Page 111 of Sinner's Secret

“Oh, I’m not accusing you, Baz,” Smith said. “I’m referring to Yvgeny.”

She was never going to get any rest. The entire world was conspiring against her.

“Fine, let’s go. I want to go back to bed for a few days.” She picked up her purse.

Baz grabbed a paper off the coffee table and held it out. “Don’t forget the instructions from the paramedic.”

She took them, glancing at his face as she did so. “Thanks.” His downturned mouth and eyes told her he expected her to walk out on him without a backward glance. How many people had done exactly that to him?

“Well, get your boots on,” she said, forcing a bit of pep into her tone. “I don’t think we have anything else to pick up before we go, do we?”

He straightened up at the first we, and his eyes regained their usual spark at the second one. “No, I don’t think so, but I do need to talk to Yvgeny before I leave.” He pulled out his phone. “Let me check on his location.”

After sending a quick text, Baz got his boots on, and all three of them went to the elevator.

Smith looked oddly uncomfortable. “Do you mind if we wait in my car for you?” he asked Baz.

“No problem, I shouldn’t be long.”

On the ground floor, the elevator opened, and Baz went left while she and Smith went right. She settled into the passenger seat of the car.

Once Smith was inside, he turned to her. “Are you in a relationship with Baz?”

Well, that didn’t take long. “We’re at the beginning of one,” she said after a moment or two of consideration. “He’s turning out to be the most dependable and trustworthy man I’ve ever met.” And he kisses like the devil himself.

“Have you ever noticed anything odd about him?”

She gave Smith a sidelong glance. What are you really asking? “He’s a guy, so yeah, he’s done several questionable things that I wanted to smack him for doing.”

Smith adjusted his position in his seat. “Like what?”

“Always trying to protect me, even when I can protect myself. He keeps putting himself between me and danger.” She shook her head. “It drives me crazy, but he’s got these old-world manners when it comes to women in general.”

Smith turned to look out the windshield. “Do you trust him?” His voice sounded odd. Tentative, shaky even.

What the hell had he heard?

“Yes. Like I said, he’s put himself between me and some shitty people repeatedly.” She tilted her head to one side. “I thought you trusted him too. He got between you and a bunch of bullets.”

“I received some information from Europe about Bazyli Breznik,” Smith said in that timid tone so uncharacteristic for him. “There was some weird shit in it.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. “Are you going to share this info with me?”

“Of course, it’s just...an hour ago I was called to our new lieutenant’s office. Our team is expanding to investigate foreign organized crime popping up in New York, and Baz is our official/unofficial informant. I guess he’s got family in Slovenia who are involved somehow and work as informants for law enforcement there.”

“And...”

“And I spoke to those paramedics,” Smith said in a rush, as if he were afraid to say the words coming out of his mouth. “They swear the man they transported was Baz and that he should be dead.”

“Well, they were wrong.” She shrugged. “Everyone makes mistakes once in a while.”

“Two experienced paramedics can’t tell the difference between two different people?” Smith asked as if she’d just told him the Earth wasn’t round, it was flat.

She opened her mouth, but Smith glanced over her shoulder and muttered, “Here he comes.”

The back door opened, Baz stuck his head in, then examined both of them. “If I get in here, are you going to let me out?”

The expression on Smith’s face was both guilty and surprised.

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