“Sounds like she's an idiot.”
I grunted a laugh. “Too true.” If he cheated once and badly enough to make his wife wish him dead, the odds were high that he’d stray again. Some thrills were irresistible and tempting. I’d know. I felt like that with the extreme adrenaline rush of killing someone.
“Thanks, Simon.”
“You’re welcome, Boss.”
I wished he’d stop calling me that. My father was our boss, but in a way, I was his supervisor too.
“Need anything else?”
I opened and closed my mouth. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him to look into this agent who’d been following me. As I conjured her in my mind, I imagined her short, glossy black hair, those bright blue eyes that suggested she was stubborn, not sweet. Her short little body, athletic with just the right curves.
“Emil?” he asked, breaking his teasing habit of calling meBosswhen I didn’t immediately speak.
“Um.”
I hesitated, unsure about putting him to the task of getting me a name for this woman who’d been following me, mostly at airports.
If I told him, she wouldn’t bemineanymore. Not my secret. Not my little mouse and unwilling participant in this game we were playing. I supposed I was supposed to beherprey as she searched for me. It was too much fun taunting her and throwing her off my trail, though.
“Nah. Nothing else.”
“Are you coming back home, then? Since the job is canceled?”
I shook my head even though he couldn’t see. “I might hang out around here for a while.”
“Just be aware that a tropical storm is expected to make landfall near your location in about four days.”
I smiled, amused at how informative he was about everything like that. This man was worth his weight in gold, and I always made sure to reward him handsomely for his hard work—besides the fact that he had a nice income for just doing his job.
“Thanks, Simon.”
We disconnected the call shortly after, and I resumed strolling down the beach. When I arrived, I’d planned to chill for the night, to move and stretch after two flights so close together. My stomach growled from hunger, so I found a nice restaurant and got dinner.
It didn’t make me really feel full. Not deep down.
Then I meandered past a beachfront bar that wasn’t blasting obnoxious clubbing music. I ordered a drink.
And it didn’t take the edge off anything. Not really.
With a heavy sigh, I went to my resort and headed to my suite. The second I flopped down on the plush king-size bed, I closed my eyes.
No rest came. I couldn’t sleep worth a damn, and I regretted being this possessive about that agent. I should’ve told Simon to look her up. I could give him the barest and vaguest clues, like for him to search through security cameras at the last airport I’d seen her in, and he’d find me a name.
But I didn’t want to share that someone had captured my attention like that. I wasn’t prepared to admit that it feltgoodto be hunted.
All night, I tossed and turned. In the morning, I decided I’d be funky and miserable no matter where I was on this planet. I didn’t relish going home and being near the rest of my family who were all so happy and content and settled. But this sucked.
Once more, I headed to the airport. A few texts with Simon took care of the matter of a flight. I’d take off in three hours, but I bet I’d pass time people-watching and not dozing off.
And there she was.
Just as I found a seat near my terminal, stretching my arms out before folding my hands behind my head so I could comfortably extend my legs out in front of me, she was there.
The same short, neat black hair, shining under the sunlight blaring in through the windows.
Those same electric blue eyes, sharp and observant as she scanned her surroundings.
