Page 24 of While You Were Spying
God, are we really that predictable?
“Does this mean you’ll let me work in the field afterward?” A woman can always hope.
Jayden scowls again. All right, the original scowl never left his face. It just deepens.
“I can shoot a gun just as well as any of the guys, and I’ve been studying martial arts for the past five years,” I inform Liam before he has a chance to answer—and tell me what I don’t want to hear.
“She’s actually a brilliant shot,” Adam adds. “I’ve been working with her for the past year or so, and I know what she’s capable of.”
“She isn’t trained for this,” Jayden says to Liam, voice gruff and unbending. “Just because Adam has taken her to the shooting range, it doesn’t mean she’s ready to deal with real-life in the field.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Not only is she a brilliant shot, but Landon and I have also been taking her to Paradise to train for the past year.” Paradise is the code name for the property where law enforcement and retired military train with paintball guns.
For a fleeting second, aYou-have?expression crosses Jayden’s face, which is quickly replaced by a scowl.
I grin at him. “Surprise!”
The scowl becomes scowlier—to the point where I have to choke back a laugh. Liam, however, seems more impressed by the turn of events than anything.
“How come I didn’t know about this?” Jayden demands.
“Because we didn’t think you would approve.” And clearly, we were right about that.
“Great, then how about you just audition for the next Bond movie and call it a day?” Jayden says to me, still being a stubborn ass when it comes to giving me a chance to prove what I can do. “You told me you used to be an actress in high school. Which means you’ll be perfect for the role.”
I level a chilly glare at him.
That makes Adam laugh. “At least you two won’t have to work hard at pretending you’re married. You remind me of my parents…before they divorced.”
Liam shakes his head, and I suspect he’s barely containing an eye roll. “You’ll report to me once you know what was stolen and why the victim doesn’t want to go to the police, and then we’ll evaluate whether we want to accept the case and the timeline for it based on Jayden’s injuries. But I also suggest you book the reservation for a week—because from where I’m standing, it looks like you both could use a vacation. And hopefully, by the time you return, you’ll sound less like Adam’s parents than you do now. And Isabelle?”
“Yes?”
“Consider this assignment a part of your trial probation period as an operative. Do either of you have any questions?”
He doesn’t wait for a reply. He heads to his office.
9
Jayden
Three daysafter Liam told me I would be Isabelle’s fake husband for the next seven days, she and I arrive at the resort we’re staying at in Huntington Beach. We’ve spent the past two days getting our cover stories straight:
We’ve been happily married for two years.
Adam cracked up when he heard that one. I’ve been cranky ever since Liam came up with the stupid idea that I’ll be Isabelle’s fake husband. And Adam’s comment about us sounding like his parents before their divorce hadn’t helped things either. Good thing my acting skills are first-rate.
Okay, back to our cover.
Isabelle and I don’t have any kids yet.
Isabelle is an assistant for an art gallery. Fortunately, Henri owns the gallery and was happy to spend the day helping her get her cover straight. I’m a project manager for a small computer software company. One of our friends, Wes Chiasson, owns the building where Quade Security and Investigations is located, and he has his own software company. If I’m asked, he has given me the okay to mention his company’s name.
Most of the other details are the same as in real life. The closer you are to the truth with your cover story, the less likely you’ll stumble over part of it and give away that you’re not whom you claim to be.
And that includes the rings on our fingers—or more specifically, on Isabelle’s finger. Her teardrop diamond engagement ring once belonged to my grandmother. She bequeathed it to me because I was her only grandson. My ex-fiancée has never worn it, and for that, I’m actually grateful. Suzanna wasn’t into vintage jewelry and my grandmother died long after the engagement ended, so Suzanna never had the opportunity to reject the ring.
Before our flight to Huntington Beach, I had a checkup with my physician. He gave me the green light to remove the sling in ten days, but I’ll have to take things easy for at least two weeks. We even have a story to explain what happened, if anyone should ask—and it won’t have anything to do with the takedown of Vadik Orlov and his mafia crime family.
