Page 74 of Being Bold
Her heart ached as she remembered how Bo argued over that, but Mr. Dao knew his face. Like it or not, he’d been forced to take a backseat. She preferred having Herc by her side because of the way things had fallen apart between her and Bo. She didn’t need the messy mix of emotions attached to him, making her any less focused on what she had to do.
When she stepped out of the van, she took it back. The wind chill made Montreal feel even worse than Montana. As if it used the city like its own personal raceway, the wind whipped around corners, cut between towering structures, and whistled like a rocket through narrow alleyways. She gritted her teeth and slammed her eyes shut against the force of its assault.
“He loves you, you know.”
“What?” Her eyes flew open wide to stare at Herc.
“Bo’s in love with you.” He shrugged. “Thought you should know, in case, uh, you know.”
Oh, God.
Her eyes watered from the cold or his words, she wasn’t sure. Blinking tears back, she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. He still doesn’t want a future with me.” And depending on how this went, one or both of them could die.
That thought made the shaking worse, and her stomach decided to join the party, roiling and twisting as violently as the rest of her.
Am I going to be sick?
“He thinks he doesn’t deserve a future,” Herc’s soft statement was filled with sympathy, but he hadn’t told her anything she wasn’t already aware of.
“I know.” It dragged a sigh from her lips. Was Herc stalling? How long before the rest of the team wondered where they were?
“So make him believe otherwise.” He smiled, encouraging her.
Easier said than done.Hadn’t shebeentrying?
Selene shook her head. “Let’s get this over with before I throw up or pass out.”
He gave her a nod. “You head in first. I’ll follow close behind.” Reaching up to his ear, he tapped the communication device, making her realize he’d turned it off for their conversation.
But hers hadn’t been. She blew out a breath. If she lived through this, then she’d worry about that. Tugging the lapels of her puffer jacket closer together, she tucked her head down and practically ran across the street. The faster she made it out of the wind, the better.
Her feet hurried over the pavement, past two large landscape beds with snow-covered maple trees and half-dead ground cover. The main building towered far above the trees. Its glass construction made it seem like an icicle, reaching for the frosty clouds.
The wind stopped buffeting her as she passed beneath the overhang. Two sets of double glass doors marked the entrance. Pulling open the one on the right, she stepped into the lobby.
Her impression of the space was sleek and modern before two large men flanked her, cutting off her perusal. They wore dark suits as Felix had. The shorter one spoke without making eye contact. “Come with us, Miss Coleman.”
“Where’s Mr. Dao?” She crossed her arms with the demand, pointedly trying to see beyond the muscle for the man in question. She had no intention of following these dudes anywhere.
“He’s waiting on you in the penthouse.” The taller one spoke this time.
Shit.That wasn’t part of the plan. She took a step backward in a deliberate move to drive home her point. “Well, you can tell him I’ll bewaiting on himright here.”
In the silence that followed her demand, the noise of the busy lobby filled her ears. People hustled by them on their way in and out while others spoke loudly on their phones or lounged with computers in the communal spaces marked by unusually shaped chairs and indoor plants.
She recognized Romeo and quickly looked away. He had his laptop open in the lounge, watching the video feed from the camera on her hat. Down here was public—safe. If she went to Dao’s private apartment, she’d likely be signing her death warrant.
She knew she was in trouble when the suits glanced at each other. Shorty opened his mouth with a sneer. “That’s not how this works.”
Sweat broke out on the back of her neck. Trying for nonchalance, she said, “If he wants the tech, he can come down here and get it himself.”
This time, they communicated without even a glance. In tandem, they closed in on either side of her, each gripping an arm. The tall one growled, “Make a scene, and Mr. Dao’s demonstration happens ahead of schedule.”
Her stomach bottomed out, and she gulped. There was no way she’d risk the lives of thousands of people. TOP wasn’t going to like this, but she saw no other choice. “No, please. I’ll go with you.”
With a terse, “Good,” they started dragging her toward the bank of elevators.
Her heart went back to trying to hammer its way out of her chest. She gulped in air and prayed the guys had a backup plan. They’d melted into the background. Other than Romeo, she didn’t see them, but she knew they were there, watching. One ofthem would be on Mr. Dao’s floor before she made it up there, but still . . . she couldn’t ignore the strong sense of foreboding that weighed down her legs.
