Not Sejal. The studio held only the corporate art and furniture that was common in short-term rentals. He’d commented on the painting only because he’d felt vaguely awkward about standing in her apartment and finding it wasn’t at all what he’d expected.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, though. Mementos of her family? Piles of weapons and cash? Signs that she was actually a part of Cobra, too, contrary to what his brother had suspected, and therefore unlikely to assist him?
He was careful to sit out of her reach. Her legs were long, and he already knew that she could kick hard. “You didn’t give me a chance before you went wild on me.”
“I meant in the bar.”
“Again. You didn’t give me a chance.”And I forgot my missionwhile I was kissing you.He hesitated. “And I needed to find out where you lived.”
She rattled her wrist. Her shirt had ridden up, revealing the strong muscles of her abdomen, and he averted his eyes upward, to the light sparkling off her necklace, a long gold bar with a little black pearl on one end and a delicate gold peacock feather scrolling and entwining over it. “Let me see your badge,” she said.
He’d prepped for this, too. He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and flashed it at her.
“Closer.”
He handed it to her, and she swiped it with her free hand.
She glanced up at him. “Wait. You said your name was Krish.”
A regrettable error back in the bar, but in his defense, that surprise kiss had thrown him for a loop, and he didn’t normally use any name but his own. “It’s my middle name,” he improvised.
She stared at the badge so hard he feared she’d figure out it wasn’t his. “Avi Anand. You... you’re the agent who called me two years ago, aren’t you? From Los Angeles.”
Nowhere in Avi’s records had it said that he’d already contacted Sejal, though it wasn’t wild that he had. Avi had investigated Rushali, and though he hadn’t been in charge of the case, he might have helped his colleagues out. Or perhaps Avi had known even then that Cobra would try to come after him. “I am.”
She squinted at him. “This photo barely looks like you.”
Interesting. People had often told him and Avi they looked similar, though Avi’s features were far more elegant. Like an artist had spent longer refining him. “It’s an old photo.”
“You didn’t have the scar. You’re much bigger now. And somehow... rougher.”
His nose twitched. Yes, yes, no need to belabor this point. He held out his hand and tried to channel his most official tone. “You seem like you’re looking for reasons to not believe me, but I promise you, I am who I say I am.”
She handed the badge back. “This is a damn creative way to go about contacting me again. Have you heard of a telephone?”
He cast her a sardonic glance. “So you could bolt again?”
She looked away. Ah. She had gone on the run after Avi had tracked her down two years ago. “How did you find me?”
“I’m very good.” He opened his jacket and put his brother’s badge back, and she stiffened. He followed her gaze to his holstered gun.
The gun was his. It was licensed, he knew how to use it, and it wasn’t a prop to scare her. He let his jacket fall closed. Her earlier panic had almost completely dissipated. He could practically see the wheels in her brain starting to churn. Thinking always made people dangerous, and Sejal was dangerous all the time.
“Okay. Fine. You’re a shitty FBI agent who goes around kissing women you’re planning on handcuffing later.”
Oof.Yes, the kiss had most definitely not been part of his plan, but it had been the easiest part of this whole night.
“So what do you want from me?”
“I need to get to the head of Cobra.”
She blinked, then blinked again. “Uh, go to prison, then. Surely you know my mom is Cobra.”
“Not anymore.”
“What are you saying?”
“Your momwasCobra. Our intel tells us that your aunt, Rhea, is now running Cobra.”
