Page 11 of Trust No One

“When are we leaving for Washington?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“I’mleaving in a few days,” she said. Smiled. “Someone has to stay here and keep the compound running. And that’s you, Dev.”

“You fired my ass,” he said, his voice rising. “And now you’re telling me I’m in charge? No way, Mel. Not happening. You’re going to Washington? I’m going with you.”

He realized the dining hall had gone quiet. There were no forks scraping against plates. No silverware rattling. No voices in conversation.

When he lifted his head, he saw all the agents at the next table staring at them. Watching them like he and Mel were a fucking movie. “Let’s discuss this more in your office.”

“Nothing to discuss,” she said, eating her meal like she was perfectly calm. Perfectly in control. But he knew Mel. He saw her white-knuckled grip on her fork and knife. Heard her foot jittering on the floor.

“I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done eating,” he managed to say through clenched teeth.

She swallowed a bite of salad. “You’ll be waiting a long time, then. I have things to take care of after dinner.”

Dev leaned closer, his gaze holding hers. “Make time.”

Without looking away from him, she took another bite of salad and chewed it slowly. Then another.

After she’d eaten three more bites of salad, chewing so slowly that her jaws were barely moving, Dev shoved away from the table and stormed out of the dining hall.

A tiny smile curling her mouth, Mel finished her salad quickly, deposited her dishes in the appropriate bins, then strolled out of the dining room.

* * *

Dev heard the efficient tap of Mel’s feet on the floor as she approached her office. He pushed off from the wall and moved in front of her door. Stood there, his arms crossed over his chest.

He knew Mel. Once she got the upper hand, she was relentless. So he wasn’t about to let her get the upper hand.

Her feet stuttered to a stop when she turned the corner and saw him in front of her door. “Dev,” she said after a too-long moment. “What are you doing here? I told you I had things to do.”

“Yeah, you did,” he said, shifting so he was facing her. “I have things to do, as well. And this is number one on my list.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Harassing me?”

“Nope. Setting you straight on who’s going to go after Kingsley and Larrimore.”

Mel resumed walking. Got to her office door and shouldered him away from the lock. Shielding the combination with her body as she typed it in, she opened the door and stepped inside.

She shoved the door closed, but he put his foot between the door and the wall. When the door bounced off his foot, he stepped into her office and closed the door quietly. Threw himself into one of her visitor chairs.

Then he leaned across her desk and held her gaze. “Who’s the guy you’re talking to?” he asked. “I might know him.”

“No one you know,” she shot back.

He tilted his head. “I know a lot more people in the CIA than you realize. I worked for them for a long time. So hit me with a name. If I don’t know him or her, I’ll admit it.”

She sighed, as if she didn’t believe he’d tell her the truth. But lying wouldn’t get him anywhere. She’d just ask her source if he or she knew Devlin Smith and wait for a response. Boom. Either the person would know Dev, or they wouldn’t.

Mel moved some papers around on her desk. Straightened her desk lamp. Pressed her lips together. “I haven’t contacted him yet. But the person I’m thinking about approaching is Simon Livingston.”

Relief rushed through Dev. He sat back in his chair. Smiled. “I know Simon. Before you showed up in Afghanistan, he was in the SpecOps group with me. We even had a few ops together.” He crossed one leg over the other and tilted the chair back.. “He’s a good choice. A straight-up guy. Honest.” He studied Mel’s face for a long moment but got nothing from her expression. Mel was a genius at keeping her cards hidden.

“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” she finally asked.

“You think I’d lie when you could so easily check it out? Only an idiot would do that, and whatever else I am, I’m not stupid.”

“I never said you were,” she shot back. “Just… interfering.”

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