Page 53 of Freeing Savannah

The tension that had hung around her since Baku hadn’t fully lifted, though she wore her mask well. And despite her newfound energy, Sawyer could still see the fatigue behind her eyes. He’d memorized every flicker of unease, every muscle twitch that signaled a brewing storm. That wasn’t just part of his job. It was part of who he was when it came to her.

Yet right now, his instincts were screaming at him that something still wasn’t right.

He let his gaze drift, catching sight of Brian standing in the wings on the opposite side of the stage, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Savannah. Not in a technician’s typical, dispassionate appraisal of sound or posture. No, this was something else. His mouth was set too tight. His stare too long. Voodoo hadalways thought Savannah was enchanting as she sat behind the piano. The pieces she could play were beyond anything he could comprehend. And she did it with an ease and grace that was stunning. Apparently, from his awed expression, Brian agreed.

Voodoo narrowed his eyes. Was it possible the man was love-struck? That certainly explained the way he’d fixate on Savannah, his eyes following her every move with an intensity that spoke volumes. Voodoo could hardly blame him since he himself was equally love-struck. But he couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to it.

From across the span of the stage, Voodoo caught Brian’s eye. The technician quickly looked away and began casually fiddling with his tie. But Voodoo clocked the tension in the man’s shoulders. Something about him had been bothering Sawyer too often lately.

He stepped deeper into the wings, away from prying ears, and activated his comm. “Miss me yet?” he teased.

Haley’s voice came through after a beat, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, absolutely. You know I can’t live without you, Voodoo.”

“I knew you loved me the most. We’ll keep this between us. Best not to let the guys know.”

She snorted. “You wish. Besides, I wouldn’t want to encroach on your lady’s territory.”

“What are you talking about?”

Haley laughed. “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

“Whatever,” he evaded, not ready to out his building feelings for Savannah.

“Fine. Keep lying to yourself.” huffed Haley before getting down to business. “What do you need?”

“I’m looking at Brian Hammerstein. Something’s off. Any update on our piano tuner friend?”

A pause.

“That’s the thing,” Haley said, sounding more annoyed than usual. “There’snothing. No real paper trail. No social media, no digital footprint beyond basic certifications, tax returns, and one sad LinkedIn page that hasn’t been updated in years. And the references? Too perfect. If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone scrubbed his background and planted a resume.”

Voodoo’s jaw tightened. “But you don’t think that’s it?”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Could he be some sort of deep cover?”

“I think it’s damn weird, but I’m not ready to label him anything yet.” Haley replied. “SYBIL has him at 62% exactly what he says he is.”

“Still low enough to question it.”

“Yup. And that’s not all. SYBIL’s still digging into McNabney.”

“Bastard.” The curse slipped out before he could catch it, but it was no less true.

“Yeah. No love lost between you two. I listened to the transcript of your conversation from earlier. Bet it took everything in you not to pull your weapon on him.”

“Not about to risk my career for that son of a bitch.”

“Smart. I didn’t like him before, but now Ireallydon’t. He’s not just dirty—he’s radioactive. SYBIL’s dug up financial ties to defense contractors. Shady foundations funneling money through the Caucasus region.”

“So our stop in Azerbaijan was calculated. Does he have someone on the tour operating for him?”

“Unknown.”

“The Senator went live this morning from Beijing after that show he put on with Savannah. Praised the swift, professional actions of international security teams, while touting his own involvement in the rescue operation.”

“A blatant lie.”

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