Page 31 of Nails
He just shook his head, clearly amused.
She returned her attention to the file in her lap before her blood pressure climbed again.
She couldn’t believe she was going undercover again, posing as a hostess inside one of the most exclusive gentlemen’s clubs in the city.She wondered how they had managed to hire her on a whim.When she asked Russell about it, he just shrugged it off.
“You’re a shoo-in,” he’d said earlier when she asked him about it.“The interview is just a formality.”
She didn’t question it, as she knew that Russell wouldn’t lie.But still, she wondered about his connections sometimes.
She read over her alias again.She would be going by Riley Taylor, who was a Miami native.She graduated from the University of Miami.She was in Hong Kong for an internship at Hartley & Brockman, a fictional tech firm that was supposedly making waves as a game changer in international cybersecurity.
And she had to admit that the cover was solid.Whoever was involved was damn good.When she was questioning Russell earlier about the company and their cover, he had her call the number for the fake company from his phone.When a female answered the phone, “Thank you for calling Hartley & Brockman,” Russell asked the woman to connect him with Riley Taylor.When her phone started ringing, Riley was very impressed.She even had an ID badge for the company.
They had set her up with an email address, LinkedIn profile, and social media accounts, though no pictures of her were posted where you could see her face.It was as if her alias, Riley Taylor, actually existed.However, they could’ve eased up a little on the overly girly cover identity.Riley was a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.She preferred comfort over heels that felt like medieval torture devices and dresses and pants that required a strategic breathing plan.Not to mention the woman in the pictures wore a lot of pink.
“So,” she said, glancing up from the file, “any word yet on who this mysterious team is that we’ll be meeting tomorrow?”
Russell made a show of sighing.“No.I swear.I asked again this morning, but all Secretary Boles said was, and I quote, ‘She’ll be in good hands.’”
Riley raised a brow.She wouldn’t be convinced until she met these people herself.
As if knowing what she was thinking, Russell glanced at her before focusing back on the road.“Look, even though Secretary Boles wasn’t around at the time, he is aware of what went down in New York, and I can tell you that he has made it his priority to make sure it doesn’t happen again.So, if he says you’ll be in good hands, well, I trust him.And so should you.”
She nodded, closing the folder and resting it on her lap.All she knew was that she had to be at the Navy base at 0900 sharp tomorrow morning.Only then would she find out for sure who she was dealing with and if she could trust them with her life.
Her thoughts drifted as they drove through the beach and boardwalk.Ever since she had lunch with Ms.Torres before she left, Carson had been on her mind more than she cared to admit.
His mom had a way of bringing him up in conversation like she wasn’t obviously fishing for Riley’s opinion.She’d played it cool for the most part.But somewhere between the grilled cheese and the stories Ms.Torres told of Carson, she’d found herself smiling way too much at the idea of him.
Carson had only popped into her life briefly.But the impression he left?Well, it stuck.Especially when his mom casually slipped her his number, as if she were passing off top-secret intel.
However, Riley left the piece of paper sitting on the counter in her kitchen.She thought about saving it in her phone, but at the last minute decided against it.She already had a lot on her plate with the upcoming operation.She didn’t need another distraction.And he was slowly becoming a distraction, although a good one.
Part of her pre-mission checklist was to make sure that Ms.Torres would be taken care of while she was away.Not that she couldn’t care for herself, but more so if she needed anything.After some convincing, Riley had managed to get Russell to agree to check in on her.He grumbled about being roped into grocery runs and plant watering, but Riley could tell he didn’t mind.Hell, the man needed some social interaction in his life.
Russell turned onto a side road.They were meeting two of Russell’s friends for dinner.The three of them had served in the Marine Corps together.
“So, what’s this place called again where we are eating?”She asked, looking out the window as they drove.
“Bayside,” he said, smiling.“You’ll love it.They got a little bit of everything.”
Riley remembered Russell telling her that the local bar and grille tucked away by the beach mostly catered to the military and first responder communities.
When they pulled into a parking lot and Russell parked the SUV, she glanced at him, wondering if he’d gotten the wrong place.But then he turned off the vehicle and opened his door.
“Come on,” he said, shutting the door and walking to the front of the car to wait for her.
Riley glanced out the window at the building’s weathered exterior, and she frowned.The place looked like it had been through one too many hurricanes and hadn’t bothered with repairs.She arched a brow and shot Russell a skeptical look.
“Is this place even habitable?”she asked, looking unimpressed as she got out of the car.
Russell let out a chuckle, shaking his head.“That’s the point.The exterior appearance keeps the tourists away.Trust me, I’ve been here before.You’ll love it, especially the food.”
Riley huffed but followed him toward the entrance.The moment they stepped through the doors, her skepticism vanished.The interior was a stark contrast to the rundown outside.The place had a warm, welcoming atmosphere, decked out in a mix of nautical and patriotic themes.There was a jukebox playing classic rock, and through the open doors at the back, she spotted a patio deck overlooking the beach.
“Huh,” she muttered, glancing around.“I definitely didn’t expect this.”
Russell laughed.“I told you.Like I always say, never judge a book by its cover.”
