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“Maybe.” Julia smiled at her before sitting at her desk.
She had two computer monitors and three open notepads, all perfectly aligned on her desk. Even her pens and sticky notes were colour coordinated. She was the same way in the flat they shared. The first time Megan had opened a kitchen cupboard and seen the colour coordinated labels on the containers, she almost ran. She knew from experience there was no way she could be as neat as Julia expected. Fortunately, Julia had patience. Lots of patience.
“I suppose we should find another place to live, at some point.” Megan sighed. “I don’t want to move. I like living here. It’s close to everything and I don’t need to get up early for work.”
The house was situated on a stately street in Westminster, near Victoria train station. It was close to the shops, the London attractions and the river Thames. There was no way Megan could afford to live in this area unless the company provided the accommodation.
“I spoke with Callum and he said he’s in no hurry for us to move.”
“Does that mean we can stay indefinitely?”
“I don’t think he meant that.” But Julia’s tone said she hoped otherwise. Megan knew that for Julia, being in the building where she worked, in an environment she controlled, was reassuring for her.
“I bet if we live quietly, he won’t even notice we’re here.”
Julia laughed and shook her head. “This place is so big I doubt anyone would notice if we hung around.”
She had a point. The Regency era townhouse was set up like the Tardis—much bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. It was tall, narrow and deep. The basement was the biggest floor, housing more than enough space for the gun range, training room, gym, swimming pool, changing areas and a couple of seriously illegal holding cells.
The ground floor held reception, the conference room, two interview rooms, a bathroom, the kitchen and the office they were currently sitting in. There was also a lovely courtyard outside the kitchen, with another building at the end of the garden. That part used to be the old carriage house, but was now a separate house where Callum lived. One that Julia was not allowed to renovate. Callum insisted on taking care of the planning and work on his own.
The first floor held offices—in the process of being renovated. The second floor would hold the computer division once it was finished. And the third, and last, floor was for accommodation. With its huge windows and grand proportions, the building had a stately feel to it that would have been intimidating if the place wasn’t full of rough and tough mercenaries.
“Day dreaming again?” A deep voice jarred her back to the present.
Megan looked up to find Joe standing in the doorway, a folder in hand. He flashed those dimples of his that would have made her weak at the knees, if she wasn’t a teeny little bit wrapped up in a man who refused to take her seriously.
“Hiding,” Megan said. “I’m worried if I show my face, Dimitri will have more training sessions for me.”
“Training? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“Har-de-har-har.” Megan threw one of Julia’s mints at this head.
He snatched it out of the air, unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth. All while smiling knowingly. Men.
“What are you up to?” she asked him.
“Meeting with Callum.”
“I didn’t see him come back in,” Julia said, more to her desk than anyone else. “Can you take a message to him? It’s from Tessa Sharp and sounded important.”
Joe cast an anxious glance at Megan. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “Where is it?”
Julia pulled a piece of paper out of a tray marked with Callum’s name, but instead of handing it over she read it. “I think he needs to call her back urgently. She said…”
“Thanks.” Joe snatched the piece of paper, making Julia’s eyes snap up to him.
Megan sat up straight. She definitely didn’t miss the “oh shit” look Joe flashed in her direction this time.
“Joe, I was going to say her message may have an impact on Friday’s meeting with Rudi. She says the timeline for picking him up might move forward.”
The hairs on Megan’s neck stood to attention. “What timeline? What’s this got to do with Rudi?”
Joe looked at the ceiling for guidance. A bad sign. A very bad sign that Megan wasn’t going to like what she heard. “Callum had a meeting with the Special Inv
estigations Commander at the Met and she wants to hold off on taking Rudi down until she has everything in place with her sister organisations.”
“Oh,” Julia whimpered as her hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes shot to Megan and she had that look people get when they know they’ve given something away they shouldn’t have.
