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Spencer laid Toni gently on the bed, then shut the door. He needed to make sure she was all right, and he needed to alert his team to what had happened.
Attacking those men downstairs didn’t bother him. They were ruthless criminals who lived and died by violence. It was him or them, and he made damned sure he won. No. What bothered him was seeing Toni hurt by a man he’d let escape. A man who should be six feet under, whowouldbe six feet under if Spencer had followed Kyle’s orders in the first place.
With Toni out cold, he arranged her in a comfortable position and went to pull a throw over her when he noticed her phone had slid out of the pocket of her dress.
One quick peek, just one. The situation was spiraling out of control, and he hated the thought of leaving any asset untapped that might help him protect her. He knew she was keeping something from him—and he didn’t even care; he just wanted to know what it was so he could protect her from the fallout.
Chances were the device would be locked, but he felt like he had to try.
He picked up the phone, and the screen brightened, displaying a photo of Toni hugging a small child, both of them smiling brightly. Her pretty face glowed with happiness and goodwill. His heart squeezed tighter in his chest. She’d looked at him that way, back at the oasis. A man could wake up to that look every day and never grow tired of it.
But then he realized that he’d been so caught up in staring at her face that he hadn’t noticed the notification on her lock screen—an incoming text.
Be careful
From none other than Coran Williams.
The message was time-stamped a few hours earlier. It lined up with when he’d found her with her phone in her hand, right before she tucked it away. She’d seen this message…and she’d said nothing about it to him.
“Spencer?” Toni murmured, her voice weak.
Torn between frustration and hurt and the undercurrent of awareness that fizzed inside him whenever she was around, he turned to her, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and stroking her hair away from her face. “Hey. You okay?”
“I think so.” She frowned, holding her head. “How about you?”
“I’m good.”Liar.
A knock sounded on the door, and Spencer collected his requested items from the butler before sitting beside Toni again. He opened a bottle of cold water and helped Toni sit up and take a drink before swallowing the rest himself.
“Are you injured?” he asked, setting the empty bottle aside and picking up the first aid kit.
She seemed to take stock of herself, then stretched. “Nope. I’m in one piece. Maybe a bruise here or there, but nothing that needs attention.”
For a second, he wished he had an excuse to get his hands on her lush curves, but he quickly caught himself. Now, more than ever, he needed to concentrate on his mission, keep his head clear and his directives foremost in his mind: locate Coran Williams, discover more about the SHEEPSKIN network, help Kyle destroy Arrieta. Not necessarily in that order. Because underlying each of those directives was the need—the absolute driving compulsion—to keep Toni safe. And it was clear she’d be in danger until this situation was resolved.
Slowly, Toni sat up and slid her legs over the side of the mattress. He placed a steadying hand on her arm as she swayed, then let her go, scowling down at the toes of his dress shoes. “How do you know Miles Arrieta?” he asked.
“I don’t, really. He and my father do business together. I’ve met him a few times at company functions. I had no idea he might show up here today or pull something like that.” She shuddered and hugged her arms tighter around herself.
“What did Arrieta want with you, Toni? What did he ask you? The more information you can give me, the easier it will be for my team to track him and find out his real purpose in being here.” Each word he said cut like a razor in his throat, but he forced them out just the same. He didn’t like being so harsh with her, but she needed to know this was serious. He understood that she probably wanted to protect her father, but this wasn’t a time for sentimentality. It was a time for action.
“I saw what you did downstairs,” she whispered, continuing as if she hadn’t heard his questions. “The way you handled those men—doesn’t it bother you?” Tears slipped down her cheeks. Shock. She was probably in shock.
“I wouldn’t be very good at my job if it did,” he said. “I only take out people who deserve it.”
“And who decides who deserves it?” Toni shook her head, swiping at her cheeks. “I realize you probably saved my life, but all that violence…and for what?”
“For safety, for security, for freedom.”
“There has to be a better way.”
“I agree. And as soon as someone finds it, I’ll be the first in line to sign up. Until then, liberty has a price.”
“You sound like my father,” Toni said, her voice bitter. She gave a sad laugh and rubbed her hands over her face. There was dirt on her cheek and small scrapes on both her knees, and Spencer wanted to hold her close and protect her from every bad thing in the world. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear that.” She glanced at him and gave him a watery smile. “I know what you do is important, Spencer. I just never expected it to hit so close to home, that’s all. I need some time to adjust.”
“Toni, I found the—”
Another knock sounded on the door, cutting him off. Spencer frowned. He wasn’t expecting anyone else tonight. “Yes?”
