Page 104 of Eyes in the Shadows

“They… walked to their table. Rossi kept looking at me.”

“And the mayor?”

“His back was to me, so I’m not sure, and at that point I was trying to hide my face. It looked like they were there to have some sort of meeting. And that was kind of it until Dimitri showed up to rescue me… I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that the mayor is that lead you were following up on?” I say to Mac.

Mac nods and leans forward to take my hand. “Baby, we need your help.”

Mac goes on to explain what they need—with some interjections from Wesley and taciturn silence from Dimitri—and dread slowly fills my stomach like lead weights. I shoot up out of the chair and walk around the back of it, like putting it between us will somehow protect me from the idea.

“What in the holy hell and whole world makes you think I’m the right person to do this?” I explode.

“McCloskey already knows you and it is likely he will underestimate you,” Dimitri says. “He will not be as threatened by a woman.”

“But I’m literally the worst liar. When you saw me do it the first time, you said, and I quote, that I needed to ‘work on my face,’” I remind Mac, accusatory.

“We’ll be there, helping you,” Mac says.

“I’m not what the kids would call ‘cool under pressure.’”

“Kids don’t say that,” Wesley pipes in helpfully.

I cut him a glare, then return my attention back to Mac. “I don’t think on my feet well when I’m afraid.”

“No one does. And you won’t have to. We’ll be there, helping you,” Wesley repeats Mac’s sentiment.

Mac stands and circles his chair. He lays his hands on my shoulders and leans his head down to catch my eye. “Remember when I tackled you and tied you up, then you watched me shoot a bunch of bad guys?”

Wes hides a smile.

I scratch my elbow and scoff. “If this is your way of trying to convince me that I’ll be able to keep a cool head, you picked the wrong example.”

“But you did keep a pretty cool head,” he argues.

“I was terrified! I thought I was going to die!”

“James will be with you, you will be safe,” Dimitri says.

“That’s not what I’m worried about. If Mac’s there, I know I’ll be safe,” I say.

His chest physically puffs a little at that and he grins at me. “Fuckin’ A, baby.”

“I’m…” I trail off and lift my eyes to Mac’s. I can see his confidence, like it’s an extension of him, and I wonder if it really extends to me. He wouldn’t suggest it if he didn’t think it would work. “You really think I can do it?”

He tips my chin up using his finger. “I know you can, darlin’.”

I inhale and chew on my lip. If I’m really being honest with myself, I knew my part in this wasn’t quite over. Not after what happened at the restaurant. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

“Brilliant,” Wesley exclaims, as Dimitri says, “Good girl,” which earns him a sharp look from Mac.

“Okay, come sit back down,” Mac says, taking my hand and leading me back to the desk. “Once we get started, there’s no going back and it’s all going to go really fast. But it’s the best shot we’re going to get. So, I’m going to go over what we’re going to do, and if you have questions, ask them. Okay? It’s important that you understand what’s going to happen and feel comfortable with your part in it.”

I nod.

About an hour, a bajillion questions, and a mini panic attack later, Wesley is handing me an untraceable cell phone. Dimitri dropped the video call before they really got into explaining the plan, so I know he’s probably already getting started with what he has to do.

“Wes and I are right here,” Mac says. It’s probably the sixth time he’s had to console me with that.

Wesley slides the legal pad where he’s been jotting out a little script for me. “Remember, it’s all right if you sound scared,” he says. “It’ll help sell it.”

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