Page 11 of Avenging Jessie
“Jess.” He caught her jaw and leaned in. “Play the role.”
And then he kissed her.
It wasn’t soft. Wasn’t slow. It was strategic. A distraction. A cover.
And it set her entire nervous system on fire.
She wanted to shove him. Or maybe pull him closer. Her brain scrambled. This waswrong—it wasn’t supposed to matter. But the way his hand gripped her hip, the way his lips moved against hers...
All logic fled. She kissed him back. Just for a second. Just enough to sell the lie.
Just enough to lose control. To fall into his embrace, his mouth, and forget…
He pulled away, studying her face. Her breathing was fast. He ran a gentle hand along her arm. “You okay? I had to make him think you were just a trophy wife.”
Jessie blinked, tried to call up her best glare. Her voice seemed to have deserted her, but when it did finally show up, it came out breathy. “Next time, warn me before you shove your tongue in my mouth.”
He smirked. “Are you complaining?”
His touch was reassuring, but she still felt queasy as Hastings, acting as Keller, greeted someone a few feet away. She drew back ever so slightly as unbidden memories from before Hastings’ betrayal mauled her. She reached for a comeback that would mask her tumble of emotions. “I’ll put it in my mission report.”
Spence smirked and squeezed her elbow. “I’d believe that if your voice didn’t crack. Seeing him must be a kick in the stomach. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Hastings had been so charming, so sincere when he’d taken her under his wing. And even though he was a traitor, she’d learned a lot from him during their months together. He’d taught her spycraft and built her confidence in herself before everything went to shit and she learned his true character. “I will be.”
Needing air, she peeled away to weave through the crowd and find a quiet place to observe. She expected Spence to pull her back, but he didn’t.
Security wore all black, with obvious earpieces lending them credibility. They weren’t amateurs. She needed to stay sharp and focus on them, rather than Hastings—or her bloody, inconvenient attraction to Spence.
Clocking all the security guards in sight, she didn’t notice any acting suspiciously. After a few minutes, she grew bored but kept tailing the most elite of the group.
None made any motions toward her or Spence.
Two men near the corner of the ballroom caught her attention. Both were ex-military types, all square jaws and lazy confidence. She angled behind a group of drunk patrons making a commotion, slid past a couple leaving the dance floor, and positioned herself near them. She could eavesdrop on them while still watching the half dozen posted security guards in the ballroom.
They spoke low, heads tilted toward their drinks and each other. “It’s almost ready,” one said. “They just need the targeting software. AI handles the rest. The drones are at the compound.”
The compound?
Görlitz. Their asset had come through on that front.
The second man swirled his drink and stared at a gorgeous, model-thin woman on the dance floor. “Autonomous drones?”
“Smaller than a hawk, faster than a bullet. Facial recognition at five hundred yards.”
Jessie’s blood iced over. She pulled out her lipstick and snapped covert photos of both men with the camera. Every spy instinct screamed for her to move, but this was her one chance to capture them. She sent the images via encrypted signal to Spence with a message.Two guys at the bar, talking drones at a compound. Could be the lead we need.
Spence replied almost instantly.Meet me in the corridor by the coat check.
She moved, leaving her cover behind, and stuck the lipstick cam in her bag. She kept her eyes forward, her posture elegant, and made sure every step was disguised in grace.
A man in a tux, bulging around his middle, asked her to dance. She politely turned him down. A waiter nearly backed into her with a tray of champagne. Someone else stopped her to ask if she knew where the ladies’ room was.
Every time, she felt panic bloom right below her breastbone. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to drop her cover and flee.
Once she reached the plush, carpeted entrance hall, the noise became muffled. She pressed her back against a wall and forced herself to take deep breaths. One, two, three.I can do this.
She pushed off and headed for the coat check.
