He frowned at her irritated tone, his body stiff now. “Does it bother you that much?”
Sydney could just let it slide. Why was she being such a jerk? “Doesn’tbother me at all. Just didn’t realize you had such a hard time finding a date. I thought people were throwing themselves at you.”
Winter narrowed his eyes, studying her face. But this time, there was no warmth in his gaze. Somehow, it just increased her annoyance. “Well?” she said. “Can you find a date or not? Should Panacea get me another partner? I don’t have all morning.”
“Fine.” His expression had darkened, and the small smile that touched the edge of his lips looked more like a grimace. “I’ll ask her. Happy?”
Sydney swallowed the last of her own feelings. Did she really go into this thinking their meet would have ended any other way? Hoping that maybe there was something to rekindle between them? How foolish. Winter was off-limits. He would always be off-limits, as far as she was concerned, and the sooner she got that through her head, the better off she’d be.
Loyalty to a secret, above all else.
“Good. Then forget the instructions,” she said. Her voice sounded too lighthearted. “I’ll reach out to you via encrypted message with what you need to know before we head to Saint Paul.”
Winter was still studying her, she could tell, searching her face for a reaction. He’d sensed something from her, but whatever it was, it must have disappointed him. His hands curled stiffly around his coffee cup.
And when he spoke, he just said, “Great.”
Sydney rose from her seat and cast him a cool glance. “Well?” she said. “Are you planning on nursing that cup forever, or are you ready to head out?”
Whatever moment they’d had was over. Winter looked warily at her before rising, too, a new distance in his gaze. They stared at each other before he nodded, his hands finding his pockets. “I’m always ready,” he said. “What, no tip?”
Sydney slapped a twenty on the table before walking to the door, holding it open with a flourish. “Here’s a tip, Winter. We don’t like tobe kept waiting, so hurry along back to your room and break the happy news to your date about your romantic getaway with her.” She tore her gaze away from him. “And tell your manager you’re bringing me back on as your bodyguard. I’m sure Claire’s going to be delighted to deal with me again.”
5Hidden Floors and Secrets
To those unaware of the Panacea Group’s existence, the Claremont Hotel in Saint Paul, Minnesota, looked and operated like any standard luxury resort, its Grecian columns and domed roof reminiscent of a historic European cathedral. Guests entered the property’s wrought-iron gates and checked in at its marbled registration counter, took photos at Christmastime in front of the lobby’s grand, forty-foot-tall holiday tree, and enjoyed dinner in its Michelin-starred restaurant, Food for the Gods.
Winter had once been one of those people.
The last time he’d arrived, he’d come without any idea that hidden within the kitchens of that restaurant was the entrance to a secret agency—that situated a mile beneath the hotel was an entire labyrinth of experimental laboratories, floors filled with training facilities, of secret weapon arsenals and war rooms.
Now, as his car pulled up to the hotel’s private side entrance behind a set of security gates, Winter glanced up at the imposing building. The sky overhead churned in a palette of charcoal, promising a storm that the news had been warning about for days. It matched his mood well.
His phone dinged, and he looked down to see a text from Gavi.
What are you up to today?she asked.
Seeing a friend,he typed back.
No one I know?
He hesitated.Not yet.
Ooh. Sounds intriguing. You know I love an adventure.
Believe me, it’s just business.
I love business. Especially when it’s your business.
He put his phone down and looked out the window as the car came to a stop. He’d regretted agreeing to take Gavi to Singapore almost immediately, but he wasn’t about to back out now—no matter how much he wished he could. But now here he was, preparing for a mission he’d been dreaming about for a year, with an impossible ex-girlfriend on one arm and an irresistible secret agent on the other—one who might or might not hate him, depending on the day.
He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face, wishing he’d been able to get more sleep the night before. After an evening of trying in vain to reach his mother, she’d finally called him back at oneA.M., from what sounded like a loud party.
Winter,she’d said,is this an emergency?
It was how she always greeted him—as if she couldn’t wait to get off the phone again, as if she could barely stand to speak to him.
Winter had swallowed the familiar ache in his heart.Where are you?he’d asked.
