Page 21 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

Again, he stepped close, tugged a chunk of her long hair. “Ask me anything. ”

“Are you messing with me?”

“Hell, no.”

“Then, what’s with the vibes you’re putting out?”

He stared at her for a long second. “I want to kiss you again.”

“Why don’t you?”

“If I start, I won’t stop.”

“Ever?”

“No, never,” he replied.

Sydney returned, and moved them out of the way. “How two allegedly competent people can burn fried eggs is so beyond me.” She flipped the eggs, pulled the shriveled turkey sausages from the frypan. “Mygod, breakfast is turning into a kitchen nightmare.”

“We’re fine,” Caroline said. “Grey was just telling me about his… um… about his?—”

“His what? His dog? His pet rabbit? His hair stylist so you can get haircuts together?” Sydney chuffed out a laugh.

Caroline pulled out three plates, set them on the counter.

With their food plated, they sat at the table.

Sydney plopped down at the head, putting Caroline directly across from Grey.

As he sipped the coffee, his piercing gaze found hers.

No way would she be able to eat if she couldn’t pull herself together.

“I’ll be right back,” Caroline said. “Please start.”

She entered the bathroom, shut the door, and stared at herself in the mirror.

Focus up. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

She ran her fingers through her hair, heaved in a lung-filling breath, and returned to find Sydney telling him a story about their childhood.

“She wouldn’t come down and my mom had to call the fire department.”

Grey’s laughter touched the deepest part of her soul as his eyes met hers. “Wild child. ”

“Are you telling him the fire department story?” Caroline sipped her coffee.

“For starters,” Sydney said.

“How’d you get down?” Grey asked.

“When the firetruck showed up, I climbed down.”

“I love it.”

She held his gaze while the anticipation swirled around them.

Sydney lifted her coffee mug and toasted the air. “Get a room, you two.”

Caroline started laughing. He was just a man. A man she’d grown to admire. Someone she found incredibly attractive, extremely brave, and somewhat reckless.

She was tasked with an extremely challenging assignment. It was time to woman-up, get over her girlish infatuation, and do her damn job. Bolstered by that pep talk, she began eating.

The silence helped calm her, though it was impossible not to look at him. He was much yummier than the food they were eating. And every time she glanced in his direction, his penetrating gaze found hers.

“This is good,” he said. “Thanks for havin’ me over.”

“You’re welcome any time,” Caroline said.

“Ohgod, please no,” Sydney said, the sarcastic bite to her tone making her and Grey laugh. “The gaga eyes alone are killing me.”

As the food filled her stomach, Caroline said, “Grey, I’m glad you’re here. I like getting to know you. I hope we can keep things professional and still have fun. Well, not too much fun. You know, just the right amount of fun. Fun with a capital F. Not that F, but another F. F for fun.”

She wanted to do a face plant in her food.

Grey’s laughter started deep in his chest and rumbled out of him like thunder. It was sexy and charming and adorable. She didn’t even care that he was laughing at her. She just loved hearing the sound of joy bursting out of him.

Sydney chucked. “Honestly, this is too funny.”

When breakfast ended, Sydney said, “I’ll clean up. I’m begging you two to leave. Go somewhere, anywhere, but please go.”

“I have to finish getting ready,” Caroline said.

Ten minutes later, she and Grey were out the door. In the parking lot, he said, “You okay?”

“Clearly, no. I’ve never gotten close to anyone I’ve handled. I think having you in my home kinda threw me.”

He stopped in front of his SUV. “That’s not it. You’re into me, and you don’t know if I feel the same.”

He unlocked the vehicle, walked to the driver’s side door. She got in beside him, too stunned to speak.

He started the engine, drove out of the parking lot. “What’s our first stop?” he asked as if he hadn’t just dropped those word-bombs on her.

Unsure what to make of his comment, she forced herself to push on. After reviewing the notes she’d made on her phone, she said, “We’ll start with the Bureau, head over to Justice, then State.”

“Got it.” He drove into DC, made his way over to the J. Edgar Hoover building.

After he street parked, he walked over to her, wrapped her shoulders in his large hands, and murmured, “I don’t feel the same, Bella. I’m ten times more attracted to you than you could ever be to me.”

GREYSTONE

“That’ll work,” she said as a smile spread across her face .

Together, they walked down the street and into the building. He’d taken a risk by putting himself out there, but she was worth it. His interest in her went beyond another late-night booty call, and she needed to know that.

Once through security, she pulled him aside.

