Page 190 of The Night Shift
“Well, it’s my job.”
“A noble one. And I imagine you’re very good at it. But I do have a small problem.”
She raises a brow. “Oh?”
“I was hoping to grab a coffee.” He lifts his injured arm slightly. “But seeing as I’m currently working with one functional hand, I could use a little help.”
“I can have someone bring one up to your room —”
“That’s very kind, but I’d rather have the company. I hear coffee tastes better when someone charming makes it for you.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
A small, reluctant smile tugs at her lips. She glances at the lobby, weighing her options. The place is empty. No one is coming. And Theo, with his easy confidence and wounded arm, doesn’t exactly screamTHREAT.
Lisa (what the fuck kind of name is that?) hesitates, professionalism be damned, and stands. “One minute.”
“You’re a lifesaver. Really. I’d owe you one. And I’m a man who takes his debtsveryseriously.”
I am going to stab him so hard.
Lisa smiles. “And what exactly does a man like you do to repay his debts?” She walks around the desk and actually touches his arm.
Okay, I’m going to stab her too.
Theo blinks. Just once. Like he wasn’t expecting this level of boldness. “Depends on the debt.”
Unable to take her eyes off Theo’s face (he’s gonna need a massive reality check from me once he’s done with this nonsense), she says, “Lucky for you, I make an excellent cup of coffee.”
As soon as she turns to walk away, he flicks his gaze toward me — a subtle, silent cue.
I slip behind the desk but not before glaring absolute murder at him.I hope you drown in thatexcellentcup of coffee, you wide-eyed, weak-willed, easily flustered little bitch.
I drop into the chair behind the desk and wiggle the mouse, the screen flickering to life. Okay. Time to focus.
I might not know shit about security systems, but it’s just a computer, right? I click around aimlessly, and after a few wrong folders and meaningless files, I finally find one labeledCAMERA FEED— because apparently, security people aren’t big on creativity.
I click it open. A row of numbered cameras pops up. I start skimming.
Camera 01: The parking lot. Theo’s car. Us stashing the body in his trunk.Delete.
Camera 02: The lobby. Theo’s dumb, flirty little act in real-time.Vomit.
Camera 03: The hallway. There we are — Theo and me, entering the hotel in the afternoon, side by side.Delete.
Camera 06: The elevator. There I am again, coming down alone at night, heading toward the kitchen.Delete.
Camera 09: The kitchen. I click on it, and the footage loads painfully slow before displaying me standing over the bald douchebag’s body, the knife lodged deep in his face. I watch myself crouch beside him with a smile on my face. I fast-forward and see Theo enter. I delete the entire file. Then delete itagainfrom the system’s trash folder just to be safe.
There. All done.
I glance up just in time to see Lisa touching Theo’s arm again as she laughs at something he said.
Okay, now she’s just overdoing it. He’s notthatfunny.
I slink out from behind the desk, moving carefully so I don’t accidentally wander into the camera’s view and ruin all my hard work. Making my way to the elevator, I press the button, then clear my throat. Subtly, at first.
Theo doesn’t move. Lisadefinitelydoesn’t move.
