Page 51 of Dangerous Rhythm

“Where’s GI Jose?” he asked as he poured a cup of coffee.

Lina almost ruined her expressionless face with a smile, but she clamped her lips together tightly before he turned his eyes on her.

“Raul left to get some stuff done for us,” she said.

“I appreciate him opening his house to us, but I’m not going anywhere with him,” he said stubbornly.

“I heard you the first five times you told me,” Lina exaggerated.

Curtis made an open sandwich of bread, butter, ham, and cheese and took a bite. “I’m fucking starving,” he said when he halfway done chewing his first mouthful.

“Last night was hectic,” she rationalized. “We…uh, exerted a lot of energy.”

Lina cleared her suddenly scratchy throat. “I can make you a bigger breakfast, if you want. The fridge is well stocked.”

“I can make myself something if I need to. You’re not my fucking servant, Lina.”

Nope.He isn’t done being pissed.

Lina said nothing else. She understood he was mad at her for last night, but she wasn’t about to apologize for deciding what she’d felt was right.

Curtis ate quietly for a few minutes before he said anything. The food seemed to help his disposition. He was calmer when he spoke next.

“I don’t appreciate you springing Raul on me without even discussing it first,” he said.

“It wasn’t your decision to make.” Lina sighed. “When it comes to your safety, I make the call. I knew if I told you I was handing you over to another handler, you would refuse.”

“Damn right I would,” he retorted. “I don’t know him. I don’t trust him. I barely met the guy for five minutes, the next thing I know I was being shot at.”

“We don’t know yet if that was Raul’s fault,” she argued.

“Whatever. You thought I’d be safer with him, but obviously that’s not true.”

Lina shook her head, not wanting to debate about what had happened. “It doesn’t matter. We’re good here for now. I'll decide what to do next when Raul comes back with information.”

“This is my life, Lina.” Curtis looked her straight in the eye. “I get a say who I trust it to.” Curtis didn’t get serious too often, but when he was, he didn’t back down.

“Fair enough,” Lina agreed albeit reluctantly.

Satisfied with her answer, Curtis continued eating. Now that the argument was out of the way, he seemed more his usual self.

“What you did earlier…” He swallowed his food. “…to Raul. That was beautiful. How did you do that? You’re like a third of his weight.”

Lina chuckled at how fast his demeanor changed.

“Most women can’t win a fight on brawn alone,” she answered. “I used what he thought was his leverage on me to my advantage.”

Awe replaced the stink-eye he’d given her all morning.

“I saw that,” he said. “But the way you moved, twisting yourself in the air like that. That was incredible. Watching the Spanish juggernaut hit the ground was very satisfying.”

“Raul is a good man, Curtis. And he’s very good at his job.” Though amused by the nicknames he gave Raul, Lina felt the need to defend her friend.

“Sure. Good-looking, ripped, and incredibly rich. He’s probably good in the sack, too.”

She studied Curtis. “What if I told you he’s gay?”

“He is?” His eyes rounded in shock and maybe a tad too much excitement.

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