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“We still need to meet up for dinner, although this time, just the two of us.”
“What about Wilder?”
“I’ll make sure Mrs. Mollybock feeds him. He’ll starve if she ever retires and he has to rely on me for sustenance.”
The woman she referred to had been employed at Whittaker Abbey, Wilder’s family’s estate in Bedfordshire, since he and his siblings were children. As far as Wilder relying on his wife for meal preparation, Wren was the first to admit she was a dreadful cook. I wasn’t any better.
“Chat later. Toodles,” I said, ending the call and mustering up the desire to join the others upstairs. How I wished I could get Wren to come work with me. Except it would more likely be the other way ’round.
8
ARES
“Where’s Nem?” I asked when Cayman and Puck walked in without her.
“On her way,” the former responded.
“Will she be long?” I couldn’t explain my irritation after seeing the two men walk into the conference room rather than Officer Jordan.
“A couple of minutes.”
“I’ll wait to make introductions, then.” The five of us sat in awkward silence, save for the ticking of the clock above the door.
“Sorry,” she said, joining us in what felt like an hour but, according to the noisy timekeeper, had only been five minutes.
I stood and bit my tongue when I felt myself start to make a sarcastic comment about how I was glad she’d been able to join us. Instead, I motioned to the two newcomers, who also stood.
“Officer Jordan, have you met Henry Bonham and Justin Magnussen?”
“I haven’t had the pleasure,” she said, shaking Magnet’s hand first. “Zeppelin and Magnum, err, Magnet, right?”
“That’s right,” Zep responded, holding her hand longer than necessary. “And the pleasure is ours.”
“I understand you’ve been working with the US NRO.”
Why hadn’t it occurred to me before now how fucking charming Zep could be? And why was hestillholding her hand?
I cleared my throat, but the fucker ignored me. “Shall we—” I intended to say, “take a seat,” but there was a knock at the door. Since every other man in the room appeared enthralled with Nemesis—and she was basking in their attention—I opened it.
“Z sends his regrets. He won’t be able to join you, after all,” said his secretary.
I thanked her and turned around to find Zep still holding Nem’s hand as the two of them chatted. What the hell, and what had I been thinking? There were plenty ofwomenI’d worked with I could’ve recommended instead of Zep or Magnet. Why hadn’t I thought of that before now?
“Is everything okay?”
I looked up and realized Nem was speaking to me.
“Fine. Why?”
Zep squeezed my shoulder when he walked by to take a seat. “You look like you’re ready to kill someone, mate,” he muttered.
“You’d be first,” I mumbled.
I waited until Nem sat down before doing so as well.
“You should have received the brief from Nem, err, Officer Jordan—”
“This officer crap will get old quick, Ares. Can we dispense with the formalities?” said Magnet.
