Page 59 of Dangerous Devotion

“Jesus Christ,” Henner bit off. “He has that thing just sitting around in hiskitchen?”

“I know! I thought it could be a replica. Something he picked up from a street artist. But it’s not. It’s an Impressionist piece, thought to be lost!” She shook her head, rubbing her cheek against his chest and sending bolts of heat to his own heart.

He smoothed his palm over the back of her head, over her silky hair, and down her spine. “This changes things.”

She tilted her head to meet his gaze. “Do you think Simpson has ties to the CIA?”

“Not necessarily. Whoever planted those bugs might. If we can figure out who’s listening, we can find out why. May, you’re certain that art is authentic?”

She nodded and huffed a low sigh. “I know art.”

“You were an art historian.”

“Yes.”

“How did you make the leap to explosives?”

“I went into the family business,” she said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Maybe in her family, it was. For all he knew, her uncles moonlighted as circus performers and car mechanics and her brother had a philosophy degree.

He didn’t crack any of the jokes spinning through his mind. There was too much at stake here to find much humor.

Worst of all, May had close ties to Major General Simpson. And thanks to their visit, whoever was watching him knew that too.

“I have to keep searching.” She made a move to leave his arms, but Henner tightened his grip on her as the weight of his fresh realization sank deep into his chest. This wasn’t just aboutdirty money or Simpson’s ties to the wrong people. May was entangled in this.

Before, this was just any other op. Now, to Henner, it had become personal.

She had no clue how much danger she was in. And he wasn’t about to let her find out the hard way. No matter what it took, he would keep her safe.

He’d protect her from any threat she didn’t even see coming.

* * * * *

The muffled rush of water from the shower filtered through the closed bathroom door into the hotel room. A dim glow from the single lamp May switched on mixed with the light from the computer screen.

Thinking of AJ mere steps away from her in the shower, naked with water gushing over his steely body, faded away in the face of what she uncovered in her research.

She gulped, feeling the swallow move all the way down her tight throat. Her pulse stayed steady…

Until it wasn’t.

One finger hovered over the trackpad. She stared at the words until they blurred in and out of focus.

Divorce records. Sealed but not untouchable.

She’d gotten this far. Explosives weren’t the only things she knew.

The noise of water spraying onto the shower wall made her jump. Her shoulders squared as she took the leap and clicked on that file.

Hunching forward, she skimmed the contents. Major General Simpson’s ex-wife walked away with a settlement, which wasn’t available in public records.

Then she just…vanished. It wasn’t unusual in military divorces. The parties involved preferred to stay close-lipped about the situation, especially when it concerned a high-profile military partner.

In keeping things under wraps, his ex-wife had totally wiped herself from all public records. She didn’t give any statements about the matter. She left no trace.

Something was off. This was too clean…too controlled.

May’s skin crawled with a serpent of dread. She was fond of Simpson, had many good memories of the man’s visits including how he always gave her the same respect that her family gave her. In her eyes, that was huge. A woman in her line of work was often scoffed at, her expertise brushed aside in favor of a man’s opinion.

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