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“She saw you in action tonight.”Madeline edged closer to him as the tow truck driver shouted angrily at his assistant.“If Naomi truly is innocent, do you think she’s going to want to tie herself to a killer?”Her hand slid from his shoulder and pressed to his chest.“For plenty of people, you’d be a hard no.”A pat against his chest.“Better get ready for her to leave you.It will happen as soon as she’s cleared.We find the person who murdered Hudson, we lock that individual away, and you will never see Naomi again.Sucks, I get it, but that’s life.In particular, that’sourlife.You know no one at the Agency ever really gets a happy ending in this world.We lie to everyone, even the people we want to love.”
“They seem cozy,”Naomi noted crisply.Yep, her words held an edge because she was pretty certain jealousy was slicing and dicing its way through her body.
“Who?The tow truck drivers?”Hunter rose from his relaxed position.“They seem kinda pissed if you ask me.And loud.They are loud as hell.It would probably help if they stopped dropping shit.”
“You know I’m not talking about the tow truck drivers,” she grumbled right back at him.“Stop being difficult.Eb and Madeline.Those two.They seem…cozy,” she repeated.Too cozy.In fact, Madeline could stop touching Eb’s chest at any moment.
Any old moment.
If Madeline wasn’t going to stop touching him, then would it kill Eb to remove the woman’s hand from his person?
Soft laughter.Then Hunter said, voice amused, “I don’t think she’s his type.”
“She’s beautiful, smart, and some kind of super spy.I’d think all of those things appeal to Eb.”She hadn’t asked him about his love life before they’d, ah, jumped into bed together.Oh, no.Naomi’s stomach dropped.What if he was involved with Madeline?
Spies with benefits?
Naomi took a hard step back.Oh, no.No way.Naomi was not a side piece.She was the main piece.Dammit.
“I think…” Hunter’s tone was musing.“Call it instinct, but I suspect Eb likes a different sort of woman.The type of woman who takes your favorite ride, aims it at your enemies, and guns it for all she’s worth.”
She barely heard him.Her gaze was still on Eb.And Madeline.And MadelinepattingEb’s chest.Naomi’s eyes narrowed.
“Personally, I’ve never really been jealous,” Hunter continued.“Just never cared enough about someone to feel it.But, judging by your reaction and your glare, it looks like a real bitch.My advice?If you have a problem with what you see, go fix it.A doer like you should never sit around.I mean, aren’t you the same woman who just plowed into a biker gang?You really gonna retreat and wilt?Or are you going to?—”
She stalked past him and down the steps.
“Fight,” he finished and sounded smug.
She kept right on stalking until she was beside Eb.And Madeline.They both turned their heads and frowned at her.Because every light in the city seemed to have been brought into the yard, Naomi could clearly see them.
And the hand that was still on Eb’s chest.
Sighing, she reached out.Removed the hand.
“What are you doing?”Madeline asked her.
It should be obvious.But she’d spell it out.“Removing the hand.”
Madeline gaped at her.
She ignored the other woman.But she did glare at Eb.“You should have removed it.”
“What is happening here?”Madeline seemed to be choking.
Naomi felt a burn in her cheeks.Clearly, she’d let Hunter egg her into an action she should not have taken but—screw it.Too late to back away now.“Jealousy.”A nod.“Hunter was right.It is a bitch.”Naomi sucked in a deep breath.The tow truck hoist was grinding nearby and the sound grated like nails on a chalkboard.“Are you two involved?”
“No,” Eb replied.
“No.”Adamant.From Madeline.
Naomi spared Madeline a glance.“Good.Keep the hands off.”Another nod.“Now I’m going inside, and I’m going to bed.”Before she did or said anything else that would be terminally embarrassing.Naomi prepared for a fast march away.
Only Eb’s hand flew out and curled around her wrist.Electricity instantly surged through her.At this point, Naomi figured she’d always feel that particular surge whenever he touched her.A hazard of being around Eb.
“I wouldn’t fuck you while being involved with someone else,” Eb stated, his voice low.“Youare the woman I’m involved with.Only you.”
Good to know.