Shay rolled her eyes. “That’s all you got out of that? I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“If you trust her, that’s good enough for me. Shay and I will work on a location. You speak to Zoe about a meeting so we can get a day and time. In the meantime, I have to let the colonel know.”
“I’m meeting Zoe tomorrow morning. I’ll keep you posted on progress.” He nodded to both and left. He and Zoe had a lot to figure out over the next few days. Mission-wise. Afterward, well, he’d see. Mission first.
Chapter 15
Zoe lay in bed staring at the canopy above her. She’d been like this since she’d snuck back in last night. She hadn’t bothered changing clothes. Zoe had just snuck in and laid in her bed, her mind whirling.
She could see the sun rise out of the corner of her eye. She watched her bedroom light with the new day. Heard the birds chirp. Their songs got louder the higher the sun rose, and her bedroom filled with bright light.
She couldn’t stay in bed forever as her mind tried to work every possible worst-case scenario to come over the next few days. She pushed from the bed and dressed, knowing Maxim would be expecting her soon. Everything had to appear normal.
Logan, who was really Greg, was a secret military special operative sent to take down Maxim. Now they were teaming up to take him, Viktor, and Diego down.
She knew her boss would want to meet him and go over intel, but would Greg agree? His job depended on secrecy. Telling a supervisor for DEA was not being covert. She’d have to come up with a cover story on who was helping her.
She and Greg would also have to be able to meet without drawing attention. Maxim would probably have them followed. Sneaking out would become impossible. Maybe Greg would have an idea.
Zoe realized she was putting a lot of faith in the man she hardly knew. All she knew about him was his name and who he worked for. He seemed adamant to want to shut down Maxim as much as she did. It could all be a ruse, but she didn’t think so.
Her past made her a bit shady, but there was something trustworthy about Greg. She’d known it since she’d met him, which was one of the reasons she had avoided him.
Now they were going to be working more closely than ever. She couldn’t say that was all bad. She liked him. The sex was great, but it was his personality she was really drawn to. He didn’t treat her like a china doll that needed to stay on her pedestal. He treated her like a smart and independent woman who could look after herself but could occasionally use some backup.
She looked herself over in the mirror one last time. Zoe had chosen her outfit with care. Something she would normally wear. Off the shoulder white top and a knee-length ruffled skirt and stilettos. It was her normal sexy wear but a tease to Greg. It was a dangerous game she was playing. Far more so than up until now.
She had to keep her emotions under lock and key. Maxim trusted her, but it wouldn’t take much to break that trust and then a year’s worth of undercover work was in the trash and she’d most likely end up dead.
She was allowing sex to cloud her judgment. This was Danny all over again, allowing herself to get too close. She couldn’t let herself to fall down that rabbit hole again.
Zoe debated changing, but then she would end up late. She would just have to go in what she was wearing and maintain her aloofness.
She opened her door, noticing a guard next to it and one across the hall. She was used to guards around the house. Though she noticed they were more heavily armed than the night before.
Zoe knew Maxim was paranoid, but this was a bit much. She breezed past them and marched down the hall with her head held high and hastened down the stairs. She looked behind the stairs for Tree but didn’t see him. She hadn’t seen him since he’d been pulled as her driver.
Zoe headed for the breakfast room to await Maxim and talk about the plan for the day over the meal. She checked her watch. He would be down in two minutes.
The man was nothing if not routine. If a hitman was after him, it wouldn’t take long to learn his schedule. Zoe had suggested changing it up, but he refused.
“Maxim,” she greeted before sitting down at her normal spot at the table, on Maxim’s right side.
One of the staff members appeared beside her before she’d finished getting her napkin in her lap and set her plate of food down along with a cup of coffee. It already had her creamer in it.
“I will never understand how you drink that watered-down coffee. It’s meant to be black. Put hair on your chest,” Maxim grunted in greeting as he strode across the room and took his seat at the head of the table. A server appeared with a plate of foot and a coffee mug. He took a sip of it and gave an audible sigh of contentment.
“Well, as I have no intention of growing hair on my chest, I’ll stick to my watered-down coffee as you call it.” She saluted him with her cup before taking a sip. Ah, Coffee Mate Crème Brulee. Perfect. She needed this after her sleepless night to help her keep her wits.
Maxim barked with laughter. “Always quick with a comeback.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me. So, shall we discuss the route for today?”
“About that.” He set his cup back down, and a sinking feeling fell into the pit of Zoe’s stomach.
“Oh no, you don’t.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” Maxim said, looking defensive.
