“Wish I was there.”
“Me too.” Tatum took in his surroundings and plotted a route back to his room.
“He didn’t happen to say why he was in DC, did he?”
“Yeah, we discussed it over tea.”
“Maybe he’s there for you.”
“He is.” Tatum kicked a rock. “He thinks it’s personal.”
“Why don’t you stay out of his way for a while? The bounty on your head went up yesterday.”
“How much?”
“Enough that even I’m considering cashing in on the deal.”
That brought a smile to Tatum’s face. “Why don’t we just fake my death and split the cash?” Not that they needed it. “We could retire to an island and enjoy the private life.”
“That’s the plan. Not the dying part. Try to avoid that.”
“Every day.”
The line was quiet. “You’re sure you can handle this guy?”
Tatum kicked a garbage can. “I’m ticked that I have to. Is this what being a good guy gets me? A life running from bounty hunters and idiot assassins?”
“No good deed goes unpunished.”
Tatum didn’t respond. He wanted the quiet life, now more than ever—because he’d experienced an average life today, and it was sweet and wholesome and all the things he thought he’d left behind. Instead, he was running towards them. He wanted to spend an afternoon rocking on the front porch and drinking lemonade with Neese.
But when he talked to Nelson, there was still a part of him that craved their busy lives, the excitement. He grinned. He didn’t like fighting, per se, but he liked winning a fight. He enjoyed outsmarting the other guy. And now that he’d fought him, the assassin was more of a thorn in his side than a real threat. As long as he could see him coming, Tatum would be fine.
“Hello?” Nelson asked.
“I’m here.” For now. He rolled his shoulder and found it stiff. “I’m still here.”
“Okay. I’m wrapping up this job in two days. How’s the princess?”
“She didn’t show.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know if I can get in with her.”
“What about your contact?”
“She … uuuuhh …”
“She?”
Tatum closed his eyes. He could see Nelson’s eager face begging for intel.
“She wasn’t forthcoming with the information,” he barked.
Nelson paused. A tiny bead of sweat ran down the back of Tatum’s neck. He wouldn’t be the first to crack. If there was anything in this world worth protecting from his work, it was Neese.
Nelson cleared his throat. “Then we’ll go to the island together when I’m done here.”
“That is a brilliant idea.” Images of walking sandy beaches holding Neese’s hand and sharing kisses filled his head with enough reasons to let the world think he had disappeared.
“Let’s do it. I’m out.”
