Page 98 of Game of Love
“Tunnels. If there are tunnels we could go in that way,” he suggested.
I smiled. Damn I loved this guy. It was great to have him around, especially when my brain was scrambled.
Ethan nodded with a big smile on his face. “Great work Wes. So, if we get details of the tunnels how would we work that?”
I pulled in a deep breath. “That’s where I come in.”
They looked to me.
“You got this agent.” Ethan smiled.
It felt weird being called agent again after so many years. “Thanks.”
“I’m gonna look into the tunnels now.” Wes beamed. “If we can find a way in and get that part sorted then we can spend tomorrow and the weekend on everything else. Cook up the best covert mission ever.”
Covert. I liked that.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket. It was the phone Giovanni had given me.
I hissed as it buzzed again. I truly hoped that asshole didn’t want me for anything. I’d had enough today. Literally enough. Best if I didn’t even talk to him.
I pulled out the phone and the annoyance sapped away from me when I recognized the number as Jia’s.
“I gotta get this guys,” I told them and answered the phone.
“Xander, can you hear me?” she asked straightaway. Her voice sounded muffled like she’d been crying.
“Yes, I’m here. Are you okay?” It seemed like that was all I ever asked her. If she was okay and how she was doing.
She sniffled. “No… I’m not.”
Usually she said yes, even when it was obvious that she wasn’t okay. Usually she could lie and tell me she was fine. Something must have happened to take away the option to lie.
“What’s wrong baby?” I didn’t care that Ethan and Wes were listening. I didn’t care that we’d been talking business either. She was more important to me.
“I’m outside your place. Can I see you?”
Oh God… I knew I’d been an idiot, hyped up on her when I gave her my address. But the reason for me doing so was exactly for instances like this.
“Of course. I’m on my way over. I’ll be there in about five minutes.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
We hung up and I looked over to the guys. Wes looked concerned, Ethan annoyed. He spoke first.
“Xander, was that Jia Marchesi...?”
“Yes, yes it was.”
“Please tell me you’re not off to play Casanova to this woman when we’re in the middle of sorting this all out.” He gave me a long hard stare.
“Yes, I’m going. You guys brainstorm. I’ll come back when I can. Or, give me a call if you figure something out.”
“Xander, this is crazy. Do I have to remind you who she is? The worst thing you could do is get involved with the enemy’s daughter.”
He was preaching the lesson I already knew. “I’m going,” I told him and that was final.
It was the result I would come to whether we argued it out or not.
