Page 53 of Iron Willed Warrior

I heard Westwick’s voice just around the corner. “When exactly will you get here tomorrow?” Then a pause while he listened to the answer. “No problem. Of course. But?—”

The rest of what he was saying faded out as he moved. Westwick was walking away. I heard his footsteps receding. Edging forward, I peered around the corner. But the man was gone.

“Can I help you, Ms. Waverley?”

I spun around and found the clerk who had checked us into the reception earlier. Lance, the one who’d been ogling my cleavage. I smiled. “I was just looking for my boyfriend Cameron. He wandered off.”

I hoped Lance didn’t realize that Cole and the others were in the lounge. Or that I’d been spying on Garon Westwick.

He eyed me, but I couldn’t tell if it was skepticism or interest. “Have you tried your room? I haven’t seen him pass by.”

I brightened. “Of course. Silly me. Have a good night.”

I took off before he could ask any more questions.

The hallway was deserted as I walked toward the guest rooms. A few voices murmured behind closed doors. I listened for Westwick, unsure which room was his.

I thought I could hear his baritone.

I came to a stop, pressing my ear against that room. But there was nothing. Dang it. I’d been hoping to hear more of Westwick’s conversation. He was expecting someone tomorrow, someoneimportant, which could explain his early arrival. Did it have something to do with Stillwater?

I had to get back to the lounge and find Cole. Let him know what I’d learned.

But when I turned, I nearly ran into a wall of muscle. “Just what are you doing there, Ms. Waverley?” Donovan Ryker asked. “Because it looked like you were listening at Mr. Westwick’s door.”

Shit. How had I failed to hear the man approach?Because he’s a trained mercenary, I answered myself.

Time to bluff. And above all, stay calm. “He left the lounge to take a phone call. I was just hoping to catch him. Continue our conversation. But it’s fine, I can wait.” I tried to walk around the man, but he grabbed my upper arm.

“Ow, let go of me!”

“What’s your interest in Mr. Westwick?”

“None of your business.”

“It’s very much my business who gets close to my boss.” Ryker pushed me up against the wall hard enough my head smacked the drywall. I could’ve fought back with equal force and then some. But Brianna Waverley didn’t have training in hand-to-hand combat. If I used any of my skills, it would blow my cover.

Ryker opened his mouth to say something else. Then he suddenly wrenched away from me. Cole slammed the man into the opposite wall of the hallway, his teeth gritted in a snarl.

“Get your fucking hands off her.”

Lance, the hotel clerk, appeared at the end of the hallway. “What’s going on here?”

Ryker took a menacing step toward Cole, who didn’t back down. “This piece of shit attacked my girlfriend.”

I reached for Cole’s arm. “It’s a misunderstanding.”

“It was,” Ryker said, a warning in his voice. “And I trust it won’t happen again.” With a last glare in my direction, he stalked toward the lobby.

“Do I need to call the authorities?” The clerk’s tone conveyed that was the last thing he wanted to do, and he visibly relaxed when I shook my head. Doors started to open up and down the hall, heads peeking out to see what was happening.

“No. We’re going to our room.” I pulled Cole down the hall. I had to get us both out of there before we did something stupid. Like following Ryker and continuing that fight, because one thing was certain—it wasn’t over.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Cole

When we madeit back to the room, Brynn went inside first. I gave her a nudge to go ahead of me, and she frowned over her shoulder. But I wasn’t letting that woman out of my sight again.

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