Page 58 of Undercover Infidel
Con moved to stand behind my chair, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. “Interesting developments,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear.
I leaned back against him, savoring the brief moment of connection. “Bennett’s reactions are becoming concerning.”
“Agreed. I sense this is personal for him, and we all know how dangerous that can be.”
His fingers traced a gentle pattern along my collarbone, a quiet intimacy in the midst of our professionalsetting. I closed my eyes briefly, allowing myself to feel the simple comfort of his touch.
“We should get some rest,” I finally said, though neither of us moved immediately.
Con bent down, his lips brushing my temple. “Tomorrow will tell us more.”
As we made our way upstairs to our shared room, I found myself balancing multiple complexities—the mission, Bennett’s mysterious vendetta, and this deepening connection with Con that seemed to grow stronger amid the uncertainty.
The feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach become heavier, despite Con’s calming presence. While AIWS was horrific on its own, I couldn’t help but think that whatever was actually going on was far worse.
17
CON
Iwoke at zero four hundred, my mind too restless for sleep. Something about Bennett’s behavior and his excessive familiarity with the Inverness facility had bothered me well into the night. Careful not to wake Lex, I slipped from the bed and made my way downstairs.
The formal sitting room—aka our command center—was dimly lit. A figure stood by the table, hunched over papers I didn’t recall seeing yesterday. Bennett didn’t notice me as I paused in the doorway, watching him pore over what appeared to be internal floor plans different from those he’d shared previously. What in the bloody hell was he up to? Sabotaging the mission to fulfill his vendetta?
“Found something new?” I asked.
Bennett’s shoulders tensed before he turned. Nothing in his expression betrayed surprise, but the swift movement with which he gathered the papers told its own story.
“Lord Blackmoor. You’re up early.”
“As are you.” I moved into the room, eyes on the documents he was attempting to conceal. “Those don’t look like the schematics we reviewed yesterday.”
“Supplementary materials,” he replied smoothly. “MI6 sent additional intelligence overnight.”
“At two in the morning?”
“Russian operations don’t adhere to business hours.” He folded the papers and tucked them under his tablet. “Coffee?”
“Please.”
While he busied himself in the kitchen, I glanced at the edge of a document that was still visible from where he’d stashed it. Annotations marked what appeared to be security rotation schedules—far more specific than any information we’d discussed.
“Your intelligence is remarkably thorough,” I commented as he handed me a mug.
“As I said yesterday, Russian operations are my specialty.”
“So specific, though. Guard rotations, maintenance schedules…” I sipped the coffee. “Almost as if you’ve been inside the facility.”
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “Good intelligence often provides that level of detail.”
“Of course.”
Bennett gathered his materials. “I need to make some calls before we finalize today’s approach. The equipment I requested will arrive by zero seven hundred.”
After he left, I extracted my mobile and messaged Gus.Need Malcolm Bennett background ASAP. Focus on any Orlov connection.
His reply came a few minutes later.On it. Something interesting in Estonia records. Will update soon.
When I returned upstairs, Lex was awake, hair tousled from sleep. My body responded immediately to the sight of her, desire momentarily overriding my concern.
