Was it because he was being a dick? He was being a dick by telling her what to do, wasn’t he?
Or was she heating up because the bossiness turned her on? Because that was just weird. And wrong. But also true.
“I think I like bad-joke Agent M better. Could you put him back on the line?” she sassed. “His jokes suck, but he doesn’t boss me around like I’m twelve.”
“If you were twelve, I wouldn’t let you handle this on your own. But you’re a capable, badass woman, and I know that you know I’m right about what you need right now. Correct?”
Well, shit. Maybe he wasn’t being a dick. It would be easier if he were. And a lot less uncomfortable, dammit.
A part of her brain acknowledged that, technically, she knew he was right. But she’d been on her own for so long that taking direction from anyone, let alone him, felt weird.
Then again, if she wanted to be extra technical about things, she hadn’t really been making decisions on her own for a long time. As part of her cover, she did whatever Guillermo had told her to do.
So while she was autonomous in choosing to follow that guideline, she really never made choices for herself anymore.And apparently, she was really sucking at doing that right now, based on this conversation with him.
Lord, this was confusing, even to her. Was that because she was tired and hungry?
It was too hard to figure out right now. And rather than further irritate the person helping her, she figured she’d just tell him what he wanted to hear and then do what she wanted. How would he know?
“G, this is not a fuck-around-and-find-out situation. I know you’re considering playing along with me on my instructions. Just get some fucking food before you get on the road, yeah?”
What was the matter with her? Why was she fighting him over something so basic? The man was totally putting himself out on a limb for her, and all he’d really asked for in return was to make sure she ate something. Sound advice, considering she hadn’t eaten anything since fleeing the safe house last night. He didn’t have to help her. If she didn’t get her shit together, he could easily hang up, walk away, and leave her stranded.
She swallowed down the smart-ass remark she wanted to make and made a concentrated effort to be cooperative. “I’ll make sure to eat.”
“Good.” The irritation went out of his voice with her agreement. “Did you sleep last night?”
What the hell? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly. Again, she had to admit, he wasn’t wrong. Exhaustion could make a person sloppy. Could make it easier for her to get caught. He was right to point out his concern, and no, he wasn’t being a dick about it. Clear and precise so she didn’t misunderstand, yes. Bossy? Perhaps. But not a dick.
“Not great,” she admitted, grudgingly. “Managed a couple of hours while I waited for your call back.”
“After breakfast, go to the hostel and grab a couple hours of sleep. Then, pick up some water and some snacks, a new burnerphone if you can, and then I need you to find another ride out of the village.
“Continue on Route 7. I know being in the open like that is against protocol, but if they know who you are, they won’t be expecting you to be on the main roads.
“When you get to Los Penitentes, check in at the Altas Cumbres Penitentes. Shouldn’t be hard to find. Check in under the name Giselle Zelinski.”
“I don’t have any ID.”
“Took care of that. Told them I was your brother, that you’d had your passport stolen during a mugging, so I’m trying to help you with a place to stay while you get your paperwork back together. If they check, there’s a record at the embassy in Buenos Aires documenting the whole situation, as well as a fake police report. I booked the room for four days, but you won’t be there that long. I’m building in extra time in case someone is looking for you and is close by, so it’ll give you some misdirection if you need it.”
“Thanks.”
He ignored her and kept giving her instructions. “When you get to Los Penitentes, buy everything new. Dump the few supplies you got on the way out of town in Puente del Inca, as well as the last pieces of clothing. It’s a ski resort area, so it’ll be a little pricey, but you’ll blend in there.
“When that’s all taken care of, I want you to use a new burner phone to call the new number. I’ll give you your next set of instructions then.”
She felt tightness in her belly and throat. She had to work around the reined-in emotion. “Thank you, M.” A sting began in her nose and behind her eyes. She rubbed her forehead where a dull ache started. “Those words sound so… inadequate right now. I know I just gave you a whole bunch of shit?—”
“You’re welcome,” he said softly.
There was a pause before he spoke again. “So, G, you never took a guess. What’s blue and doesn’t weigh very much?”
She chuckled at his return to his opening line of the conversation. “I don’t know. A blueberry?”
“Light blue.”
She groaned at the obvious response.
