Page 10 of Fast Kill

“Well, I’ve got a lot of work to do now that you’ve given me the files.”

“Uh huh, and you not coming over has nothing to do with Logan possibly being there.” Charlie gave her a bland look that dared her to deny it.

The knowing tone was really damn annoying, even if she was dead on. There was something about Logan that pulled at her. Attraction, yes, but more than that. He was strong. Dedicated. Dependable. All the things she’d never found in a man. And he was terrifyingly masculine, in a way that every cell in her body responded to without her permission.

Yeah, and that probably means he’s too good to be true.

Well, there was that. “Actually, I’ve got plans. I’m supposed to meet up with someone tonight.”

Charlie’s eyebrows lifted. “Someone as in, a guy?”

“Yes, a guy.”

“What? Like a date? Who is he?”

“Just an old friend who called me out of the blue. He’s in town and wanted to meet up.” She was still a little nervous about it, to be honest. It had been so long since they’d seen each other, she dreaded sitting through an awkward dinner if things didn’t go well.

Charlie studied her for a long moment. “So…not a date,” she said, seeking clarification.

“No.”

“And you’re not going to tell me who it is?”

“No.” It was too complicated an explanation, and Dillon wasn’t the type of guy she wanted to introduce to anyone in her current life. He’d done things she didn’t want to talk about, let alone have anyone involved with the agency know.

Mostly, she didn’t want to open up that window to the past she was so ashamed of. Not even for Charlie.

“Well, damn. Can you come over for a bit after, then?”

Taylor chuckled. Charlie just wanted her to come over and spill all the details, which wasn’t going to happen. When it came to keeping secrets, Taylor was a human vault. “We’ll see.”

Charlie sighed in exasperation. “Fine. I’ll text you once I hear from Jamie. If they’re not coming home tonight, will you come overthen? Spend some time with me after your dinner?”

She couldn’t say no to that. “Sure.”

Charlie shook her head, one side of her mouth quirking up in a half-smile. “Was it the idea of a group gathering that turned you off, or the possibility of Logan being there?”

“Neither.”Both.Although it was exhausting to constantly feel like she had to defend herself for being introverted.

She didn’t expect an extrovert like Charlie to understand it, but she wanted her friend to at least try to respect that for Taylor, being around a group of people for more than half an hour was tantamount to having the life force sucked right out of her.

So she preferred peace and quiet and her own company most of the time. Why couldn’t people accept that? Live and let live.

“Chicken,” Charlie accused softly, humor warming her eyes.

No, more like cautious. Hypothetically speaking, even if Logan was interested in her either in a physical or romantic way, that didn’t mean Taylor would reciprocate. She wasn’t sure she wanted to make room for a relationship in her life with any man—and she’d learned at a young age that men couldn’t be trusted anyway.

Still, there was something about Logan that told her she could trust him. Maybe because she’d seen him in action.

Thankfully Charlie let it go and squeezed her shoulder. “Good luck with the files. I’ll text you as soon as I know what’s going on tonight.”

“Sounds good.”

She’d only been working on the new file for a few minutes when her boss called her into his office. She closed the door behind her, gave him a polite smile. “Charlie Colebrook just dropped off the files from the cryptologists.”

Chris was at his computer and didn’t look up at her. “Oh, great. Have a seat, Taylor.”

A tingle of unease threaded its way up her spine at the seriousness in his tone, and how distracted he seemed. “Everything okay?” she asked as she sank into the chair opposite his desk.

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