Page 37 of Agent Zero

That bit of information provoked a flare-up of anger, completely reasonable for a woman in her position.Her eyes nearly sparkled with indignation.“Do you think I somehow?—”

“Of course not.If I thought that you’d be dead.”

Silence.Holly stared at him; Reese straightened.The apple carefully cupped in his hand was cold and hard.Well.That was the wrong way to put things.

“Nice to know where I stand,” she said, finally.“Why are you even bothering, Reese?I mean, what did I ever do to you?”

Nothing.It’s all about how you smell.How you’re too patient and kind for your own goddamn good.And how even now, she wasn’t screaming or deconstructing.

Does she have to be so goddamn perfect?

His temper rose, just a little.“I don’t know.”I followed you home.I wanted to knock on your door.“Look, I could have just vanished.I didn’t.I came back to your apartment because I thought whoever was sent to toss it might know where you were.”

“Very chivalrous.”Primly, carefully, she took another sip of latte.“So, if I called the police...”

“You won’t.”

“Why not?”A challenge now, lifting her chin, and he wondered how anyone could have divorced her.She could burn a man down with that look, and he’d thank her through the flames.

“Because that would be stupid, and you’re a lot smarter than you want anyone to know, Holly.”

For some reason that was the wrong thing to say.Or at least, she frowned, and it was time to admit he was in trouble.

Because he wanted to make her smile, and this wasn’t doing it.How stupid was that urge?She didn’t have to be happy; she just had to stay near him, right?

Was he going downhill?Would she have to do the thinking for both of them?A degrade was possible, though he didn’t feel it physically.Without a battery of tests, he couldn’t be sure.There was a margin either way, a really uncomfortable one.

She visibly decided to take another tack.“Then can you tell me where we’re going?”

“South.”

The frown deepened.“Our destination, Reese.”

“No.”

“Why won’t you tell me?”

“Because if I get taken, I don’t want to know where you’ll head for.”

“And if I get ‘taken’ you don’t want me to know.Okay.”

Well, he called her smart, he had to realize she’d figure that out.“You’re not going to get taken.”

“Oh?I’m the weak link here, right?The civilian.The emotional noise.”

I shouldn’t have said that.Another item added to a depressingly long list.“So I’m not going to let them hurt you.If it comes down to you or me, Holly, you’ll run and I’ll hold them.”

That managed to ease the frown, but indignation was replaced by puzzlement.She stared at him like he was speaking Esperanto.

Reese’s back prickled with sudden awareness.

I don’t like how that feels.

Time to move.

TWENTY-FIVE

He stiffened,and Holly braced herself.Whatever she was expecting, it wasn’t his quick about-face, crossing the room, and peering out between beige curtains glowing with morning sunlight.The drapes were open just a little, and she realized it was so he could look out without moving them.