Page 22 of Protecting You

She turned away and dialed her cousin, hating that she was intruding on his honeymoon.

On the other hand, how many times had he called her, needing a favor? Surely, he would forgive her for interrupting.

The call rang four times and went to voicemail.

“It’s Alyssa. Call me ASAP. It’s an emergency.” She hung up and turned to find Callan still holding his phone to his ear. “He didn’t answer.”

“I heard.”

“I’ll give you his number. You don’t have to?—”

“Thanks.” Callan lifted his hand, telling her to be quiet. He put the phone on speaker. “Go ahead.”

A female voice recited Michael’s number.

“Thanks.” He ended the call. “Decided I’d better go through with getting it so you’d know I wasn’t trying to pull a fast one.”

“I never said?—”

“Sure you did.” He dialed, keeping the phone on speaker. It rang, and then Michael’s voicemail picked up again.

“It’s Callan Templeton. I’m here with your cousin, and we need to speak to you about Dariush Ghazi. Call her back ASAP.” He hung up, then said, “Satisfied?”

As if she’d admit it at this point.

“Michael is going to confirm everything I’ve told you. I don’t know what you suspect me of, but whatever it is?—”

“Nothing. Not really. Just… It’s strange, that’s all. You’re a spy. You could just be trying to get information on my client.”

“You’re an American. I’m a CIA agent. It would be illegal for me to?—”

“I know the rules. I also know not everyone plays by them.”

Callan paced to the window and peered out.

What should she say? She’d offended him, but did he really expect her to just accept his every word without question?

He turned and leaned against the desk. “I play by the rules. I’m not running an op here. I’m trying to protect you, that’s all.”

He’d called her cousin. Every word he said must be true.

It irritated her that he thought she needed his protection.

It irritated her even more that he was right.

She needed to think. To sleep. And to get out of Callan’s very distracting presence.

* * *

Their argumentstill hung between them a half hour later as they ate pizza.

She wouldn’t apologize for her doubts. If word got out to her clients that she couldn’t be trusted, then the business she was barely keeping afloat would be sunk for good.

Couldn’t he understand that?

Callan worked for Uncle Sam. His pay would be deposited into his bank account no matter what he did. Sometimes, she missed the security of her government job.

But she didn’t miss the mundane routine. She didn’t miss that she could’ve left her brain at home. She definitely didn’t miss knowing she’d been passed over for the job she really wanted.

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