Page 28 of The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
Something heavy.
Something he might have already taken out of the safe.
When Alex pushed away from King, he flinched, like he hadn’t realized he was still holding her. Like he’d forgotten she was there. But she was. She was there and she was just as good as King. Just as covert and twice as sneaky, and in the next moment Alex was teetering, swaying...
“I don’t feel so...” She slumped in Lozano’s direction. Instantly, the man’s arms went around her, and Alex didn’t even try to move away. “I’m so sorry. The room’s spinning...”
“What’s wrong?” There was fire in King’s eyes.
“I need...” She was practically clinging to Lozano. “I don’t know. The room just sort of...” She swayed again for good measure, but King was already pulling her away from Lozano and sweeping her up into his arms.
“What’s wrong?” His eyes were soft, but his voice was hard.
“It’s nothing.” She cupped his face. “I just got a little lightheaded.” She glanced at Lozano. “It happens sometimes now. Because of the baby.”
Chapter Sixteen
King
The air outside was hot and thick. It was going to rain. Vendors were packing up their stalls, and tourists were making their way back to hotels and cruise ships, so the streets were emptier than they had been as King carried Alex down the cobblestones.
They should get a cab. Call for backup or extraction. Maybe a straitjacket or a zookeeper.
“What was that?” King looked down at the woman in his arms.
“What was what?” She had the nerve to cock an eyebrow, like she’d just pulled ahead in a race he hadn’t even realized they were running, which was partially true. King hadn’t had a clue what was happening when she went limp, literally falling into Lozano’s arms. King had felt his heart stop beating. It didn’t start back until he said—
“Baby, Sterling? Baby?”
No operative had ever looked prouder. “I thought that was an excellent touch.”
They were a block away from Lozano’s shop, so King stopped and tipped Alex out of his arms, then pressed her against the side of a building, hand on her cheek, like he was still worried. Like he cared and wasn’t contemplating murder.
A dark SUV pulled to a stop in the shade of the vines that arched over Lozano’s doors. Some hired muscle got out and opened the back door for a man who was far older than King had been expecting. Dark hair. Dark suit. Dark glasses. The man stopped and scanned the street, and King swore he would remember that face—he had to. They didn’t have a name, but this was better than nothing.
“Are you feeling better, sweetheart?” he asked with exaggerated sweetness. “Proud of yourself?”
“So proud,” she said.
Lozano opened the doors and the buyer went into the shop, leaving his goons by the door. “Well, I hope you’re happy because there goes our chance of getting into the back room.”
“We don’t need to get into the back room.” She was walking her fingers up his chest like his heart was the real safe and she was going to crack it.
“Of course we—” King pulled back. He didn’t like the look in her eye, the cocky gleam and knowing smirk. “What...”
And then he felt her hand slip into his pocket. Something heavy but soft landed there. Something with a familiar size and weight and... no. “Is that...”
“The ten million dollars’ worth of emeralds that Lozano had in his pocket?” she asked with mock surprise. “Oh my gosh, I think it is! How did those get in there?” He actually thought it was an excellent question, but Alex just rolled her eyes. “Come on... sweetheart. You had your finger down my dress; where did you think Lozano was looking? It’s averynice dress.”
“Yeah.” King couldn’t help but huff. “I’m sure thedresswas what had his attention.”
It was the first time he’d ever seen her blush.
“He was never going to take us to the back, but then I saw a bulge in his pocket—”
“I’m not going to say what I’m thinking right now.” King pinched the bridge of his nose.
“You’re just jealous.” She sounded smug. “I saw. I swooned. I swapped. I didn’t learn that at the Farm—”
