AllFreeNovel
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“What’s the name of your driver?” I grip the phone and hold my breath.
“She’s a smart one.” Hayes grins and holds my purse in front of his chest.
“Agreed.” Rafe turns toward me. “Zeb is the fourth in our party. Smart checking that out.” He extends his hand, requesting his phone back.
“Now what?”
“Do you have luggage to claim?” Hayes asks.
“Hank said no luggage. Nothing they could track.”
“Excellent. And your electronics are in your purse?” Hayes continues to interrogate me.
“Yes.”
“That’s a beautiful watch. May I see it, please?”
An odd request. I surrender my watch and furrow my brow as Hayes takes a closer look. “It was my grandmother’s. It’s nothing special and barely keeps time. It has to be manually wound every day.”
“No electronics.” He hands it to Rafe, who completes a similar inspection before handing me back the watch. “Completely analogue.”
“If you’ll follow me.” Rafe signals for me to accompany him and I step in beside him. Hayes stands a little behind us, still holding my purse.
When we arrive at an intersection of terminals, Rafe halts in front of one of those exorbitant boutique shops that charge an arm and a leg, as well as your firstborn for their wares. The clothing is aesthetically pleasing, but not my style.
“This looks good.” Rafe glances at me. “Forgive me for asking, but what size do you wear?”
“Excuse me?”
“What size?” He gestures to the store.
“Um, I don’t think we have time to shop, and I certainly can’t afford that.”
“We have the time. Chase is still stuck. Furthermore, this is on Guardian HRS’s tab.” Rafe crosses his arms over his muscular chest and stares me down.
“What Rafe’s means to say, and is totally blowing,” Hayes interjects, “is everything you’re wearing needs to go.”
“Go?”
“Correct.”
“Why?”
“Because we don’t know how your identity was compromised. Everything you brought with you stays here.”
“What do you mean by stays here?”
“Did I stutter?” Hayes gives me a stern look, and takes a step back when I reach for my bag.
“I’m not leaving my things here.”
“This is nonnegotiable.” Rafe jumps in, trying to soothe me. “It’s for your protection.”
“Everything?” I glance at my grandmother’s watch. It’s the only thing I have left of my real life.
“The watch can stay. We’re worried about trackers and bugs. We don’t have time for an exhaustive search of your things. Anything you need will be provided and anything identifying the woman who walked off that plane will be destroyed. Your new life started the moment we met. Now, we have time to buy a change of clothes, but we don’t have time to argue about it.”
“Fine, but not here.” I scan the row of shops. “Over there. That store.”
