“Are you staying here too?”
Sawyer stretched his arm across the back of the couch. “You’re stuck with me.” He set the soda down and took out his phone. He could still feel the swell of blood to his lips from their kiss and fought the urge to stare at her and will her over next to him. “Give me your list and I’ll text it to Rusty,” he said. “He’ll send a courier.”
“Do my parents know where I am?”
Hans finished sniffing the apartment and laid down at Sawyer’s feet.
“They know you’re safe,” Sawyer held up the remote. “TV?”
Lila shook her head. She sat down next to him and jotted out a list of items, then tore it from the pad to hand to him. Sawyer snapped a photo and sent it to Rusty.
“Give it an hour or two,” he said. “Did you think about dinner?”
Lila chewed her bottom lip, considering. “I don’t know, Thai?”
“I love Thai.” Sawyer punched an order in and sent it off to Rusty.
“I think I misjudged you, a little bit,” Lila said, after a moment of silence. “I’m sorry.”
Sawyer waved off her apology. “Sometimes it’s better to be underestimated. Element of surprise.”
“You saved my life back there,” Lila replied.
Sawyer stared at his lap, then scratched the back of his head. “It’s my job,” he finally said. “Both our jobs, isn’t it? Just in different ways.”
“I guess that’s true,” Lila settled into the couch, crossing her legs.
“Hey - you’re taking all of this in stride,” Sawyer said. “Some people would collapse in a heap if they were shot at.”
“I’ve been shot at before. Not directlyatme,” Lila explained. “But caught in crossfire.”
Sawyer sat up. “When?”
“Treating diabetes patients in Syria.”
“Your parents let you go to Syria?”
“‘Let’ is a strong word,” Lila made a shaking motion with her hand. “I didn’t ask their permission. A team from my medical school was going to help fill in at a hospital there and I packed a bag.”
Sawyer took in the prim, red-haired girl in front of him. He wasn’t easy to surprise, and yet. “Guess you didn’t pick up any Arabic while you were there?”
Lila’s cheeks flushed. “Everyone spoke English. I only speak French. And a little Mandarin Chinese. Neither very well.”
“We can’t all be polyglots.” Sawyer crossed his arms behind his head, as she smiled at him. He liked seeing her both a little embarrassed and impressed, even as she tried to suppress both. She seemed like the kind of girl who was used to suppressing what she felt; probably part of the political life. What he wouldn’t give to see her truly let loose…
“There’s only one bedroom,” Lila changed the subject. “Where will you sleep?”
Sawyer patted the couch. “This pulls out.”
“Have you stayed here before?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “We all have at one point or another.”
“How many safe houses are there?”
“Can’t tell you,” Sawyer shook his head. “That’s a secret.”
“Is there security in here? Cameras?”
