Page 66 of Hidden With You

“Fine,” Ryan said. “You can come in, but you’re only observing. But not Ollie.”

“Yes, Ollie,” she retorted. “Consider him my counsel.”

Ryan looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he turned to Jasper. “Objections?”

“No. Whatever she wants,” he said, pleasantly surprised when she met his eyes and didn’t turn away until Ryan urged them into the room. Jasper and Owen were seated at opposite ends of the oval table, with Zelda and Ollie on one side, and Ryan on the other.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Ryan said, shooting Jasper an exasperated look.

“Start with this,” Jasper said. “Look especially by the table leg. Have him explain that.”

He passed Ryan his phone, open to the picture of Melinda.

Ryan studied it, then passed it to Owen, who sent it around to Zelda, who winced at the photo, and then gave the phone to Ollie.

“I’m sorry about the girl,” Owen said.” But what does that have to do with me?”

“That message on the paper is for me. Trying to coerce me into killing Zelda. Warning me that if I didn’t, others would die.”

He was looking at Owen, but he could still see Zelda hugging herself, and he hated that his words were causing her pain.

As for Owen, his only reaction was confusion.

“Coerce?” Ryan repeated. “We received an anonymous tip last night. From what I understand, you don’t need coercion to kill. Just a healthy paycheck and a lust for the freelance lifestyle.”

“Seriously?” His temper spiked, his blood positively boiling. “You want to go there? Fine, let’s go there.” He paused long enough to glance at Zelda. This was the part he hadn’t told her yet, but there was no avoiding it now. “Yeah, I left MI6 to go freelance. And yeah, I’ve been contracted for some hits. But I choose my clients, and I investigate the target. I make sure the reasons are sound, and that the justice system has fucked them over.”

“You’re saying you have a conscience.”

“Don’t you dare lay into me about that,” he snapped. “I’m not in that business anymore, and if we’re going to have that talk, then I need to not be the only one on the firing line. You know damn well what your other agents have done before they signed up. Or do we need to ask Quincy and Simon to step into the room?”

He crossed his arms, forcing himself not to look to Zelda. He’d told her none of this, and he was desperately afraid that he’d just dug down another six feet in his own damn grave.

“You’ve made your point, and you’re right. We’re not interested in your freelance career before joining us. But we are interested in the fact that someone offered you payment to kill Zelda.”

“Payment?”

“Information about your family’s killer,” Ryan said, his voice so level that it took all of Jasper’s strength just to keep from punching him.

“I didn’t ask for that, and I didn’t take the assignment.” He forced himself not to look at Zelda, afraid that if he did, the guilt he felt would show on his face.

He hadn’t lied to Ryan—he hadn’t hurt her—but he had thought about it. To his eternal shame, he’d actually considered it. If it had been anyone other than Zelda, he might even have gone through with it.

“Whoever was baiting me promised me information about Sandra’s and Bonnie’s deaths in exchange for killing Zelda.” He lifted a chin. “That wasn’t a price I was prepared to pay.”

“Even though that might be your last chance?” Ryan asked.

Jasper sat up straight, his eyes locked on Ryan’s. “Even so. I dropped the rope, sir. I made a choice, and I dropped the rope.”

“What does that even mean?” Owen blurted.

“It means he loves me,” Zelda said, and when he looked toward her, she mouthed, I love you, too, and her soft smile filled his soul.

Really? He asked silently, then almost floated out of his chair when she nodded.

He drew a breath, forcing himself to focus on the situation with Owen. “That paper—that message to me—isn’t relevant right now. What you need to focus on is the cigar band.”

“Cigar band?” Owen snorted a laugh. “That’s your big bombshell? That’s one of the most popular brands in the world. And to be honest, I haven’t even smoked one yet. I told you they were a gift. Go open the box if you want to.”