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“Next time you’re in town, let me know. Ava and I would love to have you over.”
“Sure thing.” The door to the suite clicks open, and I jump up. Movement sounds from the end of the hall.
“Gotta go.” I end the call and pad to the side of the wall. Room service would announce themselves.
Footfalls grow louder and I crouch, hands up, ready. Around the corner, I glimpse auburn hair.
“Sophia.” I let out a loud huff and straighten. Bright blue eyes sparkle with amusement. “What’re you doing back?”
“Did you think I was a burglar?” She steps into the small kitchen and reaches into the fridge.
She can mock me all she wants. She’s cautious, too.
“Who were you speaking to?”
“Your father.”
Her water bottle hits the counter with a dull thud. “Did he want an update?”
“Sounded like he simply wanted me to confirm the risk assessment Arrow provided him.”
She twists off the plastic cap and narrows her eyes, scanning me up and down. “Killington?”
“Yep.” I return to the sofa and tap my laptop to bring it back to life. “What’re you doing back?”
“Winds were too strong. Rafael’s heli-skiing adventure got postponed. We’re supposed to meet them at their place to go hot tubbing.”
“When?”
“In thirty.” I give a quick nod while I try to recall if I packed swim trunks. But I did. I thought I might find a pool for laps. “You realize Dad knows I’m here with you.”
“Didn’t give any indication that’s the case.”
“You’re naïve.”
“You’re paranoid.”
I’m unsure if her contemplative frown means she’s certain in her declaration or if she’s doubting herself, but it doesn’t particularly matter.
Since I apparently won’t be finishing that report, I close the laptop and stand, then judge my hunger level. We don’t have time to eat before our scheduled hot tub excursion.
“Why did Dad say he called you?”
“I told you.” Those baby blues cloud over with clear warning. I release a gruff huff, warning her right back. “We’re friends. He got some intel and because it was about one of the most important people in his life—you—he wanted a second opinion. He just wanted someone to verify his conclusion. End of story. No need to read into it.”
“And you still think it's a coincidence that they assigned me on this case? That the officer they place as my fake husband is my old security guard? You really don’t think my dad pulled strings to make that happen?”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Soph!” The world does not fucking revolve around the princess.
“Just hear me out. Think about it. Dad wouldn’t want me in a position where I’d be with someone who might take advantage of…”
I dramatically lean my head forward. “Of what? You realize you’re twenty-five years old, right? I don’t think your dad is staying up late at night worrying about whether you’ve had sex. To the contrary, I imagine if pressed he’d say he hopes you have a healthy sex life. He’s not the Puritan you seem to think he is. And trust me…if I thought for one minute I was on this bullshit assignment to babysit, I’d be the first to let your old man have it.” I sling open the closet door that holds my suitcase, and the door ricochets back from the wall. “And another thing, if you must know, not that it’s any of your goddamn business, but I’m considering returning to Arrow. In a different role. Not in personal protection. If dear old doting dad wanted me to be your personal protection while you did your grown-up fucking job, I don’t think he’d be calling me about a job offer that would take me out of the CIA, now, would he?”
In the blink of an eye, those storm clouds shoot bolts of lightning. I grit my teeth and growl into the storm’s fury. “Daddy Warbucks might be a billionaire, but he’s not pulling strings at the CIA. It’s time for you to see that and grow the fuck up.”
Her thunderous glower might scare a weaker man, but not me. I head to the bathroom with a change of clothes in hand and slam the door. Just a few more days of this shit.
But then I remember Bauer’s call. This has the potential to morph into a longer assignment.Fuck me.
