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Chapter 21
Gideon touched his hand to her back, and she wanted to lean into him. But now was not the time. As she headed for the large round table that held five people, she let her gaze drift over all of them. She recognized Mel and Devlin. The other three were strangers.
Gideon pulled out a chair, and she sat down.
Not intimidated by the strangers’ assessing glances, she smiled as she let her gaze drift over them. Every new client of hers was a stranger -- she knew how to deal with this. “Hi. I’m Alex Conway.”
All three of them nodded at her. Studied her with a gaze that signaled they were assessing her, too.
The man on her left looked as if he were miles away. His dark hair stood up in clumps, like he’d run his hand through it more than once. His hazel eyes were distant. Unfocused. As if he was thinking about something besides lunch. She wondered what that was about. If he were a prospective juror, she’d be reluctant to accept him on her jury.
The other man was practically vibrating on his chair. He had an edgy vibe. Nervous. Intense. Did he want to get out of this dining room and get to work? Was he on his way to a job, and anxious to get started?
The woman studied her with bright blue eyes that revealed nothing. It was as if she had a shield between herself and the rest of the world. Alex would bet that very few people, if any, were allowed on the other side of that shield. She was probably an excellent bodyguard. Nothing would get past her. And she looked as though nothing would rattle her.
“Good morning, Alex,” Mel said with a smile, “These are three of our operatives. Spence Flynn,” she nodded at the edgy guy with the dark blond hair. “Nico Elliot,” she tilted her head at the distracted, dark-haired man, and “Brynn Gordon.” The woman. “The rest of the crew are out on jobs right now.”
“Nice to meet all of you,” Alex said, forcing herself to relax into the chair. When she met with clients, she was the one with power. At this compound, these operatives held all the cards. “Thanks for letting me crash at your compound. It’s the first time I’ve felt safe in days.”
All three of them stared at her, their eyes softening. Questions simmered behind the sympathy, and she knew they’d want answers. She’d brought trouble to their place of business. Finally Nico said, “Yeah. We heard the gunshots. Wondered what the hell was going on.”
“The Russians and my ex-husband were unhappy that we made it inside your fence,” Alex said, shrugging her shoulders.
Gideon, who’d sat down beside her, slid his arm across the back of her chair. Reassuring her. She relaxed, grateful he was beside her. When she leaned into his arm, his fingers brushed against her shoulder.
Based on the curiosity in their eyes, Nico, Spence and Brynn had already heard the details about Alex and Gideon’s dramatic entrance into the compound. They must have seen the weariness in her expression, because instead of asking questions, they kept the conversation casual. Light. They talked about books they’d read, television shows they’d watched and movies they’d seen.
Thank God. Alex was still too tired to function at full strength.
As they were chatting, a man dressed in a white shirt and jeans came out with a tray. He slid plates of salad in front of each of them. A few minutes later he returned with bowls of pasta.
As they ate, Alex turned to Nico, who sat beside her. “You enjoy living in the compound?” she asked. “Do you get into Helena much?”
He smiled, and his eyes twinkled. “No and no to both of those questions. I actually live in Seattle with my fiancée. She’s a chef and owns a restaurant. She couldn’t pick up Madeline’s and move it, so I’m mostly in Seattle. I come back here whenever I’m needed, and at least a couple times a month for meetings.”
His eyes had softened when he mentioned his fiancée, and she smiled at him. No wonder he looked as if his mind was far away. She asked how they’d met. How he liked Seattle. She was certain he’d seen a very different Seattle than the one she’d experienced as a runaway, and it was interesting to hear him talk about the city he knew.
Gideon was talking to the woman on his other side, Brynn. They seemed comfortable with each other, and Alex wondered about their history. Had she been an FBI agent, as well?
As if she could read Alex’s thoughts, Brynn leaned around Gideon. “Where are you from, Alex?” she asked.
“Evanston,” Alex said, swallowing the lump in her throat. She missed her city. Her practice. Her partner and her friends. “It’s a suburb of Chicago.”
“Long way from home,” Brynn said.
“Yeah,” Alex said. “I’ve never been to Montana. It’s beautiful.”
“If you like mountains and gorgeous scenery,” Brynn said with a slight smile.
“Who doesn’t?” Alex said lightly. But she noticed the shadows in Brynn’s eyes. Wondered what had put them there.
Gideon squeezed Brynn’s shoulder, and she glanced at him. Nodded. Then she went back to her pasta.
Alex studied Gideon and Brynn for a long moment. They looked close. Like they could communicate without words.
A twinge of jealousy tightened in her chest.
She shoved it away. What the hell was wrong with her? She and Gideon had only met a week ago. They’d promised nothing to each other. His relationship with Brynn was none of her business.
