The woman’s response is lost on me, drowned out by Agent Thorpe’s voice flowing out of my comms. “Secretary Barnes is on site with four men who refuse to show identification. Dower andI attempted to block entry, but the Secretary insisted to be let through. They are heading your way now.”
Turning toward the door, I lift my wrist to my mouth, pressing down to activate my microphone. “Are you fucking kidding me, Thorpe?”
Dower is the one who responds. “She insisted, sir.”
“And I might insist on putting my foot up your ass, Dower, does that mean you’re just going to bend over and take it?” Beck growls. “Drake, hold tight, Shaw and I are coming inside.”
“Negative. Hold your position while I assess the situation.”
Moments later, the situation walks through the door. Cordelia is first, waltzing through the door and past Agent Morgan who has just emerged from the short hall to my right that leads to the bathrooms where, as far as I can tell, Selene still is. Morgan catches my eye, silently asking if she needs to engage. I shake my head, stepping into the center of the hall and stopping Cordelia and her cronies in their tracks.
“Madame Secretary, I’ve been informed by my agents that your guests have refused to show identification.”
She glances over her shoulder at the four men who pretty much all the look the same to me. They’re all white with short cropped hair with non-descript, but expensive, suits draped over their muscular frames and bored expressions. You would think they crash the private lunches of world leaders every day.
“They prefer their privacy,” she drawls, turning back to me with a smug smile.
“Privacy is their right. Holding court with the President without proper vetting is not. If your guests refuse to comply with security protocol, I’ll be forced to have them removed from the premises.”
There are so many things I hate about the job Beck and I worked our asses off for, but more than anything I hate instances like this when honor and competence override my desire to seeAubrey dead. I don’t know who these men are or what they’re here for, but it’s a very slight, but real, possibility they’re here to kill him, and here I am, standing in the way because I swore a fucking oath.
One of the men sniffs, drawing my attention. He’s standing closest to Cordelia, and now that I’m really looking at him, I notice he’s older than the men behind him, who are in their mid to late thirties. There are streaks of gray starting at his temples, running throughout his dark brown strands, and harsh lines at the outer corners of his green eyes. Impatience radiates off of him, but he doesn’t say a word, allowing Cordelia to do the talking.
Her chin rises defiantly. “Ivetted them. Now, if you’ll excuse us?—”
She tries to side-step me, but I anticipate the move, blocking her with ease. “Your guests need to identify themselves.”
“That won’t be necessary, Agent Drake,” Aubrey says, his voice carrying from the end of the hall. I turn to find him standing there in the same spot I occupied just seconds ago, his expression stricken.
My jaw turns rigid. “These men have not been properly screened. I cannot guarantee your safety.”
My warning holds no weight. He barely acknowledges it as he waves Cordelia and the men through. They file past me as if their entry was a foregone conclusion and I was nothing more than an unnecessary obstacle. Aubrey greets them all with a strained smile, instructing them to get comfortable at the table before shifting his focus back to me.
“Give us the room,” he barks, disappearing into the dining area.
Frustrated, and more than a little confused, I’m left with no choice but to follow the order. I head down the hall, meeting Morgan at the opening she hasn’t moved from.
“Who the hell are they?” she asks, voice pitched low.
“I have no idea.” And truthfully, I don’t care. Aubrey can entertain as many unidentified subjects as he wants. It doesn’t matter to me. All that matters now is their sudden appearance has created an opening for me and Selene that I am going to take. Agent Morgan follows my intense gaze down the short corridor and sighs.
“I’ll keep watch.”
“He wanted total privacy so stay out of sight and update Shaw and Beckham so they don’t come rushing in,” I tell her, already heading toward the bathroom. My steps are quiet but hurried, and I make it to the door just as Selene is coming out of it.
Her eyes go wide with surprise when she sees me, and I place my hand over her mouth to stop her from saying anything.
“Everything is fine, but we don’t have long, okay?” I whisper, backing her into the bathroom.
She nods, heels clicking softly against the jade green tiles that cover the floors and walls. I kick the door closed with my foot and remove my hand from her mouth.
“Are you crazy?!” she whisper-shouts as I lock the door. “You can’t be here, Cal. He’ll know.”
“He’s occupied.”
“Occupied? With what?”
It’s been so long since I’ve been alone with her, since I’ve found myself wrapped in the scent of sugared wild berries and cherry blossoms. Desperate for more than a passing whiff, I step into her space, taking her into my arms and lifting her up until I can plant my nose in the hollow of her neck. She shivers against me, cradling the back of my head in her hands to hold me in place.
