“Sleeping,” he said, his mouth curling. “Unless you have a better idea.”
His eyes did that crinkling thing again, which never failed to somersault her belly.
She sat back in the chair, her face heating. Resisting was almost physically painful, but if he wasn’t available she was a fool to dig herself in any deeper. “I need to check up on a few things.”
Like her parents. God.
Several news outlets reported they were being questioned on Samira’s whereabouts, and speculated that the United States was pressuring the Canadian and Ethiopian governments to hand them over on suspicion of “terror-related activities.” Samira chewed on her knuckles. Her parents were smart and would have good lawyers, but Ethiopia didn’t have a whole lot of clout to stand up to America. And surely terrorism was an exception to the rule of diplomatic immunity.
In the United States, Tess was still being held by the FBI, despite legal challenges by her TV network. Samira was still wanted but Jamie hadn’t been identified.
Samira leaned her head against the wing of the chair. A dull headache was settling in behind her eyes. She closed them. How bad would it look for her parents if she was caught breaking into Hyland’s hotel suite? But what if she wasn’t caught? What if she could get access to the vault and fix everything?
There had to be more she could do to prepare. Virtually explore the hotel layout and security, poke and prod its systems in the hope there was some useful flaw. Her eyes stung.In a minute...
She was woken by murmuring voices, behind her. She shot out of the chair, sending the laptop flying again.
Three people were seated around the dining table—Jamie, Angelito and an athletic brunette who looked like she’d fit right into their commando unit.
Jamie stood, scraping the chair back behind him. “Samira, this is Holly.”
The woman gave a sharp, assessing nod. She looked vaguely familiar.
“Angelito you know,” Jamie finished.
Hardly.
“‘Rafe,’” Angelito said, in the indiscernible accent she remembered. Someone who’d moved around a lot, like her. “I’m just a diving and surfing instructor now.”
Was that code for something likesecurity contractororassassin? No amount of surfing would make that guy look like anything but a commando. She finger-combed her hair. As the rush of panic at waking settled, her back began to ache.No, you can’t have another crack.
“I’ve just been catching Holly and Angeli—Rafeup on the story so far,” Jamie said, pulling out the fourth chair for Samira. He was clean-shaven and his face had lost the sunken look. She’d never seen him clean-shaven. He looked less soldier, more doctor—and no less attractive.
She walked behind the kitchen island, found a glass and filled it.
“And we’ve come up with a plan,” he said, leaning back against the wall behind the table, casting aback-me-up-herelook at Rafe and Holly before returning his gaze to Samira. He folded his arms. “We wait until the senator and his daughter go out tonight—he in the tuxedo to this reception, she to her book launch—and we drive into the car park, go up to the room and get them to let us in.”
All sound seemed to mute.
“Well, when I say ‘us,’ I mean you’ll wait here. You’re too easily recognized. The three of us will go.”
She forced the water down her clamped throat. Relief washed over her at the thought of staying behind, but... “If you think they’ll even let you into the hotel, let alone anywhere near his floor, let alone... I’ve been around diplomats since I was a child. You’ve seen the security—it’s intense. More so these days, with the fear of terrorism. You will need keycards, security clearances, ID—”
“We’re hoping there’s a notable exception to that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Laura, the senator’s daughter.”
Three pairs of eyes trained on her. “I’m not following. Are you planning to sneak in behind her?”
Rafe frowned up at Jamie, making his permanent glower even more intense. “I don’t like that Samira’s not getting this.”
Holly pulled her hair out of its stumpy ponytail and mussed it up. “It worked before. It will again.” An American accent but not one Samira could pinpoint.Shelooked like a watersports instructor, with a freckled face and blond streaks in her hair.
“Last time you only had to pass as her from a distance,” Rafe growled.
“I fooled you,” Holly said.
