Sydney studied the man’s expression behind his glasses. He would expect her, a lowly security hire, to defer to him without cowering. So she lowered her eyes, then said, “I assure you I’ll keep him safe, sir.”
“And how old are you?” he asked.
“Nineteen, sir.”
“Nineteen,” he mused. “Just about the same as Penny, then.” His eyes flickered briefly to his daughter, who was fixing her hair as she pressed against Winter for a photo. “American?”
“From Houston, Texas, born and raised.”
“Ah, a Texan. Suburb?”
He was testing her for lies, Sydney realized, looking for holes in her answers. Behind his kind façade was the man she was looking for, the one who could ship tons of illegal chemical weapons across borders. But Sydney just replied obediently, following her cover, careful to look like she was pleased by his attention. “Pearland, sir. Attended Shadow Creek High School.”
“Pearland.” He nodded. “One of my directors grew up there. What brought you into the security world?”
Nearby, Winter said something to Penelope in her ear and she let out a tiny gasp behind her hand. They both laughed quietly. At least he was playing his part well so far.
“I’d actually hoped to join the navy,” Sydney said to Eli, “but got kicked out of boot camp for, uh, poor behavior. I worked security in a parking lot for a while before getting accepted into a bodyguard training program.”
“In Houston?”
He was mapping out her past and storing it away for future reference in case she ever said something that didn’t match. “Out in San Diego, sir,” she said.
The man raised an amused eyebrow at her. “Did the navy kick you out for picking fights?”
“Yes, sir.” Sydney pretended to blush in shame.
“Claire told me you came from Elite Securities,” Eli went on, his eyes still searching her. “Impressive, and so young.”
“She did,” Claire confirmed, sounding nearly defensive.
“And what brought you to them?”
Even for a trained agent, Sydney felt the pressure of his quiet interrogation. Winter looked over at her for the first time since he’d joined Penelope’s side. Behind his cheery exterior, she could see him shoot Eli a wary glance. So, he sensed an underlying menace to the man’s tone, too.
“They were aggressively recruiting people like me,” Sydney replied.
“People like you?”
“Young women, sir,” she said. “We are a very trendy security hire this year, as our presence tends to blend more seamlessly in at formal events.”
“Yes, I know.” Eli nodded. “I’ve hired a few like you as well, and they have all proven to be very effective at their work.”
There was a slight lilt at the end of his sentence.
Realization jolted through Sydney. Eli was implying that she was here because Winter was sleeping with her. A convenient booty call.
Winter’s eyes shot to her at the same time she looked at him.
That’s a good thing for Eli to assume,she told herself forcefully, trying to convey it to Winter through her glance. It was in their best interest for the man to think that she’d been chosen to come on this trip because Winter wanted to bring his current fling with him. It would serve as the perfect red herring, would keep him from taking her seriously.
It still didn’t stop the heat from rushing to her cheeks. That was good, too, her genuine reaction to his insinuation. So she let her expression turn bewildered, and opened her mouth to protest.
Beside her, Winter nodded as if he hadn’t caught the subtle reference. That was also what a star would do in this scenario, she thought, if itreally were true. Pretend he knew nothing. “Ashley’s as professional as they come,” he said.
“I have no doubt,” Eli replied. His insinuation was gone now, as if he’d never made it. Sydney closed her mouth and let the moment ride itself out.
Her eyes darted briefly to Penelope. She didn’t seem to catch her father’s suggestion, either—her smile was still fixated on Winter as he took his place at his seat across from her.
