“—and usually very bad people. By now, Greenly believes Kat’s been sent to procure you for one of his rivals. But since he’ll also have learned she’s a freelancer, he’ll know her loyalty can be bought.”
“You’re going to offer to sell me to a higher bidder?” I asked, hoping Kat would look at me.
Kat nodded but didn’t turn in my direction.
I heard a zipper and a low whistle. I turned to see Mai admiring my tuxedo, running her hand over the brocaded burgundy vest and matching tie, and the silk-blend sleeve of the jacket.
“Mai, really?” Cynthia said.
“Sorry.” Mai glanced at me, then zipped up the bag and backed away with her hands in the air.
“All right,” Cynthia continued, “in a minute, Kat’s going to call Greenly’s private number, make the offer, and set her terms. He won’t bite, not yet.”
“But he will call his associates to see if they’re willing to pay her price,” Pasco said through the phone’s speaker, “and I’ll be able to trace all the calls so we can track down every person in the group.”
“What’s stopping them from just taking me themselves?” I asked. The more they talked about the plan, the more uneasy it made me.
Kat finally turned toward me. “Because you’re going to be surrounded by people all weekend. The wedding party, relatives, guests, photographers, press. Once we get to the reception, I’ll have eyes on you at all times.”
Twenty-four hours ago, that would have sounded like bliss. Now it just caused a pinch behind my eyes that was the beginning of a headache. I rubbed my temples and wished I had a nip of something to add to my morning coffee. It was way too early on the big wedding day to start drinking, but I damn well didn’t care.
“Until then, stay with a group at all times.” Kat stood. “Kessler, can you finish briefing Mr. Halifax about what will happen after I get him drunk, drag him off to seduce him, and handcuff him to the bed? I’m going to call Greenly from the next room.”
Mai followed Kat into the bedroom and closed the door. I was blinking hard, trying to process what she’d just said while at the same time trying to erase the images of it from my mind.
“To be clear, it will all be an act,” Kessler said. “You’ll pretend to be drunk. Kat will bring you back to this room, and we’ll be all set up for an ambush.”
“Which they’ll totally expect.” Kat’s friends might be spies, but had they ever watched a spy movie?
“Exactly, which is why, before Kat leaves you here and texts the room number to Greenly, another operative and I will take you up into that air vent”—she pointed to a cream-colored metal vent cover high up on the wall—“and wait for Greenly’s thugs to arrive. They’ll use an infrared scan to confirm how many people are in the room and will see just one, a six-foot-tall person, in the bed.”
“Mai’s about my height.”
Kessler nodded. “She’ll be wearing night goggles and will be locked and loaded. We expect two to four men because these types always hire men only for security. Mai can probably take them all out herself, but there will be two more of us for backup here, while Kat works with another team to capture Greenly.”
“And then that’s it?”
“That’s it.” She stood and retrieved a liquor bottle from the mantle. She pointed to my coffee cup lid.
I pulled off the lid and nodded, thankful that her mind was working the same way mine was.
“Except for one small problem.” She poured and recorked the bottle. “Which you and Kat will have to work out on your own.”
“It’s that obvious?”
She shrugged. “Not to everyone, but I recognize the signs.”
I sipped the spiked coffee and slumped down further in the chair. “If you’re an expert, can you tell me whether there’s a cure for falling for a spy?”
“Not that I know of, and trust me, Mr. Halifax—Gage—I am an expert. I fell for a spy myself once.”
I leaned forward and propped my forearms on the table. “And?”
She smiled and sat down across from me. “And that’s a tale for after this operation is over. If you want to know the answer, I suggest you do everything I tell you so you can stay alive to hear it.”
CHAPTER 26
KAT
