Page 5 of To Catch a Sub

“Wait, let me just show you…” Colette crouched, reaching for the diamond.

Landon didn’t let go of her wrist, forcing her to stretch and grab the gem. Barry cleared his throat, frowning pointedly when Landon looked over. Landon shook his head. He wasn’t letting go, even if it made his colleague think he was an ass.

“And what is that?” Anu asked as Colette straightened, gem in hand.

“Supposedly a fifty-carat blue diamond,” Landon answered.

“I think it’s the Saudi blue diamond,” Colette whispered, as if afraid to speak the words too loudly.

“Is that the Hope Diamond?” someone behind him asked in what sounded like awe.

Landon slanted a glance at Colette, checking her expression. Maybe it was the damned Hope Diamond, and not the Saudi Diamond. Colette shook her head slightly. Landon didn’t question why he trusted her silent answer to his equally unspoken question.

“No,” he said. “This belongs to someone in Saudi Arabia.”

“Wait.” A newer agent whose name Landon hadn’t learned yet sounded excited. “It’s that blue diamond?”

Anu frowned at the speaker, then at Landon. “Not my area of expertise, but I trust that you understand the significance?”

Landon nodded. “Yes, Director.”

To Colette, Anu said, “Ma’am, are you…turning yourself in?”

“No, no, no.” Colette’s hair flew about her face as she frantically shook her head. “I’m just a Good Samaritan here to turn in what is probably stolen property so it can be returned to the rightful owner.”

“What game are you playing?” Landon murmured so only she would hear.

Colette looked at him, and something passed over her features. Fear? Worry? He didn’t know what that look meant, but it caused something to shift inside him. He want to wrap her up and keep her safe.

She was playing him, and even though he knew she was playing him, it didn’t stop, or even curb, his emotional reaction. Fuck.

She’d be safe once he had her in custody. Plenty of safety in a prison cell.

“Everyone, back to work please,” Director Kumar said to the room as a whole. “Barry, I want a report and explanation from building security as to why she doesn’t have a visitors pass and how she got on this floor.” She looked at Colette. “Ma’am, if you’d follow me so we can discuss in private?”

“Thank you.” Colette smiled sweetly. “I would like to sit. And perhaps a cup of tea?” Colette looked around hopefully.

“No tea,” Landon countered, and plucked the diamond out of her hand.

“That’s just rude,” Colette chided in a low voice.

“Agent Malik?” Anu had one brow raised.

Landon transferred his hold to her shoulder and turned her towards the conference room. He felt eyes on them as they passed, and there was weight in those stares. There was no way the people who saw what just happened weren’t building narratives and making deductions based on the way he’d handled Colette.

He thought he heard someone whisper “Club Alibi” to a colleague as they passed.

“Why are you really here, Colette?” he said quietly.

“Quoi? What do you mean?” Colette spoke so softly only he could hear, and her accent was back. She turned to look at him and fluttered her lashes in mock confusion.

He tightened his hold on her shoulder. “Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Don’t play grumpy, it doesn’t suit you,” she countered, now back to sounding like she was from London.

“Yes, it does. I am grumpy. You make me grumpy.” Landon guided Colette between the desks and work stations to the back of the office, which was lined with glass-walled offices and meeting rooms.

She made him feel a lot of things, but grumpy wasn’t one of them. Enraged, irritated…aroused, relived.