Page 5 of Dustin
I can feel Dustin’s eyes on the back of my head. But I make a point to continue staring face forward. I don’t need to be looking into those distracting blue eyes.
“Good. You’re all wondering why my daughter is present at the meeting. She recently arrived in D.C. for a visit but will return to Portugal tomorrow. As it turns out, one of the countries suspected of having ties with the terrorist cell is Portugal. Therefore it makes sense for Madison to assist the agent in getting settled over there. Madison knows our targets through her work and I figured we’ll need her to get access to them.”
I see Lucas nod in understanding.
Wait till they hear who the agent is going to be.
My dad calls out the countries they’ve all been assigned to. He saves the best for last. For the purpose of seeing his reaction, I turn around to look at Dustin’s face just as he’s told his mission and where he’s going.
Shocked is an understatement.
“I’m sorry, what?” he asks.
“Agent Rowell, you’ve been assigned to cover Portugal. Madison will assist you in this mission.”
Dustin blinks, then blinks again before turning to me. He’s silent for a minute before speaking up.
“I'm going to have to ask for a reassignment, sir. Certain issues will prevent me from being able to work with Miss Thrash.”
“Your request is not granted. Your plane ticket has already been booked, and you leave for Portugal tomorrow morning. Is that clear?” my dad asks with a raised brow.
His expression is like granite. Hard, unflinching. There’s no arguing with him, and Dustin knows it.
“Crystal,” he states through gritted teeth.
He turns his attention to the table for the rest of the meeting and doesn’t look at me once. But after the meeting is over, he heads straight for me.
“What the fuck?” he questions.
The ice in his voice causes me to flinch just a little. Then I stand tall and look him square in the eye.
“I had nothing to do with this, and I hate it just as much as you do.”
Dustin chuckles bitterly.
“I really doubt that.”
“We’ll figure things out. Cool off. You’re not going to die if you spend a few days with me.”
“The thing is, I have no desire to do that. Like zero. Not one single part of me wants to spend another minute in your presence.”
He can never find out just how much his words hurt.
“Well, tough shit. You don’t have much of a choice. Suck it up and stop being a baby.”
His jaw clenches, and I can tell the next words out of his mouth aren't going to be good ones. Then he closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.
“You’re so frustrating,” he states.
“Too bad, Dusty Bun. You’re stuck with me,” I say with fake sweetness.
“Stop calling me that.”
With that, he walks away. I watch as he stops to have a conversation with my dad’s secretary. She places a finger on his chest seductively, and he grins.
It always used to amaze me how quickly Dustin could change his expressions. One minute, he’s furious, and the next, he’s all smiles.
He leans down to whisper something in her ear, and she giggles. I watch them intently, and it surprises me when I feel something churn in the pit of my stomach. Something that feels suspiciously like jealousy.
