Peyton sits up straighter. “All ten?”
I nod.
Peyton raises a brow, his lips twitching. I know I have him even before he speaks. “You have a deal, Miss Riley.”
Peyton stands, holding out a hand for me to shake. I smile sweetly, reaching for his hand.
And then I punch him square in the jaw.
Unsurprised gasps circle around the room. Noah takes a few steps closer, his eyes trained on Peyton, but he’s laughing so hard that I don’t think he’d be able to protect me if he needed to.
Peyton rubs his jaw. His fingers swipe away blood on his lower lip. “Touché, Miss Riley. I deserved that.”
This time I reach out my hand. “Truce?”
Peyton eyes my hand skeptically but smirks. This time, though, the grin doesn’t twist my insides. He grabs my hand and gives it a firm shake. “Truce.”
I nod, pulling away. “Welcome to the company, Mr. Radd. I’m sure Mr. Mills will love his new assistant.”
Chapter 34
Ihesitate at the doors to my CIA office. I haven’t set foot in here in months, and for good reason.
Ella grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze in silent support.
I reach for the door and open it. Everything is the same as it was before I left. Not a paper has been touched, but it feels different somehow—foreign.
“Dec will be here any minute. Do you need anything?” Ella asks, falling into her assistant role like she’d never been kicked out of it.
“No, thank you.” I’m still standing in the doorway like an idiot, afraid to enter my office.
Ella pats me on the shoulder before turning and heading to find Declan.
“Dec tells me you have the evidence, and Mr. Mills is behind bars?” Gray’s voice pulls me out of my trance, and my instincts are instantly on high alert. I want to kill the man for what he’s done. For all the people in that square who died. For the entire mess I find myself in. But I can’t say a damn word. Not until Eagan has what we need.
I play the part I’ve always played so well. The submissive, people-pleasing woman. I turn and smile sweetly. “We do. Enough to get the trial dropped. At least, that’s what Dec says.”
He sighs as though he didn’t believe Declan until I confirmed it. “Good. That’s good.”
I didn’t notice his tells before, but I do now. I thought it was fear of losing his job at the CIA, but now I see it for what it really is. He’s afraid of a blown cover. He’s scared of his own damn shadow. Because perhaps he knows I’m not exactly who I pretend to be, either.
I’m something so much worse.
I cock my head to the side, still smiling. “Afraid of something, Gray?”
He narrows his gaze, and something changes in his face. He knows I know, or at least he suspects that I do.
My smile widens as I wait for his answer.
“Not at all, Miss Riley. Just worried for your career.”
I wave my hand at him. “Don’t be. I put in for my resignation. I have nothing left to lose.” I emphasize the last part.
His eyes widen, and there is genuine fear there. He stumbles over his words. “I thought this job was everything to you?”
“Perhaps you don’t know me as well as you think you do, Mr. Gray.”
“Oh, Gray, did she tell you I am also stepping down after the trial of Mr. Mills?” Declan comes up beside us.
