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If he didn’t somehow get his hands on this Jessica chick, he was so very fucked.
He’d blown it. Completely blown a sure thing all because he got too hasty.
The boss wouldn’t like hearing how much he’d screwed this up. The moment Oliver had reported back about her line of questioning was the moment when Oliver got too much of the boss’ attention.
Fuck.
Could he call her? Say it was a mistake?
No.
He needed to know something. He needed help. He…
Wait, a minute.
He knew a broad who owed him a favor. Was it time to cash that in?
Before he could think through what he could do, he was scrolling his contacts. Suzan wasn’t her real name, but it didn’t matter. He’d helped her and had to get stitches as a result. She fucking owed him.
If a man couldn’t get a job done, who better to send than a woman?
Tuesday. London, UK.
Samuel felt off. It was like he was half a step out of synch with Jessica and everyone else. But he couldn’t help it. Though they’d talked and walked through every moment of last night, he couldn’t shake the idea that being here was a bad idea. It baffled him how Baruti of all people thought they should continue the investigation.
Did none of them really get it? Were they blind? Did they see something he didn’t? Or were they all willfully ignoring the threats?
Jessica’s knuckles brushed his as they walked down the street headed toward a pub the attendant at the hotel had said served a good meal.
At the very least they should move. Go somewhere else.
Her soft, delicate hand wrapped around his. He glanced down to find Jessica smiling up at him. Her head was tilted one way just enough, so it looked like she’d asked him a question.
Had he not been listening?
Her hand squeezed his, so he squeezed back.
Jessica’s smile widened, and she shook her head before turning her attention on the sidewalk in front of them.
What was that about?
He’d missed something again, hadn’t he?
Damn it.
The cloud of concern seemed to dissipate a little. He drew in a deep breath and his chest was a little lighter, too.
He glanced at Jessica out of the corner of his eye. Was she doing this to him?
Dad always liked to tell Samuel that his plans were too detailed, and sometimes he needed to live instead of plan. This was probably what he meant. After all, wherein his grand plan for life had he ever thought about a relationship? Starting a family? He’d made a plan with single-minded focus and forgotten about everything else.
“Why so serious?” Jessica asked.
“Just thinking,” he muttered.
“About?”
“What brought me to this moment?”