CHAPTER 10
How Trey loved the way those high heels made Carly’s hips sway. If only he could devote all of his attention to just watching her walk.
Instead, he pretended to watch her as he evaluated their surroundings. He visually scanned the rooftop for snipers. His view was limited but things looked clear. He memorized the limo’s license plate number to give to Matt later so he could find out who it was registered to.
Of course, he’d noticed right away the driver’s concealed weapon as well as his extremely expensive suit.
Trey would bet his pension this was no mere driver, but rather part of the target’s most trusted inner circle sent to make sure nothing went wrong. This meet was too important to trust any portion of it to lower-level hired help.
He kept his arm around Carly after they got into the backseat of the car and played with her now larger-than-life hair-sprayed hair. Anything to keep her mind off the driver’s weapon, which had nearly toppled her off her heels when she’d noticed it.
Carly sat so close they were pressed together from hip to thigh. She was definitely scared.
They drove the distance from the airport to the capital and pulled up in front of the prestigious Hotel Pristina.
Had Trey been in the dark, he would have been impressed that the target had spared no expense by putting them up in the best hotel in the city. But thanks to the intelligence gathered by Jack’s brother Jimmy, combined with Matt’s cyber stalking, Trey knew better.
A corporation set up by the target happened to own this hotel. Just one more way the bad guys had figured out how to launder money.
The clerk greeted them in the language of the country, which Trey, as John Smith, had to pretend not to understand.
“We’re American. Do you speak English?” He’d responded a bit too loudly in his native tongue, as people tended to do when conversing with those who didn’t speak their language.
“Of course.” The clerk nodded. “Please, your name?”
“Smith. John and Candi Smith.” Trey smiled down at Carly when he said it, knowing she hated her fake name and it would drive her crazy. He nearly laughed as he watched her bite her lip at hearing the name but she didn’t say a word.
Laying his hand on her shoulder, he felt her trembling, a visceral reminder this was no game for either of them. He pulled her closer to his side as the front desk clerk consulted a computer. “Yes, I have your reservation here. You have bags?”
“Just one suitcase. It’s still in the trunk of the car.” No doubt where their host had already had it thoroughly searched. Trey had purposely kept the laptop bag with him the entire time, just as John Smith would have.
The clerk signaled a bellman to retrieve the luggage from the car. He led them up in the elevator to one of the higher floors.
In this case, higher was not better. It only meant they’d have more flights to descend if they needed to get the hell out of there quickly. It also meant escape through the window was not an option.
A chilled bottle of champagne and overflowing fruit basket awaited them inside an impressively large room.
Trey glanced around and quelled his frustration. There was nothing he could do there until Matt set up shop somewhere nearby, hacked into the hotel’s security systems and determined whether there was surveillance set up in the room or not.
His instinct told him there would be, but until he knew for sure he was at loose ends waiting on Matt.
Trey took another look around the well-appointed room. He’d been on way worse assignments than this. He really couldn’t complain.
Acting like John Smith, he grabbed the icy cold bottle from the bucket and popped the cork, sure his fake wife could use a little something to calm her down. Not enough to get her drunk, just a bit to stop her from shaking.
Carly’s eyes opened wide, silently reprimanding him for drinking on the job, he supposed.
“Look, how nice. We can’t ignore our host’s generous hospitality. Right, baby?”
What was he supposed to do? Judging by what he had learned thus far about John and Candi Smith, they were the type to pop the cork in more ways than one. He pushed a nasty thought from his mind at his own sexual euphemism.
Trey poured them both a glass, then walked to Carly and handed one to her. He clinked his champagne flute to hers. “Here’s to my beautiful wife.”
Watching a blush creep into her cheeks, he let the expensive bubbly slide down his throat.
She was so easy to rattle. It would be fun if their lives weren’t on the line. He’d have to get her comfortable with him before the meet tomorrow. If he didn’t, someone was bound to notice.
Leaving her behind in the hotel room when he went alone was not an option. If the shit hit the fan he wanted Carly with him. It was his only chance of protecting her.
He was just trying to think of some way to put her at ease when Matt’s voice sounded in his ear. “They’ve got both eyes and ears, Trey. Sophisticated and extremely sensitive shit. You copy me?”
He covered his mouth and coughed once to indicate to Matt he had indeed heard his less-than-encouraging news. Eyes and ears. Both video and audio surveillance. Just great.
God willing, Carly would remember what the commander had told her during their very brief meeting in his office that morning. Not even a whisper.
“You hungry, sweetheart?” When Carly’s look told him the last thing she wanted to do was eat, he looped an arm around her neck and planted a big kiss on her champagne-scented lips. “I know the time change is messing with your system but you should eat at least something light.”
“Okay.” She stared up at him, as if waiting for him to tell her what to do next.
“Why don’t you order something for both of us from room service? There should be a menu in here somewhere.”
She nodded but didn’t move. He needed to knock her out of this deer-in-headlights mode.
“I’m going to hop into the shower quick while you order.” Grabbing her shoulders, he lowered his head nearer her ear. “Unless you’d like to join me.”
That jolted her out of the sudden stage fright.
“Actually, I’m starving.” Pulling away, she walked to the desk and grabbed the room service menu lying there.
If this were any other situation, he would definitely take advantage of how easy it was to ruffle her feathers and enjoy doing it.
Pulling his shirt off over his head while walking toward the bathroom, Trey couldn’t help but smile.