Page 49 of Wicked and Bound

As the woman settled Haisley into the chair and under the spray, the warm water and gentle massage began melting the tension from her shoulders. Outside, rain began pattering against the windows. “You’re good at this.”

“Thanks. My mom was a hairdresser, so I grew up in her salon. I’ve always loved making people feel better about themselves.” Karliah’s nimble fingers worked away days of stress. “Are you a reader?”

The question surprised Haisley. She lowered her voice. “Don’t we have to limit our conversations to the treatments?”

“On your first trip to the spa. After that, management allows some small talk. I think reading fits that description.”

No idea why Karliah wanted to discuss books, but maybe she had a plan? “Sure. Reading is my guilty pleasure.”

“Mine, too! OMG, I’m so glad to find another bibliophile. TV just doesn’t do a thing for me.”

“I’m not a huge fan, either.”

“A kindred spirit!” Karliah squeed. “I’ve been reading this amazing book. I can’t remember the author’s name. Flowers and skulls on the cover. All the rage on social media lately…”

Where was this woman going with this conversation? Nash must have sent her here to pass information, so Haisley played along. “Oh? Do you remember the title?”

“No. I read so much they blur together sometimes.”

“Same here.”

“I’m hoping you’ve read this one. It was fantastic, and the heroine reminds me so much of you.”

Haisley caught her meaning. Information disguised as fiction. “Oh? Tell me more.”

“It’s a super juicy romantic suspense, which is my absolute favorite genre. So…this heroine is trapped in an impossible situation. Like a pressure cooker, you know? These people try to break her, hurt her. She has others working to help her. Sheknows that, but she’s not sure if she can trust them, even when the rescue plan is almost ready. Does that sound familiar? Hate that I can’t remember the title or author.”

Haisley’s heart caught in her throat. After what she and Nash had endured—the drugs, the public claiming, the way he’d sheltered her as best he could while maintaining their cover—the parallel hit very close to home. “Oh, that does sound familiar. I think I started that one, but my copy is at home and… Do you know how it ends?”

“I’m not done yet. I’ve gotten to the point where the heroine has all these people infiltrating the bad guys’ operation so they can help her. These people came up with a rescue plan, but they keep having to change it because of the stuff that’s happening around them. Stuff the bad guys are up to.” As Karliah began sectioning off Haisley’s hair, their eyes met in the mirror.

A jagged bolt of lightning briefly lit up the spa’s interior, followed by an ominous clap of thunder, making Haisley jump.

The blonde gave a nervous laugh. “Wow, I heard a storm was rolling in.”

“A bad one?”

“It’s looking that way.”

“Thankfully, it’s not hurricane season.”

“Amen to that. Anyhow, the book… Where I’m at now, the good guys are about to launch the rescue operation. I’m biting my nails. I didn’t want to come to work today because I’m dying to know what happens next. In order to really make their scheme work, the heroine has to trust the hero completely—no holding back. But she doesn’t yet. I kind of want to shake her.”

The heroine in this “novel” was holding back…as she had been from Nash. Karliah was giving her a message.

Guilt gnawed at Haisley’s stomach. “Do you know why she doesn’t trust the guy?”

“Not exactly. It’s a fascinating subplot with a hint of mystery. My theory is that the heroine thinks the hero might be interested in someone else who’s really just in on the escape plan, but I’m not sure yet. I need to read more.”

Haisley’s heart clenched. Did Karliah think Nash’s “flirtation” with her was the only obstacle standing between him and Haisley? It wasn’t that simple. The weight of her past and the true reason she’d left him sat like lead in her chest. Every time she thought about telling him, terror closed her throat.

“I remember that,” Haisley told the blonde. “I think there was a lot more to the situation, though. Probably more than she’s letting on. At least that was my interpretation.”

“Really? If that’s true, it must really be a really tangled web. I can’t wait to find out what happens, but I keep rooting for the heroine to figure out that everything—even that other woman—is all part of the plan.” Karliah applied product to Haisley’s hair. “Every move is calculated, even the parts that hurt. The hero has to maintain appearances, play certain roles, but his heart? That never wavers. He’s moving heaven and earth to save the woman he loves. Riskingeverything. Makes impossible choices that tear him apart.” She met Haisley’s eyes in the mirror again. “I just don’t think the heroine can see it because she’s too close to the story. And maybe the thing you caught in your reading that I missed is the reason why.”

Haisley’s chest tightened. Nash’s flirtation with Karliah had been a careful act designed to maintain his cover. While she’d been nursing her hurt feelings, he had been orchestrating their survival. She’d let her own fears and insecurities blind her to the bigger picture.

Say you’ve never worked on a covert mission without telling me you’ve never worked on a covert mission,she drawled in her head.

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