Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
As stories went, it was a pretty good one.
Lev Sokolov had a daughter. He’d met her years and years ago. Back when his father still worked for the Agency, when he’d been training his children to do the same, though they hadn’t understood it at the time.
“If you’re Taylor, tell me what we talked about that day.”
Now she stiffened, her body going on alert. “That day?”
He had an excellent way to test her. “If you’re Lev Sokolov’s daughter, then we’ve met. I was fourteen and my mother was on a tour of the embassy in Warsaw. She was meeting with the leaders of Eastern European states to bolster democracy. My father was meeting with yours because he had valuable intel.”
“Ujazdów Park. They left us on the playground and told us not to leave,” she said in hushed tones. “We talked about anime. You tried to convince me that Fullmetal Alchemist is the greatest anime of all time, but I was all about Sailor Moon.”
He breathed a deep sigh of relief and stepped back, releasing her. She couldn’t possibly know that unless she’d been there. Even his father didn’t know what he’d talked to the younger girl about in that park in Poland. “I’m sorry. I heard you speaking Russian, and the last asshole who tried to murder me spoke Russian, too.”
She turned and damn, but she’d grown up well. Warm brown eyes and honey-colored hair, with full lips that turned up in a wry half smile. Yes, there was the woman from his dreams. “I didn’t remember your name.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t remember yours, but I remember your dad. Big, scary guy.”
“He’s not scary.” She shrugged. “I mean not to me he isn’t. Of course I’ve seen him in a tiara, so my point of view might be skewed. How are you feeling?”
Weird now that he knew she wasn’t some foreign operative who’d kidnapped him. He knew her. Had known her. She represented one of the best afternoons of his life. One of the last times he’d felt kind of free. “Uhm, a little foggy.”
“That’s the pain meds,” she replied. “I’m sorry. I know that was a sucky thing to do to a fellow agent, but you were already out of it. You wouldn’t stay still for me to fix the damage, and I was worried about blood loss. You have some color back now. I think you’re going to be okay, which is a good thing because getting you to a hospital wasn’t in the cards. We’re snowed in. It was a freak storm. It’s not usually this bad this time of year, but the weather is ever changing on us now.”
He didn’t want to think about that problem. He had plenty of his own. “You found the drive?”
She nodded. “Yes. You were insistent that the data get downloaded as soon as possible. Even after I got you inside, you insisted I download it before I fixed you up. You were bleeding pretty freely by then. I think the seatbelt cut into you when you hit the tree.”
He was surprised he hadn’t broken his nose when the airbags deployed. His chest didn’t feel as sore as it should, but that could be the meds. “How did you get me to swallow meds?”
She stared at him for a moment, that look in another person’s eyes that told a man he should know that answer.
“Please tell me you didn’t use a tranq gun. Is that why my butt hurts?”
Those glorious lips curled up. “You were hyper focused on completing the op, and it didn’t matter that you were bleeding all over the place. When you got your second wind, you were very strong.”
Vague memories of the night before came back. The accident, and then he’d been cold, trying to walk up the steps. She’d been there, lending him her strength.
And then yelling at him. A lot.
“Sorry about that. I’m surprised I survived that car accident.” He was definitely surprised he hadn’t broken a bone or five. “I seem to have come out of it all right.”
“Yeah, you really…” She bit her bottom lip, humor in her eyes. “I was going to say dodged a bullet, but you definitely didn’t do that. As for the accident, well, it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Are you hungry at all? Eating could help clear the drugs from your system. I made sure we’re well stocked. I could make us some lunch while you call in.”
It was good that she was encouraging him. If she’d expected him to believe her, had acted hurt he might not, he would be on edge. She was doing and saying all the right things.
But he would still make that call.
“Thank you. I would enjoy that, and I would like to make the call if you’ll show me to the comms room.” Every safe house had one, and knowing he had access would make him trust her more.