn’t sip again. He drained the glass. Then turned away. “Go to bed, Alyssa.”
She didn’t move. He’d left the door open. Sure, he’d told her to go to bed, which completely sounded like a dismissal—because it was—but she couldn’t give up. Since he’d left the door open, she decided to count it as an invitation, and she stepped over the threshold.
He immediately whipped back around toward her. “What in the hell are you doing?”
“Trying to talk to you.” She eyed the empty glass that he clutched. “But, first, are you drunk?”
Bitter laughter slipped from him. “I wish.”
“That’s not exactly a yes or no answer.”
“No, I’m not drunk. If I were drunk, things would be a whole lot easier.” A pause. “But they’re never easy with you, are they? I get close to what I want, then it’s snatched away. Story of my life. Don’t know why I thought things would suddenly be different.”
“You’ve never told me much about your life.” She inched a bit closer to him.
“Why bore you with gory details?”
“I don’t think there is much about you that is gory.”
More of the bitter laughter that she didn’t particularly like. “That’s because you don’t know me. Okay, fine, is that why you came in here in your sexy outfit? Because you wanted to learn all my secrets?”
She glanced down at the jogging pants and the white t-shirt she wore. “Um, I think we should discuss what you believe is a sexy outfit.”
“That’s easy.” He plunked the glass down on his nightstand. “Anything you wear.”
Oh, that was rather sweet. Wasn’t it? Why couldn’t she get a handle on him? “Is that one of your lines?” Alyssa asked suspiciously. “Do you tell that to lots of women?”
“So, let’s get something straight here. Usually, women are eager to hop in bed with me. Might shock you to discover that I don’t have to feed them lines.” He pointed at her. “You’re an exception. Instead of running to me, you run away.” He raked his gaze over her. “Would it kill you to try running to me for once?”
“I don’t know…” Alyssa’s tongue swiped across her lower lip. “Do you have a knife hidden on you right now?”
“You would go back to that.” He blew o
ut a breath. “I wasn’t gonna cut the bastard’s throat. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
It is nice to hear, yes. “If you weren’t going to cut him, then why have the knife ready? I thought you were working with him—”
“I do work with him. Doesn’t mean I always like him.”
“Got that.” Another few inches forward. Her gaze darted to the bed. Such a massive bed. She immediately had a visual of him in the bed. And—no. Stop it. Do not go there. “So, um, why did you pull a knife on him?”
“Dex asked me a question, and I answered it for him. I’m the kind of person who likes to use a visual aid in order to get my point across.”
“It was a very strong visual.” Her toes wiggled against the carpet. “And now I have to wonder, just what question did he ask you?”
His hands fisted. “You should go back to bed.”
“You should answer my question.”
“Why? You’ve already made up your mind about me.” He advanced, moved with his lethal grace, and eliminated the distance between them. The move was so sudden that she sucked in a quick breath even as he said, “You think I’m dangerous.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Not to you. Not ever to you.”
“Why did you have that knife?”
“Because he wanted to know what I would do if someone threatened you. If I had to choose between keeping the secrets I’ve learned as a spy or saving you…what would I do?”
Oh, damn. Alyssa’s heart lurched in her chest. “And your answer was the visual aid?”
“My answer,” he rumbled and that rumble sent goosebumps flying over her body, “is that if someone is threatening to kill you, if some bastard has a knife and plans to use it, I’ll kill the fool before he so much as scratches you.”
That was intense. No, intense wasn’t the right word.
“You’re scared to death of me.” Sebastian’s voice was still a deep, dark rumble. So rough. “You’re standing here, practically shaking.”
“It’s cold in here.”
“No, it’s not. You’re just afraid. You go from almost kissing me to being terrified of me. That’s a major one-eighty. Should have known it would happen. Like I said, my whole life, the things I wanted were always out of reach.”