Page 27

Nik shrugs. “It’s your call, boss lady.”

I snort, but I weigh up the options. What would Terry have done? He was always open to sharing resources and making friends. If Sophie is embezzling, that’s one thing. But if she’s an assassin…

“You know what? Let’s extend an invitation to the spa to Lyssa and Scarlett as well. We can give them a heads up about Sophie there.”

Soothing scents greet us as we enter the spa, and I feel some of the tension leave my shoulders. I stop at reception to askthe staff member to call up with an invitation to the Syndicate women. And then I lead Nik toward the heated pool.

“I don’t have a costume,” she says, eyeing the water. And then she eyes me. “Neither do you.”

“No need,” I tell her. “Women only in this part of the spa. But if you want, you can use a wrap.” I point toward the Lycra wraps folded and stacked neatly in the open cabinetry at one side of the pool, designed to be worn like wrapped towels but made from fast-drying material. “Changing rooms are through here.”

Nik follows me in a moment later. I’ve already stripped off my gown and I’m peeling away the adhesive bra cups I wore under it. I see her eyes dart over my naked torso before resolutely coming back up to my face.

And then there’s a Lycra wrap flying straight at my head. “Hey, watch it!”

“Put that on,” she orders.

“I prefer to be naked,” I tell her with a grin.

“You won’t prefer it if there’s an attack and we need to run across the casino floor to escape.”

It’s a sobering thought—and image. “Fine,” I sigh, pulling on the wrap.

Nik turns away to strip and I try to politely avert my eyes, but it’s hard. Those shoulders are just as broad and toned as I’ve imagined, with a large, stylized snake tattoo running across her back, shifting with her muscles as she moves.

She glances over her shoulder as though feeling my stare, and I look quickly away.

In silence we head back out to the heated pool, empty at this hour apart from us, and slide in, letting the warm water ease the tension. But Nik stays perched on the edge of the pool a few feet away, feet dangling in the water, eyes constantly scanning our surroundings.

“You know,” I drawl, “the whole point of a spa is to relax.”

Nik’s jaw tightens. “I’m here to protect you, not pamper myself.”

I roll my eyes, splashing a little water her way. “Come on, bodyguard. Live a little. The water’s divine.”

With a resigned sigh, she slides into the pool. The water laps at her shoulders, and I find my gaze drawn to the defined muscles of her arms.

I wonder how it would feel to have them wrapped around me.

To have them pressing me into the bed underneath her?—

“Happy now?” she asks, but there’s a hint of amusement in her tone, as though she read my mind.

“Ecstatic,” I reply, flashing her a grin. “Now, how about we hit the cold dip?”

Nik’s eyebrows shoot up. “Cold dip? I thought you were all about relaxation.”

I laugh, the sound echoing off the tiled walls. “Oh, honey. You haven’t lived until you’ve done the hot-cold cycle. Trust me, it’s invigorating.”

With a skeptical look, Nik follows me to the edge of the cold pool. The water is crystal clear, a stark contrast to the steamy warmth we’ve just left behind. I dip a toe in and can’t suppress a small gasp at the shock of cold.

“Ladies first,” Nik says with a smirk, gesturing for me to go ahead.

I flip back my damp hair. “Scared, are you?”

Without waiting for a response, I take a deep breath and plunge myself in. The cold hits me like a brick wall, driving the air from my lungs. For a moment, everything goes quiet, the world reduced to the rush of blood in my ears and the icy embrace of the water.

I surface with a gasp. “Your turn,” I challenge with chattering teeth.