Forbidden Fantasies Bundle(133)
“You also said that if I couldn’t trust anyone, couldn’t let myself go with anyone, I’d never last long in this business.”
“That, too.”
She’d been relying on her instincts ever since Hadley Richards had walked into her office and assigned her the task of taking out Jed Calhoun. And her instinct now was to trust Gage Sinclair. Jed Calhoun trusted him. She could only pray they wouldn’t both be betrayed.
Turning, she began to walk again. “Since Hadley knows or suspects Jed is alive, he also knows now that I didn’t take him out six months ago in Bogotá.”
This time it was Gage’s turn to stop and turn her to face him. “What went wrong?”
She lifted her chin. “Nothing. I made sure the hit didn’t happen. Of course, I had to make it look good. Hadley handpicked the marksman he sent with me, but I told him I would get Jed into that alley, and he was only to shoot him in the shoulder. I said I wanted to take him out. I shot Jed in the leg, and then I arranged for Jed to be taken to a private hospital. I made sure that he had papers to get out of the country once he recovered.”
“Even under orders, you didn’t carry out the hit?”
“No.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I don’t believe that Jed Calhoun killed Frank Medici. I believe he was framed.”
Gage sent her a slow smile. “Well, we’re on the same page there.”
She began to walk again. “The problem is I don’t know by whom or why. The evidence against Jed is very strong. I need to see him. I’m afraid that Hadley won’t stop until Jed is dead. I’ve got some files with me that he should see. Maybe he can find something that I’m not seeing.”
Gage laughed then, and the rich sound carried on the air.
“What?” Bailey asked.
“What if I told you that Jed is planning on breaking into your office tonight to look for Frank Medici’s file and the one you must have on him?”
She blinked. “How does he expect to break into CIA headquarters?”
Gage grinned at her. “I still do consulting work there, so I gave him the blueprints along with some ID badges and a few codes. If there are any other blocks, I’m sure that his friend Ryder Kane will get through them.”
“It’ll be a waste of their time. I’ve got the files right here in my bag.”
“I think I’m in love with you,” Gage said, taking her arm and turning her back to where he parked his car.
“Where are we going?” Bailey asked.
“How about a wedding chapel in Las Vegas? Or are you the type of woman who prefers a big wedding?”
She shot him a narrow-eyed look. “Seriously, where are we going?”
Gage sighed. “Well, if we can’t go to Vegas…what if I told you that I might know where Jed Calhoun is right now?”
She sent him a smile, the first one she’d given him. “Then I’d say lead the way.”
JED SLID A BELT through a pair of jeans he’d pulled out of Ryder’s closet and gave himself a long look in the mirror. At least now the pants wouldn’t fall down. He was going to tell Zoë he was Ethan Blair, but he wanted to set the confession up first so that she’d understand.
But would she? That was the question that set off flutters of panic in his stomach. He began to pace back and forth in the space at the foot of Ryder’s bed. She might be hurt. Of course, she would be. The woman had very little confidence in herself sexually. She’d probably think he’d used her just for laughs. Hell, maybe she had a right to that opinion. It had started out that way. He’d wanted her out of his system. And if plan A had worked out, that would have been the end of it.
But what was between them hadn’t ended. And now things had changed. He stopped to look at his image again. He had changed. And how in the hell was he supposed to tell her all that when he was still a “dead” man?
The phone rang. After striding to the bedside table, Jed picked up the receiver. “Yeah?”
“Is the coast clear or do you need more time?” Ryder asked, amusement clear in his voice.
“Give me another hour,” Jed said. A little pressure might be just what he needed to spill the truth to Zoë. “By the way, I’ve borrowed some of your clothes.”
“Not ready to appear yet in your Ethan duds?”
Jed frowned. “I’m going to tell her. Actually, I’m going to tell her everything. Thanks to me, she’s involved in this right up to her pretty little neck. She deserves to know why I almost got her killed last night.”
“You won’t get an argument from me on that score.”