Page 37 of Dead Drift

He was truly terrified of what Lauren intended to do to Kate. She’d never taken his rejection well. She’d had it out for him ever since that night in Paris. Ever since he’d walked away from Lauren sprawled on her hotel room bed, beckoning him to join her. He’d been gone long enough to know he wasn’t going home anytime soon. He’d left his old life behind, and Lauren was gorgeous, brilliant, and inviting, but God had given him restraint when he needed it most. And Lauren had never forgiven him for it. Apparently, he was the only one to turn her down, and she clearly didn’t handle rejection well.

Kate braced her hand on the doorframe as he left tire marks in their wake, screeching down the parking garage ramp. “Is that how you’ve had to live the last seven years? Not trusting anyone?”

“I trust you,” he said as they skirted another corner, nearly colliding with an oncoming SUV.

“Luke! Seriously. What’s going on?” she demanded, her voice and posture tense.

He swerved onto Dulaney Valley Road, heading for Lock Raven Reservoir. The reservoir contained plenty of winding back roads for him to lose Lauren. Roads he’d spent a great deal of time racing around during his college years.

Glancing in the rearview mirror as he ramped onto the freeway, he spotted Lauren three cars back in a black SUV.

“Lauren is dangerous. She’s targeted you.” He’d repeat it as often as needed to get his point across.

“Why? I don’t understand. If you worked together, isn’t she on the same side?”

“Lauren’s on her own side. Always.” It had nearly gotten him killed, less than a week after he’d turned her down. Either it was a vindictive attempt at payback or a huge coincidence that she’d made her first and only mistake in the field. And that was why she’d been reassigned. They’d crossed paths many times over the years, but they’d never been assigned to the same team since.

Kate shook her head. “I’m usually so good at reading people. She seemed decent.”

Decent was the last word to describe Lauren Graham. “She’s an expert at playing roles. Margaret Anderson is her friendliest role. The one she takes on most often.”

“How can you work with someone like her?”

“We’re in the same agency, but I most definitely don’t work with her.” The woman was flat-out unstable.

“Then why is she here, and why are you so upset?” Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Did you two . . . ?”

“No. Never. Despite what Lauren attempted to make you think, we only worked together.”

Kate appraised him, her expression suspicious.

He swallowed. “She came on to me one night. I turned her down. She didn’t take it well.”

Kate nodded. “You two must have spent a good amount of time together for her to make an advance.”

“There’s nothing there, Katie. Never was.”

“Then why is she here?”

“Malcolm brought her in.”

“Why?”

“To make sure I stay in the fold—that I don’t get distracted.”

“Oh.” She shifted, looking at Lauren’s car still several car lengths behind them. “And if you do?”

He gripped the wheel. Malcolm would never harm Katie or order anything of the sort, but he would order Lauren to play interference. And Lauren would, no doubt, love nothing better than to bring harm to him or, even more so, someone he loved.

“Lauren’s a wet work asset,” he said.

“Wet work asset? As in . . . assassin?”

Luke nodded.

“Okay, but she can’t legally hurt me. CIA operatives have no jurisdiction on U.S. soil, and I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“True, but Lauren doesn’t play by the rules.”