Page 62 of The Spy Who Ghosted Me

“You’re the best,” she squealed. “I can’t wait for Soren to see me in my dress. He says he just can’t wait any longer.”

What is he up to? was all I could think.

“Byeeee.” Lexi hung up.

“What’s going on?” Cash immediately asked.

“They’ve moved up their first-look pictures to this afternoon. They were supposed to do that right before they got married on Saturday. Something doesn’t feel right about this.”

Cash pinched the bridge of his nose, his entire body tensing.

“And ... he says he wants you there. That can’t be good, especially after the way he looked at you yesterday and your handler interrupting his search on the dark web. Do you think he knows we wanted to explore the caves today? Is that why he wants you there?” I whispered.

Cash shook his head. “I don’t think so, but we shouldn’t assume anything at this point,” he said for my ears only. “My guess is, he’s not sure who I am, but he wants to keep an eye on me. And I fear this rearranging of the schedule means he’s going to be on the move soon.”

“Do you think he’ll leave before he marries Lexi?” I asked with hope.

Cash’s gorgeous, chiseled-to-perfection face paled. “Sabrina, my fear is that he wants to take Lexi with him.”

I grabbed my stomach like someone had just punched me in the gut. “What makes you say that?”

“Because, in a strange sense, he loves her. No man would jump through the hoops he’s gone through otherwise. What other reason would he have to stay? She is probably the only thing keeping him here.”

If that were true, it was odd how my sister’s life and mine paralleled each other—we were the only things keeping the men we loved here.

Pops came out of his den with a big smile on his wizened face. “Found them.” He held up the maps. “You can go on your adventure now.”

Oh, Pops had no idea the kind of adventure we were about to embark on. I just hoped we all survived. Well ... except maybe Soren.

Cash

“I THINK HE’S GETTING READY to flee,” I lamented to Ivy as I paced outside the Belles’ home, anxious that Sabrina was inside without me. The only reason I felt even the slightest bit comfortable about it was because I knew Izan was in town being tailed by Agents Todd and Randall.

“I agree with you, darling. According to Agent Todd, he’s just withdrawn a substantial amount of cash from the local bank. Izan was quite upset that they wouldn’t allow him more. Apparently, he started to make a scene before he thought the better of it. Not a good call for someone who should be trying to keep a low profile. Something or someone has him spooked. Perhaps it’s you, love. Maybe your screwup was exactly what we needed to catch this miscreant.”

“If that’s the case, we need to search his room for the diamonds. He won’t leave without them. We will all be at a ‘first look,’ whatever the hell that is, in just over an hour. That should give Agents Todd and Randall time to do the search. You’ll have to bypass the security system. The side-door entrance will give the easiest access and the most cover.”

“Look at you with your head in the game,” she mocked. “You know, if we find those diamonds today, you’re out of there. The FBI is on standby.”

“I’m well aware,” I gritted out.

“There is no saying goodbye to her,” she reminded me. “You will disappear like before.”

I stopped pacing and looked toward the house. The thought of leaving Sabrina and never seeing her again felt like a crushing weight on my chest. I was in no way prepared to leave her or for these overwhelming emotions. The intrusive feelings almost made me wish I could just disappear like last time and not face her. How did you say goodbye to someone you loved? I might be a near genius, but I was clueless when it came to matters of the heart. And I didn’t give a damn what Ivy said—I would say goodbye this time, even if the thought killed me. Sabrina deserved at least that. Afterward, I had no idea what would happen. Even if I decided to leave the intelligence world behind, there was no way Hugh would let me go without a fight. In a sense, he owned me.

“I got it,” I snapped.

“Very good. Now be a good little spy. Izan is on his way back to the resort and should arrive any minute now.”

“You know, sometimes I despise you.”

Ivy laughed. “Darling, that only means I’m doing my job. Ta-ta for now.”

I hung up and shoved my phone in an inside jacket pocket, waiting for Izan to arrive. It didn’t take long for the scum to show up in his BMW 7 Series. He was showing his true colors with the car that was popular in Spain. While he had good taste in cars, he really was an idiot for being so careless about sticking to his Soren persona. It made him more dangerous.

Izan glared at me as he drove up to the house.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and shrugged so he knew his ire didn’t faze me. He’d wanted me there, and now he had me. To tick him off more, I waited on the cobblestone path for him, pretending to enjoy the temperate day and the sunshine that glistened off the lake. No way would I let him leave my sight while Sabrina was inside.

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