She smiled tightly. “The floor plans to the museum,” she answered. “And every blueprint we can get our hands on.”
Half an hour later, Claire had managed to be escorted into the house along with Leo, Dameon, and half a dozen other security crew. Even so, her braided bun looked slightly disheveled, and she was sweating slightly despite the cool air outside.
“What’s the game plan?” Leo asked as they huddled in the living room, busying himself by setting down glasses of whiskey for them. Claire shot him a disapproving look about the alcohol, but didn’t turn the drink down. “I can’t remember the last time you caused this much of a ruckus.”
“It was when he did the devil skit,” Dameon said, picking up one of the glasses. “We had protesters in Orlando—that one guy broke our windshield.”
“I’ll tell you the game plan.” Claire narrowed her eyes at Winter as she sipped at her drink. “We should be rushing you out of London, except now we have a full circus outside and navigating the freeway to the airport will be more dangerous than just keeping you here.” She tapped at her phone in annoyance. “Does Eli Morrison ever pick up?”
The mention of his name roiled the unease in Winter’s stomach. His mind still whirled from the footage that Sydney had shown him. “Don’tworry about me. I’ll be fine.” He shook his head. “But that doesn’t mean the rest of you need to be here.”
Leo stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
Dameon scowled. “Wait, you’re going to stay here by yourself in this madness?”
“What can you possibly help with?” Winter answered.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Keeping people from clawing your skin off? Walking with you?”
“You’ll make it harder than it needs to be,” Winter argued, glancing at Claire. “Send them home.”
“Agreed.” Claire looked at Leo and Dameon. “I’m flying the two of you out for now. The less I have to keep track of, the easier my job will be.”
Leo started to protest, his eyes almost panicked. “You were nearly killed!” he said to Winter. “So what if the freeways are going to be wild? Isn’t anything safer than staying here?”
Claire tapped on the table with her phone, disrupting their argument. “We’re moving your flight up,” she said, eyeing Leo and Dameon. “End of story.”
“And you should be flying out, too,” Winter said to her. There was an uneasy churning in his gut as he said it, the premonition that things were about to get worse. “No reason for you to stay when you could be safely on board a plane.”
That made her turn to him, startled. “Why would I leave?”
His tone turned annoyed. “Does your safety not count for anything?”
“There’s more you’re not telling me, Winter Young,” Claire pressed, lowering her voice. “You think I can’t sense that, after all our years together?”
Damn Claire and her intuition,Winter thought. But he just shook his head. “I’m telling you there’s not,” he said. “Do I have to have a secret in order to be protective?”
“No. But you have one, don’t you?”
Winter scowled and looked at Dameon. “Help me.”
Dameon shrugged. “You’re the boss,” he replied.
Winter looked back at Claire. “I’m not asking you. I’m ordering you. Go home now, or you’re fired.”
Claire flinched as if she’d been slapped. “Excuse me?”
In all their years together, he had never said such a thing to her, threatened her as if she was his subordinate. The hurt in her eyes made him wince. But there were more dangerous players in the game now. He imagined the faceless sniper pointing his crosshairs in Claire’s direction. Pulling the trigger.
Panacea had promised to protect his crew, but he couldn’t count on that now.
“Please, Claire,” he whispered. “Just do this.”
Her lips tightened, and she sat back, her posture now stiff and distant. “As you say, Mr. Young,” she said, her words barbed.
Winter opened his mouth, trying to form an apology, but no words came out. All he could do was look on as Claire rose from the couch and turned away.
“Claire,” he managed to say. “Wait.”
