Page 22 of Spy With Me

She took a deep breath and threw open the door.

To her brother.

Her incredibly weary-looking, grim brother.

Devi’s heart sank. Zach was… His job was dangerous. He wasin the line of fire most of the time. Tears sprang to her eyes. If somethinghappened to Zach, TJ would want to be the one to tell her. The world blurred.“Zach?”

TJ reached out a hand, putting it on her shoulder. “He’salive, but we have other problems. Devi, I need to talk to you.”

He was alive. She breathed a sigh of relief. He might be inforeign custody. She had to be ready for it. But as long as he was breathing,she could deal with it. It would be okay. “Come in.”

TJ moved inside the door, and when they sat down she foundit wasn’t okay. Not even close.

PartTwo

One month later

Chapter Five

Outside of Winchester, Virginia

“You need stitches,” a voice was saying.

Devi tried to follow it, but she was so tired. The voicesounded far away. She was warm and cuddled up against something. Where was she?What happened?

“I don’t need stitches. It’s a nothing wound. I barelynotice it. We’re going to look after her first. She hit her head or something.I’m not quite sure. She was out by the time I got to the basement.” That deepvoice. Zach Reed. The man she hated for what he did to her and her family. Theman she couldn’t forget.

Her life was shitty because of that man.

Her life had become bodyguards and sympathetic looks andnights spent sitting up pissed at him. Wondering why he’d had to pick her.

She knew why. Someone had told her why he’d selected her ashis next scheme, but she couldn’t remember. It was something about her family.

“I told you she’s fine,” the feminine voice said in aBritish accent. Not a posh one. “I checked her out before I gave her thesedative, and don’t yell at me. I have to get us all the way across the bloodyAtlantic, and I can’t do that if she’s screaming. She can scream all she likesonce we’re on the plane, but until then I need her quiet. We’re only supposedto be a party of two, you know. The plane was gassed up and checked out fortwo. Lucky for you I bet she weighs one fifteen soaking wet.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t avoid it, but you should have known Ididn’t want her drugged,” Zach said.

Drugged. Yeah, that was what she was. Nice and drugged. Itwould be so easy to go back to sleep. Or was she already asleep?

She thought about opening her eyes, but she didn’t.

“Why would I have known that? Up until tonight I thought shewas nothing but a girl you played at a club with,” the woman shot back.

“I thought it was best no one knew how I felt. Lace, youhave no idea what those drugs could do to her,” Zach accused.

“I know they’ll keep her calm until we can figure out whereto stash her. Don’t you get mad at me. I did not expect you to show up with agirl,” the angry Brit said. “Besides, it’s a light sedative. She’ll likely bein and out of consciousness, but she won’t scream and try to get away. Ipromise she doesn’t have a concussion. She’ll be fine when she wakes up, butyou’ll be dead because of that knife wound.”

Knife wound? Who stabbed him? Had she stabbed him? She’ddreamed about stabbing him and tossing him in a shallow grave.

She missed him so much.

“I’m not going to die. It’s superficial,” he replied. “Acouple of butterflies will close it.”

“Well, the butterflies won’t stop the infection you likelygot from moving through those tunnels.” The other woman’s voice held a bit ofdistaste. “You have no idea what’s down there.”

She felt arms squeeze around her and realized they weremoving. In a car or something, and she was on Zach’s lap. Oh, she could smellhim, feel the warmth of his body.

“I know Huisman was keeping a stash of stuff. I’m prettysure some of those boxes were weapons. I gave Coop a heads-up, but I’m worriedthe fire will take everything out,” Zach admitted.