Page 100 of Storm Warning

The operative holstered his weapon and opened the door. After giving a large tip to the servers, Elias and Grant pushed the carts into the suite and secured the door.

While her teammates filled plates and sat around the suite’s living room to eat, Riley grabbed her laptop and got to work. They wouldn’t have anything to discuss except her old memories if she didn’t find The Company’s information about the Obsidian Storm mission.

Part of her relished the challenge of beating the system and running off undetected with information. Another part of herdreaded learning a shadow player had duped her into carrying out his hidden agenda. She gritted her teeth. Nothing worse than being played for a fool.

She scowled as another thought surfaced. The person who duped her might not be a shadow player. He could operate in the open under the guise of friendship. Betrayal by a friend was the worst kind.

Riley booted up her laptop. Time to face the truth. If she’d been tricked like she suspected, Riley would discover who was to blame and set wheels in motion to see justice served, even if the guilty party was someone she had considered a friend.

Was the culprit Angie? She rejected that. No way. Her old friend and mentor would never turn on her. Unless she was an award-winning actress, Angie had appeared worried about her safety.

She sighed. Then again, she hadn’t realized Angie worked for the CIA, either. For two years, they’d lived side by side in tents, and not once had Angie hinted at a secret this important in her past.

Shaking off her distraction and blocking her teammates’ chatter, Riley clicked on the secure Fortress browser and got to work.

Sometime later, Andre sat beside her. “Riley, you need to eat.”

“In a minute.” Her gaze remained fixed on the computer screen.

“Riley.”

Something in his voice broke her concentration. She blinked and tore her gaze away from the screen. “Yes?”

His lips curved. “Food, babe. You need food to fuel that amazing brain of yours.” Andre took the computer from her lap, set it on the coffee table, and handed her a full plate.

Her eyes widened. “Holy cow, Andre. You brought me enough food to feed an army.”

“I’m interested in feeding your army of brain cells, but you don’t have to eat everything. I wanted to be sure something tempted you to fuel up.”

She scanned the plate’s offerings. “You did a great job, Andre. You chose all of my favorite foods. How did you know what to choose?”

“I’ve paid attention to you and your choices.” He leaned over and brushed her mouth with his.

He had done more than pay attention to her. This man had learned what pleased her and memorized her preferences for everything. Andre Marsh was a keeper.

Although she longed to continue her task, Riley couldn’t help her teammates if she didn’t take care of herself. Eating wouldn’t take long, and then she could return to the task consuming her attention.

While she ate, Riley let her mind drift to those days in Homestead, remembering how Angie guided her through the steep learning curve of navigating homelessness and avoiding authorities who’d send her to children’s services. She’d been Riley’s lifeline, yet she had hidden from people in the CIA who feared her. When did Angie return to work as a field agent, and how long did she continue her activities?

When Riley was full, she looked down at the plate, surprised nearly all the food was gone. “I was hungrier than I realized.”

Andre took her plate. “When you’re under pressure or are stressed, you don’t take the time to eat.”

She grinned. “Looks like the solution is having you bring me food and sit with me while I eat.”

“Happy to serve.” He brushed her mouth with his and stood. “Break time is over unless you want dessert.”

“Maybe later.”

Andre stroked her hair, then carried her plate to the serving cart.

Riley picked up her laptop and resumed work. She tuned out her teammates organizing into groups and tossing ideas around that were recorded on large sheets of paper stuck to three walls.

Focused on the file she was reading, she jerked when Seth called her name.

He chuckled. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. We’re ready for you. Do you have anything so we can start this search?”

“A few things. It’s not enough.”