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“Seems like a lot has changed.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Nice dress.” His eyes wandered slowly down her neck, down the dress.
For the length of the look, she held her breath, unsure why or how his gaze made her skin blaze. She stammered to fill the silence. “I thought the only upside of this day was I could keep the dress.”
He chuckled, breaking the heated glance. “How are we gonna do this, Nic? You want to just explain, or should I start an interrogation?”
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“But I won’t.” She stared at the comforter, smoothing a wrinkle. “You and Roman. You look different. You… I guess we all grew up.”
“A lot of time has passed.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“So you did.”
“I know it doesn’t—”
“Enough with the apologies.” The harsh change of tone surprised her. He pushed on. “You want to talk now? To me? Roman? Hell, to Rocco?”
“I already said—”
“And I don’t care. The way I see it, you’re having a bad day because boyfriend-dearest finally got what he deserved.”
“What?” She recoiled. The words felt like a slap across the face. He couldn’t possibly think she and Antilla were a thing. Then again, seducing the blood-hungry prick was part of her cover.
“Don’t play me for stupid, Nic. You and Antilla Smooth.”
“Cash, you—”
“I have no idea what you’ve been up to for ten years, so start talking, or you may need to classify me as something other than a friendly.”
“He wasn’t my lover.”
“I don’t care.”
His face said otherwise, and the panging in her head shouted that he needed to know.
She tried to move away from the Antilla line of fire. She might’ve had a compromised operation, but she wasn’t going to pass out details of a covert operation because of past feelings. Too many unknowns. “Why were you out there? And Roman? Both of you decked out like—”Like snipers. Oh, holy hell.He raised an eyebrow, watching her connect a few scattered dots. She’d been on an adrenaline cocktail, then shocked by their meet-and-greet, and now, the jagged pieces started to align themselves. “One of you took Antilla out?”
One of them ruined her operation? Everything she’d put in for months? The good guys finally had a chance, and they destroyed it?
His jaw gnashed before it set, and he spoke through his teeth. “What’s it to you?”
That was confirmation enough. Cash and Roman blew up her mission, shattering any chance to further infiltrate Smooth’s world, to take out illegal arms dealers.No!
She lunged at him. It was the wrong move, an amateur move, but she wasn’t thinking like a trained agent. Screw her busted foot and arm. Nicola landed square in front of him. What was she going to do unarmed? Shake him to death? They’d already confiscated her only gun.
With her one good arm, she beat his chest, pounding out every frustration and emotion that ached within her. The bedroom door flew open revealing Roman and Rocco poised, ready to do… something. She looked up at Cash towering over her, his face cold. Emotionless. She realized she’d been screaming. Her cheeks were wet. Shit, fucking tears. Years of training with the best disintegrated in one night.
Roman looked at Cash. “What the fuck?”
“She’s upset that I blew her boyfriend’s brains on the carpet.”