Page 68 of Healing Conviction

“At least you’re looking at something,” he grumbled under his breath and she tightened her lips.

Only an out of touch idiot would think he wasn’t annoyed with her. She could admit that zero eye contact during steamy times was weird AF, but this was uncharted territory for her. Obviously her current strategy for not getting too caught up in the intimate moment wasn’t working. She’d have to think of something else—and quick. Being with Drake was one good eye-fuck away from getting screwed over by her feelings again.

“Here…” A pair of black binoculars appeared in front of her from Drake’s outstretched hand. “You can use these.”

Her mini life crisis thoughts interrupted, she took the pair of binoculars Drake was lifting up from below.

“Thanks, but don’t you want to see?”

“I have this.”

She peered around her branch to see him piecing together a sniper rifle on the flat ground. “Geez, do you plan to actually use that thing?”

He settled down behind the scope. “Only when necessary.”

“Oh… okay then…”

On that encouraging note.

She pretended like she was totally cool with being in a situation that required a freakin’sniper rifleand directed the binoculars toward their target. Shimmering water reflected back at her and she leaned back to see it curving around the facility as a whole.

“Oh! Another pretty river!”

“That’s no river. That’s a moat.”

“Amoat? Why on earth would a technology distribution center need a freakin’ moat? It’s not like it’s a castle. They ain’t that special.”

Drake’s grunt was his only response, so she shrugged and squinted to see the rest of the compound.

The edge of the forest jutted up to themoatthat surrounded a large field of vibrant, green grass, and in the center of the field was the distribution center: a plain, nondescript building, with a glass entrance in front of a large parking lot. In the back, four cargo doors faced her and Drake. The structure wasn’t as big as she’d imagined, but what did stand out about the facility was the surrounding tall chain-link fence.

“Is that… razor wire on the top of that fence?”

“Yup.”

She pressed the binoculars so hard to her glasses, her eyelashes bent against the lenses. “Shouldn’t the wire be leaning the other way? You know, to keep peopleout?”

“Looks like they’re more concerned with keeping whatever they’re distributingin.”

A shudder rolled through her. “They’re CharitableTechnologiesInternational. They’re supposed to be selling and donating technology around the world. It’s not like it’s gonna run away.”

“If I was a betting man, I’d wager someone hasn’t been too honest about their job description.”

“Iama betting woman, and I wouldn’t take that bet.” Bile burned her throat, and she swallowed down her disgust. “I don’t like the odds.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

“Stakeouts? Zero out of ten stars. Would not recommend.” Nora rubbed her numb butt for effect. “We were here for hours and literally nothing happened. I don’t think we even saw a godsdamned blade of grass move.”

Drake lifted his shoulder before loading his bag onto his back. “I tried to tell you.”

“Yeah, well, remind me to listen to you next time.” She clapped her hands and rubbed them together before propping her fists on her hips. “What’s next for us spy kids?”

He grunted and began the trek back to the campsite with those infuriatingly long—painfully deliberate—steps of his. “Now I check the traps I’ve made to secure our perimeter. I’ll take you back to camp first—”

“No!”

Panic had her leaping and grabbing onto Drake’s arm. His forehead wrinkled, and he glanced from her hand to her face with concern. She let go and cleared her throat, her mind racing to come up with a reason why they shouldn’t separate. It made sense. She wasn’t going to be useful, but the idea that he could leave…