Page 24 of The Gentleman

When Kat released him, there were spots of pink on his weathered cheeks. His eyebrows popped high as he adjusted Johnny Cash’s placement on his chest.

Cheeky fucker.Leo shook his head, a grin on his face. “We’ll check back then.” He motioned for Kat to follow him to the door, not trusting himself to touch her.

A blast of cold air hit him as they stepped outside. Leo inhaled deeply, grateful for the crisp evening breeze that clearedhis head and cooled his blood. The road glistened with recent rain, headlights reflecting off the wet sidewalk as cars passed.

Kat hugged her arms against the chill, her profile sharp in the streetlight. “Will you drive me somewhere?”

Leo unlocked the Jaguar. “Where to?”

“My friend Jane’s place,” Kat said, sliding into the passenger seat. The leather creaked beneath her. “She’s an intelligence analyst on my team. She should be home by now.”

Leo started the engine, the car’s purr a comforting background to the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind. “You think she’ll help?”

“Jane and I go back years. Before MI6.” Kat stared through the windshield. Was it his imagination, or was she avoiding looking at him? “She might have insight into what Eldridge has against me. What evidence they think they have.”

Leo pulled away from the curb, navigating through the evening traffic. “And you trust her?”

“As much as I trust anyone at Six right now.” She glanced at him, then quickly away. “Which isn’t saying much.”

The unspoken exception—that she trusted him—hung between them. Leo gripped the steering wheel tighter and gritted his teeth. The closeness they’d shared in the cupboard felt simultaneously minutes and lifetimes ago.

Some operative he was. Reduced to a teenager with sweaty palms because a woman had leaned against him.

Get it together, Bychkov.

“What makes you think Jane won’t just turn you in?” His voice sounded brittle to his own ears.

“Because I think she tried to warn me. Before Eldridge turned up.”

“She knew about the raid in advance?”

“Maybe. And she might know what triggered it.”

“If Eldridge suspects Jane tried to warn you, she might be watching her place.”

Kat nodded, tension visible in the set of her jaw. “I know. But it’s our best lead right now.”

“So, where are we headed?”

“Vauxhall,” Kat punched the address into the car’s navigation system. “Just past the railway arches.”

The mention of MI6’s territory made his shoulders tense. They’d be driving dangerously close to the heart of the organization hunting Kat.

“Turn here,” Kat directed, pointing to a side street. “It’s faster.”

Leo followed her instruction, the Jaguar gliding beneath an ancient railway arch. Halfway through, flashing lights erupted ahead of them, a police cruiser rolling into position at the far end of the tunnel, its lights painting the brick walls in alternating blue and red.

“Fuck.” His pulse spiked as he slowed the car. “MI6?”

Kat leaned forward. “Worse. Metropolitan Police.”

The woman he shouldn’t want beside him, the organization that wanted her behind them, and now London’s finest ahead.Perfect.

Leo dropped a hand to the gearshift. “Hold on.”

Her hand covered his—not seeking comfort, but offering partnership. “Trust me,” she murmured.

Electricity sparked where her skin met his, a shock that had nothing to do with the approaching police and everything to do with the woman beside him.

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