Page 56 of Don't Look Back

Rand played by Kira’s rules. He wouldn’t invade her space, but he also wouldn’t leave her unprotected. He sat several tables away and ate a chicken dinner he didn’t taste as she dined with an equal lack of enthusiasm.

The real test would come when they returned to the hotel, which happened all too soon. He waited until the crowd thinned and they were alone on the stair-street that was just two blocks from their hotel before he moved in. “Kira, wait. We need to get you a new phone.”

She paused. He took several quick steps to catch up to her. “Maybe there’s a store still open. I can buy a burner.”

“I’ve got one. I just need to get it from the rental car. It’s only a few blocks from here.”

“Fine. You get it and meet me at the hotel.”

It was a good idea to get her off the street now that the sun was setting, and the detour would take at least thirty minutes because he had to make sure he wasn’t followed.“I’ll walk you to the hotel, then get the phone.”

This would mean she’d read the letters without him, but given that she planned to kick him out of her room, that was going to happen anyway. At least this way, she’d have to let him in if she wanted a clean phone, and he’d have a chance to convince her to trust him again.

He accompanied her all the way to the room, climbing six flights of stairs. He quickly searched the space while Kira waited in the entryway. Seeing no sign of intruders, he said, “Clear.”

She moved deeper into the room, and for the first time in hours, they were alone.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

She rubbed her arms. “Just go get me a phone. And it better not be bugged. You aren’t keeping me under surveillance.”

“It’s not bugged to the best of my knowledge. Freya gave it to me at the airport along with cameras, trackers, spider drones like Diana used last December, and listening devices.”

“If it came from FMV, it’s probably bugged.”

“It was intended for my use, not yours, so probably not.”

“I suppose, given that Freya respects you.”

“She respectsyou.”

“Bull. But also, that’s not your battle. I’ll deal with Freya when I get home. Go get the phone. When you come back, you can grab your stuff and move to the other room they offered you.”

“Kira—”

“I don’t feel safe with you when you refuse to tell me what the danger is. Don’t you see you made melesssafe?”

He really couldn’t argue with that.

He turned for the door, then stopped and pulled his phone from his pocket. “I don’t like you being here without a phone. Take mine.”

She took it and touched the screen. “Doesn’t do a lot of good without your passcode. All I can do is answer calls.”

He didn’t hesitate and took the phone back. He said the six-digit code as he unlocked it. He went to settings and clicked the button to add a user and held up the screen camera to capture her face. It only took a moment before he pressed the device back into her hands. “There. You have the keys to the castle. Freya emailed me a dossier on Luka and Reuben Kulik. I suggest you read that while I’m gone.”

Stunned, Kira stood in the middle of the room clutching Rand’s phone for more than a minute after he left.

Giving her access to his phone was the greatest show of trust she could imagine.

Dammit, she was going to have to forgive him now. She needed him, and she’d be a fool to send him away because of hurt pride. Not that what he’d done was minor in any sense, but she did believe he wouldn’t do anything like that again.

He had two strikes, after all.

She held up the phone to her face, and it unlocked just like it was supposed to. It hadn’t been a trick. He’d really done it.

She went to his email and found the one on the Kuliks as he’d suggested. She read the summary provided by Freya. Reuben was two years older than her, exceedingly wealthy, and had big political ambitions in Russia. No mention of Luka having FSB or KGB ties, but he was likely connected to Bratva. There was an attachment that went into greater detail, but it would be easier to read on Rand’s computer.

She then read the messages about fake Cousin Andre. Freya didn’t have any intel on the man being FSB, but then, no one had his real name yet, and even if they did, it was unlikely he’d be flagged as FSB any more than an American operative would be tagged with CIA, DIA, NSA, or whatever intelligence agency they worked for.

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