Page 107 of Hit Man

He stalked over to the refrigerator, retrieved two beers, and returned. Offering one to Aubrey and then, snapping the cap off the second, chugging the other one.

Aubrey seemed alarmed. I told her a good friend of mine would look after her while I attended to business. What I didn’t tell her was that my version of “looking out” for her meant a trip home on tomorrow’s flight. But first, I needed to convince my friend to drive her to the airport. I felt Aubrey’s concerned stare.Smart woman. Not buying into this friendship, are you?

Instead, I reassured her. “I was just joking about the candy. He’s harmless. Drink up.”

She arched an eyebrow at McDuff. “We’ll share a beer.”

McDuff snorted. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You brought yourbeourhere. Why me? Of all the dumb fucks running amok in Mexico City, why honor me with this introduction? I might not have been home, for Christ’s sake.”

“I had a feeling you’d be in Mexico City.”

“So you heard the bad news about my assignment disappearing.”

Dios,Fahder slipped by us again?

“He went inside the warehouse but never came out.” He glanced at Aubrey, who was looking around the place and pretending not to listen. He raised an eyebrow at me in warning.

“You in Mexico City and waiting for him to show up?”

“You got it.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, hating to ask him for this favor almost as much as hating to do this to Aubrey. “She needs somewhere safe to spend the night.”

McDuff coughed, choking on his beer. “Does our boss know about this?”

“What do you think? But before you say no, you’re not risking that long, milk-bottle neck of yours for me, know this. I had a little chat with a friend of yours. Why did you tell her we work for the CIA,Antonio?”

I felt Aubrey’s attention swing onto me. A small lie. For a lot that’s at stake.

He waved his beer at Aubrey, playing along with me. “Loose Lips here has got it bad for you, colleen. Know what? This is a cause for celebration. Would you get us another round of drinks?”

Aubrey frowned at the half-full beer in her hand.

“We want to talk shop. Would you mind,querida?” I asked.

“I don’t.” She rolled her eyes. “But is it necessary to lay it on so thick,mi querido?”

McDuff burst into laughter.

I grinned like a madman as she moved into the kitchen and busied herself. Giving McDuff and me a chance to talk privately.

“I like her,” he informed me.

I nodded, unwilling to share my feelings with him considering how my actions in bringing her here spoke loud enough.

“Any messages for me?”

“Yes.” I grinned. “You’re an asshole.” And to never underestimate a woman . . . which I refrained from sharing.

“How did you meet Clarissa?”

He’d been curious. If I had to guess, I’d say Clarissa caught his attention. Though it’s never easy to tell with McDuff. If I’d had time, I’d have fucked with him a bit and created some wild, sexually themed story. See how he’d react. But I didn’t. “She gave El Chulo her phone number.”

“And he passed her number on to you.” He looked perplexed. “Her ambition is going to get her killed.”

“Hayden will be happy to learn how you’ve been trading secrets with an outside source who he suspects is another operative. He’s going to find out, nothing gets past him. As to when he learns of such a thing . . .”

“For feck’s sake, she’s a reporter. An investigative journalist, to be exact.”