“I’m looking for a room, an empty space where they’d have access to build an explosive,” she murmured. “An area that’s off-limits to employees.”

He appreciated that she was thinking outside the box, but he wasn’t convinced she was right. His problem? He couldn’t wrap his brain around the terrorists even gaining access to these highly secure, government buildings.

As they walked the hall in search of a clue, he thought about the woman by his side.

Caroline Austin wasn’t just someone he trusted when he got into a bind.

She was the most complete package he’d ever known.

Yes, he found her in intelligent, gorgeous and sexy, but that wasn’t enough.

As a child, when his parents would go at it, he’d promise himself he would find someone he genuinely liked.

He would respect her, he would have to trust her completely, and he would have to want to spend time with her.

He’d found that in Caroline. She’d turned a simple breakfast into something he’d never forget. Seeing that side of her—the adorable flustered side—made him like her that much more. He wouldn’t have believed she’d gotten that worked up if he hadn’t seen it himself.

He liked the way her nose crinkled when she smiled. He liked her determination, her smarts, and how her eyes looked blue, other times green. But mostly, he liked the way she looked at him. Like she wanted to eat him alive.

He bit back a smile. Tonight, at the club, they were going to have fun. Fun with a capital F.

The morning wore on, their look-see turning into an endless blur of hallways, workspaces, offices, restrooms, and conference rooms.

On the executive floor, they passed a man he recognized.

“Carrera?” Greystone asked.

The man stopped. “Sorry, do I know you?”

“Greystone Santini.” He extended his hand, unsure if the handshake would be returned.

Carrera’s face split into a grin. “No way!” He pulled Greystone into a hug. “I heard you were back, but I didn’t believe it.” He slapped his cousin on the back. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”

“Same,” Greystone replied. “This is Caroline Austin.”

The two shook hands.

“Got ten minutes?” Greystone asked.

Since Dakota had told him that Carrera, Sin and Luciano were in a secret group called The Trinity, Greystone had every confidence Carrera knew about their mission.

“Absolutely,” Carrera replied, and whisked them to his executive office.

Caroline shut the office door, stood behind the guest chair.

“I heard you’re primary for D of D,” Carrera said.

Day of Destruction.

“I am,” Greystone replied.

“Does this building have a location that the agents and other employees don’t know about?” Caroline asked. “Somewhere a bad actor could work without being disrupted.”

“Let’s walk.” Carrera led them to the elevator bank. He swiped his ID card, pressed an unmarked black button on the elevator panel.

They descended for several seconds before stopping. The doors opened to a dimly-lit hallway. Carrera stepped out, turned. “I’m taking you to my other office.”

Down the hall they walked. As they rounded the corner, Greystone ducked to avoid getting clunked on the head by a jutting pipe. His cousin stopped in front of a closed metal door. After inserting a key, he opened the door and flicked on a small table lamp.

The hole-in-the-wall office was the size of a closet.

“This is where I have meetings beyond what my current position includes. I work with Sinclair Develin and Luciano on projects that the Bureau and other law enforcement can’t touch.”

Greystone appreciated his candor. “Any chance the terrorists could get down here?”

“I don’t come down here every day, but I’ve never seen anyone except for the people I meet with.”

“So there are others beyond the two you mentioned?” Caroline asked.

“Yes, I have an off-the-books team who report to me,” he replied.

“Do you trust them?” Caroline asked.

“Yes,” Carrera replied.

Greystone regarded her. “Whatcha thinkin’?”

“People get turned. It would be impossible for us to vet every single employee and contractor at all these agencies.”

“You’re welcome to check out the hallways. Other than a giant-sized rat who runs around here, you should have the place to yourselves. You can’t get upstairs without me, so I’ll stay down here for as long as you need.” Carrera slapped Greystone on the back. “It’s good to have you home.”

“It’s good to be home.” Greystone started walking down the hall, but Caroline hadn’t budged. He walked backwards. “You wanna wait while I check it out?”

“I don’t like rats.”

“I’ll protect you.”

She scurried toward him, then wrapped soft fingers around his arm. Jolts of electricity shot through him. He glanced down at her. “I got you.”

He stopped in front of a random closed door. Tried the handle. Unlocked. He pushed open the door. A janitor’s closet. He pulled out his phone’s flashlight, shone it in side. Several mice skittered out.

“Ewwwww.” Caroline backed away.

“What if our kids want a gerbil or robo hamster?”

Silence thundered in his ears.

What the fuck was that?