Page 43 of Hidden Attraction

For a moment, he stared at her, chest tight. The way she took in the modest building—eyes sharp beneath the loose drape of the headscarf tracing the curve of her chin—struck a perfect balance between poised ambassador and undeniably sensual woman.

She swung her head to look at him. Before he could mask his expression, she saw it. Whatever she spotted on his face made her full lips part on a sigh.

He touched her elbow, the closest he could come to touching her the way he really wanted to.

“Time to research our second objective.” He moved forward, and she fell into step beside him, their shoulders together—a subtle contact that grounded them in a way that neither needed to acknowledge.

When they approached the entrance, a young man in a Red Cross vest waved them through, speaking a few words into a walkie-talkie before gesturing toward a squat building. As soon as they ducked inside, Chase swept his gaze over the interior.

Shutters over the windows blocked the baking sun as a broken ceiling fan barely turned in the breeze. Inside, the air was a measure cooler and smelled faintly of antiseptic.

Another man, his face young and bright with eagerness to serve, offered them a smile of welcome and asked how he could help.

Chase asked to speak to the director in charge.

They were led to a woman seated behind a desk scattered with paperwork and a steaming mug of tea. She stood as they entered, tucking her dark hair back into her scarf with a practiced motion.

“Hello. I’m Leïla Darzi,” she said in accented English. “I oversee this station.”

Julian offered a firm nod of greeting. “Julian Chase. This is Alyssa Vargas.” He purposely left off their titles. For this op, it was best to blend in. “We’re following up on some old records.”

Leïla tilted her head. “Records?”

“We’re trying to track down personnel from this facility from three years ago,” Alyssa said smoothly, her diplomat voice kicking in. “Around the time of the bombing that struck the sector.”

Leïla waved a hand. “The building was rebuilt after the bombing.”

Chase nodded. “We understand. But we were told a few workers might still be in residence.”

Alyssa spoke up. “Specifically, we’re looking into those who may have been working the day the Red Cross suffered those casualties.”

Understanding flashed in Leïla’s eyes. She gestured for them to sit. “Yes. There were lives lost that day. Please, sit. Be comfortable.” She moved to a cart a few feet away and set out two small cups, pouring tea for him and Alyssa.

They thanked her, and settled in the simple chairs. Alyssa reached out to touch his arm but drew her hand back before her fingers grazed his skin. In this country, touching wasn’t the same as it was in America. He looked at her for a brief second but said nothing.

Each secret they attempted to uncover seemed to bring them closer.

Chase took a sip of the mild herbal blend, washing away some of the dust in his throat from the scooter ride. When Leïla sat once more, he met her gaze.

“Do you know who we can speak to?”

Leïla’s shoulders rose slightly. “That was before my time. I was brought in to replace the woman who was killed.”

“Then you’ve heard of her?” Alyssa leaned in, her expression gentle but probing.

“I knew her by name. Miriam Sheen. Everyone here spoke highly of her.”

Chase stilled, glancing at Alyssa. “It wasn’t public knowledge that the woman who was killed was in charge.”

“No,” Leïla said, frowning. “She was listed in the reports, but not identified as the lead. Maybe to avoid stirring more trouble.”

“Are there any other staff from that time still working here? Volunteers? Medical staff?” Alyssa leaned in with her best diplomatic body language, encouraging the woman to keep talking.

Leïla hesitated. “No one who was here that day. But I believe some of them were reassigned. The trauma, you understand.”

Chase nodded, but his gaze sharpened. “We also heard there was an interpreter assigned here. Was he working that day?”

Leïla sifted through a file before answering. “That was Mahmoud. No, he wasn’t here that day.”

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