Page 60 of Danger Close

He pulled another envelope out of the inner pocket of his suede jacket, and tapped it against the table.

“Full disclosure, I ran into a few dead ends. I ran into some blockages that I needed help from–”

“Government.” I finished it for him. “You called someone from the Company?”

“Yeah. In exchange, she wanted an introduction.”

“With whom?” I asked, lifting my brow.

“With you.”

“Interesting.”

“Her name is Sonia Norkus. Have you heard of her?”

“Yes. Twice now, since I’ve retired. That’s more times than I’d heard of here while I was a spy.” I’d heard of Sonia Norkus once, and it was to coordinate an intricate mission that involved finding the plans for a nuclear weapon traveling through Morocco.

Spies are notorious gossips, and the things murmured around the watercooler about her were not great. The only thing they didn’t criticize was her extreme competence as an agent. It was the other stuff that had me worried.

“The information you’ll find here will be worth the introduction.” Beaufort slid the papers across the table. “And she has a name for you.”

Chapter 25

ICU

Teri

“This was an incredibly pleasant day, Charlotte,” I said as we walked out of the dress shop to the parking lot off the street. “Thank you.”

The night was cool, not cold. At least not yet. I had a new dress, courtesy of Joaquin Guerro, and I felt like I had made a friend.

“Don’t mention it.” Her smile was beaming. “I like how off-balance you make Cobra.”

My feet stumbled, as I laughed. “What does that mean?”

“I mean…” She waved around us, as if she was gesturing to the world. “Cobra is a very reserved man. He’s stoic, quiet. Nothingat all like his brother. I’m getting to know a whole different side of him through you.”

Charlotte said it with a genuine fondness, as we slowly made our way down the gravel parking lot, away from the reach of the streetlights by the main road.

“I might be betraying his trust, and definitely crossing some ethical boundaries, but…” She leaned into me, whispering, “You know, in the event something happened to him, he wanted everything he had to go to you. I even have a letter in my office, and it’s just him telling his brother to look out for you and Trinity, and to support you the way he would want him to.”

“I didn’t know he had a brother until this week,” I admitted. “He must hate me.”

“He does.” Her bluntness was almost hurtful, but appreciated. “But if those were Cobra’s dying wishes, then…”

She stopped walking, grabbing my arm.

“Do you… get what I’m trying to tell you?” she said, her brows knit together.

I stared at her, blinking, not sure if I did. “That his brother doesn’t like me?”

“No, that he’s always—”

The sound of footsteps halted our conversation. There was that prickly sensation again. If I was a dog, the fur on the back of my neck would be standing straight up as I snarled at the threat.

Charlotte must have felt it as well. “Stay back.”

She and I both dropped our bags, letting them fall to the gravel around us. The parking lot between two buildings was empty but for Charlotte’s SUV. No street lights illuminated the back of the building. We only knew they were there because of the change in the air, and the echoing of gravel, grinding beneath the rubber grips of a shoe.