Why did she keep having to re-answer questions? “Yes. I met Konstantin.”
Silence.
“We are all talking about Konstantin Volkov, aren’t we?” Simone decided that she should add more, in order to really seal the deal. “He’s Ryan’s height. Has brown hair. Green eyes. A scar under his chin. Another over his right eyebrow.”
Ryan’s gaze cut to Jezebel, then back to Simone.
It took all of her self-control not to nervously tap her foot. Or to jump off the sofa and make a run for it. But, instead, she opted to put a few more cards on the table. “When I looked at the egg before, I saw the little computer chip inside. I believe Konstantin wanted Frederick to transfer that chip for him, and once the transfer was complete, Frederick could keep the egg. A services-rendered type of situation. Or maybe it was a down payment for future business deals. I’m not entirely sure of the specifics.”
“You saw the chip?” Real emotion in Jezebel’s voice. “You knew it was in the egg all along?”
Why were they having so much trouble with her responses? “I was there for the handoff. I was in the room. I heard Konstantin talk about the chip.” Yes, she’d known.
“Damn.” A wide and what appeared to be a true smile on Jezebel’s face. “You’re a witness.”
“Yes. That’s what I am.” A vigorous nod. “And what do we do with witnesses?” Not arrest them, certainly, they did not?—
“We’re going to use you to draw out Konstantin. We’re going to set a trap and you’re going to help us,” Jezebel told Simone. “And in return for your cooperation, you’ll get twenty-four, seven protection. Protection that comes in the form of my very best operative.”
“That would be me,” Ryan’s deep, rumbling voice told her.
A shiver skated down her spine.
“But first tell me, Simone,” Jezebel continued, her gaze assessing, “just how good are you at undercover work?”
She thought of all the years that she’d lied to everyone she met. “Oh, I can get by.”
“Then welcome to the team.”
Her gaze swept the team. Jezebel. Ryan. A nervously sweating Harry.
“You work with us, and we’ll keep you alive.” Intensity sharpened Jezebel’s features. “When the mission is successfully completed, the CIA will give you a new life. You can walk away.”
“With…no arrest?” Though had they even really talked about her supposed crime?
“With no arrest. Work with us, and I can make all of your sins disappear,” Jezebel promised.
That was cute, but no one held that much power. Some of her sins would haunt her until she died. But now was not the time for that reveal. Now she just needed to pretend that she was playing along. Later, she could stage her escape. After all, as Jezebel had said before, Simone was a ghost.
And ghosts knew how to vanish.
For the moment, Simone summoned a big, bright smile and said, “There is nothing more that I love than teamwork. And, you know, being bait to lure in homicidal Russian crime lords. Love, love those two things. So this will be a total dream job for me. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Ryan growled once more.
Simone’s smile stretched a little more. “When do we start?”
Chapter Eleven
“You should not trust her.” Jezebel stood just outside of the suite. Ryan was at her side, but his gaze was on the closed suite door.
Two of Jezebel’s guards waited down the hallway, poised near the elevator. He recognized Hans and Mayo because they were the two men who typically accompanied Jez wherever she went. Her personal protection service.
When you’d made as many enemies as Jezebel had over the years, you tended to need your own guards. People you could trust completely.
On more than one occasion, Jezebel had hinted to him that she was ready to get out of the business. It was hard to tell her age for sure. When streaks of gray slid into the darkness of her hair, she tended to take steps to ruthlessly eliminate them. A former ballerina, Jezebel still worked out religiously. Her mind was razor sharp, and her instincts were usually on target.
Which meant…
