To her gratitude, Claire jumped in and offered Penelope a winsome smile. “We’re so delighted to be here to celebrate your birthday, Miss Morrison. And we’re going to make it one for the history books.”
“Or your money back,” Winter quipped, winking at Penelope, and the girl laughed again, running a hand nervously through her hair.
The rest of their dinner passed smoothly, and at least there were no more interrogations. Eli seemed uninterested in doing the same to Winter. Another point for Sauda, Sydney reluctantly conceded, choosing someone like Winter for this job. Eli probably had no suspicions about Winter’s very public history. What dangerous secrets could a pop star hold?
At last, they rose. Sydney looked on as Winter shook the man’s hand a final time.
“If you have a need,” Eli now said, “I will make sure to accommodate it. There’s an entire staff at your beck and call on this property. And if you find something upsetting, just say the word.” The man smiled. “I can make most things happen.”
He said it in his quiet, considerate voice, but it didn’t sound like reassurance to Sydney. It sounded like a threat. It felt as plain as if Eli had tied them both up and held a knife to their throats. He could make most things happen—he had the money and means to make sure they had a comfortable stay, or that they disappeared.
His smile widened and, satisfied, he turned away from her to escorthis daughter down the stairs. Penelope looked over her shoulder at Winter, her smile giddy, and he gave her a conspiratorial nod in return.
At the entrance, two men greeted them and ushered them into their waiting sedans. Then the cars departed, and they were finally alone.
Only then did Winter cast Sydney a meaningful look. “So we’re sleeping together, are we?” he mumbled.
Sydney winced, then dropped her face into one hand.
Claire let out her breath. “Well!” she said breezily. “What an absolutely monumental prick.”
11
Someone Is Always Watching
The first thing Sydney did, as Claire left and Winter set about unpacking his dozen suitcases, was to run a scan on the house.
It was an even more impressive space than she’d suspected. On a subterranean floor directly underneath the main living and dining room, there was a private cinema and bowling alley. The second floor had a private salon and beauty parlor room, along with closets as big as her entire apartment back home. Out on the opposite end of the gardens was a separate two-story house meant for staff. Above the third floor bedrooms was a massive deck and rooftop garden, from where Sydney could see London’s night cityscape sprawling before them, a twinkling wonderland under a curtain of rain and fog.
Sydney wandered around each floor, taking out a Necco Wafer from her pocket every now and then and popping it into her mouth. At each floor, she pressed a small button on her key ring. The scan ran silently. She could see a red grid layout appear on her phone as it went, mapping the home’s rooms and searching for bugs built in beneath the drywall.
As she suspected, several dots lit up in the common living spaces.
Good to know,she thought grimly. Not that she would do anything about them. Disabling those bugs would just tip off Morrison’s crew to the fact that Winter’s bodyguard might be more capable than was normal. But at least she knew where they could whisper more freely inthe house and where they needed to disguise their conversations behind noise or stay entirely silent.
She checked the mirrors in the bathrooms, pretending she was cleaning the glass while running a finger idly along the surface, making sure they weren’t one-way or contained extra panels that might be recording anything. A gap between her finger and its reflection meant a safe mirror—no gap meant something was up.
The bathrooms cleared her tests.
As she stepped out of the final bedroom to head down the stairs, she saw Winter heading up in her direction, his dark eyes following her curiously. His dancer grace was perfect for their mission, but it bothered her that he could move so quietly that even she hadn’t heard him approaching.
“Awed by this place, too, huh?” he said with a small smile.
She knew by the look in his eyes what he was really asking her.Did you find anything unusual?
She gave him a pointed shake of her head. “Nothingtoosurprising,” she answered.
By that, she meantBe careful how you act in here. We’re being watched.
He noted her gesture, but just waved a hand in agreement. “Well, I certainly don’t have a heated indoor pool in my living room,” he said, glancing down at the bottom floor.
Sydney knew this was an opportunity for her to turn their charm together up within earshot of the house’s bugs, to lean into Eli’s assumption about them. She walked down the stairs until she was just a single step higher than him.
“Then we’d better make good use of it,” she said coyly.
Winter frowned. Then he leaned closer so that he could murmur in her ear. “What the hell are you doing?” he whispered.
She caught the scent of him—clean laundry, shampoo, and the delicate musk of a boy. He was very warm when he stood this near to her. She smiled a little to herself. Flirting was a course she’d aced during training.
