“It definitely comes in handy.”She yawned and covered her mouth.
“Go back to sleep.”
She rubbed her eyes and dropped her bare legs over the side of the bed, facing his direction now.God, was shetryingto tempt him?“Not sure I’ll be able to now.I can’t stop worrying about Emma or my family.”
He sighed.“I agree you should find a way to warn them.Preferably without confirming your…aliveness to the rest of the world.Just because you left the hospital with a heartbeat doesn’t mean you survived.”
“A lovely thought.”
“Sorry.I just meant that it’s safer for everyone if whoever’s after you still has doubts.”God, why was he so bad at this?“We’ll figure out how to get in touch with your team without giving away your location.Today, okay?”He wasn’t a total asshole.It was just that Natalie and Henri’s safety was his top priority.“Other than that though, I’d like to keep your status under wraps until we have a better idea who we’re up against.Better to keep them guessing.”
She rolled her lips between her teeth and nodded.“Emma might have some idea who it is.That’s another reason I want to talk to her.”
“I also have an investigator of my own working on it.”He could protect Natalie better if he identified her enemy.
“Ford, without access to my bank accounts, I can’t pay you for any of this.If you let me contact Gretchen—”
“Gretchen?Why her?”Was there a connection to Natalie’s work and the woman who’d helped take down Remy Blaze?
Natalie blinked, and then her expression smoothed.“She’s a good friend.I trust her to keep a secret, she can watch out for herself better than my family can, and she’s very generous.”
He mostly believed her, but she’d gone very still.She wasn’t the only one who knew how to catalog someone’s tells.There was definitely more to the story.He’d let it go for now, but they were going to revisit her relationship to Gretchen soon.“Don’t worry about the money.I’ve got it covered.We can work out the details when the danger has passed and you reclaim your life.”
Her brow furrowed, making her look a little sinister in the dim light.“Promise?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.”She glanced at the window as the raptor outside resumed its pulsing call.“What is that?I’ve heard it before but never remember to ask about it the next day.”
“A Eurasian scops owl.”
“Weird.It sounds manmade.”She squinted at him.“Did Henri teach you that?I think he has a secret plan to turn me into a birder.”
Ford laughed lightly.Seems she’d worked her magic on the old man too.“I looked it up the first time I heard it.There’s an app that can identify a bird by its sounds.”
“Oh, no.”She put a hand on her brow and shook her head dramatically.“I’m surrounded by bird nerds.”
He couldn’t suppress his grin.“I swear I’m not.Just curious by nature.”
“More like cautious,” she shot back.
His smile dropped.She wasn’t wrong.His focus on creating the safest environment for everyone in his care had been the death knell for more than one relationship, and it was a good reminder why he shouldn’t be here right now, chatting intimately in the dark with this woman.If he let her distract him, he couldn’t protect her.
“I’m sorry,” she said.“I was kidding.”
“I don’t see being cautious as an insult.It’s who I am, and it generally makes me good at my job.”He straightened and took a step back.“It’s letting down my guard that causes problems.”And he damned well better not forget it.Tapping the door jamb, he turned away.“It’s still early.Let’s get back to sleep.We both need it.”
“Ford.” She sighed.“I’m not worried about my shoulder.If that couch is too uncomfortable, you really could share the bed with me.”
God, she had no fucking idea.He paused in the doorway, but didn’t look back.“No.I don’t think I could.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
FORD DIDN’T LAUNCH his campaign until Natalie had finished breakfast.Smart man, but he should’ve waited until she had more coffee.Their early morning chat session had set her confused brain buzzing.She’d stared at the ceiling until Henri began making noise in the kitchen two hours later, so despite sipping at her second cup of joe, her mind still felt sluggish.
“If you agree to disguise yourself, you can come with me to Marseille to buy a computer,” Ford said, breaking through her brain fog.
Her head snapped up.Finally.“So if Isubmit,” she asked, making her voice husky, “you’ll let me get in touch with Emma?”
