Page 11 of Destroyed With You

He rattled off both women’s most recent films. “I like cinema,” he said. “Pretty sure that doesn’t mean I have to like Hollywood gossip, too.”

This time, she really did roll her eyes. “Sometimes the gossip is more entertaining than the movie.”

“Well, you may be right there. So who is he that he knows these women? He comes from a Hollywood family?”

“He consults on movies. Isn’t that cool? He was doing it full-time, but then he met Damien at a party or something, and I guess he’s looking for something with a bit more meaning. Honestly, I don’t know all of it. But he seems nice.”

Winston shot her a glance over the roof of the car before they both slipped inside. “Well, enjoy the next few days showing him the ropes. Just don’t enjoy it too much.”

She scowled, then started the car. “I said he’s interesting, not that I’m spreading my legs.”

He laughed. That was one of the things he loved about Leah. One minute she could be as bouncy as a teen, the next she was as crude as a hooker. She was one of their best undercover operatives, and it was in part because of that chameleon blood.

“I stand corrected,” he said. “I thought I’d caught the whiff of a crush on you.”

“I’ll cop to suffering under the weight of unrequited attraction,” she admitted. “But Renly Cooper is not the object of my desire.”

“Is it serious?”

She laughed. “Not even close.”

He nodded sagely. “Just as well. Less likely to get hurt if you take it slow.”

“Did you and Linda?”

He tensed and hoped she didn’t notice. He and Leah had spent long hours on assignments together and she knew how much he’d loved—and missed—his wife. But there was no way for her to know that Linda was the last person he wanted to talk about right now, even if she was the only person filling his thoughts.

“No,” he said with a half-smile. “We didn’t take it slow at all. We both fell hard and fast. And in the end,” he added as he turned toward her, “the hurt cut deep.”

“I know,” she said. “But that was different.”

“Yeah,” he said, realizing she spoke more truly than she knew. “Very different.”

Chapter Four

“So tell me how I can help.” Noah Carter lifted his glass, then took a sip of beer. “Ryan didn’t tell me a thing other than that you might reach out. Anderson told me a bit more.”

“Did he?”

Noah shrugged. “Ryan told me you were coming and might need tech. It wasn’t for an SSA mission, so I called Anderson. Asked if he knew you and what was up.”

“Huh,” Winston said.

“Impressed or annoyed?” Noah’s question was highlighted by a grin.

“Of all the possibilities, you pulled the SOC out of your ass? I guess that makes me impressed.”

“Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to figure.”

“Wasn’t it?”

The other man leaned back, his clean-shaven face amused. “Now you’re just fishing for trade secrets. But that’s fair. You’re in the trade, after all.” He polished off the rest of his beer and signaled to the waitress for another round. “You work for Stark Security, and I happen to know that the SSA has a good relationship with not only Anderson Seagrave, but with the SOC in general.”

Winston nodded. That was true. Not only had he and Emma both worked for the covert government agency, but so had Denny’s husband Mason and Denny herself. It was worthwhile work, that was for damn sure, but they’d all paid harsh prices for their time-served.

“Go on,” he urged.

Noah pulled a french fry out of the basket they were sharing. They’d met at The Fix on Sixth, a local bar on Austin’s Sixth Street, a short walk from both Noah’s office and the Stark Century Hotel where, according to the intel, Bartlett had checked in about an hour before.