Page 15 of Code Name: Atticus

“Itdidn’t happen.”

“The kisses did.”

“Part of being undercover…”

“Right. What are you going to do?”

“What do you think Soledad would say if I asked her to assign someone else?”

Emma’s eyes flared. “You want to set him up with someone else, knowing the same thing that happened with you will happen with them?”

“Not me. Him. I mean, him, not me. I’d stay, he’d leave.”

She was thoughtful for several seconds. “After the pitch you made to get him assigned?”

I knew she was right. Our covers were firmly in place, plus I couldn’t do that to him. It would mean coming up with a reason I no longer thought he was the right person for the job. But I did, which meant lying. And for Soledad to act, it would have to be a big lie. No way would I do that to either of us. “So, I’m stuck.”

“If you want to look at it that way.” Her cell buzzed, and she looked down at it. “Speaking of awkward, it’s Agent Emeric calling again.”

“Kodiak? He’s supposed to be on his way here. Soon at least.”

“Do me a favor, and while he’s on the opposite coast, keep him occupied. Better yet, introduce him to as many women as you can. One should be able to get his attention off me and onto her.”

That didn’t sound good. “Is it bad enough you need to say something?”

She shook her head. “No, he keeps it mostly professional, but there’s underlying flirtation in every conversation we have.”

“Is there a reason for you to talk?”

“Thanks to you, there is. I’m his official contact at Treasury to help in any way I can with your investigation.” She looked up, like, above my head. “Oh, hey, Atticus.”

“Hey, Emma,” he said, leaning over my shoulder. “Kodiak being a pest?”

“This is a private conversation,” I snapped at him. “And don’t sneak up on me.”

“A private conversation on a walking path where multiple people have passed in one direction or another just in the time I’ve been standing here.”

I lowered my phone and looked up at him. “How longhaveyou been here?”

He grabbed my wrist and raised my phone. “I heard Emma ask you to introduce him to a bevy of Northern California beauties.”

I jerked my arm from his grasp. “You can continue your walk now.”

Instead, he sat beside me. “About that, we need to, uh, talk.”

“If neither of you minds, I’m going to end this call now,” said Emma, disconnecting before I could respond.

“That was rude.”

“What’s rude is having personal conversations about work in a public setting,” he said, his voice carrying an edge I hadn’t heard before. He stood and scanned the area around us, then put his hand on the back of the bench and leaned down. “Anyone could have approached you the same way I did.”

“It was just talking to Emma?—”

“Doesn’t matter who it was.” He sat down and leaned even closer.

“You’re right,” I admitted. “I wasn’t thinking like someone under surveillance.”

“You need to start. Now.”