and protective custody or try to save him from someone even more dangerous. But Josie did know she had to make sure she kept herself and Connor alive, because they had one thing in common. They both wanted this man out of commission.
FOUR
Armond had left them alone, but a member of his security team stood just outside the partially opened pocket doors. He’d been so paranoid, he’d rushed out of the room with his guard, but he’d ordered a giant named Beaux to guard the door.
Josie had no doubt that Armond would attempt to monitor their conversation. As paranoid as he seemed, he’d have set up security measures in every room in this sprawling mansion.
She went around the big room, touching things here and there in search of electronic bugs. When she was satisfied they were clear, she stared over at Connor and started whispering. “Look, I can’t just hang out here with you and Armond. I’m sure a team is already in place to get to the bottom of this, and they’ll want an update.”
Connor stepped close. “Careful. That priceless bust on the table by the window has its eye on us.”
Josie tipped her chin in acknowledgment. “Thanks for the heads-up. But we still need to discuss how we’re to handle this.”
Connor let her go, then paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. “Even though I vouched for you, they won’t leave us alone for very long, so we need to compare notes. I’ve stayed here before, so I know it’s not easy to get out. They’ll make sure we can’t leave if they don’t want us to leave.”
“Why? What good is there for Armond to hold us?”
“None, unless he thinks he needs us for leverage or bargaining. But he’s a hands-on kind of criminal. He’ll want to hover nearby until we prove to him we can help him. We have to convince him that he’s not in danger and that we’re on the level with him. If not, he’ll be done with us and...we’ll disappear in a permanent way.”
“Which is why I had to inform my superior,” she reminded him. “I’m already pushing it by being here without backup.”
“I can try to get us out of here if things get ugly,” Connor replied, still whispering. “I know all the secret passages, but the security here is ironclad.”
Of course he knew all the secret passages. “That’s why he’s keeping you so close,” she offered. “He’s afraid you’ll squeal.”
“I don’t kiss and tell,” Connor said, his eyes hitting on her lips. “I was close to ending this last year, but that art-heist fiasco kind of blew that out of the water. This is a second chance, if you look at being held captive as a positive thing.”
“A risky chance,” she replied. Josie tried to reestablish her position. “I get that you’re part of the inner circle, but I do have a job to do, remember? I can’t hang out and pretend I’m some mysterious cleaner. Armond expects action, not explanations.”
He shot a covert glance toward the hallway. “I can do the talking for both of us. Leave you out of any threads.”
What, did the man use a messenger pigeon? “I’m already tangled up in all the threads,” she retorted. “Besides, I have a secure phone in my car.”
“And how do you propose we get to that phone?”
Josie couldn’t believe she’d walked into such a convenient trap. “You’ve got me right where you want me, Randall. What’s the deal here?”
His face tightened into an irritated glare. “The deal is—I asked for your help and you came. So we have to see this through. Get over the notion that I’m out to do you in. I have enough problems without that kind of attitude.”
The man who’d fooled so many people was lecturing her about attitude? Josie wanted to handcuff him and take him into town, fast. But she had agreed to help him. Getting Armond had to be her only goal. For now.
“Okay, so what’s the protocol? How did you handle things with your last liaison?”
Connor lowered his voice again. “I came and went on my own most of the time, but when I needed to get a message out, I sent a text on a secure phone to an address that looks like it belongs to my sister, Deidre.” He put a finger to his lips to indicate they still needed to whisper.
Josie mouthed the words. “With an encryption?” How cloak-and-dagger of him.
“Yes, several codes. My friends know all of them.” He touched on his phone.
Josie nodded. The text messages were rerouted to the FBI. “I see your point.”
“Will that work?”
She nodded. “We need to let my, uh...boss know I’ll be late for work.” She glanced around, sure someone was listening right along with watching them. “Really late.”
“I’ll fix it,” he replied.
Not liking his smug tone, she shook her head. “No, we’ll fix it. You don’t make a move without me, understand?”
“Got it.” But he gave her a look that indicated he didn’t like her bossing him around. Then he started back tapping at his phone.
Wanting to wipe that smug smirk off his handsome face, she got right in his ear. “Maybe your last contact got transferred for this very reason, Randall. You didn’t play by the rules, and you didn’t bring Armond down when you had a chance.”
His expression hardened to stone. “Look, we can play this game of ‘I don’t like you, Connor Randall’ all night or we can get word out that you’re in and we’re a team now.”
He was right. They were wasting time standing here while Armond could be escaping out the back door. Or worse, while he waited for them to force the issue, or else. “If his people do a background search, they might figure out I’m FBI,” she said. “So we need to establish that I’m legit so we can stall him. Once we have him at the safe house, I’ll come clean.”
Connor clicked his phone. “I’ll tell Deidre that I can’t wait to see her on Mother’s Day.”
“That’s sweet, but this doesn’t involve your mother.”
“If you studied my file, you’d know my mother is dead,” he retorted with iron force.
“Sorry,” Josie replied, truly apologetic. She had studied his file. Several times. She should have remembered that fact, but the man had her all tied in knots. She attributed that to plain not liking him and missing her favorite pizza, but she had a feeling it went deeper than that. “Mother’s Day is your code...for what?”
“Mother’s Day means I’m in,” he explained. “My fail-safe is Thanksgiving.”
Josie almost smiled at that. “Is the Easter Bunny one of your cute little codes?”
“Funny.” He didn’t laugh. “No, but Memorial Day is coming up. A whole month or so with you, Josie. I see fireworks in my future and, yes, this could be memorable.”
“Just get back on task,”
